SECOND ITALIAN ROUND OF 2007 PROMISES NEW THRILLS FOR ALL REVERSE REVAMP FOR POPULAR MISANO CIRCUIT Given its location close to Italy’s Adriatic Riviera and the fact that it is usually held in the heat of a June weekend, Misano has been a favourite on the SBK trail, ever since it first appeared in 1991. Since then SBK has only missed one appointment with summer racing Italian style, making this 17th running of the event something of a minor classic – especially in the year SBK racing celebrates its 20th year of life. This happy relationship between championship and venue has been given a further boost this year, as Misano has now been resurfaced, slightly redesigned and – most radically of all – reversed in comparison to previous years. The slightly lengthened 4.180km layout has been tested out already by some of the championship’s big names but until the full heat of June has soaked into the tarmac few believe that the true nature of the track in race trim will unveil itself. CHAMPIONSHIP SHAKEN UP AFTER SILVERSTONE’S SOAKING James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) is still the leading light in a furious battle for ultimate supremacy in the 2007 championship, but after a brave eighth place finish in the one and only Silverstone race, the championship battle has just got even more interesting than it was already. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) is some 23 points behind Toseland (with no fewer than 12 points scoring races still to go, including Misano) while Max Biaggi (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) is now 13 points behind Haga but only 12 ahead of Silverstone race winner Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox). Any one of those four riders is still more than capable of winning the series outright, with only 48 points between long-term leader Toseland and the relentless Bayliss. CORSER DETERMINED TO SCORE WELL AFTER POSITIVE TEST Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia) has already tested at Misano, like Haga and Bayliss, which should help his early charge towards cutting the gap back to the leading four. Bayliss is now some 38 points ahead of Corser, but Corser has almost that same level of advantage (35 points) back to overall sixth place rider, Lorenzo Lanzi. Lanzi is going for podium number two of his 2007 season campaign, and like his closest rival Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Ducati) has enjoyed a test at the new-look Misano. Xaus is a previous Misano race winner, and has been a victor at the similarly tight and twisty circuit of Valencia this season. ROLFO LOOKSING FOR ANOTHER STEP UP IN FRONT OF HOME CROWD Roby Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was cruelly robbed of at least one podium finish at an Italian round this year, but he hopes to eradicate the disappointment of missing out at Monza by posting another strong display in only his second year of SBK competition. Max Neukirchner has an SBK podium finish to his name already, albeit way back in 2005, and of the current privateer bunch, his is the leading rider, in ninth place on a year-old Suzuki. LACONI’S FIFTH PUTS HIM INTO TOP TEN Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) and Fonsi Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) have not had the happiest of seasons so far but an equal best season performance of fifth in the wet at Silverstone slotted Laconi back into the top ten again, for only the second time in 2007. Nieto is currently 13th, with only six points scores to his name so far. Injuries and a heavy testing schedule for the Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra team rider have put Yukio Kagayama down in 111th place thus far, and kept him off the podium at any race. LOCAL MAN LEADS MIDFIELD CHARGE AT MISANO Roman rider Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda) may be on the opposite side of Italy from his native city, but for him Misano will be another motivational high point in what has been an up and down season. Sixth at Assen he fell in the wet at Silverstone, and thus sits 12th overall, ahead of Nieto and then another strong private rider, Jakub Smrz (Ducati SC Caracchi). Josh Brookes (Alto Evolution Honda) rounds out the current top 15, with his team-mate Karl Muggeridge 12 points behind after a season which has been plagued by injuries for Muggeridge and misfortunes for both riders. SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP- SOFUOGLU SET TO GET BACK ON TRACK The seemingly inexorable rise-and-rise of Turkish rider Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was brought to a weather-inspired end at Silverstone, but having scored wins in five previous races his lead is still an impressive 45-points. Second to him is his only real championship concern, Fabien Foret (GIL Kawasaki) some 45 points behind. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Althea Honda) has been trying hard to shed his bad luck from the 2006 season and despite some high profile incidents (mostly the work of other riders) the Japanese star is still third overall. Fourth in another rider with a DNF or two against his name, Robbin Harms (Stiggy Motorsports Honda) and the resurgent GSX-R campaigner, Barry Veneman (Pioneer Hoegee Suzuki) is fifth, showing the strength in depth of entries from various competing factories in 2007. Gianluca Nannelli (Caracchi Ducati SC 749R) is down to ride at Misano, as is a long-time injury worry, Kevin Curtain (Yamaha World SSP Racing). WSS stars in their own right, Sebastien Charpentier (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Broc Parkes (Yamaha WSS Racing), will each be out for their first win of the 2007 season. SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP – FIVE FROM FIVE IN 2007 A startling competitive 2007 season has seen five riders win races so far, in only five meetings. Niccolo Canepa (Ducati Xerox 1098) got the victory wheels turning first, then Mark Aitchison (Celani Team Suzuki Italia), Michele Pirro (Team Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha), Matteo Baiocco (Umbria Bike Yamaha) and most recently Brendan Roberts (Ducati Xerox Junior Team) have all pitched in with a win. Aitchison is two points up on Baiocco overall, with Canepa third and Pirro fourth, while the still-injured Roberts (less hampered than in previous rounds by his hand and wrist injuries at a wet Silverstone) is ninth. SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP – NO CHANGE Michele Magnoni (Bevilacqua Yamaha) continues in an unchanged leading position after the cancellation of the washed-out Silverstone round, sitting ahead on points from Maxime Berger (Trasimeno Yamaha). Andrea Antonelli (Team Italia Megabike Honda AX) is only a single point from Berger, and is the third of three race winners this year so far. TWO TESTS BECKON BEFORE BRNO HOSTS ROUND NUMBER NINE Test sessions at Brno and Vallelunga will interrupt the traditional July break for the top teams before the highly popular and beautifully sculpted circuit of Brno, set deep in the forests of the Czech republic, hosts the ninth round of the championship, between 20 and 22 July. More, from a press release issued by Team YZF Yamaha: Misano reversed For the beginning of the second half season, the Superbike World Championship riders will use the Santa Monica racetrack in the reversed direction. This kind of situation, which does not happen very often in motorsports, makes it complicated, as the riders have to adapt to it and also find the proper new set up. And a new surface makes even harder! To prepare the “Gran Premio di San Marino e della Riviera di Rimini” that will take place on September 2nd; it has been decided to reverse the direction. Many spectators are expected for this GP as Valentino Rossi’s hometown, Tavullia, is only a few miles away from the circuit. Not many racetracks have been used in the past with reversed direction. One of them is Pocono in the United States that is used counter clockwise for the NASCAR races and clockwise for the WKA (World Karting Association) Enduro series. Another one is Montlhery near Paris, France, “turning right” for the races and left for the manufacturers and press tests. Lausitz tests: Last week, Shinichi Nakatomi tested at the German venue. His times were the same as during the race last year, which shows some progress because he could use the right tyres last year. Martial Garcia (team manager): “Nakatomi’s foot is hurting less, which helped us to fine tune the suspension and the fuel injection. For the Misano race, things are hard to predict as the track is reversed. I hope Nakatomi will do as well as he did last year when he was 13th in Superpole, even if this year he could not do any testing there yet.” Misano May 15 and 16 tests: Troy Bayliss (Ducati) 1:35.3, Troy Corser (Yamaha) 1:35.6, Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) 1:35.9, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) 1:36.6, Ruben Xaus (Ducati) 1:36.8, Fonsi Nieto (Kawasaki) 1:36.9, Regis Laconi (Kawasaki) 1:37.1, Michel Fabrizio (Honda) 1:38.2, Marco Borciani (Ducati) 1:39.0, Mauro Sanchini (Kawasaki) 1:39.0 The Santa Monica circuit: Designed in 1969, Misano was opened in 1972. The circuit’s length was 3488 meters at the time. In 1993, it was increased to 4060 meters (2.52 miles) while track width was increased to 12 meters so that Misano could be homologated by the FIM. In 1997, the circuit infrastructures were revamped to boost its international status and appeal. Misano’s excellent location (the track is 4kms away from Riccione, 15 from Rimini and 130 from Bologna) means that both Grand Prix and World Superbike events have been held there and it is often used as a test track. World Championship standings: 1-Toseland (Honda) 237 points, 2-Haga (Yamaha) 214, 3-Biaggi (Suzuki) 201, 4-Bayliss (Ducati) 189, 5-Corser (Yamaha) 151…17-Nakatomi (Yamaha) 22 9th round of the Superbike World Championship: July 22nd at Brno (Czech Republic)