After an historic day in Brno During the last race in the Czech Republic, the Team Yamaha Motor France-Ipone established a new record in the Superbike World Championship with its 3 bikes finishing both heats in the points. So the second part of this season looks promising for Norick Abe, Sebastien Gimbert and Shinichi Nakatomi. Not only in Brno the three riders earned points two times, but Martial Garcia’s Yamaha R1s had the second overall top speed. It was also the occasion for the rookie rider Shinichi Nakatomi to obtain his best result this year so far with a brilliant 8th position. Sebastien Gimbert finished two times in the top 15, which gives him confidence as it was the second time this year after the initial race in Qatar. If two weeks ago everything went well in Brno for Nakatomi, it was different in Suzuka for the famous 8 Hours. After being 5th on the grid (and fastest of the Yamahas) Nakatomi and his team-mate Nakasuga had to retire after 154 laps in the race. Unfortunately, Nakatomi was hurt during that weekend For Martial Garcia (team-manager): “Our Yamahas are performing well and so are our riders. The Brno race proved the good qualities of the kit parts and of the team work. So we are confident for the Brands Hatch event, only hoping the Nakatomi is not too handicapped physically.” As always in Brands Hatch, we need to watch the wild car riders who are always excellent on their home ground. Tommy Hill (Yamaha R1), who participates to the British Superbike Championship with Pirelli, started from pole position in Silverstone on May 28th. Here in Brands Hatch, Shane Byrne (Ducati / Dunlop) still holds the lap records for qualifying and race. The track Brands Hatch was opened in 1928 and lengthened in 1953 by taking advantage of the hill leading to Druid’s Bend. In 1960, the Hawthorn and Westfield corners were added. That gave the track the required length (4.19 km) to get it homologated for international events. The first Brands Hatch F1 Grand Prix was held in 1964. Ideally located only 32 kms from London, Brands is an extremely popular venue. Sometimes, as many as 120 000 spectators flocked to the circuit for the world Superbike. The way Brands Hatch has evolved explains why there are two types of asphalt here. Grip on the Grand Prix track is not the same as that of the “small” circuit and that can take riders by surprise as they go from one to the other, especially in the wet. Grip is better in the Grand Prix section than on the part where the pits and the grandstands are. Brands Hatch is quite a demanding circuit. It heats up the tyres in a similar way to tracks like Phillip Island or Monza, but that heat build up doesn’t happen in the same part of the tyre. World Championship standings: 1-Bayliss (Ducati) 254 points ; 2-Toseland (Honda) 177 ; 3-Haga (Yamaha) 173 ; 4- Corser (Suzuki) 160 ; 5-Barros (Honda) 146…12- Abe (Yamaha) 67 ; 17-Nakatomi (Yamaha) 26 ; 20-Gimbert (Yamaha) 14 Brands Hatch stats Practice record (2003): 1:26.248 Shane Byrne (Ducati) 175.180 kph 2005 Yamaha Motor France practice times: Norifumi Abe: 1:28.661 / 21st and Sebastien Gimbert: 1:28.750 / 22nd Race 1 results 2005: 1-Corser (Suzuki), 2- Haga (Yamaha) 3-Laconi (Ducati) 4- Vermeulen (Honda) 5- Walker (Kawasaki) 2005 Yamaha Motor France race 1 results: Norifumi Abe: 11th and Sebastien Gimbert: 16th Race 2 results 2005: 1- -Haga (Yamaha) 2- Corser (Suzuki) 3- Vermeulen (Honda) 4- Walker (Kawasaki) 5- Laconi (Ducati), 2005 Yamaha Motor France race 2 results: Norifumi Abe: DNF (retired lap 18) and Sebastien Gimbert: 14th Lap record (best race time 2003): 1:26.755 Shane Byrne (Ducati) 174.160 kph 9th round of the Supersport World Championship: September 3rd at Assen (Nederlands) More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: GIANLUCA NANNELLI REJOINS SCUDERIA SC CARACCHI FOR BRANDS HATCH EVENT At Brands Hatch event, next August 6 on the British circuit near Londonì, Gianluca Nannelli will rejoins the 749R Ducati to contest World Supersport event. The Florentine rider returns to the team that made the most for his talent during the past season, with the gem of the Imola victory. The Team SC Ducati by Stefano Caracchi will manage a third machine for the Italian rider who will stand beside Stuart Easton and Luka Nedog, the regular riders entered by SC Ducati for 2006 season. For the moment the cooperation between Nannelli and SC Caracchi is foresee just for the British, but the goal of both is to finish together the season. “Also for this racing season I had to pay for mistakes made by other people. The opportunity that Stefano Caracchi offers me, at the eve of a race on a track that I love couldn’t be refused, because I rejoin a group of people that allowed to me to live during last year very great emotions. I wish to thank also Daniele Carli and all DFXtreme Team for the possibility they gave me to ride in Superbike as well for the availability to pass in Supersport. I know that it will be not easy return in the heavy world of Supersport, more now after a lot of miles on a four cylinders Superbike. I’m confident in my possibilities and I’m proud to wave the Ducati’s flag in Supersport. I’m living anxiously the time from the race week end. To stay at home when all my friends and rivals were racing in Brno has been very hard. I have very good souvenir by Brands Hatch, it’s a track good for my racing characteristics and my riding style. I’ll look to avoid mistakes, but I’ll start with the will of a good race.” Stefano Caracchi, SC Ducati Team team manager, would also put into evidence the sporting way to do of the team’s riders, Stuart Easton and Luka Nedog, that gave any objection against a third rider in the team. More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: CHARPENTIER AND SOFUOGLU AIMING THE PODIUM Even if not at 100%, it’s a Sebastien Charpentier is improving his physical conditions after Brno round and he is ready for the eight round of the Supersport World Championship round. The World Champion expect a lot from this race in Brands Hatch, one of his favourite tracks, and where he has won last year. The competition with Kevin Curtain, who behind him in the championship is about to begin. An hand is ready to give it to him Kenan Sofuoglu, regenerated after Brno’s podium. The Turkish rider wants to reconfirm the result obtained in Czech land and he will try his best to achieve the maximum points possible. Teamwork is always the key word for the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “I am really happy to have seen back on the podium Kenan at Brno and I hope he will find the right psychophysical condition to continue at the maximum level for the all season. I know he can. Sebastien hasn’t been lucky during the race. He gave all he had but a some small problems didn’t let him result between the fastest. He did well anyway to bring home some points, and we can’t forge the still is the leader of the World Championship. His physical condition aren’t of course the best yet, but as usual, our World Champion will bit his teeth turn after turn. I would like to have both riders on the podium together again.” Sebastien Charpentier Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “It’s obvious that I am not at the top of my physical conditions but surely I feel better than two weeks ago. I will not leave anything on the street and I will fight until the last lap to conquer the maximum from the English race. I am working intensively to try to arrive in the best conditions to this appointment. Be sure that I will not race to defend, but I will start to try to win again, like it happen last year, with all my energies.” Kenan Sofuoglu Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “Brands Hatch is my favourite track, fun, technical and aggressive, adapt to put in evidence my riding style. It’s really fantastic. Here I have most of the times achieved good races and I will give my best to conquer as many points possible to my Team and to the riders standing. It will not be easy because as in Brno the competition is high but Brno’s result gave me a lot of motivation and I will try to use it in the best way.” More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: BRITISH CROWD ALL READY FOR TOSELAND’S RETURN Sunday August 6 is the date of the eighth round of the Superbike World Championship, to be held on the classic English circuit of Brands Hatch – a special race weekend for the whole Winston Ten Kate Honda team. In fact, it’s the second home track of the year for James Toseland, who will race in front of thousands of his countrymen, with his immediate focus falling on nothing less than being able to fight for the race wins. But Winston Ten Kate rider James doesn’t only have a single race meeting in mind; he also wants to keep his chance to fight for the title alive. James sits in third position right now, by the narrowest of margins. It will be also an important race for Karl Muggeridge, who is now totally fit to race after his accident at Valencia, with his immediate objective being podium finishes at Brands Hatch. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “We had a good weekend in Brno, even if misfortune tried to ruin James’ weekend. Our English rider was competitive and took good results, even on his second bike, and he scored important points in the championship. Karl suffered a small problem during race one at Brno but he obtained a good result in race two, in seventh position. Brands is James’ circuit, definitely a special race because of the many fans who follow him. For this reason, we want to aim for the maximum points available. I hope that Karl will also confirm his good results of late; with calmness and the right degree of aggression he can climb onto the podium. As far as the bike is concerned, we have some small modifications in hand which should improve the settings and make our results even more competitive.” James Toseland Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “Another home race for me after Silverstone. I will give my best for the supporters in the stands. It will be a hard weekend because, as in Brno, the competition is going to be really tough. With every passing race there are always more bikes that can win. Physically, I feel well, and I want to provide an emotional and happy race weekend for all my supporters. The world title is still achievable and I’m not giving up yet.” Karl Muggeridge Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider We will start again from where we finished the second race at Brno, when things went quite well, although I want to try to do even better, of course. I really want to step on the podium soon and I will be all out to achieve my goal. Now, after the injury I suffered early in the season, I am almost totally fit to race and I hope to be competitive from the very first day of testing. The good set-up of the bike should allow me to be among the very fastest and prepare for the race with quiet confidence.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: DUCATI XEROX TEAM HEADS FOR SUMMER BREAK WITH BATTLE OF BRANDS Brands Hatch (UK), Thursday 3 August: The Ducati Xerox Team heads for a well-deserved summer break with this weekend’s eighth round of the World Superbike Championship, which will mark the end of two-thirds of the championship’s 12-round trail. The Brands Hatch round always offers spectacular racing due to the up-and-down nature of the track and this, together with its delightful setting on the outskirts of London, is guaranteed to pull in massive crowds to the traditional Kent venue. The current points leader is Ducati Xerox Team’s Australian star Troy Bayliss, winner of eight races so far this year, but who has not seen the top slot on the podium since race 1 at Misano. Having spent the last three years in MotoGP, the last time Troy raced at Brands Hatch was in 2002 when he scored a third and a second place behind Colin Edwards (Honda), his arch-rival that year. “I remember Brands Hatch well” declared Troy. “I scored my second-ever WSBK win there in 2000, when I passed Neil Hodgson in the last corner with one lap to go and he didn’t have a chance. Then he beat me in the second race but never mind! Brands isn’t actually as physical as a lot of tracks but to do a good lap there is difficult because it’s quite technical and more like an old-style track. There are some physical points but it’s not actually a track that destroys you, unless there’s a British heat-wave! I like it and have had some good times there but it’s never been really special to me. As for the main threats – James Toseland is going OK but I know how consistently strong Troy Corser can be and Noriyuki Haga always goes very well at Brands Hatch so they are the two probably on my mind, but I just want to go there and do the job in hand. I haven’t won for three races. I’ve got a good points lead but I don’t want to ride for points, I want to win races. Lorenzo Lanzi looked to have turned a corner with a promising qualifying session at Brno that due to tyre problems was not back up in the race but the young Italian will be looking to confirm that form on the UK track. “Brands Hatch is a track that I really like, there’s a fantastic public and this time round there will be just a small part of my fan club, only a dozen or so but they will surely make themselves heard! The track is a bit dangerous in places but it certainly adds to the spectacle. I enjoy racing at Brands and I’m going there with the intention of doing a couple of good races. My best result was two eighth places last year with the Caracchi Ducati 999RS. Recently I’ve had a few problems with the tyres. At Silverstone and Misano I had the problems on Friday, while at Brno they only emerged on the Sunday after during the weekend I had been back up at the front again. Hopefully at Brands it’ll all go well from this point of view. We showed at Brno that we were going well and we could have got a couple of podiums, hopefully now my luck will change.” THE CIRCUIT Name: Brands Hatch Length: 4.197 km Pole Position: left Corners Left/Right: 3/6. Race distance: 2 x 25 laps/104.925 km CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after 7 of 12 rounds): Riders – 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 262; 2. Haga (Yamaha) 189; 3. Toseland (Honda) 188; 4. Corser (Suzuki) 173; 5. Barros (Honda) 151; 6. Pitt (Yamaha) 128; 7. Kagayama (Suzuki) 106; 8. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 80. Manufacturers – 1. Ducati 272; 2. Suzuki 238; 3. Honda 236; 4. Yamaha 218; 5. Kawasaki 118; 6. Petronas 4. STATISTICS: Best lap: Byrne (Ducati), 1m26.248s (2003). Lap record: Byrne (Ducati), 1m26.755s (2003). Superpole: Corser (Suzuki), 1m26.672s (2005). 2005 RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Corser (Suzuki); 2. Haga (Yamaha); 3. Laconi (Ducati Xerox). Race 2 – 1. Haga; 2. Corser; 3. Vermeulen (Honda). TV COVERAGE: Eurosport (Pan European): Sunday 6 August – 1300 SBK race 1 (live); British Eurosport (UK): Saturday 5 August – 1715 Superpole (delayed), Sunday 6 August – 1230-1730 SBK race 1 + race 2 (live). Eurosport 2 (Pan-European): Sunday 6 August – 1800 SBK race 2 (delayed). La7 (Italy): Sunday 23 July – 1255 SBK race 1(live), 1625 SBK race 2 (live).