NEW DAD PARKES CONFIDENT AS TAMADA RETURNS IN GERMANY After a five week break, the Hannspree World Superbike Championship returns with round eleven of the fourteen round series as it heads for the iconic Nurburgring in Germany this forthcoming weekend (September 4/6). Whilst many of the teams have been relaxing since the previous round at Brno in July, the Paul Bird Motorsport Team has been doing anything but as they look forward to building on their recent success with riders Australian Broc Parkes and Japanese Makoto Tamada hoping for another share of the points for the Penrith, Cumbria-based team. Having scored a hat-trick of runner-up placings to runaway leader Leon Camier when guesting as a wild card rider at the British Superbike Championship round at Brands Hatch last month, 27-year-old Parkes gained valuable data and track time which should stand him in good stead for this round and following on from a hand injury sustained at Brno, Tamada, 32, is hoping to get back to the form he was showing in recent races prior to his latest injury setback aboard the www.supercasino.com, Vent-Axia, Kick Energy and Henleys-backed Kawasaki Superbike Racing Team Ninja ZX-10Rs. Broc Parkes: “After racing at the British Superbikes at Brands Hatch in early August, we found some really good things on the bike and came away with some great results which gave me and the team some confidence on our direction for the last four WSB races. It will be great to apply the team’s development to the Nurburgring race this weekend. I really enjoy racing at this circuit and I’ve had some successful results in the past. Last year I was unlucky not to win on the World Supersport bike as we had a problem at the end of the race. I’ve also won a race a few years back on the short circuit in the German Superbike Championship. Overall I’m really looking forward to some good results this weekend. I’m also over the moon at becoming a father this week to my new-born son, young Jesse John Parkes.” Makoto Tamada: “After another unfortunate crash in Brno I am happy to confirm now after the August break that my finger doesn’t hurt at all, and I am ready 100% to race this weekend. The Kawasaki ZX-10R performed much better during the Brno race and I predict that we can finish in the top ten in both races at Nurburgring. I just can’t wait to be back on the bike again and continue where we left off after some exciting developments from Brno.” More, from a press release issued by Stiggy Racing Honda: The Stiggy Racing Honda team is ready to take on the German challenge as the World Superbike series gets back into action after a six-week summer break and starts the first of the season’s final four races at the famous Nurburgring in Germany this weekend. After the long break in the team’s superb maiden Superbike season, Leon Haslam heads into the eleventh round of the championship holding a sixth place in the standings, while John Hopkins is fighting back from his current 20th position following an injury plagued start of the season. The Stiggy Racing Honda CBR1000RR machines and their superbike riders are newcomers to the Nurburgring but are fully charged and fighting fit to launch their attack at the German rostrum this weekend. Supersport rider Anthony West entered the summer break on a high as he finished runner-up in the last race at Brno where he took his second number two slot for the Stiggy Racing Honda Team this season. With the Honda CBR600RR on the pace and morale and confidence boosted, both Anthony West and Gianluca Vizziello – the only team member who has raced the Nurburgring before – are geared up to continue their success at the Nurburgring. Leon Haslam – Superbike: “Brno was a tough weekend for us and we ran into a few issues, so we are looking to eliminate a lot of them this weekend. The Nurburgring will be a new circuit to learn for me, but from what I have seen on TV it looks like it should be a good track for the Honda. The summer break was needed, but it went on a bit too long. I am looking forward to getting back on the bike in Germany and get back on the podium.” John Hopkins – Superbike: “I have never been to the Nurburgring before but have seen the racing there on television. I have tried to learn the track by playing video games and will hopefully adapt to the track as quick as I can this weekend. It looks like a cool track to ride, and I would definitely like to get a good result for my team and prove the Honda can work well there.” Anthony West- Supersport: “The Nurburgring is a new track to me and I’m looking forward to riding it this weekend. It will be a new challenge. After our success at Brno it will be interesting to see if we can repeat that in Germany. After my break in Australia I am fully charged again and confidently looking forward to the next race.” Gianluca Vizziello – Supersport: “I am looking forward to the next round in Germany. We have some new materials for the Nurburgring which can hopefully help me to move forward this weekend. I have worked hard over the last weeks to re-charge myself and want to ride a good race this weekend.” Johan Stigefelt – Team Manager: “The summer break was pretty much needed by everyone in our team. Our workload has been ongoing since December last year, without any real break until now. Now the plan is to enter the last four races and do the best possible. We have some new engine parts to use on the Superbikes and we have spent our time refreshing all the engines and machines for the last races. We will be pushing hard in the last four races to finish as high in the championship as we can.” More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda: Kiyonari looks for success in Germany Ryuichi Kiyonari is looking forward to continuing the development of new suspension parts on his Ten Kate Honda Racing CBR1000RR Fireblade at this weekend’s (4-6 September) 11th round World Superbike championship event at Nurburgring in Germany. The Japanese ace began using Ohlins suspension at the last round at Brno in the Czech Republic and enjoyed an improvement in his feeling on the bike in the second race there, despite finishing in 13th place. Kiyonari has tasted the podium champagne on two occasions this season, both at Monza, and the double British Superbike champion is seeking to visit the rostrum again before the end of the current season. He joins his fellow World Superbike competitors at the 5.13km Nurburgring circuit, which lies adjacent to the famous Nordschleife, part of the original track built in the 1920s in the Eifel mountains, around 70km south of Cologne. The series returned to Nurburgring last season for the first time since 1999, with Japan’s Noriyuki Haga taking a double win. Ryuichi Kiyonari championship position 11th, 119 points I’ve had a good holiday lots of relaxing every day at home, but now I’m really looking forward to racing again. Nurburgring was not so good for me last year, but it was not an easy track for me to learn. I did learn a lot though and I think we can start the weekend in a better position. In race two at Brno, I felt a definite improvement in the bike and the new suspension. I know that the guys will work really hard to give me the same feeling at Nurburgring, even though there are some parts of the track which are very different to Brno. I know I need some good results in the last four races this year and, of course, I will try as hard as I can to achieve them. Ronald ten Kate team manager It’s been a long break but we got the impression with Kiyo-san at Brno, that the feeling was slowly coming. During the time out, we have done quite a bit of work on the settings to try to continue the direction that we found at the last race, which was Kiyo’s first weekend fully with Ohlins suspension. We will continue the progress at Nurburgring this week and hopefully give him a bike that he feels comfortable with to push for a good result. More, from a press release issued by InFront Motorsports: The Ring gets ready to Rock with renewed Haga-Spies duel The 2009 Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship is back in action following the summer break with the eleventh round of the championship taking place at Germany’s legendary Nurburgring circuit, an hour or so from Bonn. The German Round is the first in a series of the final four (the others being Imola, Magny-Cours and Portimao), which will lead to the crowning of the 2009 world champion. The eventual winner will now come from a short-list of three: points leader Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) and Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox). The Nurburgring circuit is one of the most spectacular in the world, with its 5.137 km layout offering numerous unique features. Each lap is made up of 17 curves, some of which, in particular the three after the start-finish line, are extremely tricky from a technical point of view, while the track surface is exceptional in both wet and dry conditions. World Superbike has been to the Nurburgring three times: twice before the track underwent modifications (1998-1999) and then last year. The winners were Aaron Slight (Honda) and Pierfrancesco Chili (Ducati) in 1998, while the following year Ducati scored a double with Carl Fogarty and Troy Corser. Nine years later the German track was witness to another double win, this time by Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia), who pulled off this incredible feat just two weeks after breaking his collarbone in the previous US Round at Miller Motorsports Park. STAR WARS The memories of Haga’s amazing performance twelve months ago could be just what the Ducati rider needs to galvanize him into action, as he arrives in Germany in a similar position due to his recovery from the injury he suffered two races back at Donington. The Japanese rider will have to be on top form indeed to hold off his closest rival Ben Spies, who is currently on the crest of a wave with three wins in the last four races. There are just 7 points between the two at the moment and the German Round could see a sensational changeover at the top. Ducati Xerox team-mate Michel Fabrizio could also play a key role in proceedings this weekend. Not only is the young Italian in the midst of the title battle, albeit 53 points behind Haga and 46 behind the Texan (with 200 points still up for grabs), but team strategy could also play a major role. At Brno he unwittingly took Spies out of the action thus allowing Haga to keep the championship lead, but in Germany he could easily take away points from the American with careful race tactics. APRILIA ON THE MOVE After the last round Max Biaggi and Aprilia will now surely be key players at the German track. The win at Brno helped to boost morale in the Italian team and even though it came at a circuit where the RSV4 had already been tested, it goes without saying that the four-cylinder machine from the Noale factory is making major progress towards the top in its return season in WSB. Biaggi raced here last year and can undoubtedly give the right indications to the Aprilia engineers to get the RSV4 machine to the top this time around. WATCH OUT FOR HONDA The Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team have had an up and down season so far but at least they have seen the rise of Jonathan Rea, the only winner for the Japanese manufacturer this year and surely one of the men to watch in WSB in the future. Rea is a true fighter and the German track, which he is familiar with after racing here in Supersport, is another chance for him to shine. Carlos Checa has shown signs of a renaissance in recent races, while over in the Stiggy Racing Honda camp Leon Haslam aims to put in another solid performance to become top Honda man ahead of Rea. Further possible surprises could come from Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati), who is having an excellent second half of the season. BMW PLAY AT HOME The BMW Motorrad men showed major improvement at Brno, with Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus both capable of getting onto row 2 in Superpole and the Australian bringing home the best result of the season for the team with a fifth place finish. The German squad is working hard to close the gap on the frontrunners, and with their home round ahead BMW obviously want to make a good impression. It hasn’t been an idle summer for Kawasaki either as the Paul Bird Motorsport team raced successfully in a BSB round at Brands Hatch, giving an opportunity for Broc Parkes to try out some new material, while the injured Makoto Tamada remained at home to recover for the race. Over in Suzuki Alstare the Belgian squad cannot count on their top rider Max Neukirchner, who was injured again in Imola testing. After racing singleton at Brno, Yukio Kagayama will be flanked by Karl Muggeridge, released from his contract by the Celani team, which will not be present in Germany. Points (after 10 of 14 rounds): 1. Haga 326; 2. Spies 319; 3. Fabrizio 273; 4. Rea 206; 5. Biaggi 200; 6. Haslam 180; 7. Sykes 150; 8. Checa 145; 9. Byrne 134; 10. Smrz 132. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 412; 2. Yamaha 362; 3. Honda 306; 4. Aprilia 207; 5. Suzuki 133; 6. BMW 87; 7. Kawasaki 53 SUPERSPORT Just when everything appeared to be going Cal Crutchlow’s way, the gremlin that sidelined the Yamaha man at Brno has meant the battle for the title is wide-open once again. The Coventry rider now has just a 17 points advantage over Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), the only man who can take the title away from him. Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) is still in with a mathematical chance but the 2007 champion is 57 points down with four rounds remaining and has little chance of making up that disadvantage. Crutchlow can count on the full support of his team-mate Fabien Foret, who scored his first win of the season in the Czech Republic. Another surefire frontrunner will be Spain’s Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Provec), who is having an excellent season, while following his re-emergence at Brno, Anthony West (Stiggy Racing Honda) will be hoping to continue his good run of form. Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) officially abdicated the title he won in 2008 one race ago, but wants to salvage something from this season in a race he won last year. Other Supersport men to watch will be evergreen Garry McCoy on the dark green Triumph ParkinGo 675 bike, and Italians Massimo Roccoli (Intermoto Czech Honda) and Michele Pirro (Yamaha Lorenzini), who comes to Germany just days after taking his first-ever domestic title in the category. Points (after 10 of 14 rounds): 1. Crutchlow 185; 2. Laverty 168; 3. Sofuoglu 128; 4. Lascorz 122; 5. West 95; 6. Foret 88; 7. Pitt 85; 8. Mccoy 63; 9. Aitchison 61; 10. Fujiwara 52. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 211 2. Yamaha 210 3. Kawasaki 133; 4. Triumph 77; 5. Suzuki 30 SUPERSTOCK 1000 Maxime Berger’s crash at Brno as the Ten Kate Honda man was heading for victory handed victory on a plate to Xavier Simeon (Ducati Xerox), who now has a clear run to the title with a one-win gap to second-placed Claudio Corti (Suzuki Alstare), and almost two to Berger, his chief rivals. With four rounds remaining Simeon is in a good position to administer his points lead and not make any mistakes. The Nurburgring race could also see Davide Giugliano (Suzuki Celani) up at the front, especially seeing as the talented Italian has excellent memories of the German track, seeing as he finished runner-up last year behind winner Brendan Roberts (Ducati Xerox). In his rookie Superstock 1000 season Daniele Beretta (Ducati Xerox) is also showing positive form and the Nurburgring race will be the start of a late-season effort to get onto the podium. Points (after 6 of 10 rounds): 1. Simeon 130; 2. Corti 104; 3. Fores 84; 4. Berger 82; 5. Barrier 67; 6. Beretta 56; 7. Jezek 48: 8. Baz 33; 9. Giuliano 25; 10. Savary 23. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 130; 2. Honda 108: 3. Suzuki 104; 4. Kawasaki 84, 5. Yamaha 75; 6. MV Augusta 21; 7. Aprilia 12 SUPERSTOCK 600 Five riders are still in with a chance of taking the 600 title. Young Italian Danilo Petrucci (Yamaha Trasimeno) leads the way but he would have an even bigger advantage had he not been taken out twice in two races while in the lead. Petrucci now finds himself just 13 points ahead of Belgium’s Vincent Lonbois (MTM Yamaha), 14 ahead of Britain’s Gino Rea (Ten Kate Honda), 19 ahead of Frenchman Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Yamaha) and 22 ahead of team-mate Marco Bussolotti. The German race could see a break-away by Petrucci however as the Italian has shown himself to be the strongest overall performer this year. Points (after 6 of 10 rounds): 1. Petrucci 102; 2. Lonbois 89; 3. Rea 88: 4. Guarnoni 83; 5. Bussolotti 80; 6. La Marra 55; 7. Kerschbaumer 51; 8. Guittet 47; 9. Litjens 38; 10. Chmielewki 30 More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Ten Kate riders refreshed and ready for Nurburgring After a six-week summer break, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda riders, Jonathan Rea and Carlos Checa, are heading to Nurburgring in Germany for this weekend’s (4-6 September) 11th round of the 2009 World Superbike championship. The 5.13km circuit lies adjacent to the famous Nordschleife, part of the original track built in the 1920s in the Eifel mountains, around 70km south of Cologne. The series returned to Nurburgring last season for the first time since 1999, with Japan’s Noriyuki Haga taking a double win. Jonathan Rea has enjoyed an impressive debut season in World Superbikes after finishing as runner-up in last year’s World Supersport championship. The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland, took his first win at Misano in June and has climbed the podium on three other occasions, the most recent being last time out at Brno in the Czech Republic. Rea’s team-mate, Carlos Checa, was also on the podium at Brno and currently lies in eighth place in the series. The Spaniard also took a well-earned second place at Miller Motorsports Park in the US and finished fifth in both of last season’s Nurburgring outings. Jonathan Rea championship position 4th, 206 points After Brno I had a little holiday and since then I’ve been fully back into training, doing a load of motocross and watching my brother Richard racing. I’ve also got a new puppy, which is taking up quite a lot of my time. The Ten Kate Honda package in Brno felt really good, so we’ll just concentrate on fine tuning it for Nurburgring when we go out on Friday after this long break. The guys back in the workshop never stand still though, and I know the data boys have been looking closely at the electronics package – so there’ll be some new things to try for sure. Although the result in Supersport last year wasn’t so good, I really enjoyed riding at Nurburgring it’s got a bit of everything, including a couple of those first gear corners that I don’t like so much! I’ve had one race win this year and, although it wasn’t gifted and I rode well to earn it, it’s not enough. There have been three guys on it all season and I want to be in that group for the rest of the year and finish each race on the podium. I’m really motivated to make that next step now and I’ll try to start on that this weekend. Carlos Checa championship position 8th, 145 points I’ve had a good few weeks, cycling and trekking in the Pyrenees and just relaxing. But I’m really looking forward to getting back on the bike and continuing the progress that we found possible at Brno. I like Nurburgring very much it’s one of my favourite circuits but we struggled to find the right grip levels last year. This year, with the new Ohlins suspension, you could say we are starting again from zero, but actually the faster parts at Nurburgring are not so different from Brno and the bike felt really good there. The chatter from earlier in the season is no longer there and I am feeling confident after the results in Brno. I know the usual guys will be strong, but we’ll just work hard and concentrate on our own set up to get everything right for the race. Ronald ten Kate team manager It was a very hectic season up to the end of July with a lot of new things to develop and, of course, the major move of changing our suspension half way through. So you could say that this holiday has been very well-deserved by the riders and the crew. However, we haven’t stopped thinking about the improvements we can make to the bike and we’ve been working on it again these past two weeks. We want to maintain the progress that we showed before the summer break so that we can finish the rest of the season on high note. More, from a press release issued by Honda: German World Superbike at Nürburgring Tuesday 01 September 2009 World Superbike and World Supersport preview REA HUNTS THE PODIUM PLACES AS LAVERTY TARGETS THE LEAD Round 11 of the World Superbike Championship takes place at the 5.137km Nürburgring circuit in Germany this coming weekend with three Honda riders inside the top eight positions; the highest placed being Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) in fourth. WSB rookie Rea took his debut race win at Misano in June and now has a clear target in mind for Germany, and the rest of the championship rounds, mixing it with the podium riders each time out. Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR) made up ground in the overall championship fight in the World Supersport class at the previous Brno round, cutting long-time leader Cal Crutchlow’s advantage to 17 points. Laverty has never raced at the Nürburgring before, but was able to complete a short test session recently, which should allow him to save time in practice for what is yet another crucial round. Nürburgring now hosts WSB for the second time in the most recent history of this race series, although it has been used before in earlier times. Located immediately adjacent to the former GP venue of the Nordschleife, the ‘new’ Nürburgring is something of a modern classic, with a great variety of corners and elevation changes. Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) has experienced some strongly contrasting fortunes this year, having posted two fine wins yet struggling unexpectedly at some other rounds. He is currently third in the rankings, 40 points from second place and 57 from the lead. Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda CBR1000RR) was the top ranked Honda rider for some time this year, but has recently slipped back to sixth place overall. His most immediate target is Max Biaggi, 20 points ahead in fifth place. Haslam arrives in Germany looking to add to his total of four podium finishes in 2009 so far. A remarkable ride to second place at Brno last time out was the best finish for Anthony West (Stiggy Racing Honda CBR600RR) since a runner-up spot in round three at Valencia. His 20 Brno points helped place him fifth in the championship, just ahead of race winner, Fabien Foret. Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) rode well at Brno on his ever-improving technical package to go eighth overall, with his fellow Ten Kate rider Ryuichi Kiyonari (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) now 11th in the standings. Checa was second in race one at Brno, jointly his best individual result of the year. American star John Hopkins (Stiggy Racing Honda CBR1000RR) has had good reason to enjoy his summer break, as he used the time to help his seriously injured hip heal back to its previous strength. He is another Nürburgring new boy, as this is his first WSB season. A great, if unexpected, mid-season introduction to WSB for Matthieu Lagrive (Honda Althea CBR1000RR) has seen him improve his go 19th in the standings after only three rounds. In Supersport reigning champion Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) is out to regain the form and machine set-up that allowed him to secure two podiums in the first two races of the year. He won the Nürburgring race last year, on his way to his second world championship success. Mark Aitchison (Althea Honda CBR600RR) is two places behind his countryman Pitt in the current order, ninth overall. Miguel Praia (Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR) is one of the riders who has good memories of the Nürburgring track from last year, while some new technical parts will also help the challenge Gianluca Vizziello (Stiggy Racing Honda CBR600RR), who is currently 16th overall. Round 12 of the 14 round season for both WSB and WSS classes takes place at Imola, between 26 and 28 September. WSB Rider comments: Jonathan Rea: “The Ten Kate Honda package in Brno felt really good, so we’ll just concentrate on fine tuning it for Nürburgring when we go out on Friday after this long break. The guys back in the workshop never stand still though, and I know the data boys have been looking closely at the electronics package, so there’ll be some new things to try for sure. I’ve had one race win this year and, although it wasn’t gifted and I rode well to earn it, it’s not enough. There have been three guys on it all season and I want to be in that group for the rest of the year and finish each race on the podium. I’m really motivated to make that next step now and I’ll try to start on that this weekend.” Leon Haslam: “Brno was a tough weekend for us and we ran into a few issues, so we are looking to eliminate a lot of them this weekend. The Nürburgring will be a new circuit to learn for me but from what I have seen on TV it looks it like it should be a good one for the Honda. The summer break was needed, but it went on a bit too long so I am looking forward to getting back on the bike in Germany.” Ryuichi Kiyonari: “I’ve had a good holiday, lots of relaxing every day at home, but now I’m really looking forward to racing again. Nürburgring was not so good for me last year and it was not an easy track for me to learn. I did learn a lot though and I think we can start the weekend in a better position. In race two at Brno, I felt a definite improvement in the bike and the new suspension.” Carlos Checa: “I’ve had a good few weeks off, cycling and trekking in the Pyrenees and just relaxing. But I’m really looking forward to getting back on the bike and continuing the progress that we found possible at Brno. I like the Nürburgring very much, it’s one of my favourite circuits, but we struggled to find the right grip levels last year. This year, with the new Öhlins suspension, you could say we are starting again from zero, but actually the faster parts at Nürburgring are not so different from Brno and the bike felt really good there.” John Hopkins: “I have never been to the Nürburgring before but have seen the racing there on television. I have tried to learn the track by playing video games and will hopefully adapt to the track as quick as I can this weekend. It looks like a cool track to ride, and I would definitely like to get a good result for my team and prove the Honda can work well there.” Matthieu Lagrive: “I like the Nürburgring a lot. It’s a circuit that I have a good feeling for, even though I have never been on the podium there. We have some work to do and we’ll try to find a good setting as soon as possible. I’m happy with the development that the team has made on my CBR1000RR and will be trying very hard for some positive results in the last part of the season.” WSS Rider Comments: Eugene Laverty: “I had the chance to ride the Nürburgring recently and it is a difficult track as it’s so bumpy. There are a lot of bumps off-line too. The more laps you do the more you can learn about it. We should do well there; Cal’s bike will be strong but we will be fighting for the win.” Kenan Sofuoglu: “I feel really motivated now to get back to winning ways with the team on the CBR600RR. It’s not my favourite circuit, but we had a test at Nürburgring two weeks ago and another test at Assen on Tuesday this week. I think this shows the commitment that the team has to improving the bike. Now I want to finish the season in the same way that we started, by winning.” Andrew Pitt: “There’s been some work going on during the break and we’ve had a couple of tests since Brno, one at Nürburgring and another at Assen, looking for something that we can start a race weekend with, rather than trying to re-invent the bike all the time. I watched last year’s Nürburgring race recently and my win there looked pretty easy. I can’t think it’s going to be like that this year, but I’ve had faith in the Ten Kate boys for a long time and I know they can deliver.” Anthony West: “The Nürburgring is a new track to me and I’m looking forward to riding it this weekend. It will be a new challenge. After our success at Brno it will be interesting to see if we can repeat that in Germany. After my summer-break in Australia I am fully charged again and confidently looking forward to the next race.” Mark Aitchison: “This weekend in Germany I am aiming to get my consistency back during both the practice sessions and qualifying. In Brno we suffered a few problems with the bike, plus I made some mistakes, and the result was a very difficult race weekend. Now my plan is to attack each session as it comes and just keep everything positive on and off the track.” Miguel Praia: “We raced this track last year, and although we didn’t find much speed on Friday and Saturday we improved things for the race. The summer break was good for us. I was still recovering from some of the injuries I suffered at Miller during the last few races but now I am 100% fit. The team has been working hard developing the bike, so we should have an even stronger package in Germany. Nürburgring is a difficult racetrack; the corners have lots of contrasts. You need confidence, and to be able to understand it pretty well.” Gianluca Vizziello: “We have some new materials for the Nürburgring which can hopefully help me to move forward this weekend. I have worked hard over the last weeks to re-charge myself and want to ride a good race this weekend.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Action Stations For Returning Kawasaki Duo After a long break from action on the global stage the Kawasaki World Superbike Racing Team gets back to regular business at the Nürburgring, with Broc Parkes and Makoto Tamada paired up once again. The team was active in the five weekend WSB summer break, with Parkes entered the Brands Hatch round of the British Superbike championship, eventually scoring three podium finishes using the most recent set-up solution for his Ninja ZX-10R. Tamada, injured once again after a crash in race two at the previous Brno round, has spent the summer break training and recuperating in his native Japan. Both Parkes and Tamada have great reason to be confident as they approach the 11th round of the championship, as the official WSB machines have been constantly developing as the season has unfolded, and each rider has previous experience of the Nürburgring circuit. Last year weather was a factor over the race weekend at the Nürburgring, not an unusual happening at this circuit situated in the Eifel Mountains in Germany. The 5.137km modern-day circuit sits alongside the much longer Nordschleife course, making the Nürburgring in general one of the most important Motorsport complexes for global, not just German, race fans. Last year, before his Kawasaki WSB partnership, Parkes rode well in the Supersport class at this venue and earned a podium, while Tamada took two points scoring finishes on his Kawasaki Superbike. Broc Parkes: “After racing at the British Superbike meeting at Brands Hatch in early August we found some really good things on the bike and came away with some great results, That gave me and the team some confidence in our direction for the last four WSB races. It will be great to apply the team’s development to the Nürburgring race this weekend. I really enjoy racing at this circuit and I’ve had some successful results in the past. I’ve also won a race a few years back on the short circuit for the German Superbike Championship. Overall, I’m really looking forward to some good results this weekend. I’m also over the moon at becoming a father this week to my newborn son, young Jesse John Parkes.” Makoto Tamada: “After another unfortunate crash in Brno I am happy to confirm that after the August break my finger doesn’t hurt at all, and I am ready, 100%, to race this weekend. The Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R performed much better during the Brno race, and I predict that we can finish in the top ten in both races at Nürburgring. I just can’t wait to be back on the bike again and continue where we left off after some exciting developments from Brno.” More, from another press release issued by Kawasaki: Germany Next For Recharged Supersport Riders After ten intense rounds of WSS racing the August break was welcomed by all, but with Joan Lascorz and Katsuaki Fujiwara having enjoyed some deserved time off, each is keen to get back into race mode. With four rounds to go, Lascorz is fourth overall on the new-for-2009 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R, having taken one pole position and four podium finishes along the way. He closed to within six points of overall third place after the last round in Brno and in Germany he will once more go after his first win for Kawasaki. In ten races so far in 2009, Lascorz has already scored more points – 122 – than the 121 he scored in 13 rounds last season. After some up and down races in the early season, Fujiwara is now inside the championship top ten after recent improvements in set-up and spec for his machine. Having been fourth at Brno last time out, ‘Kats’ is now hunting his first top three of the season, to add to his WSS career total of 21 podium finishes. The Nürburgring track is a known quantity to each rider, with its 5.137km length containing corners of almost every possible design, and some significant changes of elevation. The F1-inspired tight first corner is a difficult one for any rider to master, but the slow hairpins and smattering of chicanes are mixed with medium and fast curves, making it a circuit of great variety. Joan Lascorz: “The summer break has been long and I have taken the chance to train on the KX450 Supermotard bike that Kawasaki supplied me with. I also spent a week in Tenerife with Santiago Barrigan so I am really rested, fit and ready to go racing again. As usual there has been some more development work done on the bike in the workshops and in Japan, so I am looking forward to trying it out on Friday.” Katsuaki Fujiwara: “I spent some nice time back in Japan with my wife and son, and also had the chance to test at the Autopolis track. We restart this weekend and things are all heading in the right direction with the bike set-up, so I am keen to get going again.” More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: IN SHAPE AFTER THE SUMMER BREAK, HAGA AND FABRIZIO (DUCATI XEROX) GET BACK TO BUSINESS AT THE NÃœRBURGRING The Nürburgring (Germany), Tuesday 1st September: The Ducati Xerox Team are back from their holidays and now pack their bags for round 11 of the World Superbike Championship, the action taking place this time at Germany’s legendary Nürburgring. Since the last round at Brno, the Superbike circus has taken its traditional summer break, six weeks in length this year, giving the riders a substantial period in which to rest and recuperate in preparation for the final push. Ducati Xerox riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio have enjoyed the time off, Noriyuki returning home to Japan to see family and friends and Michel passing the time at home in Rome. Both riders, who between them have put the Ducati Xerox Team on the podium in nineteen of the twenty races held so far, are fighting fit and ready for the all important final four rounds of the World Superbike Championship. Last time out, on the Czech track of Brno more than a month ago, Michel crashed out of Race 1 but climbed onto the podium in the second race, consolidating his third place position in the overall rider classification. Noriyuki, less than 100% fit and riding with fractures to his right ulna and left shoulder blade, knew that it would be hard to fight for podiums and finished the races in eighth and sixth position, taking valuable points that means he maintains his championship lead going into the eleventh round. The infamous Ring returned to the Superbike calendar in 2008 after an eight year absence. The June appointment saw two wet races, the first restarted and the second cut short due to the adverse weather conditions. On board the factory Yamaha, Noriyuki powered his way to the double win at the Ring last season, also taking the lap record in the process, and the Ducati Xerox squad is hopeful he can do a similar job with his Ducati 1198 this year. Michel’s first experience of the track was last year’s race weekend, and although the Italian rider came away with good points, he will be looking for a big improvement this year, to maintain the performance level that has seen him finish ten of the last twelve races on the podium. Noriyuki Haga (1st in championship, 326 points) “I got a great result at Nürburgring last year and hope to be able to do the same again this time around. It’s a really nice track though last year was pretty wet for race day which made things interesting! Anyway I’m feeling much stronger than I was at Brno and, after a relaxing holiday back home in Japan, I’m totally ready to continue the fight for the world title.” Haga’s Superbike form at the Nürburgring: 2008: Race 1 winner, Race 2 winner 1999: Race 1 DNF, Race 2 6th 1998: Race 1 5th, Race 2 7th Michel Fabrizio (3rd in championship, 273 points) “Brno didn’t go to plan and so in the last four races, starting at Nürburgring, I really need to make up points, with the aim to be on the podium every weekend. I’m in good shape and after the long break I’m more than ready to get back on the bike and try to maintain my recent run of podiums.” Fabrizio’s Superbike form at the Nürburgring: 2008: Race 1 7th, Race 2 6th CIRCUIT DATA: Country: Germany Name: The Nürburgring Circuit length: 5.137 km Pole position: left Race distance: 20 laps = 102.74 km LAP RECORDS: Best lap Haga (Yamaha) 1’56.892 (2008). Superpole Neukirchner (Suzuki) 1’55.471 (2008). 2008 RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Haga (Yamaha); 2. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox); 3. Neukirchner (Suzuki) Race 2 1. Haga (Yamaha); 2. Corser (Yamaha); 3. Neukirchner (Suzuki) More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Sylvain Guintoli rode his Worx Crescent Suzuki to two strong top-10 results today at the ninth round of the British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park. In difficult circumstances – his first ride back from injury on a tight and technical track he’d not raced before – Guintoli again impressed the Worx Crescent Suzuki team, as well as the fans, as he fought hard to finish eighth place in the first race and seventh in the second. Sylvain Guintoli: “I could feel I was race-rusty in that first race as three times I was on the grass when trying to make passes early in the race. I had to ease off and that actually helped as I got faster. At the end, I was catching Karl Muggeridge very quickly, but it was right at the end and I ran out of laps and corners to make the pass. “With less mistakes in that second race I was a lot closer on time to the leaders but I had to be careful how hard I could ride as for sure this is not a good time to fall again on my leg. As it is, I can really feel it now and I’m glad I get two more weeks to rest my leg before the next round at Croft. “For me it was still a good weekend and I’m really excited to be back. I’ve got back into the racing and I’m looking forward to being more competitive still when I get to Croft.” Jack Valentine – Team Manager: “It would be easy to get carried away as to what was possible this weekend. As it was, Sylvain gave a very strong account of himself and we feel very happy as a team and very positive about what’s yet to come. “I think it’s typical of Sylvain that he rode so hard today. He can’t yet be 100% bike-fit and there’s no question he’s riding in pain with his leg, but there he was on this tough tricky track, pushing on, trying to make passing places where they don’t exist – it’s no surprise he went grass tracking! “All the same, we’re delighted that Sylvain could ride so well so soon and he’s clearly very happy with the bike. We’ve two solid results under our belt and now Croft to look forward to – a track that should very much suit Sylvain.” MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli: Race one result: 1. Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) 2. Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +7.384s 3. James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) +7.651s 4. Ian Lowry (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +8.133s 5. Simon Andrews (Confused.com Kawasaki) +17.793s 6. Julien Da Costa (Confused.com Kawasaki) +18.126s 7. Karl Muggeridge (HM Plant Honda) +25.398s 8. Sylvain Guintoli (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +25.522s 9. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +25.979s 10. Gary Mason (Quay Garage Honda) +28.760s Race two result: 1. James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) 2. Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +4.099s 3. Simon Andrews (Confused.com Kawasaki) +4.584s 4. Julien Da Costa (Confused.com Kawasaki) +5.435s 5. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +6.843s 6. Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) +12.836s 7. Sylvain Guintoli (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +13.239s 8. Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) +14.833s 9. Gary Mason (Quay Garage Honda) +15.100s 10. Tommy Bridewell (Team NB Honda) +16.684s Championship standings (after 9 rounds): 1. Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) 399.5 2. James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) 302 3. Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) 258 4. Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) 120.5 5. Simon Andrews (Confused.com Kawasaki) 119.5 =12. Sylvain Guintoli (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 94