WARNING: The following post contains a press release or multiple press releases. If you don’t understand what a press release is, click on the words “press release” above the post, which will take you here: ~https://www.roadracingworld.com/whatisapressrelease/~ We now return you to the press release posting in progress: Munich/Stephanskirchen, 29th August 2011. Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport is preparing for its home race: the Bavarian team, with works riders Leon Haslam (GBR) and Troy Corser (AUS), will compete at the Nürburgring (GER) this weekend (2nd to 4th September). The tenth race weekend of the season is the first following the summer break and kicks off the final leg of the 2011 FIM Superbike World Championship. After nine rounds of the season, Leon is fifth in the Riders’ Championship on 158 points, while Troy finds himself in 15th place on 62 points. In the Constructors’ Championship, in which only the manufacturer’s best result from each race counts, BMW is fourth on 194 points. In total, Leon and Troy have already scored 220 points for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport this season. The team and both works riders have used the break to prepare for the final phase of the season. When the action gets underway at its home event at the Nürburgring, the team is hoping to continue the good form shown at the Silverstone (GBR) race weekend, where Leon narrowly missed out on a podium finish, crossing the line in fourth place. Leon Haslam: “I am looking forward to the Nürburgring. After a long break you are always quite keen to get back on the bike. The track has a lot of changes of directions. It is quite fast in places and has a lot of heavy braking, especially Turn 1. Those are definitely the areas of the race track where it is important to have the right setup to get the best result. The Nürburgring has always been a good circuit for me. Last year I was on the podium there. It is a circuit where good results are possible. And clearly this is the home race for BMW, so we will obviously try to come back strong after the break and to get back on the podium where we belong. At the last race weekend we just missed out on the podium, so it would be nice to get back there in Germany.” Troy Corser: “Last year we were doing quite well in the practice and the qualifying sessions at the Nürburgring. Unfortunately we then suffered a dip in the Superpole and ended up back on the fourth row. And then I got tangled up in a crash in the first race. But it is a track that I like. The Nürburgring has a lot of history, and I always enjoy racing here. It has a very nice layout and is undulating. It also offers a lot of overtaking opportunities. As a result we generally have thrilling and spectacular races. I hope we can now get the bike sorted out to go and get a result.” Bernhard Gobmeier, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “After the long break from racing, we are pleased to get back to serious action at our home event. As a German manufacturer, the races at the Nürburgring are obviously always a bit special. Then there is the fact that this iconic circuit is quite simply a fantastic racetrack, both in terms of its history and the unique layout. Last year we made a very promising start to the race weekend in the Eifel Mountains. Troy clocked top times in all the practice and qualification sessions, but was then unlucky in the Superpole qualification and crashed. Otherwise, it would have been an extremely successful weekend for us. These positive aspects make us very optimistic that this circuit suits us and the BMW S 1000 RR. Furthermore, we took a big step forward at the last race weekend in Silverstone. We narrowly missed out on a podium finish there. We are confident we can continue this upward trend at our home races.” Background: The Nürburgring is located close to the town of Adenau in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate) and is one of the most iconic racetracks in Europe. The Eifel circuit opened in 1927, since when it has regularly been the scene of motorsport history. Up until the 1970s, races were held on the 20-kilometre Nordschleife circuit, which has earned itself an infamous reputation and the nickname “Green Hell”. Even today, it remains a popular venue for automobile endurance races. However, the Nordschleife became too dangerous for most race series. For this reason, the facility was given a complete makeover in the 1980s. In 1984, the 4.5-kilometre Grand Prix Circuit was inaugurated. Further modifications were made between 1999 and 2002. The FIM Superbike World Championship stages its races on this very Grand Prix Circuit. When the series made its first appearance in the Eifel, the circuit was 4.556 kilometres in length. Since 2008 it has been 5.137 kilometres. This season, the Superbike World Championship returns to the “Green Hell” for the sixth time. The Nürburgring is an undulating track, which winds its way through the hilly Eifel landscape. The circuit boasts a number of fascinating combinations of corners, quick sections and areas that require heavy braking. In addition, there are many good overtaking opportunities. The riders enjoy the challenges posed by this circuit. The very first corner, the “Yokohama-S”, is a challenge in itself: the riders brake extremely late and must get themselves in a good position for the following section, which includes corners that become tighter as the turn progresses. It is important to enter the curve well, in order to be able to accelerate on the way out. “Bit” is the most important corner on the circuit. Those who take it well carry sufficient speed into the following high-speed section. The “NGK” chicane is another point requiring heavy braking, before the track heads uphill towards the final bend. One unpredictable factor at the Nürburgring is the weather, which can change abruptly. The sun can be shining one minute, before thundery showers and rain appear the next. As such, the temperature can fluctuate enormously. A telling proverb says: “If you cannot see the Nürburg, it is raining. If you can see the Nürburg, it is not raining yet, but it will soon.” The Nürburg castle sits on top of the hill above the town of the same name, close to the racetrack.