SOFUOGLU AND HONDA READY FOR THE RESTART Four weekends have passed since Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) scored what was his seventh podium in eight attempts, and this weekend he is after nothing less than number eight. With only one DNF and three pole positions to his credit, Sofuoglu’s consistently good form means that he is now 61-points ahead of his nearest challenger, Fabien Foret. The Turkish star has been the leading light through the entire duration of the championship in 2007 thus far, taking over the reigns of virtual domination of the class from his team-mate Sebastien Charpentier (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR), champion in the 2005 and 2006 seasons. The track at Brno is a perennially tough test for all, and for Charpentier it was almost his undoing in 2006, after suffering serious injury to pelvis and collarbone in a testing crash there mid season. He recovered in time to take the title in dramatic fashion but this year he will be helping Sofuoglu’s challenge as much as he can from now to the championship finish in Magny-Cours in October, after a run of injury and misfortune which sees him currently 15th overall. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Althea Honda Team CBR600RR) is one of the riders still in with a mathematical chance of catching Sofuoglu, as the Japanese star sits third in the championship overall, albeit some 84 points from the leader. ‘Kats’ has scored three podiums this year, with a qualifying best of second at Valencia. Lorenzo Alfonsi (Althea Honda Team CBR600RR), like most of the Supersport field, tested at Vallelunga recently and the positive outcome of those two days is expected to help him meet the stiff challenge of the beautifully sculpted 5.394km Brno track this weekend. Alfonsi, European Superstock Champion of 2004, is currently 12th overall, with his highest finishes on his 2006-spec Honda being a pair of eighths, scored at Monza in the dry and Silverstone in the wet. Conditions at Brno are expected to be blisteringly hot, with temperatures over 40°C forecast as a real possibility on the first day of qualifying. Sofuoglu, who also tested with representative teams from all competing manufacturers at Brno recently, as part of the single make tyre development programme, has clear goals in mind. A podium place of some sort, but ideally a full points score. “The two tests since Misano have gone really well and we have made a lot of good progress with the bike,” said an ebullient Sofuoglu. “My first priority during the tests was to look after my body – I didn’t want to crash and be out of the next race so I tried not to ride in a crazy way. We still have some work to do when we get to Brno but we have a good set-up and I am feeling very positive about the race. I was third at Brno last season, so this year I’d like to get the race win.” Fujiwara’s return to points scoring form in the last three races have cemented his willpower to succeed, and he points to the recent Vallelunga tests as reasons to be cheerful when thinking of his Brno chances. “We tried many solutions at Vallelunga and we found a strong set-up to take forward, which made the tests a very good use of two days during the break. I like Brno and we should be able to make a good push there, no matter how hot the weather gets!” Charpentier was another to have the chance to test twice since the previous Misano round, and intends to put his experiences to good use in the Czech Republic. “I am feeling good about the next round after the progress we have made during the tests at Brno and Vallelunga,” stated the 2005 and 2006 World Champion. “I’ve been having some pretty bad luck so far this year so hopefully things will start to get better from now on. I’m determined to do my best to support my team-mate and finish the season in a good position. We have a lot of new information to use ahead of the race and I feel like I am ready. I’m looking forward to using all the data we have collected to get some good results for the team.” Alfonsi was in good testing form at Vallelunga, securing fourth best time, a morale boosting performance before the real job of points scoring recommences in earnest this weekend. “Those two days of testing made us very content, above all because in the last useful session I was among the fastest. We found a good solution for the Vallelunga race in September, in terms of suspension and tyre choices – and maybe we could have gone better still. This result was a beautiful injection of confidence with the second part of the season looming. It is important to be confident at this time of year.” World Superbike Round 9 of 13 TOSELAND READY FOR MORE SUCCESS ON THE CBR1000RR James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) approaches the Brno test confident that improvements to his machine set-up and positive recent testing results will combine to keep his championship leading form in place once more. After an outstanding start to his championship campaign, recording a race win at every one of the first five rounds, Toseland’s luck has dropped off somewhat, and he is now looking to Brno to give him his first podium since race two at Monza, in May. Toseland, the 2004 World Superbike Champion, has lacked nothing in determination in the most recent rounds and ended the Vallelunga tests placed fourth fastest, despite trying out many new electronic developments on his well-proven CBR1000RR. Toseland is currently a clear 21-points ahead of 2001 and 2006 champion Troy Bayliss, with Noriyuki Haga another five points back; Max Biaggi is now fourth, 43 points from Toseland. Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) is looking for his first elusive SBK podium in his second Superbike season, having scored two fourth places at Monza and Silverstone. Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) was drafted into MotoGP action at Sachsenring last weekend and in finishing inside the top ten on a Gresini Honda RC212V he put himself into a good position to return to the scene of his greatest ever SBK rides. In 2006 Fabrizio scored two remarkable podiums at Brno, with a third in race one and an audacious second in race two, after deposing Corser and Haga at the finish line itself. Brno should see the return of Karl Muggeridge (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR), but he will be competing in a one-man team this time around, after his former team-mate Joshua Brookes joined the Stiggy Motorsports Honda Supersport squad to see out the season on a CBR600RR. 19-year-old Luca Morelli (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) approaches Brno with a great deal of confidence after some good rides this year, and three points scoring finishes at tracks as diverse as Assen, Silverstone and Misano. Toseland is a rider used to operating under pressure, and at present he is positively thriving on it, especially after two positive tests in the last few weeks. “We’ve had two tests since Misano and both of them went really well,” said Toseland. “We tested the new PI electronics and we were one of the quickest packages in both tests. I just can’t wait to get back to racing and start winning again. Brno is a circuit that both myself and Honda have done well at in the past so I’m pretty positive about this weekend.” Rolfo is banking on largely good memories of Brno in his previous life as a 250cc GP rider to allow him to turn his natural enthusiasm into top scoring results, especially after a test here in June. “I really like Brno,” said Rolfo in the build-up to race weekend. “I rode there in the 250 class and I always got a good result, although unfortunately I crashed on the last lap of what would have been my first race win there in 2002. With Superbikes, the circuit feels very different. During the tests at Brno my lap time was good. I think the race conditions will be a lot hotter compared to the test conditions, but I don’t mind this too much as I enjoy to race in hard conditions. Most of all I am looking forward to getting back to racing after the break.” Brno is a magic place in the psyche of Fabrizio, but the young Roman is not being blinded by nostalgia, as he recognises the growth of the championship in general this year. “After the first difficult part of the season in World Superbike the recent good result in MotoGP will help me to face the new race at Brno this week end. Last year it was fantastic because I secured two podiums after two exceptional races. I don’t know if this year will be possible to achieve the same results, just because the competition will be much stronger than last year. But I am calm, and together my team and I will work to be winners.” Muggeridge is happy to get to track action after some recent internal problems in the team prevented him from racing at round eight in Misano. He is also confident that his machinery will be in top condition after the enforced hiatus in track proceedings. “They have improved the bikes a bit made them tidier,” said Muggeridge. “We have some new people in the team again and there will be some new things at Brno, and we will be working on the bike a lot. At the moment it will be me alone and that should allow me to have all the best parts on both bikes at the same time.” Morelli has gown in leaps and bounds after his mid-season adoption into the DFX team, and sees 2007 as a change to re-write his 2006 Brno experiences. “I have a bad memory of Brno because last year I crashed in the second qualifying practice and I didn’t race until the Sunday. My feeling with the Honda CBR is much better after the test at Vallelunga but it will be very difficult to race because Brno is a circuit where it will be fundamental to have a perfect set up. I will fight to finish in the top ten final positions, and I would like to get into Superpole – that would almost feel like a victory.” Two weeks after Brno Brands Hatch host what is traditionally the biggest SBK and WSS race on the calendar, between 3 and 5 August.