Superbike Boys Are Ready As A Classic Venue Returns The modernised Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit is a known quantity for Kawasaki World Superbike Racing Team duo Broc Parkes and Makoto Tamada, thanks to an official test session in July this year. The ever-improving race specification of the Ninja ZX-10R will be a boon to both Parkes and Tamada, with each of them keen to eradicate memories of the last round in Germany, where promising qualifying results ended in a first lap multi-rider accident. With both riders now 100% fit and running a much improved race package compared to the July test, this race is an important part of the season run-in. Only two rounds remain after Imola, one in France next week, and the season finale in Portugal on October 25. Imola returns to the WSB calendar for the first time since 2006, with a few modifications to its 4.936km length for safety, and lots of modernisation obvious in the pits and paddock complex. Broc Parkes: “I’m looking forward to the Imola race as I have had podiums in WSS there before and also a couple of top tens in WSB. I really enjoy the circuit and it has a great atmosphere. Nurburgring was a tough weekend after I was taken out in the first race and I was lucky not to break any bones, but I had skin taken off my bottom which made it uncomfortable to ride. I’m feeling good now and ready to race. For Imola, we have some more things to try on the bike so I’m looking forward to seeing how it goes. Each race we seem to be making progress and I would really like to be back in the top ten at Imola.” Makoto Tamada: “The test went well earlier in the season at Imola and I am pretty confident about the circuit. We were still relatively behind the leaders in terms of lap times at the test, but the bike feeling has improved significantly since then and I was confident on the race set-up at Nürburgring. Unfortunately the crash in race one took me out of both races. I have no significant injury and my broken finger from Brno is healed so I am 100% fit for Imola. If the bike works well as it did in Brno and Nürburgring, the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R should finish in an easy top ten. I guess it depends on me if we can finish in the top five, or even on the podium.” More, from another press release issued by Kawasaki: Lascorz And Fujiwara Eager For More Front-Running Results Round 12 of the 14-round WSS season gets underway at Imola this weekend and despite not testing at this legendary venue, each official Kawasaki rider is full of confidence for Sunday’s race. Lascorz’s first Kawasaki season, on the all-new Ninja ZX-6R, just gets better and better with every passing week. In the previous round in Germany he scored his fifth podium place of the year, and in doing so he promoted himself to third in the overall championship chase. Fujiwara’s push this year has been hurt by four no scores, but despite these turns of bad luck, he is 11th in the standings, with three chances left to improve before the season is completed in late October. The Provec Motocard.com Team has been busy since the last race in Germany, refreshing the suspension units and electronics packages to ensure the Imola race goes smoothly from the start. Joan Lascorz: “We have had two weekends off since the last round in Germany and I have kept myself fit and sharp by riding my mountain bike and training hard, plus some Supermotard riding. It was good to get another podium in Germany, but our aim every time is go for a win. Imola will be an interesting circuit for us, and we will have to do a lot of quick work in practice to find a good set-up for raceday.” Katsuaki Fujiwara: “Our package has been getting better and better all year, and we are much more competitive now, even if I fell at the previous race. I was just trying a little too hard maybe. We will be giving it 100% at the next race of course, because we never give up.” More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda: Ryuichi Kiyonari returns to World Superbike championship action this weekend (25-27 September) following his guest appearance for Honda UK’s British Superbike championship squad two weeks ago. The Ten Kate Honda Racing rider was British champion in 2006 and 2007 and agreed to a request from the British team to replace one of their injured riders at Croft in the UK. Kiyonari took fourth in race one but a set up change for the second outing did not work out as planned. The Japanese rider, therefore, returns to his Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR for the 4.93km Imola circuit near Bologna in northern Italy seeking a continuation of recent improvements that have increased his confidence following a string of disappointing results. Ryuichi Kiyonari championship position 11th, 130 points I enjoyed going back to the British Superbike championship after the last race at Nurburgring. It was good to see the British fans again and to work with my old team. The results were not exactly what we wanted but I enjoyed it anyway. I was feeling quite confident after the last races at Nurburgring, when the bike felt a little better during each session. I think that, with my team, I am beginning to understand the Ohlins suspension better now and I had quite a good feeling with it when we tested at Imola in July. We will start with that setting this weekend and I will try my hardest to get two good results in the races. Ronald ten Kate team manager Kiyonari-san continues to adapt to Ohlins suspension on his CBR1000RR but there was definitely some improvement to his overall feeling last time out at Nurburgring, where he finished seventh in race two. We’ll be looking to get him up to speed as quickly as possible because he needs to improve his qualifying performances and start higher on the grid in order to challenge for podium placings in the races. More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: With five podium finishes between them in the last four races, the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda pairing of Jonathan Rea and Carlos Checa is in the hunt for further prizes at this weekend’s 12th round World Superbike championship event (25-27 September) at Imola in Italy. Spain’s Checa has finished on the rostrum on four occasions this season, including two third places during the last outing at Nurburgring in Germany. The 37-year-old is clearly relishing the recent improvements in his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade since switching to Ohlins suspension in June this year. Rea, meanwhile, is looking to maintain the consistency of his podium challenges, having made a total of five visits in this, his rookie WSBK season; two of those have been to the top step, leaving him in fourth place overall in the championship standings. The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland heads to Imola buoyed by his performance during a July test, when he finished as the fastest rider. The historic 4.93km circuit 40km east of Bologna has not been on the World Superbike championship calendar since 2006, but has been the scene of some epic battles in the past notably the championship decider between Colin Edwards and Ducati’s Troy Bayliss in 2002, which saw the Honda rider emerge victorious for his second championship title. Jonathan Rea championship position 4th, 244 points The Nurburgring win in race two was good, but I needed it after messing up the first race. It just shows that I’m still learning and how much I need to keep pushing. But it was another step up for me, the team and the bike, and that’s what we’ve been looking for in each race this season. The CBR1000RR is a race-winning package now and I need to make sure that I’m there too. It’s all positive for Imola and I’m looking forward to heading back there there’s so much motorsport history, you can’t help but get goosebumps. We’ll look to confirm the setting that we finished the July test with and then try to get down to some serious lap times and fine tune things for Sunday. It was a good test that we had there and I hope we can turn that and recent form into some decent results. Carlos Checa championship position 7th, 177 points The last few races have been good for me and for the team and it has felt really nice to be up on the podium again. We have found the right balance with the bike over the last few races and I would say that 70% of the improvement has been down to the way we have been working as a team and with the new suspension technicians. Electronics have improved, too, and the faster tracks seem to suit our bike a little better. It’s a good thing that the last three rounds are all at those kind of circuits. We had a good test at Imola and the recent improvements and results have given us a momentum that we want to continue and given me a renewed confidence for the remainder of the season. Ronald ten Kate team manager We’ve carried some good momentum through the last few races and it is clear that there is further progress ahead. The team enjoyed a good test at Imola in July but the CBR1000RR has improved considerably since then. We are in a position now when we can hopefully see both Jonathan and Carlos battling for podium finishes or race wins in Imola this weekend. More, from another press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: The Hannspree Ten Kate Honda World Supersport squad is looking to continue recent improvements in the performance of the 2009 Honda CBR600RR as it heads to round 12 of the current series at Imola in Italy this weekend (25-27 September). In spite of disappointing results last time out at Nurburgring in Germany, when Kenan Sofuoglu crashed out of contention and Andrew Pitt finished in seventh place, both riders were positive about ongoing improvements to their racing package. It is the championship’s first visit since 2006 to the historic 4.9km Imola circuit that lies 40km east of Bologna in northern Italy. However, the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team tested with its main championship rivals at Imola in mid-July, when Turkish rider Sofuoglu was fastest. Kenan Sofuoglu championship position 4th, 128 points I was very disappointed to crash at Nurburgring and I have to put that behind me for this weekend at Imola. I think I could have taken a good second place in Germany but I was maybe pushing a little too hard so early in the race. We found some good improvements at Nurburgring, especially being able to hold a line when opening the throttle. Also, the Imola test that we had in July was very good for me so we have a good base to start from there. I want to carry on with the good improvements that we have made in recent weeks and get back to winning races before the end of the season. Andrew Pitt championship position 7th 94 points We had a test at Imola a couple of months back but it was our first time out on Ohlins really, and we lost our way a bit. We’ll go back with the setting that we left Nurburgring with and start from there. The result in Germany was not what I wanted, but that was more down to me being a little too cautious when it was raining. The second half of the race showed what progress we’ve made and I put in my best laps of the weekend. There are still a few areas we need to work on but it’s definitely going in the right direction. It was good to have some additional support in the team at Nurburgring, both on the suspension and the engine side, and it helped us dial out the backing-in problem we’ve had all season. Each step we took was positive and I’d like that to continue in Imola. Ronald ten Kate team manager At Nurburgring we made a good step forward on overcoming problems that have blighted us earlier in the season and it was rewarding to see the team working together so well. Our earlier Imola test also gave us some data for the Ohlins suspension, which should be beneficial for us when we return this weekend. Our target is to be full-on competitive as soon as we go out on the circuit on Friday afternoon. More, from a press release issued by InFront Motorsports: Imola shapes up for another legendary Superbike duel The FIM Superbike World Championship, sponsored by Hannspree, returns to Imola’s legendary Enzo & Dino Ferrari circuit three years on from its last appearance. With respect to the 2006 race, which saw Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) conquer his second world title, the track layout has been slightly modified in the section from the Rivazza to the pit straight with the construction of a new chicane and the circuit now measures 4.936 km. The changes however have not modified the characteristics of the Italian track, which remains one of the most difficult and technical of the entire championship. Eleven races have been held at Imola, and the list of winners includes Ruben Xaus and Regis Laconi, with three victories apiece, Colin Edwards (2) and one each for Chris Vermeulen, Alex Barros and Troy Bayliss. As for the Manufacturers, Ducati lead the way with six wins, followed by Honda with four and Aprilia with one. SPIES-HAGA TAKE TWO: The Nurburgring races produced a true changing of the guard at the top of the points table, with Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) taking over from Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), who had been in control since the start of the season. The Texan’s long chase has included 12 wins in 22 races and he now has a lead of 18 points over his Japanese rival. But 18 points is a slim margin and Haga will be attempting to reverse the situation immediately at Ducati’s home circuit, even though he did not take part in July testing as he was still recovering from injury. A victory would be a boost for Haga’s title chances but also for his morale, seeing as neither he nor the 1098 have had a win for the last 10 races: the last time was at Kyalami (South Africa) back in mid-May. Team-mate Michel Fabrizio, who went well in July testing, will also try and interrupt Ducati’s negative run. The young Italian, even though he is still in with a chance of winning the title, will play a key role in an eventual team strategy, seeing as he is one of the few riders capable of getting close to Spies on the day. HONDA PRESSURE: A third force, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda, are now quite capable of getting in amongst the battle between Yamaha and Ducati. The four-cylinder Japanese machine has made a quantum leap forward over the course of the season and in the last few races has been virtually on the same competitive level as its rivals. This improvement has also come about thanks to the prodigious talent of Jonathan Rea, who took his second win of the season at the Nurburgring and who will surely be one of the riders to beat in the coming seasons, if not already next year. But Honda can also count on Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate), thrice on the podium in the last four races, and Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing), who is proving to be a difficult customer on all tracks. APRILIA AND BMW MOVING UP: The challenging Imola circuit will also be an ideal test-bed for the ambitions of Aprilia and BMW. Following his win at Brno, Max Biaggi and Aprilia confirmed they were making good progress with two solid results at the Nurburgring. The Italian will be aiming to continue that form at Imola, a circuit where both he and his machine appeared to struggle in July testing. A major improvement is also being recorded by BMW, now regularly in amongst the front-running group. Troy Corser is proving to be a real certainty for the German manufacturer and is giving considerable input for the development of the bike. Imola should also see the return of Ruben Xaus following his injury at Brno, but his participation will only be decided at the last minute. TOP 10 AIMS: Suzuki and Kawasaki are currently on the sidelines of the championship battle. Without their leading rider Max Neukirchner, who however will be at Imola for a check-up, the Suzuki Alstare BRUX team’s line-up will again be Yukio Kagayama and Karl Muggeridge, who will try and make the most of this second bite of the cherry on a circuit he knows well. The same can also be said of Broc Parkes (Kawasaki WSRT), who is looking for a good result after a disastrous time on the tarmac in Germany. He and team-mate Makoto Tamada will have a series of updates and both of them will be aiming for top-10 finishes. Points (after 11 of 14 rounds): 1. Spies 364; 2. Haga 336; 3. Fabrizio 289; 4. Rea 244; 5. Biaggi 224; 6. Haslam 201; 7. Checa 177; 8. Sykes 165; 9. Byrne 140; 10. Smrz 140. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 439; 2. Yamaha 407; 3. Honda 347; 4. Aprilia 231; 5. Suzuki 143; 6. BMW 105; 7. Kawasaki 56 SUPERSPORT: Despite three wins in the last four races, Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) has still not managed to make a decisive break from his title rival, Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda). Only 22 points lie between the two, but this should be sufficient for the Coventry man to administer in the final three rounds of the season. Cal has proved to be the strongest rider out there in any case and Laverty’s task is a tough one. Even though he is still in with a mathematical chance of winning the title, Spain’s Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) will just be aiming for his first win to accompany what has so far been an excellent season. Other key protagonists are likely to be Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), who has won two races so far, and Brno victor Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport). Italian hopes lie with Massimo Roccoli (Intermoto Czech Honda) following his excellent fourth place at the Nurburgring, and Michele Pirro (Yamaha Lorenzini). It’s all change in the Triumph ParkinGo squad, where Welsh youngster Chaz Davies comes in as a replacement for Gianluca Nannelli as team-mate to Garry McCoy on the 675 machine. Points (after 11 of 14 rounds): 1. Crutchlow 210; 2. Laverty 188; 3. Lascorz 138; 4. Sofuoglu 128; 5. Foret 99; 6. West 96; 7. Pitt 94; 8. Aitchison 71; 9. McCoy 71; 10. Roccoli 62. Manufacturers: 1. Yamaha 235; 2. Honda 231; 3. Kawasaki 149; 4. Triumph 85; 5. Suzuki 30 SUPERSTOCK 1000: The Superstock 1000 FIM Cup now looks to be on its way to Belgium for Xavier Simeon following the Ducati Xerox man’s three wins in a row in the last three races. A 40 point lead over Claudio Corti (Suzuki Alstare) should be enough to see Simeon take the crown this time around, and he has three ‘match points’ from now until the end of the season to do it. If he wins and Corti fails to go any higher than fourth, the title is his, while any other results would only need him to gain 11 points over the Italian and not lose more than two against the third force in this year’s battle, Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Honda). Javi Fores (Kawasaki Pedercini), Sylvain Barrier (Garnier Junior Yamaha), Davide Giugliano (Suzuki Celani) and Daniele Beretta (Ducati Xerox) are the other men to watch in Superstock 1000 at Imola. Points (after 7 of 10 rounds): 1. Simeon 155; 2. Corti 115; 3. Berger 102; 4. Fores 100; 5. Barrier 67; 6. Beretta 66; 7. Jezek 56; 8. Giugliano 38; 9. Baz 35; 10. Savary 30. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 155; 2. Honda 128: 3. Suzuki 117; 4. Kawasaki 100; 5. Yamaha 84; 6. MV Agusta 21; 7. Aprilia 12 SUPERSTOCK 600 The title battle is more wide-open in the European Superstock 600 championship, even though Danilo Petrucci (Yamaha Trasimeno) and Vincent Lonbois (MTM Racing Yamaha) for the moment appear to have an extra gear over their rivals. The Belgian is the man on a roll, having won the last two races, although Petrucci has responded nicely with two second places. All eyes on Imola therefore for a continuation of their battle for supremacy, while outsiders Gino Rea (Ten Kate Honda) and Marco Bussolotti (Yamaha Trasimeno) are also still in with a chance. The young Brit follows, 24 points behind, with the Italian a further two so they will have to go all out for the win this weekend. Points (after 7 of 10 rounds): 1. Petrucci 122; 2. Lonbois 114; 3. Rea 98: 4. Bussolotti 96; 5. Guarnoni 83; 6. La Marra 68; 7. Kerschbaumer 59; 8. Guittet 56; 9. Litjens 38; 10. Chmielewski 35 More, from a press release issued by Stiggy Racing Honda: The Stiggy Racing Honda team will bring their four-rider line-up back to two entrants for the ultimate three rounds of the 2009 World Superbike and Supersport Championship starting in Italy at the Autodromo Internazionale di Enzo Ferrari in Imola this weekend. A combination of economical issues and rider injuries have forced the team to take some rigorous decisions in order to secure the team’s continuation in this year’s championship. Superbike rider John Hopkins – who suffered serious injuries after crashing out in the 11th round of the series in Germany three weeks ago – had to announce his retirement for this season and will not be replaced by another rider for the remaining three rounds due to a shortfall in finances. This means the team will only bring Leon Haslam to the Superbike grid in Imola. The Englishman firmly holds an impressive sixth place in the rankings and has the best chances to secure a top five championship finish for himself and the team. Supersport rider Gianluca Vizziello has been forced to step out of the 2009 World Supersport Championship. The economical situation of the team combined with the fact that the former European Superstock champion has failed to deliver the expected results, have forced the team to sideline the Italian rider for the rest of the season. Anthony West now remains the sole Stiggy Racing Honda supersport rider who will appear at the grid in Imola this weekend. The Australian currently holds a sixth place in the Supersport standings and will push to secure a top five championship finish in the remaining three rounds of the series. Both Leon Haslam and Anthony West have tested their Stiggy Racing Honda machines at the Imola track during the official Pirelli summer test and confidently head to the 12th round of the World Superbike championship at the famous Italian circuit this weekend. Johan Stigefelt, Team manager: “After long discussions with our partner S2 Racing, who are the financial provider for the team, we have finally decided to let Gianluca go. We need to do everything we can to survive the remaining three races and had no other option then to cut the costs dramatically. This is by far the worst year for me as team manger in the five years I have been active in this championship. I know a lot of the teams out there are struggling due to global the economic crisis, but it is never easy to tell a rider that he will have to stay home. I know how much they want to be out there and do what they like doing best. As a rider, I have been through it myself and know how tough it is. I wish Gianluca all the best for the near future and hope he can ride the last races in another team and find himself a good ride for next year.” Gianluca Vizziello: “I´m obviously very sad and disappointed that this decision has been made. The team is in a bad financial position right now, and struggled to support for the remaining races of the championship. I knew it was coming, but nevertheless it still hits me like a rock. I had my focus on these last rounds and it just feels like I am being robbed of my chances. Still a big thanks to my crew and team for the great work this year. I have nothing more to say than to hope for a better solution in the future for me.” Leon Haslam, World Superbike: “The spec of our bike is what it is at the minute, but we proved in Germany that we are still capable of running and battling at the front. We have tested at Imola this summer, and were third quickest on race tyres. We missed out on a chance to use the best tyres at that test like the official teams did. You need corner speed at Imola and our bike feels good out of the turns. We already set our gearing choices at the test so we should be able to spend most of our time working on the electronics. I 19;m looking forward to Imola and hope I can make up for Germany and get on the podium again.” Anthony West, World Supersport: “I think we can get everything together for this race. We have been up and down a bit this year but we got good result in Brno two races ago, and we have tested at Imola. I think the way the bike is now is the way we will finish the season, so we will just go for it. We should have a good set-up as far as our suspension goes, so we need the engine to be running well. You need a strong engine coming out of corners at Imola.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: REA SETS OUT TO CONTINUE HIS WINNING STREAK, LAVERTY KEEPS PRESSURE ON Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) took his second career World Superbike race win last time out but success has only made the 22-year-old Ulsterman hungrier than ever for more wins. After some up and down early results Rea is now seen as one of the riders to beat as the season comes to a close, with the overall championship still closely contested between Ben Spies and Noriyuki Haga, with Michel Fabrizio some way off the leading duo. Some 45 points from third place rider Fabrizio, Rea has some ground to make up to get into the top three, but including Imola this weekend he has six points scoring races to advance his cause. A July test at the slightly re-shaped Imola, now with a slow chicane added on the start finish line, was attended by most of the top World Superbike and World Supersport teams. Ominously for his rivals, Rea was fastest at that test, which was a forerunner to the first Imola WSB races since 2006. Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR) was not quite able to peg back long-time championship leader Cal Crutchlow at the most recent WSS race in Germany, but he was competitively fast in Imola testing in his first visit to the Italian track. Laverty is 22-points adrift of Crutchlow, with three races to go, including Imola. Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda CBR1000RR) was looking like a podium certainty in the last WSB round, but simple bad luck got in the way at a key time, and Leon could not improve his still-impressive overall sixth place on his privateer Honda. Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) saw his WSS fortunes swing away from him once again recently, but as a two-time race winner this year, and a champion in 2007, the Turkish star can never be counted out. Anthony West (Stiggy Racing Honda CBR600RR) is a lone Stiggy Supersport rider in Italy, as Gianluca Vizziello (Stiggy Racing Honda CBR600RR) will not run at the Imola race, due to budget constraints. Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) has been fast and consistent in the most recent races, and is now hunting Haslam’s sixth place overall. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) took time out of his WSB season to race in the British Superbike series for Honda recently, but he is firmly back in the WSB world this weekend, looking for his first podiums since Monza, in May. John Hopkins (Stiggy Racing Honda CBR1000RR) will not be racing at Imola, and is a doubt for the rest of the year, as follow-up tests on his Nürburgring injuries showed he needed an operation, which has now been successfully carried out. His recuperation period is such that he will most probably miss the last few races. Matthieu Lagrive (Honda Althea CBR1000RR) has been a revelation on his privateer Honda WSB machine since making the switch from WSS mid-season. After only eight of the 22 races run so far, he has scored enough points to sit inside the top 20, no mean feat in such a competitive season all through the field. For 2008 World Champion Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) 2009 has been a challenge almost throughout, and he is yet to win a race, despite two early second places in Australia and Qatar. He is currently seventh. Mark Aitchison (Althea Honda CBR600RR) has a team-mate at this race, as Flavio Gentile (Althea Honda CBR600RR) joins the Althea set-up once again. Aitchison has not had a repeat of his breakthrough podium midseason, but will be at his team’s home race in Imola. Miguel Praia (Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR) is all set for his first top ten finish at Imola, after a successful test there in July. SBK Rider Comments Jonathan Rea: “The Nürburgring win in race two was good, but I needed it after messing up the first race. It just shows that I’m still learning and how much I need to keep pushing. But it was another step up for me, the team and the bike, and that’s what we’ve been looking for in each race this season. The CBR1000RR is a race-winning package now and I need to make sure that I’m there too. It’s all positive for Imola and I’m looking forward to heading back there. We’ll look to confirm the setting that we finished the July test with and then try to get down to some serious lap times, fine tuning things for Sunday. It was a good test that we had there and I hope we can turn that, and recent form, into some decent results.” Leon Haslam: “The spec of our bike is what it is at the minute, but we proved in Germany that we are still capable of running and battling at the front. We have tested at Imola this summer, and were third quickest on race tyres. And we didn’t get to use the best tyres at that test, whereas the official teams did. You don’t need that much top speed at Imola and our bike feels good out of the turns. We set our gearing choices at the test so we should be able to spend most of our time working on the electronics. I’m looking forward to Imola.” Carlos Checa: “The last few races have been good for me and for the team and it has felt really nice to be up on the podium again. We have found the right balance with the bike over the last few races and I would say that 70% of the improvement has been down to the way we have been working as a team and with the new suspension technicians. Electronics have improved, too, and the faster tracks seem to suit our bike a little better. It’s a good thing that the last three rounds are all at those kind of circuits. We had a good test at Imola and the recent improvements and results have given us a momentum that we want to continue and given me a renewed confidence for the remainder of the season.” Ryuichi Kiyonari: “I enjoyed going back to the British Superbike championship after the last race at Nürburgring. It was good to see the British fans again and to work with my old team. The results were not exactly what we wanted but I enjoyed it anyway. I was feeling quite confident after the last races at Nürburgring, when the bike felt a little better during each session. I think that, with my team, I am beginning to understand the Öhlins suspension better now and I had quite a good feeling with it when we tested at Imola in July.” Matthieu Lagrive: “I know the circuit of Imola and I like it. Our last tests here in Imola were very good and so I think we’ll be starting with a good bike set up. I have to do my best in Imola because it’s one of my team’s home races and I know we have the opportunity to earn a good result. The plan is the same as every race weekend, try to get it all working well in practice and qualifying and then take the best possible results in the races.” WSS Rider Comments Eugene Laverty: “I think this will be our best chance to get back in touch with Crutchlow. We had a good test there and our bike was working well. I’m hopeful of getting back on the top step of the podium it’s been a while. We should have a bit more horsepower than we had in the last race and we have a few new things to try, with gearing mainly. I’m confident in the work the team has done.” Kenan Sofuoglu: “I was very disappointed to crash at Nürburgring and I have to put that behind me for this weekend at Imola. I think I could have taken a good second place in Germany but I was maybe pushing a little too hard so early in the race. We found some good improvements at Nürburgring, especially being able to hold a line when opening the throttle. Also, the Imola test that we had in July was very good for me so we have a good base to start from there.” Andrew Pitt: “At Imola, we’ll be looking to carry on the good work that we did at Nürburgring, when there was a definite improvement. We have a good base to work with and the additional personnel that came from the workshop in Holland made a real difference so it’ll be good to have them back at Imola. The test there wasn’t as good for me as it was for Kenan, so we’ll start with what we had in Germany and try to continue with our good progress especially what we’ve achieved on stability during corner entry.” Anthony West: “I think we can get everything together for this race. We have been up and down a bit this year but we got good result in Brno two races ago, and we have tested at Imola. I think the way the bike is now is the way we will finish the season, so we’ll just go for it. We should have a good set-up as far as our suspension goes, so we need the engine to be running well. You need a strong engine coming out of the corners at Imola.” Mark Aitchison: “I have been looking forward to this weekend ever since the German round finished a few weeks back. I have been training hard in the meantime, but now I just want to jump back on the bike and get going again. We were suffering from a few problems in the race and practice at the Nürburgring, so I hope to resolve these issues early and put ourselves in a good starting position for the race.” Miguel Praia: “We will race in Italy with the same set-up as we did in Germany, which is fine. It went pretty well there but the result I took was not the one we deserved. I was happy with the normal results of our tests in Imola, and it is a difficult racetrack. But after the tests I am confident I can do well. We can take a top ten, so we are looking for that.” Flavio Gentile: “I know I am in an excellent team and I’ll work hard to reach a good result. I’m fully fit and ready for Imola. I’m familiar with this circuit because I raced here in 2006. I’ll try my best during the races but also during the practices, because it’s very important to reach a good start on the grid and I want to be in the first five positions in Sunday’s race.” More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: IMOLA WELCOMES THE DUCATI XEROX TEAM FOR THE THIRD ITALIAN ROUND OF THE 2009 SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP Imola (Italy), Tuesday 22nd September: This year the Imola circuit takes the place of Vallelunga as the third Italian track on the World Superbike calendar, having not featured on the schedule since 2006. In that time various modifications have been made to the track, including the construction of a controversial new chicane just after the start line that the Superbike riders experienced for the first time during the July test session organised by Infront Sports. During the pre-summer tests, held in extremely hot conditions, it was Michel Fabrizio who dominated the sessions; he was consistently the fastest rider on track which bodes well for the coming weekend’s racing. Noriyuki was unfortunately unable to participate in the aforementioned testing due to the injuries he had sustained earlier at the Donington Park round, and so he returns to a track that he hasn’t ridden since the 2006 event. At the start of September the German Nürburgring hosted the eleventh Superbike round but although Noriyuki was strong in both Friday’s (wet) and Saturday’s (dry) sessions, taking too his first pole of the season, a race win unfortunately eluded him; after finishing a close second in Race 1, an incident with Honda rider Rea in Race 2 meant game-over and zero points for Nitro-Nori. As a result, Haga, having led the championship until that point, now finds himself in second place, eighteen points behind Yamaha’s Ben Spies, and 57 points ahead of third-placed rider, team-mate Fabrizio. Michel also had a difficult race day at the Ring; having finished seventh in Race 1, he was forced to change bikes before the second race but, for various reasons, found it difficult to fight for the podium and concluded proceedings in ninth place. Although the World Superbike championship cannot be decided until at least the Magny-Cours round, there is a mathematical chance that young Belgian rider, Xavier Simeon, currently leading the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup with the Ducati Xerox Junior Team, could take the title this weekend in front of the Italian crowd. There are, as last year, four riders still in the running but Xavier currently holds a 40 point advantage over second-placed rider Corti, and so would need to increase this lead to at least 50 points in order to secure victory at Imola. Another appointment is fixed for Saturday evening, when Imola’s town council, in collaboration with Ducati and circuit managers Formula Imola, will award Ducati ambassador and three times World Champion, Troy Bayliss, with a lifetime career award. Troy Bayliss will be at the track with the Ducati Xerox Team all weekend. Noriyuki Haga (2nd in championship, 346 points) Noriyuki’s best result at Imola was a third place finish, scored in 2005 this year only victory will do. “We came away from Nürburgring disappointed, because we know we should have, and could have, taken at least one race win. Now I am in second place in the championship which means that at Imola it is even more important to finish first. There are 50 points on offer at Imola and the gap between Ben and I is only eighteen… It is of course Ducati’s home track and we haven’t been here for a few years, so, as well as needing the points for the championship, it would be great to do well in front of all the Ducatisti.” Haga’s Superbike form at Imola: 2006: Race 1 4th, Race 2 6th 2005: Race 1 3rd 2004: Race 1 4th, Race 2 DNF 2002: Race 1 5th, Race 2 4th Michel Fabrizio (3rd in championship, 289 points) Although the 2006 Superbike event at Imola didn’t go to plan for the Italian rider, Michel won the Superstock 1000 race held at the same track back in 2003. “I was very comfortable on this track when we tested here in July, and one of the fastest, but I’m aware that it will be significantly cooler for the race and that may make a difference. The 2006 Imola event was one to forget for me but this year I am much more confident, mainly due to the fact that testing proved the 1198 can go well here. I’m looking forward to the final Italian race event of the season!” Fabrizio’s Superbike form at Imola: 2006: Race 1 DNF, Race 2 – DNF CIRCUIT DATA: Country: Italy Name: Autodromo di Imola Circuit length: 4.936 km Pole position: left Corners left: 10 Corners right: 6 Race distance: 21 laps = 103.656 km LAP RECORDS: Fastest lap Barros (Honda) 1’50.266 (2006). Superpole Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1’48.804 (2006). 2006 RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Barros (Honda); 2. Toseland (Honda); 3. Pitt (Yamaha). Race 2 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox); 2. Barros (Honda); 3. Kagayama (Suzuki). More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport: TROY AND RUBEN LOOKING FORWARD TO IMOLA The twelfth round of this year’s Superbike World Championship takes place at the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola, Italy, and will be the first time the series is at the track since 2006. Since then, modifications to the circuit have been made, especially on the approach to the chicane before the front straight. The top teams tested the new layout in mid-July and the revisions to the track drew mixed comments. Troy took a runner up spot in 2005, but Ruben has even better memories of the circuit as he took a superb double victory there in 2003. Troy Although we have tested at Imola this year – on the new layout – there is still lots to learn and do. For me the new approach to the front straight is not as good as before and the final chicane could cause problems. I am looking forward to riding my bike again as I believe that we have made really good progress recently and I want to see how this progress continues in Imola. Hopefully the weather will be better than the Nurburgring and we will get a good crowd and a good result. Ruben My physiotheraphy and rehabilitation has gone very well and I think I will be able to race in Imola. Just before Imola, I will get on a bike and see how my leg behaves and how it feels when I get off the bike. In the normal scheme of things, I should really not be on a bike at all before Portimao, but everything has gone well so far and I am very eager to get on my bike and race. I saw the progress at Brno before I crashed and I am itching to get on my bike and see how much progress the team have made since then. There is no absolutely final decision about Imola yet, but I am very, very hopeful. Berti Hauser (Director – BMW Motorrad Motorsport) Hopefully, our normal team will be back in action at Imola and it will be a pleasure to have Ruben back and interesting to hear what he says about the bike since Brno. Until he rides the bike, we do not know how strong he will be, but we know that his rehabilitation has gone very well and we know how keen he is to get on the bike again. These last three races are very important to all of us and we are aiming to end the last part of the season in very positive frame of mind and build on that for next season. More, from a press release issued by Parkalgar Honda: Laverty: “Time to knock Crutchlow down a peg” PARKALGAR HONDA ace Eugene Laverty goes to the 12th round of the World Supersport Championship at Imola in Italy knowing he needs to beat Championship leader and title rival Cal Crutchlow. Portuguese Parkalgar Honda racer Miguel Praia is riding well and hoping to challenge for the top 10 again. He is building his confidence ahead of the final round of the Championship at his and the team’s home track of Portimao in Portugal. There is one practice session on Friday, followed by another on Saturday along with qualification. The race takes place at 1325CET on Sunday, September 27th. Eugene: “Imola is a very important round. We tested at the circuit in July and had the same pace as Crutchlow and now we need to beat him. It is time to knock Crutchlow down a peg and get back into the title fight for the last two rounds.” Miguel: “I am now focussed on improving my results, these are the last three races of the season and I want to try and get into the top 10 again. I think we have the pace and the Parkalgar Honda is a very good bike.” Simon Buckmaster, Parkalgar Honda Team Manager: “We had a good test at Imola earlier in the year and Eugene was on the leading pace. We have been working hard on the Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR since then and have improved the package a bit more. We have full confidence in Eugene and we all need him to win the race. Miguel is riding well and very focussed on improving his best ever result of 10th. He has the bike and package to challenge in the top 10.” More, from a press release issued by Team Sterilgarda: Team Sterilgarda BRC Racing is set for the rest of the season, which will see its end on the 25th of October at Portimao. Starting Friday, the squad will take to the Imola track where Shane Byrne has been among the fastest riders during the July testing. The Enzo and Dino Ferrari racetrack underwent a few modifications in the recent past and is now 4959 metres long. The most important change was made at the chicane towards the final straight of the track which was deeply modified compared to 2006. Despite everything, the track has not lost its charm. This will be the last round held in front of the numerous Italian fans who are expected to turn up at the event on a track that has always witnessed many spectacular races. MARCO BORCIANI – team manager : “My expectations for this race are high because Shakey has demonstrated his skills on the track and the team has done a great job in July. We’ll start where we left off setupwise, however the weather will be completely different as it’s not going to be as hot as a couple of months ago. The track seems to adapt well both to the bike’s features and to the rider’s skills and so I’m confident we can do well. We basically hope to score a result which will allow us to keep our ninth place in the riders standings”. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: With regular rider Max Neukirchner not quite ready for his race return, Aussie Karl Muggeridge will once again partner Suzuki Alstare Brux rider Yukio Kagayama this coming weekend for the 12th round of the World Superbike Championship at Imola in Italy. Muggeridge deputised for the German in the last round at the Nurburgring and is no stranger to Suzuki Alstare, so was the logical choice to ride in Italy. Neukirchner, however, will travel to Imola and will consult with the Clinica Mobile before a decision is made as to whether or not he will make his return at the following round in Magny-Cours next week. Since the Superbike World Championship was last in Imola in 2006, the circuit has undergone several modifications, including a completely different approach to the final chicane and entrance to the pits. Kagayama has tested this new layout, at a Top Teams test back in July, but for Muggeridge, it will be his first time racing the new design, so he will have to spend the first practice learning the track before he can attack it. Yukio Kagayama: “We tested here in July and I think that the changes may be better for cars than they are for bikes. The approach to the final chicane is not so good for us and I hope that nobody crashes in this area, especially if they are in a group of riders. But of course, the track is the same for all of us and I, like everybody, will be doing the best we can. “In the last round, we made a radical change to the bike and it worked out pretty well, so this is where we will start from in first practice. I am hoping that we can be more competitive this coming weekend because I really want to do well again. Sometimes this season has been a bit frustrating, so it would be good to have some positive results in Imola and then more of the same in the last two rounds.” Karl Muggeridge: “It’s great to get another opportunity to race for Suzuki Alstare Brux and I hope that now that I know the bike a bit better I can give them better results. There was a lot for me to learn in the Nurburgring and I will continue this process in Imola. I will be at a disadvantage to most – if not all of – the top riders because they tested in July and so they will know the new layout better than me. I am looking forward to working with the whole team again and repaying their faith in me. I would like to wish Max all the best and hope his recovery has gone well and he returns soon. In the meantime, I will do the best I can.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Yamaha World Superbike Team rider Ben Spies heads to Imola this weekend looking to build on his championship lead over rival Noriyuki Haga. In a dramatic clash two weeks ago at the Nurburgring in Germany Spies put on a breathtaking race performance after mixed qualifying results to finally take the championship lead he’d been chasing all year with a win and a second placed finish. Although the WSB championship hasn’t raced at Imola since 2006 it has proved to be good for Texans, being the scene of a double win for Colin Edwards in 2002 where he won back to back races against Troy Bayliss to claim the World Championship title. Team mate Tom Sykes is heading to the Italian circuit looking to convert his recent qualifying form into race success. Pre race sessions at the Nurburgring offered a glimpse of Sykes’s potential to run at the front with consistent fast race pace however the British rider was unable to convert it to a top race result after struggling with grip issues on race day. Spies has an 18 point lead over Haga now with six races to go and a potential 150 further points up for grabs. Sykes currently sits in eighth position, trailing Carlos Checa in seventh by 12 points and 36 points behind rival Brit Leon Haslam in sixth. Both riders benefit from having tested at Imola over the summer so will not have to use their first practice sessions to learn the circuit. “I’m looking forward to riding on a track we’ve tested at again,” said Ben Spies. ” I feel we should have a good weekend coming up as we have a lot of data to go on, we got a lot accomplished at the test. We don’t have as big a lead as we would like but I’ve been in this situation before, it’s not so strange for me. As far as I’m concerned, we’re going to Imola to try and win two races. We know this is Ducati’s back yard and the past has been pretty good for them, so it will be tough. Having said that we have some good stuff worked out with the bike and the team has been continuing to develop so I’m confident we can pull in some good results.” I’m really looking forward to Imola”, said Tom Sykes. “I had a two day test there and it was a decent one, we came away with a lot of positives. I’m hoping to go back there with what we’ve learnt and start with a good race setting. I’m really ready to get on the rostrum and taste the champagne, I certainly feel like I’m capable of doing it. That’s the plan so hopefully we can go there strong, not having to learn the circuit and get stuck straight in. I really enjoyed riding on the track, there are a few bumps that remind me of home and there’s certainly a lot of history there, it’s strange seeing houses as you come down the fast left on the track.” Imola Technically speaking according to Tom Houseworth, Ben Spies Crew Chief “We had a very productive test at Imola, a big factor being Ben knows the track now. This will allow us to work on setup straight away, on both bikes if necessary. Unlike Nurburgring we won’t lose any track learning time if it rains, last race weekend proved that puts us behind quickly. Both Ben’s bikes are a bit different so we’ll try each one and figure out which is more comfortable to go fast on. We’re hoping to be able to test some race rubber and dial in the ‘back in’ control in the second session. If all goes well and the weather holds Saturday should be fine tuning day. By this time we will have picked a bike and will concentrate on tuning the traction and wheelie control. Of course the goal is to make the bike as easy for Ben to ride fast as possible come Sunday. We’ll see how it goes!” Imola technically speaking according to Sergio Verbena, Tom Sykes Crew Chief “For Imola we can and will concentrate immediately on getting the best performance and finding the best balance between the tyres, chassis and suspension. We also have a lot of tyre data, even if the conditions turn out to be different compared to the summer tests. We had very hot temperatures in the summer, for the race we are hoping for lower temperatures! We’re going to start with the base setting from the test as Tom produced some really good lap times with it and build into that what we’ve learnt at Brno and the Nurburgring and go from there.” Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha world superbike Team Manager “we are ready for Imola, we know how the bike works there. I think as we’ve done in the last races, we will be going into this weekend with confidence, I’m positive we can continue to achieve great results. We’ve worked and studied the data from the test so we can prepare the bikes for optimum performance, we will we see Friday at noon if that works well. We are positive that both riders can perform here so we’re looking forward to a successful weekend for the team.” Crutchlow set to continue championship dominance at Imola After a flawless performance at the Nurburgring Yamaha World supersport rider Cal Crutchlow heads to Imola this weekend with the team intent on gaining another gap in the championship lead as the British rider closes in on the title. As with World Superbike, both Crutchlow and Foret have tested at Imola this year so go to the track armed with circuit knowledge and a working set-up from the start. Crutchlow is leading the championship with three rounds to go with 210 points, 22 points ahead of closest rival Eugene Laverty in second position. Team mate Foret is in fifth on 99 points, 29 points behind fourth placed Sofuoglu. “The test went well at Imola,” said Cal Crutchlow. “I intend to carry on where we left off after the last race and keep on putting in 100% to win. The plan is to keep the championship lead this weekend and increase on it as much as possible to get closer to the title win.” “The weather looks great which is a good thing”, said Fabien Foret. “According to the test we had in the summer the bike works well at Imola and I have a set-up that performs well for me. I’d like to score some good points for the championship this weekend, I’m definitely looking for a podium finish on Sunday.” Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager “I think Cal is ready to race wherever we go, I think he will be as strong as he was at the Nurburgring. Hopefully we’ll have a situation where we will be able to get enough points to be able to decide the title at Magny Cours, that’s the dream scenario anyway. For now we’re going to focus on this race and there are still three rounds to go. We know Cal still has Eugene to deal with, so we need to make sure the R6 is up there at the front finishing those last three races. Fabien was also quick on the test in the summer and pleased with the set up we found when we were there so he’s looking for good race on Sunday and a good podium finish again. The weather should be good for him which will help.”