FIM Supersport World Championship Miller Motorsports Park Tooele, Utah May 29, 2009 Free Practice Two Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Joan LASCORZ (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:53.350 2. Eugene LAVERTY (Honda CBR600RR), 1:53.549 3. Fabien FORET (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:53.573 4. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Honda CBR600RR), 1:53.637 5. Andrew PITT (Honda CBR600RR), 1:53.844 6. Cal CRUTCHLOW (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:53.956 7. Mark AITCHISON (Honda CBR600RR), 1:54.333 8. Garry MCCOY (Triumph Daytona 675), 1:54.339 9. Miguel PRAIA (Honda CBR600RR), 1:54.475, crash 10. Katusaki FUJIWARA (Kawasaki ZX-6R), 1:54.598 11. Michele PIRRO (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:54.599 12. Gianluca NANNELLI (Triumph Daytona 675), 1:54.614 13. Anthony WEST (Honda CBR600RR), 1:55.012 14. Matthieu LAGRIVE (Honda CBR600RR), 1:55.076 15. Barry VENEMAN (Suzuki GSX-R600), 1:55.287 16. Dani Tata PRADITA (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:55.305 17. Gianluca VIZZIELLO (Honda CBR600RR), 1:55.400 18. Massimo ROCCOLI (Honda CBR600RR), 1:55.508 19. Robbin HARMS (Honda CBR600RR), 1:55.679 20. Fabrizio PEROTTI (Honda CBR600RR), 1:56.226 21. Michel LAVERTY (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:56.233 22. Russell HOLLAND (Honda CBR600RR), 1:56.292 23. Patrik VOSTÁREK (Honda CBR600RR), 1:56.593 24. Alessandro POLITA (Suzuki GSX-R600), 1:56.611 25. Jesco GÃœNTHER (Honda CBR600RR), 1:57.241 26. Arie VOS (Honda CBR600RR), 1:57.470 27. Yannick GUERRA (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:58.093 28. Andrew NELSON (Yamaha YZF-R6), 1:58.742 29. Oleg PIANYKH (Yamaha YZF-R6), 2:00.064 30. Melissa PARIS (Yamaha YZF-R6), 2:00.108 31. Chip YATES (Suzuki GSX-R600), 2:03.336 32. Marie-Josee BOUCHER (Honda CBR600RR), 2:03.799 33. Ryan TAYLOR (Honda CBR600RR), 2:07.376 Qualifying Lap Time (107% Of 1:53.350): 2:01.285 More, from a press release issued by Team YZF Yamaha: A lot of emotions for Doni Tata Pradita! An engine problem and then a crash didn’t really help the young Yamaha Indonesia rider in the beginning of the day. But he overcame brilliantly all these obstacles to finish 16th of the second free practice session. The first free practice session started well for Doni, with good lap times, but an engine problem slowed his progression. In the beginning of the second session, he had a little crash but restarted immediately. Then he went faster and faster all the time, finally scoring the 16th position by himself, without following any other rider. He is with a group of really fast riders like West, Lagrive, Veneman, Vizziello and Roccoli. This is a very impressive performance for Doni who discovers the track and who showed a very strong mental potential when the early disappointments did not affect him. This is positive for the rest of the weekend. Spaniard Joan Lascorz was the fastest on his Kawasaki, in front of Eugene Laverty on a Honda and Fabien Foret on a Yamaha. The weather was hot (33°) and there are some possibilities of rain for tomorrow. Doni Tata Pradita: “The conditions were strange, with a strong wind and a dirty track. The first session was OK. I tried hard in the second session from the beginning. I gave my maximum but I crashed. The track was dirty. When I switched off the gas throttle, the wind blew me away and I went flying! I came back in a hurry to the pits to fix the bike. We changed the suspension setting, and also the sprocket because of the strong wind. It was better but I didn’t feel very comfortable. I hope tomorrow will be better. The bike set up is not perfect yet. The result, with the 16th position, is not so bad. It was difficult to make this time, I had to push hard.” Martial Garcia (team manager): “Despite the problems he went through, Doni proved that he can adapt very quickly to a new track. He was fast today and his regular progression is very impressive. He is now with a group of quality riders and that shows the great progress that he has made since the beginning of the season. I have good hopes for this weekend.” Miller Motorsports Park: the track The road course used for the World Supersports is the “Outer course” which is 4.907 kilometres long. It is very wide, from 40 to 50 feet (12 to 15 metres). The main straight is 3500 feet long (1.050 km) and 50 feet wide. An interesting corner is the final turn, a 50-foot-wide, nine-degree banked sweeper that leads onto the main straight. The heaviest-braking and slowest corner on the track, turn W5 also called “Black Rock Hairpin”, has a 45-foot-wide entrance that encourages overtaking. While the track is basically flat, Miller Motorsports Park’s design incorporates several significant elevation changes in order to add character, challenge and unparalleled sightlines for spectators. More, from a press release issued by Parkalgar Honda: Laverty and Praia impress in the US PARKALGAR HONDA racers Eugene Laverty and Miguel Praia adapted quickly to the demands of the new to the 2009 calendar Miller Motorsports Park in the USA, finishing second and ninth respectively after the opening day’s practice sessions for the seventh round of the World Supersport Championship. Eugene was always in contention at the head of the timesheets but was just pipped to the top spot by Kawasaki’s Juan Lascorz. Miguel showed promise through the sessions at the 4.9km track near Salt Lake City in Utah, ending up a fighting ninth and within striking distance of the second row. A late crash for Miguel means he will have to pass a medical examination to ride tomorrow. Qualification takes place on Saturday May 30th followed by the race on Sunday, May 31st, which starts at 1925CET and can be viewed on Eurosport. Eugene: “I like the track and got on with it right from the start in the first session. We then moved on and improved in the second session so I am happy. For the second session we went back to our normal chassis setting a different set-up to what we used at Kyalami – and it is working well. We know what rear tyre we will use for the race and I will try a different front tyre in the morning, either will do the distance so it is going to be down to my preference. I am feeling confident as I am doing the same as Kyalami and running at the front from the very start of the weekend.” Miguel: “I crashed right at the end of the session but I was not knocked out and feel better already. I will rest well tonight and will hopefully be passed fit to ride tomorrow. I am very happy with my Parkalgar Honda and the speed I have at this track, the chance for a top 10 result in the race is very real.” Simon Buckmaster, Parkalgar Honda Team Manager: “That was a very good session for the Parkalgar Honda team, marred only by a very late crash for Miguel in the last minute of practice. He will have a medical tomorrow to see if he can ride we hope he can as he is showing some of his best ever pace here. Eugene is competing at the top of the timesheets and everything is working well for him, the package is very good. He is showing he has the potential to win again this weekend.”rkalgar Honda: More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Kenan Sofuoglu and Andrew Pitt set the fourth and fifth fastest times in today’s free practice session in preparation for Sunday’s seventh round World Supersport championship race at Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City in the USA. Sofuoglu was less than three tenths of a second from the provisional pole position time of 1’53.350s set by Spain’s Joan Lascorz. The Turkish rider’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Pitt, was a further two tenths back as just one second split the top eight riders. Tomorrow sees a further free practice session in the morning before a 45-minute timed qualifying session in the afternoon to determine final grid positions for Sunday’s 18-lap race around the 4.9km Miller circuit. Kenan Sofuoglu P4, 1’53.637s The CBR is so completely different from the Superbike I rode here last year, so track knowledge was not really an advantage. This morning we tried a completely different set-up but, to be honest, it was a bit too much for me so we went back a step. It has definitely taken us in the right direction and hopefully tomorrow we can improve it a little more. There is no reason why we should not be on the front row tomorrow, so that will be our target, as well as getting a better set-up for Sunday. Andrew Pitt P5, 1’53.844s I’m learning my way around here and I like it. We also made a step forward with the bike between the two sessions, so we’re getting there. We solved one problem but that’s kind of detracted from the positive aspects of the bike, so there’s definitely some work to do. But I’m feeling positive and looking forward to some more improvements tomorrow. Ronald ten Kate team manager I think we can be fairly happy with today’s performance, which is a good starting point for the weekend. We still have a lot of work to do but, on the positive side, all the changes we have made since Kyalami seem to be working out OK. Tomorrow, we’ll know if we can make that all-important step up for Sunday’s race. More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: Girls Dig Pirelli: Miller SBK Program Features Three Fast Females Tooele, Utah: While World Superbike racers took to the Tooele, Utah track at the United States round of the 2009 Pirelli Spec-tire championship at Miller Motorsports Park, three women competed in support classes from World Supersport, to the Larry H. Miller Superbike Challenge GTU, and each of them are doing it on Pirelli tires. Melissa Paris — famous for being half of the only married couple to compete in the Daytona 200, and for finishing in front of her husband, Josh Hayes — is competing as a wildcard in World Supersport, riding for Markbilt Racing on a 2009 Yamaha YZF-R6, outfitted with Leo Vince Exhaust and a some hot Yamaha GYTR components. Following Friday’s practice Paris said, “My plan at Miller is to take my riding to a higher level. It’s a great track and I’m riding against the world’s greatest riders and so I’m being pushed to push myself. I know I can be faster and I will find it.” Also competing as a wildcard in World Supersport is French Canadian Marie-Josée Boucher, undeterred by the weight of a name that includes both a hyphen and an acute accent. Boucher is riding a Honda CBR600RR for her self-named Boucher Racing Team. Boucher said, “This track is fast. I like that. I am learning to look up and look far. I am used to the tight, slow tracks of the Canada Superbike series so here I have to remind myself to look far into the turns. I am looking to go much faster tomorrow with the changes we’ve made to the bike.” Racing in the Larry H. Miller Superbike GTU Challenge is California sensation Elena Myers, riding a Kawasaki ZX-6R. At 16-years-old, Myers is already an accomplished racer and winner of multiple Expert races. Myers said, “This track really fits my riding style. I like fast tracks. I like fast sweepers. The turners are long and fast and you can get into a rhythm that allows you to build speed. I am having fun here.” While the World Superbike and World Supersport classes are Pirelli spec-tire classes, The Larry H. Miller classes allow racers to run any brand of tire, but Myers has chosen to compete on Pirellis, just as she does every race weekend. Likewise, Ms. Paris uses Pirelli tires in her regular racing schedule, as does Ms. Boucher who competes in the Pirelli control-tire series, Parts Canada Superbike Championship. Pirelli Tire North America designs, develops, manufactures and markets tires for passenger vehicles in both the original equipment and replacement markets, as well as marketing tires for motorcycles and race cars. Located in Rome, Georgia, Pirelli’s Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) employs state-of-the-art technology to manufacture tires for both export and domestic markets. For more information please visit: www.us.pirellimoto.com. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Yamaha World Supersport make short work of their first US session Yamaha rider Cal Crutchlow took to the Miller circuit for the first time today for Friday’s free practice session. As with all Supersport riders with the exception of Sofuoglu this is Crutchlow’s first visit to the track. As usual the young British rider showed his natural flair for adapting quickly and took no time to get to into the top half of the time sheet in the first free session, laying down consistently fast laps. The second session was not so smooth, some issues meant changing to the second bike mid-way and Crutchlow struggled to find the pace again before the end. Team-mate Fabien Foret was on top form, with 20 minutes to go to the end of the first session he posted the fastest time and went straight into the top slot with a 1’54.99 lap. The French rider has continued to get faster and faster over the season, proving last year’s crash at Brno is now well and truly behind him. As the first session drew to a close Foret was in fifth. The second free practice session saw more of the same confident pace as Foret continued to enjoy the circuit, laying down consistently fast laps to finish with a provisional third and a front row start. Fabien Foret Fabien Foret, Yamaha World Supersport Team, (3rd, 1’53.573) “I’m actually really enjoying the track and my bike too. I’m very happy with how the bike is right now. I did quite a few laps and I think my race pace is pretty ok. Until now it’s all good, we’ll keep working and try to make the bike a bit better in a few places. Basically it’s a good first day.” Cal Crutchlow Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World Supersport Team (6th, 1’53.956) “It was a poor day for us to be honest, we’re normally a lot more up there than that but we had a few problems over the day, and in the last session especially so we’ll have to try and make sure we work on our areas where we’re not the best for tomorrow and hopefully we’ll be up there again.” Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha World Supersport Team “both riders liked the track and settings wise we are quite pleased especially Fabien I have to say, he’s really happy with the set up and the track especially which is good because since Kyalami he needed a bit of a lift. It’s good he’s started with the same pace as South Africa. Cal had a little bit of a problem with one bike so needed to change bikes halfway through the session and he was still trying to find the right gearing so he was a little bit slower than the morning session. For tomorrow I think everything will be fine.” More, from a press release issued by ParkinGO Triumph BE1 Racing: Team ParkinGo Triumph BE1 Racing did well in the first day of practice as both Garry McCoy and Gianluca Nannelli have proven they can fight for a higher position on the starting grid. Both riders have easily learnt the Salt Lake City circuit, on which the WSS makes its debut. However, certain things have to improve tomorrow although the uncertain weather conditions could ruin the work done today. GARRY McCOY | Triumph Daytona 675 | 8th in 1’54.339 : “Today’s time is a good one and I only hope to replicate it tomorrow. Learning the track wasn’t hard at all and so I set fast times. I wanted to improve in the last few minutes but, as I was getting back on the track the red flag was displayed due to Praia’s crash and I preferred to leave it till tomorrow”. GIANLUCA NANNELLI | Triumph Daytona 675 | 12th in 1’54.614 : “I got a good feeling with both track and bike as I decided to work on the Kyalami setup. I scored a satisfactory result and preferred to finish the session without replacing the tyres which could help tomorrow. I’m really confident as everything seems easy just as In South Africa”. More, from a press release issued by Stiggy Racing Honda: Quiet start at Miller for Supersport team The Supersport riders set out to complete their maiden laps at the Miller Motorsports Park in the first World Supersport event which runs today through Sunday on the 4.907 km long track in Utah. Anthony West and Gianluca Vizziello opened their first laps in a quiet mode, but gradually picked up the pace and improved their lap times. West is still anticipating to refresh his competitiveness though, and was slightly less satisfied with the lap times he set in today’s sessions than his team mate Vizziello. For the seventh round of the championship the team has attracted a new suspension specialist to tackle the specific issues that have plagued the Supersport team in their last outings. Vizziello seems to have found confidence with the arrival of the new suspension specialist and managed to improve his fastest time set in the early afternoon qualifying by nearly two-seconds in the Second Practice. West will be able to further improve his time in the third free practice and first qualifying session tomorrow, and is hoping to make a step forward to the front of the field. Anthony West, 1’55.012s: ” It was a tough session for me today. I am still not confident with the set up of my machine. We have made some improvements to the suspension and solved some of the issues we had with the front, but I am still not as competitive as I need to be. We need to find some important seconds in tomorrow’s session.” Gianluca Vizziello, 1’57.287s: ” Today’s sessions went alright, We managed to find a set up that works on this track and from which we can move forward. We have an extra specialist in the team and extra time and effort he has been putting in is already showing off. We have been able to find good solutions for some of the issues we had and I am convinced we can improve another second in tomorrow’s qualifying.” Johan Stigefelt, Team Manager: ” We have a new specialist, who we have worked with in the past, and can already see a clear progress in the development of the chassis. We still have some issues to solve, but we have been improving throughout the sessions today. We will continue the work and progress in tomorrow’s sessions and will hopefully be able to become faster and improve our lap times.”