Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone To confirm the tests During the tests at Phillip Island on January 17 to 20, the Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone riders were quicker than last year. Using race tyres, Norick Abe’s best lap was 1:35.5 in 2005 and 1:34.6 this year. Sebastien Gimbert progressed from 1:36.7 to 1:34.2 still using 2005 tyres. If the Qatar race was not easy for the team, without previous testing and a lack of experience of the 2006 Pirelli tyres, the Phillip Island race looks more promising. The Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone participated to the January tests with good results. The development went well and therefore there is a reasonable amount of confidence for the Australian race. After Qatar, the most important technical problems to be looked after were the chattering and Gimbert’s front brakes. For the chattering, there was already some progress for race 2 in Qatar. During the January tests in Phillip Island, there was no chattering. But the bikes were fitted then with 2005 tyres, so one has to be careful about predicting the results too early. The 2006 tyres have a better grip, so there are more chances of chattering. About Gimbert’s brakes, new discs have been fitted to gain more efficiency. This technical evolution was not easy between Qatar and Australia, and it was only possible thanks to the help between teams and quick transportation systems. A very high level The actual level of the Superbike World Championship is exceptional. In the race 2 in Qatar for instance, Sebastien Gimbert finished 35 seconds behind the winner. He was in 15th position. By comparison, Javi Fores is 38 seconds behind the winner of the Supersport race with the 4th position. In the MotoGP class last year, Shinya Nakano finished 32 seconds behind the winner in 7th position. This shows the intensity of the fight and the quality of the show in World Superbike. Who can beat Corser’s mythical lap record? Troy Corser established in 1999 the unofficial lap record with a time of 1:32.193 (average speed 173.530 kph). The track had just being resurfaced and the grip was very good. Also there was this incredible fight between the two Ducati factory riders, Carl Fogarty being World Champion and Troy Corser wishing to be the fastest in his home country. He was using then Michelin bi-compound tyres (hard on the left, soft on right) when the riders use now Pirelli single compound tyres at Phillip Island. Phillip Island Back in the twenties, the roads around Philip Island were very popular with local speed freaks. In 1928, the first Australian car Grand Prix was held at the Island on a 6.5 miles/10.4585 km course. 1931 was the year motorcycles first raced at the Island, for an event that was a lot like the Isle of Man TT on a 12 mile/19.308 km course. The permanent racing facility was opened in 1956. Philip Island is a varied and demanding 4.445 kms with everything from hairpins (minimum radius 23 m) to fast turns (maximum radius 207 m). Right-hand turns are scarce with only two such corners, Honda and Turn 10. In the fastest of left-handers, like turn 12 (the last turn before the start/finish straight), tyre temperatures go above normal. Standard running temperature for a rear slick is between 80 and 110°C but at Phillip Island, they often go beyond 130°C. January 17 to 20, 2006 tests Unofficial times: 1-Troy Corser (Suzuki): 1:33.0 (2006 race tyre), 2-Steve Martin (Petronas): 1:33.3 (2006 race tyre) 1:34 3 (2005 race tyre), 3-Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki): 1:34.1 (2006 race tyre), 4-Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France – Ipone): 1:34.6 (2005 race tyre), 5-Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France – Ipone): 1:34.6 (2005 race tyre), 6-Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France – Ipone): 1:35.0, 7-Craig Jones (Petronas): 1:35.6 World Championship standings: 1- Bayliss (40 points), 2-Corser et Toseland (38), 4-Pitt (27), 5-Fabrizio et Barros (19) – 10-Abe (10), 17-Gimbert (3) Phillip Island stats Practice record (1999): 1:32.193 Troy Corser (Ducati) 173.570 kph 2005 Yamaha Motor France practice times: Norifumi Abe: 1:34.742 / 12th and Sebastien Gimbert: 1:35.178 / 21st Race 1 results 2005: 1-Corser (Suzuki), 2-Kagayama (Suzuki) 3- Vermeulen (Honda) 4- Neukirchner (Honda) 5-Pitt (Yamaha) 2005 Yamaha Motor France race 1 results: Norifumi Abe: 6th and Sebastien Gimbert: 11th Race 2 results 2005: 1-Corser (Suzuki), 2-Kagayama (Suzuki) 3- Neukirchner (Honda) 4- Vermeulen (Honda) 5-Nieto (Ducati) 2005 Yamaha Motor France race 2 results: Norifumi Abe: 8th and Sebastien Gimbert: DNF (retired lap 9) Lap record (best race time 1999): 1:33.019 Troy Corser (Ducati) 172.030 kph 3rd round of the Supersport World Championship: April 30th at Valencia (Spain)