United States World Superbike at Miller Motorsport Park Tuesday May 25 2010 World Superbike and World Supersport preview 4.907km circuit LAND OF OPPORTUNITY FOR HONDA RIDERS AT UNIQUE EVENT Everyone in the Superbike and Supersport World Championship circus is about to start a new adventure together as they head to Miller Motorsport Park in Utah for round seven of the 13 round series. This is the first time that the feature races will be held on a Monday, as opposed to the traditional Sunday. Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Jonathan Rea, a product of the British Superbike Championship in his earlier career, has raced on Bank Holiday Mondays in the UK many times but this time around it is the American Memorial Day holiday that means racing will get underway on Monday 31st May, with first practice on Saturday 29th and Superpole qualifying on Sunday 30th. A podium finish in the previous round at Kyalami has helped Jonathan to maintain his third place overall in the championship after six of 13 rounds have been completed. His second place in South Africa was his fourth podium of the year, two of which were wins at the Assen circuit in the Netherlands. Championship leader Leon Haslam (Suzuki) now has 222 points, Max Biaggi (Aprilia) has 207 and Rea is on the same 141 total as Carlos Checa (Ducati). Because he has outscored the Spanish rider on wins, Rea is credited with third. Eugene Laverty has been on spectacular recent form on his Parkalgar Honda, winning three races in a row and four of the six so far. The podium consistency of Portimao race winner Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), however, means that it is he and not Laverty who leads the championship. Kenan has 117 points to Laverty’s 116, but it is still very much a three horse race as Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki) has 112 points. Hannspree Ten Kate Superbike rider Max Neukirchner is looking to podium memories of Miller from the 2008 season to get himself back to his best after a tough first half of the year. Honda riders have a good record at Miller, with Carlos Checa winning the double for Hannspree Ten Kate Honda first time out in 2008 before he and Rea each took one podium apiece last year, when they were riding in Hannspree Ten Kate Honda colours. ECHO CRS Honda’s Broc Parkes believes this will be the first race in which his lingering pre-season leg injury will play no part of his overall effort, but he also hopes for improvements in machine set-up to allow him to compete for the better points scores. Squadra Corse Italia Garvie Image Honda rider Vittorio Iannuzzo will once again miss a round of the Superbike series. Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Supersport rider Michele Pirro had a great run to fourth place at Kyalami, despite still suffering shoulder pain from a pre-race crash, and he now ties on 47 points with Gino Rea from the Intermoto Czech Honda team. Pirro is sixth and rookie Rea seventh overall, with the next-best official Honda rider proving to be Massimo Roccoli, Rea’s team-mate. Parkalgar Honda rider Miguel Praia has the same 29 points as Roccoli after finishing tenth at Kyalami, with Roccoli 11th overall and Praia 12th. After the final extra-European race of the year, Misano beckons for round eight, on Sunday 27th June. WSBK Rider Comments Jonathan Rea, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR: “I feel optimistic about the races at Miller. Our bike has typically gone well there in the past. That’s not necessarily the case year-to-year, but I am just looking forward to having a strong Saturday morning, getting a good base setting on the bike and working towards two podiums. We are at that midway point of the year where we need to start putting races together every weekend and get working towards the championship again. I am just looking forward to it now.” Max Neukirchner, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR: “I like Salt Lake, it is a nice track. In 2008 I was fourth in one race and then second, so it is a good place with good memories for me. We learned a little bit more about the bike in South Africa and we want to try the chassis like we had it set in race two at Assen, when we finished inside the top ten.” Broc Parkes, ECHO CRS Honda CBR1000RR: “I have been trying as much as I can to prepare myself for the American races. I have been working hard on my fitness at home in Andorra and I think my injured leg should be 100% better by Miller. It is a big, fast, open track; it’s unreal. I qualified well at Miller last year and it was a good track for me, so hopefully I can restart my season there.” WSS Rider Comments Kenan Sofuoglu, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR: “I won in Miller last year and I hope to do so again this year. I know that in the last part of the year my bike will be better than the early part. Last year we changed the suspension after half the season and so far we have not had any data from the previous year to start working from. So after the next couple of races we should be stronger again. At the moment we have to take as many points as we can.” Eugene Laverty, Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR: “This bunch of races I have really been looking forward to. I have won the first three and now go to Salt Lake and Misano knowing I really like them and last year got on well there, right from the word go. I expect it to be a tougher race than Kyalami, as Joan will be back in the mix with Kenan and myself. I think most people will prefer that, as it may be a more exciting race, but to be honest I like the races where I get away in front and have time to admire the scenery.” Michele Pirro, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR: “I feel OK after my crash at Kyalami and I should be OK for Salt Lake. I have raced at this track before and it has a very long straight and fast corners. I hope for a good result because Kenan won there last year and I liked it. It seems a good track for the Honda and our chassis works well. We have had some problems this year, and some good results, but after Monza and Kyalami I am happy.” Gino Rea, Intermoto Czech Honda CBR600RR: “I have never been to Miller before but I have been watching DVDs of the previous races over and over, learning little bits and pieces about it, preparing as much as I can beforehand. It should be very different from Kyalami, from what I have seen.” Massimo Roccoli, Intermoto Czech Honda CBR600RR: “I had a big crash in warm-up at Kyalami and then fell again in the race so I have been glad of the weekend off so I can get my strength back. I want to make up for the disappointment of Kyalami when we get to America.” Miguel Praia, Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR: “My hopes are high for America, I really enjoyed the track and the whole event last year, right until I crashed, and even after I crashed. I am capable of the top eight I think. My Parkalgar Honda is good and suits the circuit well.”