The sixth round of the Superbike World Championship and the third round of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup will take place over the weekend of June 10-11-12 at the Misano World Circuit. The Misano World Circuit is a big motor theme park in Italy. A place that hosts international motorsport events, it is a reference point for motorcycle supporters. It is situated close to the sea and near the hills and is a masterpiece as far as the efficiency and the reliability of the organization’s staff is concerned. The Misano motor racing circuit was designed in 1969 (3,488 m) and has always been under private management. The first expansion project dates back to 1993: the track was lengthened to 4,060 meters and a building was also erected with new garages, technical rooms, reception rooms and a large pressroom. At the end of 2006 the circuit was closed to permit the construction of a new, even safer and more beautiful track which was lengthened to 4,226 m with a reversal in the direction of travel (now clockwise). Main circuit characteristics : Circuit length: 4.226 km Pole position: Left Corners : 16 Superbike lap record : Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) 2010 1’36″546 Superbike best lap : Troy Corser (BMW) 2010 1’35″001 Superstock 1000 lap record : Alex Polita (Ducati) 2008 1’39″806 Superstock 1000 best lap : Ayrton Badovini (BMW) 2010 1’39″189 The second home race for team Pedercini’s Superbike and Superstock 1000 riders in Misano Adriatico this weekend. Only two weeks after the two difficult races at the Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, Rolfo and Aitchison will race at a circuit that they both like and know. In the Supertock 1000 FIM Cup, Marco Bussolotti knows the Italian track very well while Mercado and Staring raced at the Misano World Circuit at the beginning of April in the first round of the 2011 Italian Superstock 1000 championship. Mark Aitchison: “In Misano I want to continue with the good work my technicians have done in the USA. They really helped me to feel very comfortable on the bike during the practices and qualifying, so I would like to work again in this way and find more consistency for the races. Misano is a circuit I enjoy riding and usually the weather is nice, so I am looking forward to starting on the track once we arrive. I really believe if we can consolidate positive work during the practices, then we can be more competitive during both races”. Roberto Rolfo :”After the difficult races at the Miller circuit in the States, a track that has never brought me any luck, I want to be ready for the Misano races as I know this circuit very well and I won the CIV in April there. The good lap times registered in race two at Miller are a comforting sign for my Kawasaki bike’s performance, it needs more testing to find a better set-up. The team’s constant hard work is stimulating and makes me optimistic that the current situation, which is definitely below the expectations, can be improved as the championship has just begun. I’m confident that any future testing will only better my Kawasaki’s performance and the feel of the bike that is indispensible during the race’s weekend. My goal in Misano is to gain points for the championship standing, hopefully the nice warm June weather will make it possible. Like the Monza races, I know that I’ll have a lot of fans come out and see me and I can hardly wait to put on a great performance on my Ninja ZX 10R!” More, from a press release issued by Supersonic Racing Team: The Supersonic Team is back from Salt Lake City, where the team achieved the best result of the season and scored seven points in the standings. Maxime Berger and his team are preparing now for the sixth round in the World Superbike Championship, at the Misano World Circuit in Italy, at June 10 to 12. The Misano World Circuit was called until 2006, “Circuito Internazionale Santa Monica” and is located in the Misano Adriatico region, province of Rimini, in Santa Monica. The construction of the circuit began in 1970. Since its inauguration to the present day, the circuit has undergone several changes. Initially, the circuit had a length of 3,488 km but in 1993 the work began to extend the track until 4,060km. In the same year, the construction of the new building box was started, equipped with the latest technology and comfort for that time. Later in 1998 there was an extension of the paddock area, until about 40,000 square meters and in 2001, the new grandstand was made. Finally, the most important change was the reversal of riding direction from counter clockwise to clockwise. Maxime Berger: “I’m already focused on the Misano Adriatico races and with a commitment to score as many points as possible. After Miller, my enthusiasm is high, I want to score tell top 10 positions. Unfortunately, I missed only one position in the US; the conditions of the track did not allow me to do better. During this weekend we reach the sixth round in the championship and I am gaining more experience, on the bike and inside the box. The team supports me very well and is very focused on the development of my Ducati. I hope to score a very good result; it is the home race for my team, because it is based in the Emilia Romagna region, the land of the engines. The track is definitely not the fastest in top speed; it is very fluid, a mixture, with alternating sections, controlled gas, slow and precisely corners. There will be fun and I give my best. Once more, I want to thank Danilo Soncini for giving me the opportunity being in World Superbike and I congratulate Stefano Tacconi, who recently celebrated his marriage with Laura. To him goes my ‘good luck’, as he always tells me.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: FIM SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP PREVIEW ROUND 06 JUNE 12 MISANO, SAN MARINO. PREVIEW UPTURN ON THE CARDS FOR REA AND XAUS Castrol Honda rider Jonathan Rea is eager to get to Misano for many reasons, not least that he won his first ever Superbike World Championship race at the circuit by the sea in 2009, while riding the predecessor of the Honda CBR1000RR that he campaigns this year. His fortunes took a downturn at the most recent round in the USA, but Jonathan is still only 15 points from the fourth place he had held since his race win at the Assen round, although championship leader Carlos Checa has now made something of a breakaway from all the riders ranged out behind him. Now sixth in the standings, Rea knows that there is a lot of racing left in the 2011 season and also knows that his machine has the potential to win again after the most recent victory at Assen in April. Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda) was on course for his best weekend of the year at MMP until he struck two patches of bad luck and ended up scoring no points, but the 11-times race winner in this class had made a real breakthrough in finding a strong race set-up at that venue. Now he returns to one of his best circuits, scene of three of his career wins, Misano. He has taken victories in both clockwise and anti-clockwise versions of the twisty and compact circuit. The challenge of Misano is one both Rea and Xaus know they can now meet with confidence, despite the record number of genuine contenders on the grid in 2011. After the Misano race weekend, the entire WSBK paddock will decamp and head straight to the next round at a new venue for this class, Motorland Aragon, in northern Spain. WSBK Rider Comments Jonathan Rea, Castrol Honda says: “I’m really looking forward to Misano and another type of circuit. I am also quite open minded about how the bike will perform there and hopefully we should be challenging for the podium. That is our aim there. Lot of our rivals have had a test at Misano, so that will make it a little more difficult. I am looking forward to at least some more consistent weather than we found in America, to maximise set-up time. I like the Misano circuit and it has good memories for me, because it is where I scooped my first superbike race win.” Ruben Xaus, Castrol Honda says: “I am really on fire again to go to Misano and try to finish what I started on the last race weekend at Miller. What I mean by that is to finish growing up with the team. When I was practicing at Miller we proved that we could do good lap times, even on a hard tyre, because we found a proper set-up for that. We found good rhythm in warm up and we were the fastest then, so we have shown a good progression. It didn’t work out in the races in America, but my pace was strong and I could do positive things with the bike. I like Misano and I feel at home there. I think at Misano we can be in there again, but the competition is very tough this year. I am flying to this race with a good feeling.” World Supersport Preview ROUND 5 Misano The Next Challenge For Honda Riders As Championship Seasons Restarts With no Supersport World Championship race running alongside the Superbikes at Miller Motorsports Park recently, round five for the 600cc class will be another opportunity for Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing Honda) to shoot for a podium finish in 2011. He will find one less rival to deal with at Misano, as joint championship leader Luca Scassa (Yamaha) will not be allowed to ride this weekend, as he rode here earlier in the season during a race school session, and it is not his designated test circuit. Privateer Harms was outgunned somewhat at the ultra-fast Monza last time out, but Misano should be a circuit that suits his machine very well, particularly as it will have some new developments that his team technical staff have been working on during the break. Robbin is currently fourth in the championship and intends to keep his top five status all the way to the final race at Portimao on October 16. Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) has been a winner at Misano twice in this class, in 2002 and 2003. He currently sits sixth in the overall standings, having suffered a series of injuries early in the season, but now he feels he is in the best shape of the year as he approaches the San Marino round. A second and a third in the previous two races show Fabien is well on his way to competing for wins once again. Despite only scoring in two races so far new WSS powerhouse Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) is seventh in the championship chase. The broken collarbone he suffered in race three of the season at Assen is now almost healed and the reigning British Supersport champion is ready to grit his teeth once again as he goes for his second podium of the year. Foret’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate Florian Marino is already in the running for the unofficial rookie of the year prize, the teenager from France having shown flashes of podium pace if not quite the full package and good fortune to be able to join the top three elite so far. He is now 9th overall, only a point behind Lowes. James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda) has been able to fill the gap between Monza and Misano with some track time at two British circuits and he approaches the Misano round with real confidence, despite suffering some bad luck during the Donington and Monza races. Bad luck and incident have also stalked the talented Gino Rea (Step Racing Team Honda) in recent contests, but he is hoping to be fit enough to ride at full pace at Misano and get back into the top ten championship places. He cracked his left elbow after a crash at the Ascari chicane at Monza. Rea, no relation to Castrol Honda Superbike rider Jonathan, has already tasted podium champagne in 2011, at his home circuit of Donington, but that remains his only points score in the first four rounds. Miguel Praia (Parkalgar Honda) is in 14th place overall and he is followed in the rankings by Alexander Lundh (Cresto Guide Racing Team Honda) in 15th and Ondrej Jezek (SMS Racing Honda) 16th. Balazs Nemeth (Team Hungary Toth Honda) has been a points scorer every time out for his team and he is 18th, one place up on Vladimir Ivanov (Step Racing Team Honda) and two places and five points ahead of his more experienced team-mate, Imre Toth (Team Hungary Toth Honda). Bastien Chesaux (MACH – Moto Academy Swiss Honda) is 21st after four races, Pawel Szkopek (Bogdanka PTR Honda) is 23rd. WSS Rider Comments Robbin Harms says: “It has been a long break for me because we did not get the chance to test the bike on track. We have been improving some technical stuff on the test bench and we hope it can give us some good results on the circuit. What we wanted was more midrange and that will be important at Misano. On the computer it looks good, we just need to test it in real life. I am looking forward to Misano compared to Monza! I think the layout will be better for us. For the rest of the year, if the changes to the bike prove to be better, our goal is to stay in the top five. When we have our bright days, I think it is possible. If we keep things stable, it is possible.” Fabien Foret says: “We have been on the podium in the past two races so my target is that again in Misano, but to be on the best place on the podium. My fitness is now much better and my injuries are almost gone. I am looking forward to riding my bike in better shape and being sharper, so I think we will be able to go for the win. There will be one less main rival competing at this race, which is bad for him, but obviously it makes things easier to get. We will see how the weather is, but in any case I will be doing my best and trying to win. This season has been tough and I hope all our efforts can be rewarded with a win.” Sam Lowes says: “My left shoulder is better, definitely getting better, and I have been out in Misano for the past few days to do some training. Not riding, as it is not our test track, but just doing fitness training. When the calendar came out I was gutted that we were not going to America, but it has worked out mega for me, because I feel I can be back to as fast as I was before my injury, pushing at the front. That is what we need to be doing because from now on we need to get some strong finishes and start to move up there if we are going to have a chance at the end of the year. I think we can do that now and I am looking forward to getting going after this break. If we get strong results in the next four races, it can all change around.” Florian Marino says: “Misano is OK for me, I rode there one time last year in the Superstock class. It was OK and for sure I want to improve this year in the races. I hope to get into position to be with the leaders of the race. I am happy with the way things are going. I have missed some experience when it has come to the races and two or three things about the settings on the bike, but now I am concentrating only what happens on raceday at Misano.” James Ellison says: “I am feeling really good and looking forward to this weekend. I have not been there before, racing in the current direction at least. Sam Lowes has said he will help me around for the first half a lap! I have been playing Misano on the Playstation game to learn where the corners go, and it usually helps a little bit. I just want to get on with it. I have been out on my bike since Monza, one session at Mallory in England then a track day at Donington. I’m in good spirits, and it has been good to get out on the bike again. I hate not riding regularly so it has been good to get out after the last round at Monza.” Gino Rea says: “The left elbow I injured at Monza is OK, not too bad, and I have been having physio to help it along. I didn’t want to have a cast on it just to keep moving and let it heal naturally. It is still store but I’m getting strength back into it. We should have made some changes to the bike for Misano, which should be better than the previous version. We just need some clear track time and set-up time. I really want to have smoother weekend than at Monza and get a good set-up from the first day.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Yamaha World Superbike Team Set Out for Round Six on the Italian Riviera. Just less than two weeks after the US calendar stop off in Salt Lake City, the Yamaha World Superbike Team are preparing for Round Six of the championship, closer to home on the well know Italian Romagnola Riviera. Misano, situated on the Adriatic coast is to host the second of three Italian rounds on the 2011 World Superbike Championship, this weekend. This stop-off marks the home race for Marco Melandri, who is based just over 30 minutes from the track. The Misano World Circuit, formerly known as the International circuit of Santa Monica, has undergone massive renovations over the years since Melandri first became acquainted with the layout in the early days of his racing career, with the most recent modifications in 2007. The newly renovated and modernized track has ten right turns, six left turns and 1850 metres of straights. The most significant changes were made to the Del Rio and Del Carro turns to ensure improved safety but also a reversal in the direction of travel from anticlockwise to clockwise is an added feature. Marco Melandri experienced a less than perfect race weekend in Miller, USA where he struggled to find a suitable set up providing sufficient stability to be on top form. Intent on capitalizing on his familiarity with the track, Melandri is confident that Misano is the ideal place to bounce back and display his true potential, gain valuable points and re-confirm his position in the World standings where he currently sits in second place behind Carlos Checa. Team-mate Laverty is also familiar with the track where he has been victorious on the Supersport bike in previous years. The Irishman, currently fourth in the classification after climbing even further up the ladder at Miller, is determined to continue on the consistently strong and competitive path which has been evident in the previous races and deliver another victory on his powerful YZF-R1. Marco Melandri Yamaha World Superbike Team “I’m delighted to be heading to Misano. It’s really near home for me and it’s a track I like and I know really well. I’ve ridden the track many times since I first started riding when I was a kid. Ive also always had relatively good results there in the past and I think it’s the perfect track where I can get over the difficult weekend I had in the USA and put that behind me. The team and I have since had the chance to work out what the problem was in Miller and I’m pretty sure we are heading in the right direction. I’m really looking forward to trying my Yamaha R1, hopefully to our full potential, this weekend in Misano.” Eugene Laverty Yamaha World Superbike Team “I’m really looking forward to Misano. Last year on the Supersport bike I won the race with a significant margin so I have fond memories. Some of the Superbike teams have tested there earlier in the season so it’ll definitely be a challenging race weekend. It’s really important for me to continue on the good run that I’ve been on since Monza so I’ll be pushing my hardest and doing my best to get back on the podium again. I’m particularly excited about riding my Superbike through the fast section at the end of the back straight. That was very enjoyable on the Supersport bike and I’m sure it will be even more so on my R1.” Misano technically speaking according to Silvano Galbusera Marco Melandri’s crew chief “In Miller, Marco struggled to get the right feeling with the front of the bike, so after analyzing the data we gathered there we have a good idea of how to improve on this. We know the Misano World Circuit quite well. It’s a track that requires good rear grip and bike handling. We’ll start with our base setting which is similar to that used in Donington and see where to go from there, depending on the weather conditions. We also intend trying a different traction control setting to improve tyre life ahead of Sunday’s races. Let’s hope the weather will be good!” Misano technically speaking according to Frankie Carchedi Eugene Laverty’s crew chief “Misano is a technically difficult track which requires a good set-up for the higher track temperatures. Our recent changes in making Eugene comfortable on the bike will be important as it is a track which is physically demanding as there is no time to rest during a lap. We made good improvements on the front suspension during Miller and will be looking to improve this further. We will start with our base set-up on one bike and on the other we have a different link to try and absorb the bumps better. During the last three races only Carlos has scored more points than Eugene, our target is to continue this consistency and try and gain more valuable points towards the championship.” Andrea Dosoli – Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager “It will be important to try and reduce the gap between both Marco and Eugene and Checa who is in the lead. I hope we’ll get stable weather conditions for the weekend in order to provide the riders with enough track time to enable their crews to find the ideal race set up ahead of Sunday’s races but also and very importantly to have sufficient consistent track conditions to guarantee that the tyres are providing the stable performance expected and required over the full race distance.” Davies Eager to get Back to Business on his R6 in Misano With just over a month off since the last round of the World Supersport calendar in Monza, the Yamaha Parkingò Team is geared up and all ready to hit the Adriatic coast for this weekends racing in Misano. Following the high of the spectacular double podium at the teams home race in Monza, Chaz Davies and his team are aiming to replicate victory at the second of the three Italian rounds while Luca Scassa is forced to sit it out following an infringement of the regulations prior to the last round in Monza. Chaz Davies began the season in less than perfect fashion in Australia being forced to retire from the race, losing out on the opportunity to gain precious points. The Brit has since made up for this with two race victories and a second in the last three rounds to comfortably take him to the top of the 2011 Championship standings, a place he stares with team-mate Scassa. Davies is eager to head to Misano, get back on his powerful R6 machine which has delivered two consecutive victories, confident on his ability to pocket the third win of the season and reconfirm his leading status. Scassa will be present in Misano to encourage his team mate while losing out on precious points and inevitably risking his position in the standings. The Italian was refused entry to the race by the Superbike race direction following an error on the rider’s behalf, unaware that conducting his riding school in Misano was an infringement of the regulations. Scassa is disappointed but further motivated to be back with a blast in Arragon next week as competitive as ever, on a track he recently successfully tested with his YZF – R6. The Yamaha ParkinGò Team have spectacularly won all four rounds of the 2011 World Supersport championship so far and have sights on making it an impressive five in a row this weekend in Misano. More, from a press release issued by Althea Racing: AFTER A DOUBLE WIN AT MILLER, THE ALTHEA RACING TEAM HEADS TO ITALY AND MISANO. Misano Adriatico (Italy), Wednesday 8th June 2011: the Superbike circus stops off at the Misano World Circuit this coming weekend for the sixth round of the World Championship, just two weeks after Salt Lake City’s fifth round. Team Althea Racing and rider Carlos Checa head to the Misano World Circuit with a 61 point lead in the championship standings, an advantage that was extended thanks to two race wins at the latest Salt Lake round. Carlos’ best Superbike results came last season with Althea Racing when he achieved a podium and a fifth place finish. Coming right after Carlos’ favourite track Miller, Misano is another track that the Spanish rider enjoys and where he hopes to obtain two strong results this coming weekend. At the same time Althea Racing’s two Superstock riders, Davide Giugliano and Lorenzo Baroni, prepare for the third round of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, taking place this weekend at the same Misano track. Carlos Checa “Misano is a strong track for us. We carried out testing here after the Monza race and the results were very positive, very constructive. During those tests we made some improvements to the bike and so I’m feeling very confident ahead of this next race. It will depend on the tyres that will be made available; we’ll see if they provide the same sensation as we had in testing. We know who will be strong, it’s a track where Melandri, Biaggi and Corser go very well it will undoubtedly be a close race! I’m hoping for good weather as, after the unstable conditions at Miller, it would be nice to race in the sun.” More, from a press release issued by Bogdanka PTR Honda: BOGDANKA PTR HONDA’s James Ellison and Pawel Szkopek are gearing up for San Marino with the World Supersport Championship returning to action after a five week summer break. Currently tenth in the overall standings, Ellison targets another strong result while Szkopek will be out for more points following his best ever finish at Assen. Superstock 1000’s Marcin Walkowiak is confident too following the team’s successful tests in the UK. James Ellison: “The last time I’ve been to Misano was in 2003 and the track went the other way around but it looks like good fun and has both fast and tight sections. I’m very confident and want to be up there fighting for a top three result – that’s where we need to be. I’ve been busy since Misano, training hard as well as doing some testing at Donington and Mallory Park and I can wait for the race.” Pawel Szkopek: “After the tests in the UK I’m very, very optimistic ahead of Misano. It’s a new track for me but I’m sure I will learn my way around quickly and I’m very confident and highly motivated. The team did a fantastic job during testing and worked very hard to give me the best bike possible. I’m really looking forward to the weekend and racing again after the summer break.” Marcin Walkowiak: “We’ve tested both at Misano and Aragon earlier this season so I’m feeling confident ahead of the two upcoming rounds. We’ve also tested at Mallory and Donington Park lately and I’d like to thank James and the whole team for their help. James rode my bike and helped me to improve the setup so I’m sure this will help me to go faster.” Simon Buckmaster: “All three Bogdanka PTR Honda racers tested in the UK during the break and we are expecting improvements all round. James is more focused on what he needs to do to get the most from his race bike, there is a lot more to come from him. Pawel has found extra speed and now he needs to be more consistent. James has improved Marcin’s bike considerably and we look forward to seeing how Marcin uses that.” More, from a press release issued by Infront Motor Sports: Misano hosts full support programme together with World Superbike Misano Adriatico, Wednesday 8 June 2011 The FIM Superbike World Championship weekend will be at its very best this coming weekend for the San Marino Round, with a full programme of supporting events, including World Supersport, Superstock 1000 FIM Cup and UEM European Superstock 600 Championship, following the sole appearance of the Superbike category at the last round in the USA. World Supersport The forced absence of Luca Scassa (Yamaha ParkinGO) from the fifth round of the FIM Supersport World Championship will give a great opportunity to his team-mate Chaz Davies, currently level on points with the Italian at the top of the table, to make the break. This time round both Kawasaki and Honda will be trying to interrupt the sequence of four successive Yamaha wins (two for Scassa, two for Davies), with Honda probably having the best chance. The CBR600 is getting closer all the time, as demonstrated by a second and third place at Assen and Monza for Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate), yet the best Honda in the standings is currently the Harms Benjan Racing Team version of Denmark’s Robbin Harms in fourth. So far the Kawasakis have failed to live up to pre-season expectations, but Broc Parkes and David Salom are actually third and fifth respectively with their Motocard.com bikes, the Australian twice finishing on the podium. Massimo Roccoli (Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki) scored his only Supersport win at Misano and the local man from Rimini will be aiming to go well in front of his numerous home fans. It’s also the home track for the promising young Roberto Tamburini (Bike Service Yamaha), while the 38-strong grid is boosted by a massive flux of wild-cards and one-event entries including Italian champion Ilario Dionisi (Honda Italia) and Stefano Cruciani and Mirko Giansanti (Kawasaki Italia), as well as series regular Danilo Dell’Omo on the Suriano Racing Team Triumph. Points (after 4 rounds of 12): 1. Davies 70; 2. Scassa 70; 3. Parkes 60; 4. Harms 43; 5. Salom 42; 6. Foret 36; 7. Lowes 27; 8. Roccoli 26; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Yamaha 100; 2. Honda 68; 3. Kawasaki 60; 4. Triumph 14. Superstock 1000 There are eight Italian riders in the top 10 (and 11 in the top 15) in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup standings, a clear demonstration of the validity of the latest generation of Italian talent. The opening two rounds of the FIM Cup were won by Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing Ducati) and Lorenzo Zanetti (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock Team), first and third in the table. In second place can be found Danilo Petrucci (Barni Racing Ducati), on the podium at Assen. The top 5 positions are completed by Andrea Antonelli (Lorini Honda) and Michele Magnoni (Baru Racing BMW), in fourth and fifth. All eyes will also be on Lorenzo Baroni (Althea Racing Ducati), former champion Niccolò Canepa (GOELEVEN Kawasaki) and Fabio Massei (Piellemoto BMW), while the best non-Italian riders, including Frenchman Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia Superstock Team), Australian Bryan Staring (Pedercini Kawasaki) and the young German Markus Reiterberger (Garnier Alpha Racing Team BMW) are also aiming to be amongst the protagonists. Points (after 2 rounds of 10): 1. Giugliano 45; 2. Petrucci 33; 3. Zanetti 32; 4. Antonelli 18; 5. Magnoni 16; 6. Barrier 16; 7. Baroni1 3; 8. Canepa 13; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 45; 2. BMW 41; 3. Kawasaki 20; 4. Honda 18; 5. Yamaha 4. Superstock 600 No joy so far for Italian riders in the junior Superstock category, with the wins going to Dutchman Michael Van der Mark (Ten Kate Junior Team Honda) and Frenchman Romain Lanusse (MRS Yamaha Racing France). At Monza Bernardino Lombardi (Martini Corse Yamaha) scored a positive second place and is the leading Italian in the category, while Racedays Kawasaki’s Joshua Day is also showing promise. Nine wild-cards and one-event entries are expected to boost the 24 regulars on the starting-grid, with the best of the bunch at their home track expected to be Franco Morbidelli (Forward Racing Jr Yamaha), Giuliano Gregorini (RCGM Team Yamaha) and Luca Vitali (Forward Racing Jr team Yamaha). Points (after 2 rounds of 10): 1. Lanusse 45; 2. Lombardi 33; 3. VD Mark 31; 4. Day 23; 5. Russo 20; 6. Calero Perez 17; 7. Metcher 16; 8. Morbidelli 13; etc. The weekend programme is completed with an interesting support race at Misano, the first of two in the Two Countries Cup, between Superstock riders from Italy and Russia. Around 30 riders are entered from the two countries for this opening round and the return match is scheduled for August 21 at the new Canyon Circuit in Kazan (Russia). More, from a press release issued by Yamaha ParkinGO Team: Yamaha ParkinGO Team – Preview – Misano Adriatico Yamaha ParkinGO Team is ready for the fifth round of the Supersport World Championship in Misano. A race where the Team will lack Luca Scassa, immediately disqualified by the FIM for a naïve action done a few weeks ago, when the rider was at the this track doing a riding school, not being allowed by Supersport Rules Code. To be defending the colors of Yamaha ParkinGO Team will be then Chaz Davies, that arrives to Misano on the top of the classification and will have the chance to get a bigger gap, if he’s allowed, at a track where last year he finished fourth. Yamaha and ParkinGO have valuated to not contract another rider for the Team as they haven’t found who they were looking for. Chaz Davies – Yamaha YZF R6 #7 – “After a four week pause I am looking forward to this race. I like this track and my confidence is at a quite good level after my two last wins. The bike and the set up are getting better at every race so I hope to do a good weekend even though I am pretty sure it won’t be easy. I know Luca won’t be replaced by another professional rider but I know I will have a very special teammate!” At the same time Giuliano Rovelli, Team Owner of Yamaha ParkinGO Team, will participate in the Italy Russia Cup that will be at Misano this weekend together with the Superbike World Championship and Russia in august at the brand new circuit Canyon in Kazan. Giuliano Rovelli – team owner – “It’s a pleasure to be at the “Two Countries Cup” as it might welcome Russia inside the Superbike and thanks to this event we will have the honor to ride on the new track of Canyon at Kazan beforehand. For now though I’ll enjoy the race of Misano in front of an incredible public”. More, from a press release issued by Aprilia: SECOND ITALIAN ROUND FOR WORLD SUPERBIKE 2011: AFTER MONZA IT’S THE MISANO ADRIATICO ROUND The Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team is ready to face the Romagna track, happy hunting grounds for Max Biaggi and Leon Camier Noale, June 7th 2011 – “The championship is certainly not over yet!”: it is from this statement, made by Max Biaggi right after the American race at Miller Park, that the Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team and the reigning world champion will start to face the sixth round of the championship on the Misano World Circuit which saw the Corsair take a well deserved double win last year. Now the situation is different: Max is looking for his first win of the season and must deal with the after-effects of the American weekend. Involved in a crash with Rea by no fault of his own, Max Biaggi suffered some bothersome contusions, the most worrisome of which is a pain in the ribs, but he is not lacking in determination in view of Misano: “It’s true… unfortunately I came away from Miller with one more race gone and quite a few blows. After the crash Rea’s bike hit me rather hard. I was able to finish Race 2 but at the end of the day I was really exhausted. Despite all that I want to do well at Misano. It’s a track that I like and where we have ridden well, since it is our 2011 test track. It won’t be easy to repeat the double win from last year, but a positive result would be truly important for our championship. The support from a lot of Italian supporters will undoubtedly help me forget my aches and pains”. Leon Camier, on the other hand, wants to confirm the good shape he demonstrated in the USA, showing that he can battle consistently with the top competitors. Like Max, he also expressed satisfaction in the recent tests at Misano and is confident with the indications which have been gathered to prepare a good weekend.