2005 CORONA EXTRA SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 111th ROUND IMOLA 30th SEPTEMBER, 1st and 2nd OCTOBER Imola, Sunday 2nd October 2005 RACE REPORT CORSER CROWNED CHAMPION AFTER SECOND RACE CANCELLATION Troy Corser (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) took his second World Champion in peculiar circumstances, after the second race at the Imola circuit was cancelled before it had started, due to torrential rain. Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda), the only man who had an arithmetical chance of stopping Corser’s surge to the crown, won the first 21 lap race, but with Corser second it was always going to be an uphill battle to secure the overall championship even if race two had gone ahead. After a long delay to allow the weather to improve enough to let racing start, Race Direction eventually called of the event to a reluctant halt. Corser is now an unassailable 55 points ahead of Vermeulen, 409 to 354. OPENING RACE DRAMA It was to be Vermeulen’s race, but the lead changed between Corser and himself as they took it in turn to head off from a chasing early pack. Crashes and technical issues told on the following riders, and after a tough fight between Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Team Italia) and outgoing champion James Toseland (Ducati Xerox), an off track excursion by the Englishman put him in fourth, allowing Haga a clear run. The strength in depth of the championship this year was perfectly demonstrated by the fact that Petronas rider Steve Martin finished fifth, just ahead of Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki), making it six different machines in the top six places. Walker had his rear brake damaged in his off track excursion, and thus found his machine a handful from that point on. NEUKIRCHNER SEVENTH AS GIMBERT RETURNS TO FORM SBK rookies Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda) and Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France Ipone) had strong runs in race one, with Neukirchner caught by Martin late on and Gimbert happy on the fast curves and dips of the Imola circuit. The top nine was rounded out by Regis Laconi (Ducati Xerox), who lost power from his recently injured elbow, and faded throughout the race. Rookie Lorenzini by Leoni Yamaha rider Gianluca Vizziello scored a popular top ten finish. REGULAR RIDERS JOIN A LONG LIST OF CRASHERS Some big names fell from top positions at Magny Cours, with the crash list including front-runners Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France Ipone) and Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia). Like Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki), Pitt crashed but remounted to finish, but only Kagayama took the last point on offer. Local hero Lorenzo Lanzi fell in the treacherous early drying conditions of the delayed first race, as did his compatriot, Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda). Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda Koji) struggled with his lingering back injury to secure 13th place. Only 17 riders finished race one, with 16 riders not making the finish line. WORLD SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP A delayed start to the 21-lap Supersport race led to an all-action contest, which was further interrupted by rain. With warning flags out due to the rains restarting after half distance, red flags came out when the leader Fabien Foret (Team Italia Megabike Honda) crashed. With 14 laps completed, the leg one was pulled back to 13 laps, and thus a restart was required, as it had not gone full two-thirds distance. In the fully wet re-start, Gianluca Nannelli (SC Caracchi Ducati) sent the crowds wild with his and Ducati’s first ever win in World Supersport with the 749R. In second place Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) ensured his second placing in the overall championship, while the drenched ‘Ducastisti’, saw Alessio Corradi take his SL Selmat Ducati 749R to third place in the race the double podium finish being another first for Ducati’s 749. Neither new world champ Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) nor his team-mate Katsuaki Fujiwara could race, due to injuries from practice crashes. SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP A crash suffered by championship leader and pole position sitter Kenan Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motor Germany) allowed Riccardo Chiarello to overcome Alessio Polita (both Suzuki) for the win. The most significant results, however, were for Craig Coxhell (EMS Racing Suzuki) and Didier Van Keymeulen (Yamaha Motor Germany). Coxhell’s third and Van Keymeulen’s fifth puts the latter in the lead of the series, by a single point over Sofuoglu, while Coxhell is 13 points behind the lead, with only the Magny Cours race left to run. EUROPEAN SUPERSTOCK 600 With third place man Davide Giugliano (Honda) ruled out for a technical infringement, the Imola 600 Superstock race order was Yoann Tiberio (Junior Megabike Team), Michel Berger (MBE Racing Honda) and Andrea Antonelli (Lightspeed Kawasaki). In the championship battle, leader Claudio Corti (only fifth at Imola) now enjoys a 24-point lead over Tiberio, with just one race left to run. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: TOSELAND TAKES FOURTH IN RACE 1 FOR DUCATI XEROX TEAM AT IMOLA RACE 2 CANCELLED DUE TO RAIN, LEAVING CORSER CHAMPION Imola (Italy), Sunday 2 October: James Toseland scored a fourth place finish for the Ducati Xerox Team in race 1 at Imola today, but the second race of the day was cancelled by race direction due to the appalling weather conditions. The decision means that Australian Troy Corser becomes the World Superbike Champion for the second time, nine years after winning his first title for Ducati in 1996. Toseland was fighting with Haga for third place behind leaders Vermeulen and Corser when he strayed onto the wet line at the Acque Minerali on lap 16, an error that left him in fourth. “I deserve a good kicking from Tardozzi for that mistake!” declared Toseland. “Just when I changed direction the bike snapped slightly and went just two metres wide where it was wet. The front went away and I couldn’t do anything. If I’d tried to make the corner I would have crashed, but I rode hard and was competitive and that’s the main thing for me”. “For me the race was a tough one” declared Laconi. “I started well but it took me five or six laps to find the right rhythm, but by then it was difficult to pass. At the finish I had pins and needles all down the left side of my body because I was riding with one arm and both legs!” Both Ducati Xerox Team riders agreed that conditions for the second race were far too unsafe to ride in. “Chris, Troy and myself were in agreement that racing in these conditions would have been too dangerous” commented Règis afterwards. “I am sorry but we cannot risk our lives and safety out there. I am sorry also for the fans but today we were just unlucky to have such bad weather”. “When we got to the grid maybe the race could have started” added James. “It was a bit borderline but the race would have been stopped anyway afterwards. We cannot race in two inches of rain on this track, it’s too dangerous. It’s just disappointing that Troy came away with the title in this way”. RACE 1: 1. Vermeulen (Honda) ; 2. Corser (Suzuki); 3. Haga (Yamaha) ; 4. Toseland (Ducati Xerox); 5. Martin (Petronas) ; 6. Walker (Kawasaki); 7. Neukirchner (Honda); 8. Gimbert (Yamaha). RACE 2: cancelled due to rain. POINTS (after 11 of 12 rounds) : Riders – 1. Corser 409 (2005 champion); 2. Vermeulen 354; 3. Haga 255; 4. Toseland 228; 5. Laconi 221; 6. Kagayama 212. Manufacturers – 1. Suzuki 428; 2. Honda 370; 3. Ducati 344; 4. Yamaha 296; 5. Kawasaki 163; 6. Petronas 48. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: World Supersport and Superbike Championships 2005 Round 11, Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Imola Race Report 30 SEPTEMBER 2 OCTOBER 2005 FABRIZIO TOP HONDA FINISHER AFTER BIZARRE WEEKEND AT IMOLA Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) battled rain and the combined struggle of a two-part race to record a fourth place finish at his home round. Fully competitive in the opening 13-lap leg, held in largely dry conditions, he slipped down the order in the wet eight-lap restart, as he lost feel for the track’s grip. A uniquely unpredictable Imola weekend in the Supersport class thus culminated in an aggregate race, in which neither new World Champion Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) nor his team-mate Katsuaki Fujiwara (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR), made it to the start line. Charpentier fell in Saturday qualifying, damaging tendons in his left shoulder, while ‘Kats’ did not complete a single lap of qualifying, crashing into the back of an errant backmarker, who moved across Fujiwara’s path unexpectedly. In deeply murky conditions the overall race win was taken by local Ducati rider Gianluca Nannelli, from Kevin Curtain (Yamaha) and Alessio Corradi (Ducati). Curtain confirmed his second place in the overall championship, with the fight for third still very much alive as the championship enters its final round next week. Any one of three Honda riders will take third. Fabien Foret (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) was leading the first leg until the rains returned with increasing ferocity, and his crash prompted the race to be stopped. The lap count was taken back to 13, allowing him to restart. Hurting an old leg injury in his big highside in the first heat, he finished only 11th in the two-part race. A strong top ten finish for WSS rookie Tatu Lauslehto (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) was ruined when he experienced a near crash after a highside in the wet section, and thereafter a misfire hindered his progress – most likely due to water affecting the electronics package. Fabrizio, on home tarmac, pushed as hard as he dared in the second leg, but could not replicate his form in the first. “I could control the pace of the leader Parkes in the first leg,” said Fabrizio, “but I could not do anything about the leaders in the second race. I had no feel for the bike, especially for the front. I did not want to crash so I could not go any faster. I finished first Honda, so that is something positive to take from today.” Charpentier, disappointed with his luck after his dominant championship win, was unhappy to not race at one of his favourite circuits, but determined to return to the fray at his home track of Magny Cours, for the final round. He was particularly displeased to have scored his tenth pole position of the year, and yet not have the chance to capitalise on it with his seventh race win. “This is a big disappointment for me, because I was looking forward to having the perfect weekend,” said the Frenchman. “I love Imola it’s a great circuit and after the time I set in qualifying on pole yesterday (1’52.557) I was very confident for at least another podium finish here. It wasn’t such a big crash, I just ran a little wide at Acque Minerali, and fell off on the grass. The big problem now for me is to be fit for Magny Cours next weekend, which is very important for me.” Fujiwara was lucky to escape from his crash with just a broken ring finger, a severely bruised lip and a major beating from the Imola tarmac. “It was a pretty big crash because I was going quite fast and collided with a slower rider, who changed line without warning,” said Fujiwara. “I will rest as much as possible and get checked out at the medical centre in Magny-Cours.” Foret, who went from potential winner to crash victim of the worsening conditions in half a second, hurt his gearchanging leg in the fall. “I cannot believe I went from fighting for the lead to 11th,” said Foret. “When I fell I landed on an old leg injury, right on an old piece of plate work from the leg I broke in a previous Supersport season. That made gearchanging very difficult and in those conditions, it slowed me down a lot.” Lauslehto was particularly disappointed to not have the chance to continue with his first leg combativeness. “I was happy after the first leg,” said Lauslehto. “I got a good start in the second race, then at the Piratella corner I almost highsided in all the rain. After that I had to keep switching off and on the engine, about six times I think, to keep the electronics working properly. We don’t know why but I guess it was something to do with the jolt through the bike in the near-highside or maybe just all the water that was around.” World Superbike Round 11 of 12 VERMEULEN ROBBED OF TITLE CHANCE BY TORRENTIAL RAIN AT IMOLA Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) scored a magnificent race win in pressurised circumstances at Imola but after a cruel change of fate race two was cancelled, and he lost his slender chance of taking the championship battle to the final round at Magny Cours one week hence. Torrential and incessant rain arrived before the start of the delayed Superbike race two, and after several track inspections, the race organisers decided to cancel the second race. Despite Vermeulen’s win, in what transpired to be the only Superbike race of the day, new World Champion Troy Corser (Suzuki) finished a close second, gaining Vermeulen only five points, leaving an impossible deficit of 55 for Vermeulen to make up. After a tense two-rider battle for the lead in race one Vermeulen scored his fifth win of the year but only after a nerve-jangling decision on tyres from all riders. With a serious fall of rain mid-morning most of the front runners opted for slicks on a rapidly drying track, with the exception of Vermeulen and one or two others, who opted for an intermediate front, slick rear. He used his front to the full in the final laps, holding off Corser by 0.32 seconds. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) had to retire from race one with a clutch problem, while Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) scored seventh, also on an intermediate front. Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda CBR1000RR) finished an agonised 13th, fighting back pain from a previous crash, and Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) crashed out of the race on the second lap. Vermeulen was philosophical about the finality of losing the title in such a fashion, but was praised by all for his stance in declaring that the track was too risky to race on without an improvement in the weather. “To be honest, I’m not too disappointed about the championship. It was always a long shot and, even if we’d managed to get some more points off Troy in race two, he would still go to Magny-Cours with a big lead,” said Vermeulen. “All I could do was win races and that’s been happening recently I think that shows just how much we’ve developed the bike during the course of the season. I didn’t really want to stop the race but safety always has to be the most important thing. ” “Some parts of the track were especially dangerous, like coming out of the Variante Alta chicane where the track slopes away and it was underwater. Behind that – is a concrete wall, so it was the right decision. We’ll just go to Magny-Cours next weekend and try for two more wins. In race one, it was pretty tough and perhaps the intermediate front was not the wisest choice. But it helped me get past a few guys at the start and I was able to push relatively hard early on. But by mid race distance the track was dry and I really started to struggle. The last few laps got a bit hairy in places.” Neukirchner finished seventh for the fourth time in succession, scoring valuable points in his quest to improve his current 13th position overall in the final round next week. But not enough to make him satisfied. “I think I must own the number seven now,” joked Neukirchner, who continued on a more serious note. “I really wanted a second race to make some more points in the championship fight, but it was not to be. It was a hard race for me, I chose an intermediate front, good at the beginning but it went off towards the end, even if the drying track meant that lap times just got better for a while. I want to get an overall top ten in my first year, so it was not good to only have one race today.” Bostrom’s injury woes continued, and were indeed aggravated by a fall in practice. He remains in 15th place in the title race. “The off from qualifying yesterday morning did not help me at all, and I just couldn’t risk crashing again,” said ‘BB’. “I found a good dry setting for the bike so I was very disappointed not be in better shape. I’m much more confident for Magny-Cours now, I just need to get as fit as I can before we get there.” For Chili virtual home ground at Imola offered him no points, after a crash and the second race non-start. He sits ninth in the championship at present. “I feel sorry for all the fans who came here and did not get the chance to see the second race, I hope they understand the decision,” said fans’ favourite Chili. “I crashed so early in the race because I changed my line a little bit on the final chicane. As Sanchini went in a bit long and as I put the bike in, there was a junction between two pieces of different tarmac and I went straight down.” Muggeridge proved unlucky in race conditions, retiring early after his technical issues, but hoped for better in the second race that never was. He maintains 11th in the championship chase. “In the end, it was the safest thing to do, cancelling the race,” said the second Ten Kate Aussie. “But I think we should have tried at least a couple of laps, instead of turning it into a battle. It’s a shame for Chris that he didn’t get to run the race and maybe take the championship to the final round, but the decision obviously suited Troy. The track is really slippery when it’s wet but there was a lot of water laying on it which had built up between the sighting lap and the warm-up lap. The 12-Round championship, in both Supersport and Superbike classes, concludes at Magny Cours on 7-9 October. Results SUPERSPORT: RACE : (Laps 21 = 103,593 Km) Pos /Rider /Nat. /Team / Time /Gap 1 / NANNELLI / ITA / Ducati SC Caracchi / 42’55.695 / 2 / CURTAIN / AUS / Yamaha Motor Germany / 42’58.147 / 2.452 3 / CORRADI / ITA / Ducati Selmat / 42’59.896 / 4.201 4 / FABRIZIO / ITA / Italia Megabike / 43’03.660 / 7.965 5 / PARKES / AUS / Yamaha Motor Germany / 43’06.201 / 10.506 6 / ANTONELLO / ITA / Kawasaki Bertocchi / 43’25.520 / 29.825 7 / VOS / NED / Kunstgras.com Racing Team / 43’37.459 / 41.764 8 / STIGEFELT / SWE / Stiggy Motorsports / 43’42.969 / 47.274 9 / MARIOTTINI / ITA / Start Team / 43’44.191 / 48.496 10 / LAGRIVE / FRA / Moto 1 – Suzuki / 43’58.763 / 1’03.068 11 / FORET / FRA / Team Megabike / 44’10.662 / 1’14.967 12 / ENJOLRAS / FRA / Tati Team Beaujolais Racing / 44’11.553 / 1’15.858 13 / MIKSOVSKY / CZE / Intermoto Czech Republic / 44’11.599 / 1’15.904 14 / PENNA / FIN / Ajo Promotion / 44’17.373 / 1’21.678 15 / CANEPA / ITA / Lightspeed Kawasaki / 44’21.458 / 1’25.763 Fastest Lap 4° Michel Fabrizio 1’52.646 157,651Km/h Lap Record: Kevin Curtain 1’53.122 156,990Km/h 2003 Riders Championship Standings: 1 CHARPENTIER 210, 2 CURTAIN 167, 3 FUJIWARA 140, 4 FORET 131, 5 FABRIZIO 122, 6 PARKES 100, 7 CHAMBON 86, 8 NANNELLI 81, 9 FORES 60, 10 LAUSLEHTO 56, 11 CORRADI 50, 12 STIGEFELT 48, 13 HARMS 34, 14 VENEMAN 33, 15 LAGRIVE 20. SUPERBIKE Race 1: (Laps 21 = 103,593 Km) Pos /Rider /Nat. /Team / Time /Gap 1 / VERMEULEN / AUS / Winston Ten Kate Honda / 39’35.789 / 2 / CORSER / AUS / Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra / 39’36.086 / 0.297 3 / HAGA / JPN / Yamaha Motor Italia WSB / 39’44.102 / 8.313 4 / TOSELAND / GBR / Ducati Xerox / 39’51.128 / 15.339 5 / MARTIN / AUS / Foggy Petronas Racing / 40’25.427 / 49.638 6 / WALKER / GBR / PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse / 40’25.861 / 50.072 7 / NEUKIRCHNER / GER / Klaffi Honda / 40’27.964 / 52.175 8 / GIMBERT / FRA / Yamaha Motor France-Ipone / 40’28.170 / 52.381 9 / LACONI / FRA / Ducati Xerox / 40’33.623 / 57.834 10 / VIZZIELLO / ITA / Italia Lorenzini by Leoni / 40’41.516 / 1’05.727 11 / BUSSEI / ITA / Kawasaki Bertocchi / 40’44.121 / 1’08.332 12 / SANCHINI / ITA / PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse / 40’46.078 / 1’10.289 13 / BOSTROM / USA / Renegade Koji / 40’46.575 / 1’10.786 14 / BORCIANI / ITA / DFXtreme Sterilgarda / 41’03.694 / 1’27.905 15 / KAGAYAMA / JPN / Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra / 41’09.229 / 1’33.440 Fastest Lap 20° Troy Corser 1’50.632 160,521 Km/h Race 2 : Canceled Riders Championship Standings: 1 CORSER 409, 2 VERMEULEN 354, 3 HAGA 255, 4 TOSELAND 228, 5 LACONI 221, 6 KAGAYAMA 212, 7 WALKER 140, 8 PITT 137, 9 CHILI 125, 10 LANZI 118, 11 MUGGERIDGE 111, 12 ABE 110, 13 NEUKIRCHNER 107, 14 BUSSEI 61, 15 BOSTROM 49. More, from a press release issued by Klaffi Honda: Though bad weather conditions caused a lot of problems at Imola Max Neukirchner finished 7th in the first Superbike race. The second Superbike heat was cancelled because of heavy rainfalls in the afternoon. Superbike I Some minutes before the start the rain set in. An additional 15min Wet Practice was announced. So the riders left the pit garage with rain tyres. Only a short time later it stopped raining. The surface of the track was drying again. Therefore the choice of the tyres was nearly a matter of luck. Frankie took slicks. Max decided to ride with an intermediate and a slick as rear tyre. With a delay of nearly 30 minutes the first heat was started. But for Frankie the game was over after two laps. Frankie had a fight with Sanchini. The Italian closed the door in front of Frankie. Frankie lost control over his front tyre and he was out immediately. Team mate Max Neukirchner had some better luck. 12th in the grid Max took position 9 from the start. Then Max pursued Abe. The Japanese crashed some laps later. Max was now 7th and Regis Laconi in front of him. Laconi made a mistake, rode on the gravel and Max was on 6th position. But then Martin passed him and Max finished 7th. Only 17 of the 34 riders crossed the finishing line. Vermeulen and Corser had some spectacular battles for first, Haga and Toseland for 3rd. Winner was Vermeulen in front of Corser and Haga. Supersport The Supersport race was a real dramatic heat. Especially Parkes and Fabrizio had some good fights. Tatu Lauslehto started from position 16 and did one of his best races in this season. Just from the beginning Tatu was 10th. In lap 8 Tatu was even 8th. But then it was raining again. Red flag and new start as wet race. The riders started from those positions they had when the first heat was stopped. Tatu’s start was perfect. He pushed himself to 4th position but then he was too fast at the beginning of one turn. Tatu had to struggle a lot to avoid a highsider. But after this he had a problem with the electric and he finished only 16th. – Nannelli took the win in front of Curtain and Corradi. Charpentier and Fujiwara didn’t take part because both were injured. Fores, Tatu’s competitor to become “šRookie of the Year’, had to retire. But he is still 4 points ahead of Tatu Lauslehto in the Championship standings. So the final race at Magny Cours next week will become even more exciting. Superbike I Results 1. Vermeulen (Honda) 2. Corser (Suzuki) 0.297 3. Haga (Yamaha) 8.313 7. Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda) 52.175 Superbike Standings Championship 1. Corser (Suzuki) 409 2. Vermeulen (Honda) 354 3. Haga (Yamaha) 255 9. Chili (KlaffiHonda) 125 13.Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda) 107 Supersport Results Aggregate 1. Nannelli (Ducati) 2. Curtain (Yamah) 2.452 3. Corradi (Ducati) 4.201 16. Lauslehto (Klaffi Honda) 1’32.729 Supersport Standings Championship 1. Charpentier (Honda) 210 2. Curtain (Yamaha) 167 3. Fujiwara (Honda) 140 10.Lauslehto (Klaffi Honda) 56 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: CORSER IS WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPION! Team Suzuki Press Office – October 2, 2005. Troy Corser has clinched the World Superbike Championship at today’s Imola penultimate round after the second race was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions and for safety reasons. With only 50 points to be had in next weekend’s final round in France, Corser holds a 55 point lead over Honda’s Chris Vermeulen, who won today’s first race. In the first race Corser finished a very close second to his nearest rival Vermeulen which took part on a drying track after earlier rain. Third went to Haga (Yamaha) ahead of James Toseland (Ducati). Corser’s team mate Yukio Kagayama slid off in the slippery conditions at the start of the race but remounted and heroically fought his way through the backmarkers to 15th place. Just before the start of the second race, the heavens opened and deluged the 4.933 kilometre circuit. All the riders left the grid and then waited for 30 minutes before another course inspection was made. Corser, Regis Laconi (Ducati) and Chris Vermeulen went out in two course cars with the Clerk of the Course and found the conditions no better than before and after a short pause, the organisers decreed the race cancelled. Troy Corser – Race 1: 2nd. Race 2: Cancelled. “It’s great to be World Champion, but I wished it hadn’t happened this way. I wanted to win the title on the racetrack, but at least I am happy in the knowledge that the decision to cancel the second race was definitely the right one. The conditions were diabolical this afternoon and it was unbelievably dangerous out there as there was so much standing water on the track. If we had raced, I’m sure there would’ve been a lot of crashes for sure. It was the best decision for the safety of the riders without a doubt. “The groundwork for our success started in our very first test back at the end of last year. Since then the whole team have worked hard and given me a wonderful package of a bike and the results have come. In the past few years, I never lost faith in my own ability and Francis Batta realised that and gave me a chance to prove that I could be Champion again. I want to thank them, the whole team and also all the hospitality staff who have looked after me during the year.” Yukio Kagayama – Race 1: 15th. Race 2: Cancelled: “I crashed because the track was very slippery and it happened so quickly. I got back on the bike and carried on and tried my best to catch the riders in front and so maybe 15th was not so bad. But I am disappointed because I really felt that I could be on the podium today. I want to congratulate Troy on becoming the World Champion – he deserves it for sure. Also good job by the whole Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra team.” World Superbike Results: Race 1: Vermeulen (Aus-Honda), 2 Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 3 Haga (J-Yamaha), 4 Toseland (GB-Ducati), 5 Martin (Aus-Petronas), 6 Walker (GB-Kawasaki), 7 Neukirchner (D-Honda), 8 Gimbert (F-Yamaha), 9 Laconi (F-Ducati), 10 Vizziello (I-Yamaha). 15 Yukio Kagayama ((Jap-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). Race 2: Cancelled. Superbike Points: 1 Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 409, 2 Vermeulen 354, 3 Haga 255, 4 Toseland 228, 5 Laconi 221, 6 Yukio Kagayama (Jap-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra 212, 7 Walker 140, 8 Pitt 137, 9 Chili 125, 10 Lanzi 118. SUPERSTOCK 1000: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Riccardo Chiarello mastered tricky conditions at Imola today and ran out the winner of the 13-lap race – though the result was in doubt until the last few metres. Just before the warm-up lap, light rain began to fall and there was a flurry of activity on the grid as the mechanics struggled to change tyres and alter their suspension settings. Heavy rain fell as the riders began their first lap, but then it lessened after a few laps and later stopped completely. For the majority of the race Chiarello and Polita (Suzuki) disputed the lead, trading places lap after lap. Chiarello led most of the race, but it was Polita who led on the approach to the final chicane on the last lap. But Chiarello was not to be undone after all his good work. He made a daring move up the inside and sneaked in front. Polita tried to come back at Chiarello, who had run a little wide in the chicane, but was unable to get past on the short run to the chequered flag and so had to make do with runner-up spot. Riccardo Chiarello – 1st: “On the grid we decided to change the suspension settings because of the wet conditions and we must have got it right! The conditions were very difficult and there was a lot of water on the track in the beginning of the race and it would’ve been very easy to make a mistake and crash, so I tried to ride safely. Then the rain stopped and after a while the track began to dry out. “I knew that Polita was faster than me in the first part of the track but I was faster than him in the second part so I made sure I was very close to him on the last lap. Going into the final chicane, he braked very hard, but I braked harder and went inside him. I was in a bit hot but managed to keep ahead of him and take the chequered flag. It was a difficult race, but I am very, very happy.” Superstock 1000 Results: 1 Riccardo Chiarello (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 2 Polita (I-Suzuki), 3 Coxhell (Aus-Suzuki), 4 Dionisi (I-Suzuki), 5 Van Keymeulen (B-Yamaha), 6 Scassa (I-Yamaha), Championship Points: 1 Van Keymeulen 138, 2 Sofuoglu 137, 3 Coxhell 125, 4 Roccoli 110, 5 Polita 110, 6 Riccardo Chiarello (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 107. SUPERSTOCK 600: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Xavi Simeon took a fighting fourth place in today’s ninth round of the Superstock 600 European Championship at Imola. Simeon had actually crossed the line in fifth place but third placed Davide Giugliano (Honda) was later disqualified for a technical infringement. In the race, Simeon made a good start and was fourth away but was passed by Andrea Antonelli (Kawasaki). He then had a race-long battle with Antonelli to try and get back fourth place but, although he could catch the Kawasaki rider, he just could not pass him. Frenchman Yoann Tiberio (Honda) was the runaway victor of the 10-lap race, though Maxime Berger (Honda) and Davide Giugliano (Honda) closed the gap in the closing stages. Xavi Fores – 4th: “I really enjoyed that race – even if I couldn’t get past Antonelli. Lap after lap I could catch him, but my bike just did not have the acceleration to get past and make it stick. I was happy to be fourth at the start and then the big fight began. My bike worked very well and apart from a small lack of acceleration I had no problems. Everything else worked very well. I was very happy today because I think I lapped a second quicker than I had done in practice. Also, this is my first time at this track so I feel pretty content with what I achieved today. I was happy to finish fifth, but then even happier when I got to the track on Sunday morning to find that I had been promoted to fourth. Superstock 600 Results: 1 Tiberio (F-Honda), 2 Berger (F-Honda), 3 Antonelli (I-Kawasaki), 4 Xavi Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 5 Corti (I-Yamaha), 6 Napoleone (F-Kawasaki). Championship Points: 1 Corti 179, 2 Tiberio 155, 3 Berger 105, 4 Canepa 85, 5 Xavi Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 82, 6 Antonelli 79. More, from a press release issued by Winston Honda: 2005 World Superbike championship, round 11 race one Imola, Italy – Sunday, 2 October 2005 WINSTON’S VERMEULEN WINS IN IMOLA Chris Vermeulen won this afternoon’s opening race in the eleventh round World Superbike championship event at Imola in Italy. The 23-year-old Australian beat his championship rival, Troy Corser, by just three tenths of a second to keep his title hopes alive for at least one more race. With the 21-lap race declared wet on a drying 4.9km circuit, tyre choice was critical and Vermeulen opted for an intermediate front and slick rear. It resulted in the fourth win in five races for the Winston Ten Kate Honda rider, as he maintained the form shown since his double win at Assen last month. His Australian team-mate, Karl Muggeridge, however, suffered further misfortune with clutch failure on the opening lap. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “Quite honestly, when the sun came out at the start of that race, I thought our chance had gone because we had opted for an intermediate front and slick rear. The lap times didn’t come down as much as we expected when the track dried and it was clear that a lot of riders got into trouble with the conditions. At the end of the day, perhaps it wasn’t such a bad tyre choice but compliments to Chris who rode magnificently to stay ahead of Troy (Corser) who went for a slick front. As for Karl, it’s just more bad luck because his clutch probably went as he got away from the line, meaning his race was over before it had really begun.” Chris Vermeulen – winner “That was pretty tough and perhaps the intermediate front wasn’t the wisest choice. But it helped me get past some guys at the start of the race and I was able to push relatively hard early on. But by mid-race distance, the track was dry and I really started to struggle. The last few laps got a bit hairy in places because, by then, the tyre was cooked. We’re hoping not to have that difficult tyre choice for race two because I need to win again. But those other guys never give up so it’s not going to be easy.” Karl Muggeridge – DNF “You can probably imagine that I’m pretty disappointed. We made progress yesterday and changed a few little things for the better this morning. I got a reasonable start and felt good on that first lap. The bike was awesome and then”¦ well, that was it. I could do with a bit of luck this afternoon, for sure.” World Superbike, Imola race one results (21 laps, 103.593km): 1 Chris Vermeulen AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 39m35.789s, 2 Troy Corser AUS (Suzuki) +0.297s, 3 Noriyuki Haga JPN (Yamaha) +8.313, 4 James Toseland GBR (Ducati) +15.339, 5 Steve Martin AUS (Petronas) +49.638, 6 Chris Walker GBR (Kawasaki) +50.072, 7 Max Neukirchner GER (Honda) +52.175, 8 Sébastien Gimbert FRA (Yamaha) +52.381, 9 Regis Laconi FRA (Ducati) +57.834, 10 Gianluca Vizziello ITA (Yamaha) +1:05.727. Championship points: Corser 409, Vermeulen 354, Haga 255, Toseland 228, Laconi 221, Yukio Kagayama JPN (Suzuki) 212, Walker 140, Andrew Pitt AUS (Yamaha) 137, Pierfrancesco Chili ITA (Honda) 125, Lorenzo Lanzi ITA (Ducati) 118, Karl Muggeridge AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 111. More, from another press release issued by Winston Honda: 2005 World Superbike Championship, round 11 Imola, Italy – Sunday, 2 October 2005 WINSTON’S VERMEULEN CONCEDES CHAMPIONSHIP IN IMOLA DELUGE Winston Ten Kate Honda rider, Chris Vermeulen, had to concede defeat in the 2005 World Superbike championship this afternoon after the second of today’s two eleventh round at Imola in Italy was cancelled for safety reasons. Although the riders had formed on the grid for the second of the two 21-lap races around the 4.9km Imola circuit, heavy rain continued to fall and the grid was cleared following the warm-up lap. After an hour’s deliberation, during which rain continued to fall, race control finally cancelled the event, handing the 2005 title to Troy Corser, who has a 55 point lead in the series with just two races remaining. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “It’s a very strange and disappointing way to lose the championship, after Chris had won the first race today and three of the previous four races. We respect the decision of race control because, at the end of the day, the safety of riders is more important than any championship. On the other hand, we’re very sad to see Chris’s chance of winning the title going down the drain like this. Once again, Imola has been our Waterloo but we’ll hope for some dry conditions next weekend in Magny-Cours, when we hope we can show our true potential again. For now, we send our congratulations to Troy and his Corona squad. I’m quite sure they would have liked the title to be decided on the track today but it’s just one of those things.” Chris Vermeulen championship position, 2nd “To be honest, I’m not too disappointed about the championship. It was always a long shot and, even if we’d managed to get some more points off Troy in race two, he would still go to Magny-Cours with a big lead. All I could do was win races and that’s been happening recently I think that shows just how much we’ve developed the bike during the course of the season. I didn’t really want to stop the race but safety always has to be the most important thing. Some parts of the track were especially dangerous, like coming out of the Variante Alta chicane where the track slopes away and it was underwater. Behind that is a concrete wall, so it was the right decision. We’ll just go to Magny-Cours next weekend and try for two more wins.” Karl Muggeridge championship position, 11th “In the end, it was the safest thing to do, cancelling the race. But I think we should have tried at least a couple of laps, instead of turning it into a battle. It’s a shame for Chris that he didn’t get to run the race and maybe take the championship to the final round, but the decision obviously suited Troy. The track is really slippery when it’s wet but there was a lot of water laying on it which had built up between the sighting lap and the warm-up lap. As I say, it was the right decision but maybe they’ll change the rules now.” Championship points after 11 of 12 rounds: Troy Corser AUS (Suzuki) 409, Chris Vermeulen AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 354, Noriyuki Haga JPN (Yamaha) 255, James Toseland GBR (Ducati) 228, Regis Laconi FRA (Ducati) 221, Yukio Kagayama JPN (Suzuki) 212, Chris Walker GBR (Kawasaki) 140, Andrew Pitt AUS (Yamaha) 137, Pierfrancesco Chili ITA (Honda) 125, Lorenzo Lanzi ITA (Ducati) 118, Karl Muggeridge AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 111. Final round: 7-9 October Magny-Cours, France More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 11 IMOLA, ITALY 2 October 2005 Race Report 2nd october 2005, Imola, (Italy) The Superbike World Championship has finally delivered a champion unto us. With a round still to go Troy Corser has given Suzuki their first SBK title, dethroning the English Ducati rider, James Toseland. The title came after a season of high level racing, that Suzuki met with a winning combination from the first race in Qatar. They arrived with a bike that proved to be the most competitive right away, and most advanced in its development curve. The other manufacturers made a lot of effort, through programmes of ceaseless labour and development, to bridge the gap and make for a thrilling finale to the season. The most recent, and penultimate, appointment was started under threat from the weather, and thus the climate has played a protagonist’s role. After the rain that fell on the riders on Friday, Saturday dawned largely dry and immediately the laptimes became interesting. The fastest one in Superpole was Vermeulen, using the latest spec of qualifying tyre to post the new track record. He beat the previous best of Colin Edwards (1’48.336) with a fantastic lap of 1’48.075. With him on the first row were Laconi, Corser and Toseland. Race 1 TRACK CONDITION Wet HUMIDITY 80% TRACK TEMPERATURE 20° C AIR TEMPERATURE 20° C After an extra mandatory session of 15 minutes for the riders to experience the track in wet conditions the skies above Imola decided to play a trick on the SBK crew, welcoming the sun and making the choice of tyres more difficult. Among the front running riders the only one who took a risk was Australian Chris Vermeulen, having to win to keep his championship hopes alive. He and Corser immediately took the lead. Vermeulen on his Honda (with an intermediate tyre on the front), Corser on his Suzuki (with two slicks). In pitlane the verdict seemed to be easy: the track was getting dry, so Corser was going to win. After 21 laps neither of the leading duo wanted to give up the win, so Corser and Vermeulen set their best laps on the 20th and 19th laps respectively in a 21 lap race. Chris’s front didn’t fail, even with the track almost dry, so he could push until the end. He crossed the line in front of Troy, maintaining the championship challenge. No one else could run at their pace, not even Haga in third, who gave an eighth podium of the season to Yamaha. Race one was once more thrilling and unpredictable, with six different bikes in the first six places. Race results: Rider Bike Team Race time 1 Vermeulen Honda CBR 1000RR Winston Ten Kate Honda 39’35.789 2 Corser Suzuki GSXR Alstare Suzuki +0.297 3 Haga Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia +8.313 4 Toseland Ducati 999F05 Ducati Xerox +15.339 5 Martin Petronas FP1 Foggy Petronas +49.638 Race 2 The start of race two was delayed, and the near 80.000 spectators were looking at the sky asking for a break. There was to be no break. After the warm up lap riders interrupted the starting procedure, saying that weather conditions were so bad that it was impossible to go on with the race. A difficult situation for a potentially title deciding race. The track in some points could not drain the deluge of water that was still falling relentlessly, creating puddles of 7-8 cm in some corners. Riders almost unanimously asked not to race, mostly because the visibility was so that it was impossible to see while following another rider. In the case of a crash, it would be impossible to avoid a fallen opponent. Even Vermeulen, who was in the position of needing a victory and nothing less to maintain his championship challenge, agreed not to race until things improved. They were not to improve. After a sighting lap Race Direction decided the race would be cancelled, and Corser could wear the champion’s T-shirt that the team prepared in time for Lausitz. The celebrations were carried out in a subdued tone, as Troy declared that it was not the way he wanted his title to be awarded, and the appointment book is now ready for the Magny Cours finale next week, during which he will receive the great trophy. Championship standings: Rider Bike Team Points 1 Corser Suzuki GSXR Alstare Suzuki 409 2 Vermeulen Honda CBR 1000 RR Winston Ten Kate 354 3 Haga Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia 255 4 Toseland Ducati 999 F05 Ducati Xerox 228 5 Laconi Ducati 999 F05 Ducati Xerox 221 6 Kagayama Suzuki GSXR Alstare Suzuki 212 7 Walker Kawasaki ZX10 PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 140 8 Pitt Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia 137 9 Chili Honda CBR 1000 RR Klaffi Honda 125 10 Lanzi Ducati 999RS Ducati SC Caracchi 118 TRACK CONDITION Wet HUMIDITY 80% TRACK TEMPERATURE 20° C AIR TEMPERATURE 18° C An interesting and thrilling weekend for Supersport also came to pass at Imola. Team Ten Kate, already confirmed as World Champions, saw both its riders out after practice falls: first Fujiwara on Friday morning, than Charpentier on Saturday, during the first lap of the second qualifying session. In the previous one he had completed only seven laps, enough to set the best time of 1’51.788 (less than two tents from the record of Karl Muggeridge). It was a time that none could repeat. Once more the weather played a decisive role, so the race was interrupted and aggregated, with one contest of 13 laps and a restart of eight. The winner on time and on the road in race two proved to be Gianluca Nannelli, who took his first victory in the World Championship, after beating Curtain and Corradi. Race results: Rider Bike Team Race time 1 Nannelli Ducati 749R Ducati SC Caracchi 42’55.695 2 Curtain Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Motor Germany +2.452 3 Corradi Ducati 749R Ducati Selmat +4.201 4 Fabrizio Honda CBR 600RR Team Megabike +7.965 5 Parkes Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Motor Germany +10.506 Championship standings: Rider Bike Team Points 1 Charpentier Honda CBR 600 RR Winston Ten Kate 210 2 Curtain Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Motor Germany 167 3 Fujiwara Honda CBR 600 RR Winston Ten Kate 140 4 Foret Honda CBR 600 RR Team Megabike 131 5 Fabrizio Honda CBR 600 RR Team Italia Megabike 122 6 Parkes Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Motor Germany 100 7 Chambon Honda CBR 600 RR Gil Motor Sport 86 8 Nannelli Ducati 749R Ducati SC Caracchi 81 9 Fores Suzuki GSX 600 R Alstare Suzuki Corona 60 10 Lauslehto Honda CBR 600 RR Klaffi Honda 56