FIM Superbike World Championship Brno, Czech Republic July 20, 2008 Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Troy BAYLISS (Ducati 1098 F08), 20 laps, 40:16.436 2. Michel FABRIZIO (Ducati 1098 F08), -0.928 second 3. Max BIAGGI (Ducati 1098 RS08), -1.259 seconds 4. Troy CORSER (Yamaha YZF-R1), -1.785 5. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -3.942 6. Ryuichi KIYONARI (Honda CBR1000RR), -7.910 7. Noriyuki HAGA (Yamaha YZF-R1), -11.297 8. Fonsi NIETO (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -11.375 9. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -13.103 10. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Honda CBR1000RR), -18.978 11. Jakub SMRZ (Ducati 1098 RS08), -19.106 12. Roberto ROLFO (Honda CBR1000RR), -20.556 13. Lorenzo LANZI (Ducati 1098 RS08), -21.775 14. Gregorio LAVILLA (Honda CBR1000RR), -26.372 15. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yamaha YZF-R1), -26.922 16. David CHECA (Yamaha YZF-R1), -27.109 17. Makoto TAMADA (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -39.711 18. Shuhei AOYAMA (Honda CBR1000RR), -39.953 19. Jason PRIDMORE (Honda CBR1000RR), -56.812 20. Christian ZAISER (Yamaha YZF-R1), -104.073, jump start/ride-through penalty 21. Milos CIHAK (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -106.620 22. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Honda CBR1000RR), -5 laps, DNF, retired 23. Sebastien GIMBERT (Yamaha YZF-R1), -6 laps, DNF, retired 24. Ruben XAUS (Ducati 1098 RS08), -9 laps, DNF, mechanical 25. Carlos CHECA (Honda CBR1000RR), -9 laps, DNF, mechanical 26. Niccolo CANEPA (Ducati 1098 F08), -14 laps, DNF, retired 27. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -14 laps, DNF, retired 28. Ayrton BADOVINI (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -15 laps, DNF, retired 29. Jiri DRASDAK (Honda CBR1000RR), -18 laps, DNF, crash 30. Regis LACONI (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -19 laps, DNF, crash World Championship Point Standings (after 18 of 28 races): 1. Bayliss, 309 points 2. Neukirchner, 230 3. Corser, 218 4. Carlos Checa, 215 5. Haga, 210 6. Nieto, 161 7. Xaus, 148 8. Fabrizio, 147 9. Biaggi, 146 10. Kiyonari, 115 11. Kagayama, 96 12. Lanzi, 83 13. Lavilla, 78 14. Smrz, 77 15. Muggeridge, 64 16. Sofuoglu, 44 17. Tamada, 41 18. Laconi, 36 19. Nakatomi, 29 20. Rolfo, 24 21. TIE, Badovini/Russel Holland, 14 23. TIE, David Checa/Gimbert, 7 25. TIE, Canepa/Aoyama, 3 27. Michael Beck, 1 More, from a press release issued by Sterilgarda Go Eleven: Sterilgarda Go Eleven leaves Czech Repubblic with a double third place booty, thanks to Alex Polita’s Superstock100 race and Max Biaggi’ Superbike race-2. The Roman champion was immediately part of the heading pack in company with Bayliss and Corser, breaking with all the other rivals except Michel Fabrizio since the first laps. The leaders powered to an hard fought battle in which the young Ducati Xerosx’s rider took part just in the last laps when he succeeded to recover the gap from the heading pack. Biaggi passed Corser and then started a great duel against Fabrizio who succeeded to get the win just in the last lap, after a thrilling overtaking series. Biaggi came close to the podium also in race-1: he tried to break with the rivals since the start but then Bayliss, Corser and Fabrizio recovered on him due to its tyres damage after he leaded for eleven laps, finishing in 4th position. On the other hand, Xaus ran up against a very bad day which forced him to a double withdrawal. In race-1 he got crashed with Carlos Checa, while in race-2 he had to give up due to a technical hitch. In Superstock1000 Alex Polita powered to a great performance grabbing his third seasonal podium. The young rider showed once again he is constantly moving steps forward to hit his seasonal goal: winning the championship. RUBEN XAUS | Ducati 1098 RS | Retired & Retired: “It has been a bad luck week-end. This track is not my favourite one but I did markedly improvements compared to last year and I felt confident to finish both the race with a good result in order to gain some position on the ranking. I’m just satisfied with the times I recorded when I was on the track. The next round will take place on a track which suits my riding style, and I hope to get back the chance to fight for the podium there”. MAX BIAGGI | Ducati 1098 RS | 4th & 3rd classified: “I had fun in both the race although in the final laps I had to be careful about the rear grip decrease in the quick long corners especially in race-1 when it was eight laps to go. We made some changes for the second race and we succeeded to contain the tyres wear. It would have been great to win but I’m satisfied anyway. We finished ahead of many factory team and that means that we have done a great work”. ALEX POLITA | Ducati 1098R | 3rd classified: “Today’s podium allows me to be once again among the fighters for the title, although just two race ago I was considered out of the battle. I ran a good race since the start: Berger tried to break after a few laps and the I was able to be part of the pack which was fighting for the second place, I mean Antonelli, Roberts and Simenon. I left my rivals behind me until the last bend and I thought I had a good gap from Roberts who was my closer rival. Unfortunately he was not so far as I believed and he was able to pass me. I’m sorry because I would have had the chance to be closer to the top of the ranking now, from which I’m separated by only thirteen points”. More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: Bayliss dominates with double victory at Brno Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) bounced back to the winner’s podium after a gap of eight races with a dominant double victory at the Brno circuit in the Czech Republic. The points leader took his seventh and eighth wins of the season in front of 63,000 spectators, and this was the fifteenth time the Australian has picked up the ‘double’. The ninth round of the season also saw great performances by his team-mate Michel Fabrizio, twice on the podium, and by Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati), third in race 2, while Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) was also in good form in the two races. Race 1 After starting from pole, Bayliss took the lead on lap 12 and then powered to the chequered flag after setting the fastest lap of the race three from the end. Second place went to Corser after a great race in which he kept Bayliss under pressure until the final stages. The final podium slot went to Fabrizio, who passed Biaggi on the last lap after an exciting duel with his fellow Italian. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate) brought the first Honda home, the Japanese rider confirming his excellent Superpole performance with fifth place. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) managed to salvage a good result with sixth place after a difficult two days, finishing ahead of two other riders fighting for the title, Max Neukirchner (Alstare Suzuki) and Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). Checa’s team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu did well to finish in tenth, while rookie Niccolò Canepa (Ducati Xerox) notched up his first Superbike points. Troy Bayliss: “It’s been a while since I won and Brno has been up and down for me in the past so I’m happy to take a win. I was struggling a bit at the start to stay with everyone, but my bike just didn’t get any worse and I continually got to grips with it and got a better feel throughout the race and felt very at ease towards the end.” Troy Corser: “I’m reasonably happy, the bike was working well for the first half of the race and then the rear tyre just dropped a little bit and I lost a few tenths. When Troy came past I tried to go with him but he did seem to have a bit more grip coming out of the corners, other than that we were pretty even. I pushed as hard as I could to try and stay with him, but didn’t want to throw away second like I did in America.” Michel Fabrizio: “It was a great race, I was a bit off the pace half-way through the race but when I got back into the rhythm immediately after, I went to catch Max and passed him on the last lap. I had made a couple of attempts to pass him in the previous laps but this time I made it stick.” Results: 1. Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08 40’22.724 (160,57 kph); 2. Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 1.468; 3. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 F08 3.272; 4. Biaggi M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 3.475; 5. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 3.791; 6. Haga N. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1 9.120; 7. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R1000 9.358; 8. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 11.787; 9. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 17.228; 10. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR1000RR 17.705; 11. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 22.347; 12. Nakatomi S. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1 25.563; 13. Canepa N. (ITA) Ducati 1098 F08 25.699; 14. Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R1000 34.064; 15. Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 36.545; 16. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-10R 43.934. Race 2 Bayliss again went on to pick up the win in race 2, on a track that has always proved to be difficult for Ducati in the past. Thanks to these wins, the Australian has increased his championship lead to 79 points over Neukirchner, fifth at the flag. Fabrizio and Biaggi put on a terrific battle for the runner-up slot, which eventually went to the Xerox team rider with another passing move on the last lap. Fourth went to Corser, after the Australian had led for the first half of the race, and Kiyonari again had another good run to finish sixth. Checa retired with a mechanical problem, while Haga finished in seventh place after starting last from the pit lane on his second R1 machine. Troy Bayliss: “Obviously I’m very happy with how the results have turned out, it’s really great for me in the championship, but today I rode two really good races. I was feeling quite confident but Corser was setting a good pace until two-thirds distance, so then I thought it was time to go. It took quite a while and then in the end the guys behind were coming fast, but I didn’t have many laps to do and relaxed a bit.” Michel Fabrizio: “These two races were really good for me, this one maybe even better than the first. Unfortunately I again lost touch half-way through and was unable to stay with the other guys. I don’t know why because my 1098 was perfect and towards the end I began to set some good times again.” Max Biaggi: “Fabrizio was my shadow today! It was very tough here, but I tried my best and in the last lap he came so close and overtook me. I tried to come back and was desperate braking on the last corner. Third place is good however, I rode in the top group all the time. Hopefully things will be better next race, but this is a good result.” Results: 1. Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08 40’16.436 (160,988 kph); 2. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 F08 0.928; 3. Biaggi M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 1.259; 4. Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 1.785; 5. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R1000 3.942; 6. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 7.910; 7. Haga N. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1 11.297; 8. Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R1000 11.375; 9. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 13.103; 10. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR1000RR 18.978; 11. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098 RS 08 19.106; 12. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 20.556; 13. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 21.775; 14. Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 26.372; 15. Nakatomi S. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1 26.922; 16. Checa D. (ESP) Yamaha YZF-R1 27.109. Points (after 9 of 14 rounds): Riders 1. Bayliss (Ducati) 309; 2. Neukirchner (Suzuki) 230; 3. Corser (Yamaha) 218; 4. Checa (Honda) 215; 5. Haga (Yamaha) 210; 6. Nieto (Suzuki) 161; 7. Xaus (Ducati) 148; 8. Fabrizio (Ducati) 147; 9. Biaggi (Ducati) 146; 10. Kiyonari (Honda) 115; etc. Manufacturers 1. Ducati 373; 2. Yamaha 317; 3. Suzuki 277; 4. Honda 247; 5. Kawasaki 64. FIM Supersport World Championship Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) scored his first win in his rookie World Supersport season, the talented young Northern Ireland rider edging out team-mate Andrew Pitt on the line. The Australian has now increased his championship lead to 32 points. The final podium slot went to Joshua Brookes (Hannspree Stiggy Motorsport Honda), ahead of Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport) and Barry Veneman (RES Software Suzuki), the Dutchman scoring his best result of the season. Gianluca Nannelli (Honda Althea) was sixth, while Craig Jones (Parkalgar Honda) and Robbin Harms (Hannspree Stiggy Motorsport Honda) were both out of luck, retiring with mechanical problems while battling for the lead. Results: 1. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 37’35.093 (155,255 kph); 2. Pitt A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 0.020; 3. Brookes J. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1.433; 4. Parkes B. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R6 1.853; 5. Veneman B. (NED) Suzuki GSX-R600 2.237; 6. Nannelli G. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 12.032; 7. Holland R. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 12.221; 8. Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 12.787. Points (after 8 of 13 rounds): 1. Pitt (Honda) 133; 2. Brookes (Honda) 101; 3. Parkes (Yamaha) 100; 4. Foret (Yamaha) 97; 5. Rea (Honda) 92; 6. Lascorz (Honda) 81; 7. Jones (Honda) 80; 8. Harms (Honda) 50; etc. Superstock 1000 FIM Cup The Superstock 1000 race was dominated by Frenchman Maxime Berger (Hannspree IDS Ten Kate Honda). In the lead on lap 1, Berger gradually increased his advantage over his rivals and went on to win by an easy margin. The fight for the remaining podium places was an exciting affair, and the runner-up slot eventually went to Brendan Roberts (Ducati Xerox Junior Team), who takes over the lead of the table by one point from Belgian Xavier Simeon (Suzuki Alstare), only fifth at the line. Third place went to Misano winner Alex Polita (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati), ahead of Andrea Antonelli (Althea Racing Honda). Results: 1. Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 24’58.402 (155,772 kph); 2. Roberts B. (AUS) Ducati 1098R 3.043; 3. Polita A. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 3.100; 4. Antonelli A. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 3.367; 5. Simeon X. (BEL) Suzuki GSX-R1000 5.709; 6. Pirro M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF-R1 10.032; 7. Seaton C. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K8 13.380; 8. Smrz M. (CZE) Honda CBR1000RR 19.510. Points (after 6 of 10 rounds) : 1. Roberts (Ducati) 96; 2. Simeon (Suzuki) 95; 3. Berger (Honda) 84; 4. Polita (Ducati) 83; 5. Pirro (Yamaha) 73; 6. Giugliano (Suzuki) 55; etc. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Corser goes third after dramatic Brno races Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) moved from fourth to third in the championship standings after securing a second and a fourth place finish at Brno, as his team-mate Noriyuki Haga rode with all his spirit and skill to take sixth in race one and salvage a seventh from a pitlane start in race two. Corser was on top form once more on raceday and in the 500th World Superbike race, the 13 points he took for his race two fourth place put him into overall third place in the championship, 12 points behind Max Neukirchner and 91 behind today’s double race winner, Troy Bayliss. Each race saw Corser lead and fight for the podiums, for Haga Brno was a hard fought battle with two brilliant displays of riding to overcome firstly a third row grid position, and then a start from the pitlane. In the first 20-lap race Corser contested the win until the final few laps, when eventual winner Troy Bayliss had taken a lead Corser could not make up, and he had to settle for second. Haga kept his championship points score on the move with a sixth place finish, moving through the field from 12th grid position. In race two Corser’s rear tyre spun on the wheel rim, and that caused an out-of-balance vibration that stopped him from taking his second podium of the day and a chance of his first race victory for Yamaha. Haga had a problem with his machine on the sighting lap and had to start the second race from pitlane, slicing through the pack to secure a top seven finish. Haga remains fifth in the championship standings, with a total of 210 points to Bayliss’ 309. The battle for second place right now features four riders all separated by only 20 points. Shinichi Nakatomi (Team YZF Yamaha) was a superb 12th in race one at what is his favourite track, but neither David Checa (Yamaha GMT94) nor Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha GMT94) finished the race, with Gimbert taken to the medical centre for checks. In race two Nakatomi was 15th, Checa was 16th and Gimbert, who was declared fit to ride again, was a retiree in pitlane. Troy Corser (2nd and 4th – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “In race one I was reasonably happy and the bike was working well for the first half of the race. The rear tyre just dropped off a little bit and we lost a few tenths after that. When Troy came past I tried to go with him but he had a bit more grip coming off the corners. But other than that we were pretty even. I pushed as hard as I could to stay with him but was careful not to throw away second. In race two we had a problem from about lap four or five. As has happened in the past we have spun the tyre on the rim and there was a vibration through the bike in every part of the track. From then on it was a case of just holding on to see where we ended up. I kept looking back to see who was behind and just kept pushing as much as I could. If the tyre had not have spun on the rim then we would have been up the front. It’s just disappointing because I was feeling good and the bike was good. We moved up to third today, which is a positive thing, but it could have been much better.” Noriyuki Haga (6th and 7th – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “In race one my qualifying position did not help me, but I caught up to pass Neukirchner at the end and got some points. I’m not sure what was the problem with the bike in race two but the engine was not working right and I had to swap my bike. We swapped some settings from race one to race two on that spare bike and it worked quite well. I enjoyed the race because I had to make many passes, which was very exciting. I hope from this point on we can work in a good direction until the end of the year and improve our championship position.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “Troy rode very well today and took a podium finish that puts him third in the championship. So it is good news that he has moved up the rankings even if he had a problems in race two. There is nothing obviously wrong with Nori’s bike in race two, we will find out in the workshop, and he rode really well from a start in pitlane, passing many riders because his race pace was very good. With a normal start he would be in front.” Shinichi Nakatomi (12th and 15th – Team YZF Yamaha) “For me today race one was best. I like Brno very much to ride on and enjoyed the race very much. I found the second race to be harder but still enjoyed it and was happy with my result.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: Czech World Superbike at Automotodrom Brno Sunday July 20, 2008 World Superbike and World Supersport race report Crowd: 63,000 claimed all weekend Temperature Air: 25 to 26 Temperature Ground: 43 to 45 KIYONARI THE TOP HONDA MAN AT CHALLENGING BRNO TRACK Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) was the best-placed Honda scorer at the Brno round of the championship, finally held in dry and warm conditions after rain had been threatening all weekend. Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) remains the top placed Honda man in the SBK series, however, after posting a seventh and then recording a DNF due to technical issues. He drops to fourth overall in the standings, while Kiyonari is now a clear tenth. The World Superbike Championship celebrated its 500th individual race at Brno, in race two, but only championship leader Troy Bayliss took any comfort from this landmark, as he scored two wins and extended his championship lead to 79 points over Max Neukirchner. In the first 20-lap race at the recently resurfaced 5.403km circuit the top finisher for Honda was the resurgent Kiyonari who drew himself through from a poor start to mimic his fifth place Superpole performance, just a couple of seconds from his second podium of the year. Checa was eighth in the race and Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR Jr) a great tenth, having only qualified 26th on the grid. Fifteenth place Superpole qualifier Karl Muggeridge (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) was 11th in the opening race, with Gregorio Lavilla (Vent-Axia VK Honda CBR1000RR) scoring a point for 15th, after being 19th in qualifying. Lavilla was the final Honda points scorer, as 18th and 19th places in race one went to Shuhei Aoyama (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR) and his team-mate Jason Pridmore respectively. Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Althea Honda CBR1000RR) had the misfortune to be black-flagged when blue smoke started to emanate from the rear of his machine. He recovered to a 12th place finish in race two, finding a better machine set-up between the races. In the second race, Sofuoglu made a great stat and followed that up with a tenth place finish, mirroring his race one effort on a good day for the Turkish rookie. Lavilla was 14th but Muggeridge could not finish the race due to a technical problem. Aoyama was 18th and Pridmore 19th. After today’s races Bayliss has 309 points, Neukirchner 230, Troy Corser 218, Checa 215 and Kiyonari, in tenth, 115. Checa said: “I had some problems with the front tyre in the first race as it was wearing out too quickly and I lost the opportunity to catch the top guys. We changed the settings a little bit for the second race to lengthen the tyre life and the feeling with the machine became much better. Of course, from my thirteenth position on the grid was not easy to start the race and make my way forward. In the second race I was able to catch up with a fast group. Then I started to have problems with my bike; it just stopped working. I made a reset on my electronics and switched off the traction control to finish another lap, but I had to go back to the garage. It’s a disappointing results for me today.” Kiyonari said: “I had a very bad start in both races. I practiced my starts in the qualifying sessions but I just struggle in the races and lose too many positions in the first lap. I have had no problems with the settings of the machine and the feeling has been very good all weekend. The last three or four laps the bike started to misfire, but I managed keep my position. I tried to save my front tyre but pushed too hard on the rear tyre and finished it in the last laps. My mechanics have worked hard and we’ve pushed hard to set the results. It was not easy this weekend but we found a good setting and managed to gain improve our pace. I’m just disappointed about the start of the race. If I had a good start I would have been able to get better results.” Sofuoglu said: “I started from twenty-sixth position today and managed to finish both races in tenth place. It looks like we are heading in the right direction. We pushed very hard in the Vallelunga test to change my riding style and improve the pace and it looks like today we saw the result of that. My physical condition is becoming better and there certainly is more motivation now for the forthcoming races. I am looking forward to going to Brands Hatch for the next round.” Rolfo said: “It was unfortunate not to finish race one but I did not find a good feeling on the bike even before the problem. At the start of race two, with a full fuel tank it was not easy to ride but when it went down it improved. We found a better setting for race two and I was able to set better times. We found something on the set-up that should help us from now on.” Aoyama said: “I got a very bad start in race one and that made the race very difficult and I lost places, I tried to move forward but it was too late. Race two was a worse start and I was almost last and I was not able to catch them. I tried to push but it was not enough.” The ninth round of the World Superbike Championship will take place at Brno, on 20th July 2008. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Team Alstare Suzuki riders Max Neukirchner, Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama had a day of mixed fortunes at today’s ninth-round World Superbike Championship at Brno in the Czech Republic. Although they had high hopes for podiums, various problems dashed the team’s hopes and they left the Czech Republic without any silverware to show for all the efforts. Neukirchner finished the day the top Suzuki rider with a seventh in race one and a fifth in race two. Kagayama, still not at 100% fit because of his left hand, bagged a pair of ninth places and Nieto took14th in race one – after a fall – and eighth in race two. Both today’s races, which took the all-time tally of WSBK races to 500, were won by runaway series leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati). Ducati dominated the podiums with only Troy Corser (Yamaha) finishing second in the first race. Max Neukirchner – Race 1: 7th, Race 2: 5th: “We had a lot of problems in the first race and it wasn’t possible for me to get on the gas quickly enough in and exiting the turns. So for race two, we changed the rear spring and the bike felt much better and more consistent. Apart from that, the bike and tyres were the same for both races and I suppose the other real problem was that the Ducatis were so strong here. They were fast and could all get on the gas as early as they wanted and were able to out accelerate all of us four cylinder riders. I love this circuit and it is like a second home track for me because a lot of my fans come here. I am happy to be the best Suzuki rider today, but I’m disappointed not to be on the podium.” Yukio Kagayama – Race 1: 9th, Race 2: 9th: “We made some changes to the suspension settings for race two and, although the bike felt better, the result was the same! Today I had some problems braking hard and then getting past other riders. I could catch them up but I couldn’t get on the gas as quick as they could. I was also losing out on acceleration to them because my rear was spinning. My left hand is not up to full strength yet so I couldn’t always be as aggressive as I wanted to be. But overall, I am a little disappointed with the results today.” Fonsi Nieto – Race 1: 14th, Race 2: 8th: “This was a bad weekend and I am not happy at all. Normally, our practice, qualifying and Superpole are bad and the races are good, but today it was the other way round! In race one, the front tyre just wasn’t working and then I had a small crash when Checa closed the door on me and I ran onto the dirt, lost control of the bike and crashed. I got back on and managed to finish the race in 14th place. We used the same bike and tyres for race two but, after a few laps, I felt a vibration on the bike and then couldn’t push hard. The tyre was moving on the rim and although I could’ve pulled out of the race, I decided to keep going as best I could.” WSB Results: Race 1: 1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 2 Corser (Aus-Yamaha), 3 Fabrizio (I-Ducati), 4 Biaggi (I-Ducati), 5 Kiyonari (J-Honda), 6 Haga (J-Yamaha), 7 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki), 8 Checa (E-Honda), 9 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare), 10 Sofuoglu (Tur-Honda), 14 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare). Race 2: 1 Bayliss, 2 Fabrizio, 3 Biaggi, 4 Corser, 5 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki), 6 Kiyonari, 7 Haga, 8 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare), 9 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare), 10 Sofuoglu. Championship Points: 1 Bayliss 309, 2 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki) 230, 3 Corser 218, 4 Checa 215, 5 Haga 210, 6 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare) 161, 7 Xaus 148, 8 Fabrizio 147, 9 Biaggi 146, 10 Kiyonari 115, 11 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare) 96. SUPERSTOCK 1000: Team Alstare Suzuki rider Xavi Simeon left Brno circuit disappointed to have finished fifth in today’s Superstock 1000 race. The bike’s set-up, which worked well for 2-3 laps in practice and qualifying, did not perform as well over the 12-lap race and he was left hanging on to the leaders as best he could. Frenchman Maxime Berger (Honda) won the race with Brendan Roberts (Ducati) second and Alessandro Polita (Ducati) third. Roberts’ victory sees him take the championship lead away from the Alstare Suzuki rider, but only by one point. Xavi Simeon – 5th: “Today was difficult because the bike’s set-up was not so good for the whole race. It had worked well enough for two to three laps in practice and qualifying, but today was the first time we had to do 12 laps in a row. I found it hard to keep the same lap times after three or four laps, but tried to keep in touch with the leaders as best I could. On the penultimate lap, I nearly crashed when I lost the front end, but somehow I kept control and saved it – but I was lucky! I know that the four riders in front of me today all tested here recently and that gave them an advantage for sure. This is the second race in a row that I have finished fifth. The other one was when I had a broken collarbone, but this time there was no such problem so I am not happy. I know that I should be on the podium and that I am second in the championship by only one point, but even that’s too much!” Superstock 1000 Results: 1 Berger (F-Honda), 2 Roberts (Aus-Ducati), 3 Polita (I-Ducati), 4 Antonelli (I-Honda), 5 Xavi Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki), 6 Pirro (I-Yamaha). Championship Points: 1 Roberts 96, 2 Xavi Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki) 95, 3 Berger 84, 4 Polita 83, 5 Pirro 73, 6 Giugliano 55. More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Suzuki: NO JOY FOR FONSI, YUKIO OR MAX IN BRNO. Brno was neither a good round, nor a bad round, for Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama and Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner. Before today’s races began, there were high hopes for a couple of podiums at least, but various problems dashed the team’s hopes and they left the Czech Republic without any silverware to show for all the efforts. Max finished the day the top Suzuki rider, with a seventh in race one and a fifth in race two. Yukio, still not at 100% because of his left hand, bagged a pair of ninth places and Fonsi ended 14th in race one (after a fall) and eighth in race two. Both today’s races, which took the all-time tally of WSBK races to 500, were won by runaway series leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati). Ducati dominated the podiums, with only Troy Corser (Yamaha), finishing second in the first race, spoiling their clean sweep. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) took third in that race and followed that up with runner -up spot in the second,just ahead of Max Biaggi (Ducati) in third. Max – Race 1: 7th, Race 2: 5th We had a a lot of problems in the first race and it wasn’t possible for me to get on the gas quickly enough in and exiting the turns. So for race two, we changed the rear spring and the the bike felt much better and more consistent. Apart from that, the bike and tyres were the same for both races and I suppose the other real problem was that the Ducatis were so strong here. They were fast and could all get on the gas as early as they wanted and were able to out accelerate all of us four cylinder riders. I love this circuit and it is like a second home track for me because a lot of my fans come here. I am happy to be the best Suzuki rider today, but I’m disappointed not to be on the podium. Yukio – Race 1: 9th, Race 2: 9th We made some changes to the suspension settings for race two and, although the bike felt better, the result was the same! Today I had some problems braking hard and then getting past other riders. I could catch them up, but I couldn’t get on the gas as quick as they could. I was also losing out on acceleration to them because my rear was spinning. My left hand is not up to full strength yet, so I couldn’t always be as aggressive as I wanted to be. Overall, I am a little disappointed with the results today. Fonsi – Race 1: 14th, Race 2: 8th This was a bad weekend and I am not happy at all. Normally, our practice, qualifying and Superpole are bad and the races are good, but today it was the other way round! In race one, the front tyre just wasn’t working and then I had a small crash when Checa closed the door on me and I ran onto the dirt, lost control of the bike and crashed. I got back on and managed to finish the race in 14th place. We used the same bike and tyres for race two but, after a few laps, I felt a vibration on the bike and then couldn’t push hard. The tyre was moving on the rim and although I could’ve pulled out of the race, I decided to keep going as best I could. Results Race 1: 1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 2 Corser (Aus-Yamaha), 3 Fabrizio (I-Ducati), 4 Biaggi (I-Ducati), 5 Kiyonari (J-Honda), 6 Haga (J-Yamaha), 7 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki), 8 Checa (E-Honda), 9 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare), 10 Sofuoglu (Tur-Honda), 14 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare), Race 2: 1 Bayliss, 2 Fabrizio, 3 Biaggi, 4 Corser, 5 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki), 6 Kiyonari, 7 Haga, 8 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare), 9 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare), 10 Sofuoglu, Points: 1 Bayliss 309, 2 Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki) 230, 3 Corser 218, 4 Checa 215, 5 Haga 210, 6 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare) 161, 7 Xaus 148, 8 Fabrizio 147, 9 Biaggi 146, 10 Kiyonari 115, 11 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare) 96, . More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: A PODIUM AND A FOURTH, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN MORE! Troy took a superb runner-up spot in race one at Brno today and followed that with a fourth in race two, but knew it could’ve been even better. >Tyre problems in both races dashed all hopes Troy had of taking his first victory of the season and once again, he left the track wondering where and when he will take the chequered flag this year. Today’s second race marked the 500th ever WSBK race and it was won by Troy Bayliss (Ducati). That followed his win in the first race, on a day that saw all podium places (apart from Troy’s second in race one) taken by Ducati. Michel Fabrizio took third in the first race and runner-up spot in the second. His fellow Roman, Max Biaggi took third in that race. Troy – Race 1: 2nd, Race 2: 4th In the first race I had a small front end chatter problem, probably because the bike’s set-up was not quite right for the conditions. Throughout the weekend the grip level has been improving and the grip today was different to yesterday. Our set-up wasn’t spot on and that meant I couldn’t push hard right to the end of the race. Following Bayliss, I could see that he could get on the gas whenever and wherever he wanted to, but if I tried that the rear just spun and then wore the tyre out much quicker. In the second race, the grip wasn’t too bad but the tyre was spinning on the rim and soon it got out of balance. It was bad enough to make the bike vibrate a lot and chatter on the straights. It started after about four or five laps and then all I could do was to try and stay as close to Troy as possible, knowing that I couldn’t challenge him for the lead. When you have to race like that it’s frustrating but, as you all know, this kind of thing can happen. More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Ryuichi Kiyonari was the lead Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider in the ninth round of the World Superbike Championship at Brno today. Following an impressive lap in Superpole qualifying, Kiyonari secured his best place on the grid so far this season and started both races from fifth place. After an imperfect start in race one Kiyonari came through the first lap in ninth place but was able to recover the lost positions and finished the race in fifth position. Kiyonari stayed well on the pace in the second race and set the new lap record at 2’00.107 before it was crushed by Michel Fabrizio in the last laps of the race. A lack of rear tyre grip prevented the Japanese rider from further improving his position and he finished just outside the top five in sixth position. Following a tough weekend of qualifying, Carlos Checa had to start his races from thirteenth place on the grid. He managed to improve his position and finished race one in eight place, but an issue with the electronics of his bike put a disappointing premature end to his second race. Kenan Sofuoglu started from twenty-sixth place on the grid but was determined to work his way through the pack into a points-scoring position. Sofuoglu got off to a good start in both races and crossed the line in tenth place twice over, a positive result for the Turkish rider who has been struggling through the season so far. After the Brno round, Carlos Checa now sits fourth in the championship, while Ryuichi Kiyonari and Kenan Sofuoglu hold tenth and sixteenth place respectively. Ryuichi Kiyonari, race 1-5th, race 2-6th; “I had a very bad start in both races. I practiced my starts in the qualifying sessions but I just struggle in the races and loose too many positions in the first lap. “I have no problems with the settings of the machine, the feeling has been very good all weekend. The last three or four laps the bike started to misfire, but I managed keep my position.” “I tried to save my front tyre but pushed too hard on the rear tyre and finished it in the last laps. My mechanics have worked hard and we’ve pushed hard to set the results this weekend. It was not easy, but we found a good setting and managed to improve our pace. I’m just disappointed about the start of the race, I left too much there. If I had a good start I would have been able to set a better result.” Carlos Checa, race 1-8th, race 2-DNF; “I had some problems with the front tyre in the first race as it was wearing out quickly and I lost the opportunity to catch the frontrunners. We changed the setting a little bit for the second race to lengthen the tyre life and improve the feeling with the machine. Of course, from my thirteenth position on the grid is was not easy to start the race and make my way forward.” “In the second race I was able to catch up with a fast group. Then I started to have problems with my bike, it just stopped working. I made a reset on my electronics and switched off the traction control to finish another lap, but it was lost and I had to go back to the garage. It’s a disappointing result for me.” Kenan Sofuoglu, race 1-10th, race 2-10th; “I started from twenty-sixth position today and managed to finish both races in tenth place. It looks like we are heading in the right direction. “We pushed very hard in the Vallelunga test to change my riding style and improve the pace and it looks like today we saw the result of that. My physical condition is becoming better and there certainly is more motivation now for the forthcoming races. I am looking forward to going to Brands Hatch for the next round.” Ronald ten Kate, Team manager; “We clearly cannot be satisfied with the results we achieved here in Brno, but we should also have to highlights some positives of the weekend. Sofuoglu finished two strong races and seems to have returned to a better way of riding. He adapted himself a riding style that better suits the Honda CBR1000RR and is hopefully on his way forward again.” “Kiyonari was also showing a strong race. Specially in the second leg of the race when was catching up with the leading group in the second race despite some misfiring of his bike. He will now be going to the two tracks in the championship he knows well from his BSB racing.” “For Carlos is was also a bit of turning point. After two disappointing races and test event today which was not very successful. In race two we thought we good be on the pace again and it would be the turning point for him. From Brands hatch we should be fighting again for podiums, that is clearly we should be with our riders and the bikes.” More, from a press release issued by Team Pedercini: Bad week-end for Team Pedercini at Brno. The team leaded by Donato Pedercini leaves Czech Republic with no-points. In race-1 Vittorio Iannuzzo made a great start recovering from the starting 26th position to the 20th just behind Tamada’s factory Kawasaki bike, his team-mate Badovini and Aoyama’s Honda. He kept the touch with the pack untill the ninth lap when he was forced to the pits due to technical hitches. In the meanwhile Badovini was not able to finish into the points due to tyres wear. In race-2 both the riders was forced to the pits after only three laps. Hitches and problems for the Superstock riders too: Tiberio and Aldrovandi ended their race out of the points although the great job done by the team. Now the goal of the team is to find a solutions for this kind of situation in order to reverse the bad trend starting from the next round. VITTORIO IANNUZZO | Kawasaki ZX-10R | Retired & Retired: “I have moved another step forward towards the best form. I’m getting back self-confidence and I’m improving my effectiveness on the track. I’m sorry I could not finish the first race because I would have probably grabbed some points. In race-2 my wheel drove me crazy and I was forced to withdraw after only three laps”. AYRTON BADOVINI | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 17th classified & Retired: “I though I could do better than this but after a good start I was not able to be effective in the second part of race-1. In race-2 I had to move to the pit due to an hitch at the transmission”.