Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) will experience another new track in his rookie SBK season this weekend at Monza, but given how quickly he has adapted to the challenge of the World Superbike Championship the 5.793km circuit should hold no concerns for the 35-year-old Spanish rider. Honda riders have enjoyed success at the classic parkland track in the past, a fact that Honda’s supported riders will be looking to confirm at the fastest circuit on the SBK calendar. Despite several slow chicanes dotted around the layout, Monza has an average lap speed of almost 200kmph in qualifying trim, and in the right conditions that barrier could be broken. DFX Honda rider Michel Fabrizio took his 2007 model Fireblade to a top speed of 322.7kmph in qualifying last year, breaking the 200mph barrier officially for the first time in SBK history. Checa, having been mounted on a 2008 specification Fireblade from the outset of this season, is currently second in the championship, some 70 points behind early runaway leader Troy Bayliss. With his first career WSB victory almost within his grasp on more than one occasion this season already, Checa hopes to use the power of his Honda Fireblade to make an early break from the pack of leading riders that usually forms during most races at Monza. The effects of slipstreaming and heavy braking for the numerous chicanes usually makes for close racing at this venue, and with so many riders on competitive machinery, this year’s races are expected to be particularly tight affairs. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) is another first-year Honda World Superbike hopeful to have shown flashes of real class, but thus far a podium finish has eluded him. Two no scores so far have held him back in 12th overall, but like his other team-mate, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR Jr) Monza offers him a genuine chance to move up the championship table. Sofuoglu was the winner of the Monza WSS race last year, on the way to world champion status in the 600cc class. Sofuoglu is now 16th, on 26 points. Second best Honda rider in the championship chase so far is a former WSB regular, now a Honda privateer, Gregorio Lavilla (Vent Axia VK Honda CBR1000RR). Consistency has been the keyword in Lavilla’s first Honda SBK season, and the combination of his competitive spirit and the talents of his small but highly proficient team have already put him firmly inside the top ten. Karl Muggeridge (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) is currently one place and one point behind Sofuoglu, after two points scoring rides at the previous round in Assen. Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Althea Honda CBR1000RR) will miss out on the Monza race after breaking his left collarbone during a mountain bike training fall, and he is to be replaced by AMA Superbike rider Jake Zemke (32) from California. Rolfo hopes to be ready to race at the next round, at Miller Motorsports Park in the USA, on June 1. Zemke is a former Daytona 200 race winner for Honda, in the 2006 season and has taken AMA National race wins in the Superbike, Supersport and Formula Extreme classes. A first year in SBK racing for Muggeridge’s team-mate Russell Holland (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) has been a tough challenge so far but he has scored points already, a factor which places him above Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR riders Shuhei Aoyama and Luca Morelli. Checa stated: “After our successful race at the team’s home track in Assen we want to continue the progress, so we will not change too much on the bike ahead of the next race in Monza. This is a new track for me, but judging the layout of the circuit I think it will suit me and I shouldn’t take me too long to familiarize myself with the track. The engine performance will be important and we will have to focus on the chicanes in particular. We’ll need to use the full potential of the bike on a fast track like Monza.” Kiyonari said: “I was hoping to continue my progress for the team’s home race in Assen but haven’t been very fortunate. My crash in free practice, just before the Superpole qualifying, didn’t give me the chance to test the qualifiers and get a good result. I hope I can do better this weekend. Monza is a new track to me, but I will have to familiarise myself with the track quickly and keep my lap times consistent. In Assen I tried to improve my starts and increase my corner speed, hopefully I can continue doing so in the Monza races and make my way to the front of the field.” Sofuoglu said: “I still struggle with my riding style on the CBR1000RR. The set up of the bike seems to be fine. I just can’t put my finger on why my performance hasn’t improved that much. My last race in Assen was far from satisfactory for me, but I have set my goal for Monza realistically and hope to be able to ride a consistent race and narrow the gap with the riders in front. I need a good race to boost my confidence.” Rolfo explained: “I’m really disappointed because I won’t be able to participate at the Monza races as it’s my home circuit. After last year’s encouraging first race I was eager to compete, and also hoping to obtain good results. From Thursday, with the help of the Clinica Mobile doctors, I’ll start intensive rehabilitation to make sure that I’ll be in top condition for the next race in the USA.” Lavilla said, “We have had a good start to the year despite being behind some of the others in terms of development. To be second highest Honda rider right now is satisfying for me, and a great credit to my team in their first World Superbike season. I think the team has been quite intelligent with the set-up and approach to each race weekend.” World Superbike makes its first return to the USA since 2004 after the Monza race weekend, with the first ever WSB race at Miller Motorsports Park, near Salt Lake City in Utah, taking place on Sunday June 1. World Supersport Championship The best race of the 2008 Supersport season so far took place at Assen on 27th April and it delivered a positive result for most of the top Honda contenders. Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) took his second win of the year to jump up to second in the rankings, behind the remarkable championship leader, Joan Lascorz (Glaner Motocard Honda CBR600RR) on an entirely private machine. Between them, Pitt and Lascorz have won three of the four races so far, with Lascorz currently on 70 points and Pitt on 50. Josh Brookes (Hannspree Stiggy Motorsports Honda CBR600RR) is now fifth, while a hard fought season best of second place at Assen for rookie Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) has seen him climb to sixth in the reckoning. Rea led out of the last chicane at Assen, in a race in which he showed real maturity for a rookie WSS rider. Experiencing some technical issues last time out, Craig Jones (Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR) dropped to ninth in the Assen race and seventh overall in the championship, but such is the closeness in the top championship rankings that he is only 11 points from second place. There are nine rounds of the 13-round season remaining, including Monza. Further proof of how close this season is came at Assen for Robbin Harms (Hannspree Stiggy Motorsports Honda CBR600RR) who finished 5.088 seconds from the winner Pitt, but scored only three points for 13th place. He is now eighth overall, on 28 points, 16 of which were the result of stepping onto the podium for third at Phillip Island. No fewer than eight of the top ten championship places are now taken by Honda riders, with only Broc Parkes and Fabien Foret, in third and fourth respectively on their Yamahas, breaking a near perfect run of early season placings for the CBR600RR. Once more Italian Gianluca Vizziello will join fellow countryman and regular team rider Gianluca Nannelli (Hannspree Althea Honda CBR600RR) as a replacement for the still recovering Tommy Hill (Hannspree Althea Honda CBR600RR), with each Italian rider out to make the most of home advantage at the exquisite parkland circuit of Monza. Pitt said: “I always enjoy riding at such a fast track and there is always a good atmosphere. Its one of the last remaining old style circuits. It will be a big event for our sponsors as well. After my successful race at Assen my confidence is high again. If we can find the right set up and pace through the qualifying sessions I’m confident about my chances to battle at the front of the field. I hope the battle will not be as tight as it was in Assen, but I expect it will be.” Brookes said: “Just like many of the racetracks on the this year’s calendar, I have never ridden Monza on a 600 before. Last year, on my 1000, I finished the race in 11th place – which was OK. Monza is a track I like. It’s very fast and definitely requires a fast bike in order to do well. Our bikes have the speed we need here for sure, but we need to find the right combination of chassis settings to be able to make good results. I feel confident about the race weekend, although it’s going to be a tough one for sure.” Rea said: “I am really excited about the new track, I’ve watched it on television many times but haven’t experienced it myself. My aim is to come out of this weekend closer to the front of championship standings. Since my DNF in Qatar I have worked hard on finishing the races and have managed to narrow the gap with the other riders. My confidence with the tyres is growing and I feel I can battle for a top position. I want to swap my second position from the last race for a first at Monza.” Harms said: “I like Monza very much, although I have had both good and bad results there. I had a massive crash there last year while I was in sixth place during the race. In 2006 I had my first podium at Monza, scoring second place in the race. I know this track needs a lot of engine power because of the long straights and our bikes definitely have an advantage in that. I’m very keen on starting the weekend with lots of knowledge and putting in the hard work to ensure we have a good result.” Jones said: “For Monza there will be no new parts on our bike but it has been more a case of continuing development for our team and we gained some horsepower before Assen. At Monza, our bike should be very strong and the team is working very well. I enjoy racing at Monza, and the atmosphere is phenomenal. We have high expectations for the race this weekend and I am still chasing my first win in this class, even though I’ve scored quite a few podiums recently.” Nannelli said: “I spent some vacation time in the Tuscany area, where I trained by running and biking. My physical condition is now better than it was in Assen, and I’m fully fit and ready for Monza. This circuit is one of my favourites, thanks to the affection shown by my Italian supporters. I want to do my best for them and for my team.” Vizziello said: “In Monza I definitely want to get on the podium. After my fastest race lap in Assen I understood that I have the possibility to achieve good results and I don’t want to lose this opportunity, as this will be my last race for the Hannspree Honda Althea team. I like Monza because is a very fast circuit. I know that I have to work hard during practice to be able to start in a good position; this is of fundamental importance for this circuit.” The World Supersport Championship class will not be heading to America with the Superbike category and thus round six of the WSS series will take place at the Nürburgring, a track that returns to the WSB circus after last being used in 1999.