PTR HONDA’S Ronan Quarmby is confident and looking for a top six finish at the eighth round of the World Supersport Championship at Brno in the Czech Republic this weekend. His teammate Jules Cluzel is currently third in the Championship standings and needs a good result to keep his title aspirations flying. Martin Jessopp on the Riders PTR Honda is coming back from a broken collarbone and heavy crash with the aim of getting points in the race. There are practice and qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday with the race at 1330 CET on Sunday, July 22nd. Ronan: “I really enjoyed the last race at Aragon and feel that we made big steps with the set-up of my PTR Honda to suit my riding style. I am super-confident that we can get a good result at Brno, I can’t wait to get racing again. I’m eighth in the Championship now and want to improve that as well.” Jules: “My main target for Brno is to finish the race. I’d like to challenge for the podium but my first aim is to finish as I made a mistake at the last round and now need to score good points for the Championship. At Aragon I was very surprised by the crash and it was a combination of many things – temperature, hard tyre on the front, heavy fuel load, windy and too much lean angle. I lost the front and don’t want to do that again. I will do my best, my target is to finish the race.” Martin: “My shoulder is as good as it will be until I have an operation at the end of the year – it is back to how it was before I broke my collarbone, so no issues. My back is still sore but will be no problem on the bike. My foot is a lot better as well, and while I am not long distance running it will be fine riding a bike. I rode at Brno nine years ago and loved it from what I can remember. I aim to get into the points this weekend. I will start strong and try to qualify better. I want to use qualifying to get as far up the grid as possible to give me a chance into the first corner.” Simon Buckmaster, PTR Honda Team Manager: “Ronan enjoyed his most competitive ride of the season at Aragon and is going from strength to strength. His confidence is building and he is in good shape for the weekend. Jules made a mistake last time but is having a good season and I am sure he will be up there fighting at the front. Martin is still not back to full fitness but is getting there; he’s a hard man and will be challenging for a points finish.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Recent Testing Action Set To Aid Sykes And Baz At Brno Kawasaki Racing Team riders Tom Sykes and Loris Baz have not been short of track time recently, having tested at Motorland Aragon last week in preparation for Brno, the ninth round of the season. Currently Tom sits fifth in the overall Superbike World Championship fight having already won a race on his official Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R machine, at Monza in round four. Tom has scored six podiums in 2012 already, but is hungry for more to try and get himself back up to the top three overall championship placing he has enjoyed for most of the year. Young French rider Loris Baz joined the KRT set up mid-season to replace the seriously injured team regular Joan Lascorz and since his introduction he has scored well in most races, with two eighth places his highest individual race results so far. Loris is 19th in the rankings at present. Both Tom and Loris rejoined the team at Motorland Aragon for a two-day test last week, to help in their preparations for the Brno round this coming weekend. There are numerous similarities between the Spanish circuit and the Czech one, not least the changes of elevation and mix of broad, flowing corners. Long chicanes at Brno always provide opportunities for overtaking, while the steep drag uphill to the final chicane is a real test of engine power. The Kawasaki Team Pedercini Superbike boys David Salom and Leandro Mercado – are expected to be all ready to go when they head to Brno, each looking for more points scoring opportunities on their supported Ninja ZX-10R machinery. In the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup class Bryan Staring (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) is looking for another win to follow on from his first victory at Motorland Aragon last time out. Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) was a podium finisher last time out, in second, so he will be looking for more of the same form in the Czech Republic. Tom Sykes: “It was a good two day test for us last week and we certainly found out a bit of information that we will see how that goes for us in Brno. We tested at Aragon again and we have done some amount of laps round there in the past few weeks! Brno next and it is an awesome circuit, one that I really love. The layout is great for the riders and it is a well thought-out circuit. It has a fantastic atmosphere and hopefully now the Ninja ZX-10R has will have an even better feel with the front end and I am a bit more excited to go there after our successful test. I cannot wait for Friday morning free practice.” Loris Baz: “We tested at Aragon again recently and it is becoming like a second home now. We had good weather for two days and we tried a lot of things, and found some more improvements, so it was good to do. We worked a lot in hot conditions and we improved out pace compared to the race. So I think we made another little step, but we will see in Brno. It is a nice track for me and I like it. It should be good because some parts of Aragon are quite like parts of Brno so we have tried a few things to suit the Czech circuit.” More, from another press release issued by Kawasaki: Kawasaki’s Top Riders Ready For More Podium Action Three of Kawasaki’s top WSS riders have posted wins or podiums in 2012 so far, with Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Lorenzini) still out front in the championship lead as the series now approaches Brno. The WSS championship did not visit the MMP round in the USA, hence the eighth round of the championship occurs at Brno this weekend, not the ninth like the Superbike class. Kenan Sofuoglu has an enviable record at the Czech circuit, having taken two of his current total of 19 WSS race wins at Brno, in 2007 and 2010. Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki Lorenzini) earned his first podium at the previous race in Motorland Aragon in what is his first full season in this class of racing. He has ridden in WSS at Brno before, but he did so as a wildcard rider. A small test near his team’s home base in Italy has set him up nicely to attempt to score his second podium of the year for his Lorenzini crew. Fabien Foret and Romain Lanusse are two French riders competing for the hometown pride of their Czech based Kawasaki Intermoto Step team at Brno this weekend. Lanusse is a young rider learning his way in this class but Foret is a former World Champion and a proven winner in 2012, at the Imola round in April. In fourth place overall in the standings, Foret is 34 points behind Sofuoglu’s leading score of 117. Joshua Day will be out for another top ten weekend on his GoEleven Kawasaki, while Florian Marino joins forces with a new Kawasaki squad this weekend, the MSD R-N Racing Team. No fewer than 35 bikes are scheduled to be on track in WSS this weekend. Kenan Sofuoglu: “I had an operation on my left knee after the Motorland Aragon round and I am now reaching the fitness level I want. My last training session left me feeling happy and confident and I think I am really ready now to ride at Brno, especially after a difficult raceday at Aragon. I want to take away a good result at the next race. It is important for me to do well and show good pace at the Brno round.” Sheridan Morais: “We went to a circuit just near my team’s base, at Cremona, just for a day of testing to try a few things in bike set-up and get to ride the bike a bit more. I think we did over 30 laps there, so that was good. I have also just been at the house of one of my mechanics, up near Modena in the mountains for four or five days. Just training and riding a bike so I feel I am ready for Brno now. The guys have been working well on the engine settings so maybe they have found a few more horsepower for Brno. I have ridden at Brno as a wildcard in 2009, the only time I did a WSS race before this season, and finished sixth. I had one of my best Superstock 1000 results there last year. I like the circuit, it has lots of ups and downs and good corners.” More, from a press release issued by Bogdanka PTR Honda: BOGDANKA PTR HONDA’s Sam Lowes heads to Brno in the Czech Republic aiming high for what will be Bogdanka’s home race. A close second in the World Supersport Championship overall standings after his second win of the season last time out at Aragon, the Briton will be looking for his fifth podium finish in round eight this weekend. World Supersport rookie, Mathew Scholtz, on the other Bogdanka PTR Honda, targets a strong point scoring result on familiar ground after an unlucky string of races failed to highlight his potential in the first half of the season. Bogdanka Honda PTR’s Pawel Szkopek will be aiming for a career best result at Brno, his favourite circuit on the World Supersport calendar as well as a home round for both the Polish rider and Bogdanka. Sunday’s race will start at 13:30 CET. Sam Lowes: “We won the race at Aragon but I know we need to continue working hard. Brno is a track that I like and I know I can do a good job there so I’m looking forward to the weekend and the rest of the season. Brno is a fast and flowing circuit with a lot of elevation changes and character. It’s an enjoyable track to ride and produces some good racing. That’s why so many fans and riders like it. It’s a home race for Bogdanka with a lot of Polish fans in the stands so I’ll try to do my best to put on a great performance. We need to get as many points as we can this weekend and keep closing on Kenan in the standings.” Mathew Scholtz: “I know Brno and actually have a race win under my belt there so I’m feeling confident ahead of the weekend. We’ve been unlucky in the last few races so I’m looking to put everything together this weekend and score some solid points at Bogdanka’s home round.” Pawel Szkopek: “I’m feeling good and confident ahead of Brno. Having raced at Aragon after returning from injury, I now know that I can ride well, so I’m looking forward to getting back on my bike again. Brno is a home race both for myself and Bogdanka, so I’ll do my best to give the Polish fans a good reason to celebrate. It’s a fast and fun track but it’s also very demanding, so it will be a busy weekend, but I can’t wait to get it started and go for a decent result on Sunday.” Simon Buckmaster, Bogdanka PTR Honda Team Manager: “It was great to see Sam getting his second win of the season at Aragon and he is now back to second in the Championship. He’s maturing as a rider with every race and will be right there fighting at the front this weekend. Mathew knows Brno so it is an excellent opportunity to show his true potential.” More, from a press release issued by Infront Motor Sports: Spectacular Brno track greets World Superbike round 9 Rome (Italy), 17 July 2012 The eni FIM Superbike World Championship is back in action this coming weekend at the AutoMotodrom Brno circuit in the Czech Republic for the ninth round of 14. Attention will undoubtedly be focused on Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) and Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad Motorsport), who split the wins in the previous round at MotorLand Aragon (Spain) as well as in last year’s round at Brno. With a similar result the two Italians, first and second in the standings, could be well on the way towards the title run-in. Brno, 200 kilometres south-east of the capital Prague, will be the venue for a World Superbike round for the tenth time. The track, which like the production-derived championship itself, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year in its current layout, measures 5.403 km, has numerous drops and rises and is one of the most spectacular and difficult on the calendar. Max Biaggi, current leader on 248.5 points, is rightly considered to be the man to beat at Brno because the 41-year-old from Rome has won 11 times here on every type of bike he has raced: four times in 250GP, three in 500/MotoGP and four in Superbike: in 2007 with Suzuki and three times in 2009, 2010 and 2011 with the Aprilia RSV4. The 2009 win, Biaggi’s first for Aprilia, was particularly important as since then the Italian machine has always finished the race in first or second place. Marco Melandri, second on 200.5 points, will have the difficult task of getting the better of Biaggi on his Italian rival’s favourite track. But the BMW Motorrad Motorsport rider also has a good record at Brno, wnning here last year on a Yamaha and in 2002 in 250GP, his world title year. The German bike’s best result at Brno is a fifth place for Ruben Xaus in 2009, when it made its debut. This year however the S 1000 RR has already won three times, so past results count for little. On Monday BMW Motorrad announced that in 2013 it would continue its commitment in World Superbike but would concentrate its energies on BMW Motorrad Italia which will now become the factory team for the Munich manufacturer. Third-placed Northern Irishman Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) will have to put in two excellent results if he hopes to stay in touch with Biaggi and Melandri from the 183-point mark. With a CBR1000RR Rea has already won at Brno, in 2010, but didn’t race here last year due to injury. The four-cylinder Japanese bike also won here in 2007 with James Toseland, who then became world champion that year. Althea Racing, together with 2011 champion Carlos Checa, are aiming to make up ground on the two frontrunners. Checa is fourth on 175.5 points and can no longer afford any more slip-ups. A Ducati has not won at Brno since 2008 (with Troy Bayliss) while Checa has never won here. The Spanish rider’s plan is to limit the damage in order to give himself the best possible chances in the five rounds remaining, at circuits on paper more favourable to the Italian twin-cylinder machine. Kawasaki on the other hand have not won at Brno since the very first edition in 1993 when American Scott Russell tasted the victory champagne. Kawasaki Racing Team’s ambitions are now all in the hands of Tom Sykes, the Tissot-Superpole specialist with six successes in eight rounds. Sykes has slipped to fifth in the standings (172.5 points) due to a couple of unfortunate episodes at Aragon. The ZX-10R is a rapidly-improving bike, and the last time it was in action at post-race Aragon testing, Sykes was quickest overall. The FIXI Crescent Suzuki team are again at full strength with John Hopkins and Leon Camier, the British rider just returning from Japan where he took part in testing for the prestigious Suzuka 8 Hours race. The GSX-R1000 has won four times at Brno, the last time in 2007 with Max Biaggi: it could be a good weekend for the British team which is counting a lot on John Hopkins now being at the peak of his form following injuries in the early part of the season. There will be considerable home support for Liberty Racing Team Effenbert, the Italo-Czech team based in Prague, and which races with Czech rider Jakub Smrz, as well as Frenchman Sylvain Guintoli, who won at Assen, and Maxime Berger. Meanwhile Red Devils Ducati have replaced Niccolò Canepa with former Superstock 1000 champion Alex Polita for this round. Points (after 8 of 14 rounds): 1. Biaggi 248.5; 2. Melandri 200.5; 3. Rea 183; 4. Checa 175.5; 5. Sykes 172.5; 6. Haslam 142; 7. Laverty 126; 8. Guintoli 110; 9. Giugliano 94; 10. Davies 78; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Aprilia 266; 2. Ducati 247.5; 3. BMW 242; 4. Honda 189; 5. Kawasaki 178.5; 6. Suzuki 63.5. World Supersport The World Supersport class lines up at Brno for round 8 of 13, with the Kawasaki-Honda duel still raging on and showing no signs of abating. The leader is Turkey’s Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki Lorenzini) followed at a distance of 16 points behind by Bogdanka PTR Honda man and Aragon winner Sam Lowes. In the break between Spain and the Czech Republic rounds Sofuoglu flew to Turkey to have a knee operation following the injury picked up in a crash at Imola in early spring. The two-times champion is fine and will be back on track this weekend. Lowes is now in a position to strike back, and so is his team-mate, Frenchman Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda) who is currently third, 33 points behind Sofuoglu. This year’s sensation threw away a possible win when he crashed out of the lead at Aragon. Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Intermoto Step) and Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda) are also notching up the points, hoping to capitalize on any mistakes by the men up front. Meanwhile the Brno race will see the return of fast Frenchman Florian Marino to the scene, as he lines up with a promising new Indian-backed Kawasaki squad called MSD R-N Racing Team India. Points (after 7 of 13 rounds): 1. Sofuoglu 117; 2. Lowes 101; 3. Cluzel 84; 4. Foret 83; 5. Parkes 66; 6. Baldolini 54; 7. Morais 53; 8. Quarmby 44; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 156; 2. Kawasaki 151; 3. Triumph 76; 4. Yamaha 60; 5. Suzuki 6. Superstock 1000 In the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup the man at the front Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet) has just one point’s lead over Eddi La Marra (Barni Racing Team Italia Ducati) and 8 over another talented young Italian Lorenzo Savadori (Barni Racing Team Italia Ducati). The under-26 category, which reaches its sixth round of ten, has so far been full of action and surprises. Barrier has won three times but two errors have kept his closest rivals, who are simultaneously developing the new Ducati 1199 Panigale machine, within shouting distance. Also in with a shot at the title are Lorenzo Baroni (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet), fourth and 19 points behind Barrier, and Australian Bryan Staring, who has finally got the Kawasaki sorted as a race-winning machine after his triumph at Aragon. Points (after 5 of 10 rounds): 1. Barrier 75; 2. La Marra 74; 3. Savadori 67; 4. Baroni 56; 5. Reiterberger 52; 6. Guarnoni 46; 7. Staring 45; 8. Bergman 40; etc. Manufacturers: 1. BMW 100; 2. Ducati 87; 3. Kawasaki 85; 4. Honda 36; 5. Aprilia 15. Superstock 600 Riccardo Russo (Team Italia FMI Yamaha) leads the way in the European Superstock 600 standings for under 22 year-olds with six points’ advantage over Dutchman Michael van der Mark (EAB Ten Kate Junior Team Honda). These two have dominated the season so far, winning three and two races respectively and are looking to be the likely candidates for the eventual title win. 19 year-old Russo also heads the Italian domestic CIV standings, while in the sixth round at Brno his Dutch rival will have a new team-mate, another 19 year-old Italian: Ferruccio Lamborghini, who replaces Switzerland’s Bastien Cheseaux. With three podiums in five races, MTM Racing Yamaha’s Gauthier Duwelz is rapidly becoming a force to be reckoned with, while other youngsters to watch include Italian Christian Gamarino (GO Eleven Kawasaki) and seventh-placed Australian Adrian Nestorovic (MTM Yamaha). Points (after 5 of 10 rounds): 1. Russo 106; 2. Vd Mark 99; 3. Duwelz 58; 4. Calero Perez 50; 5. Vitali 42; 6. Gamarino 33; 7. Nestorovic 28; 8. Chesaux 26; etc. KTM European Junior Cup The European Junior Cup category for under-19s on identical KTM Duke 690 machines directly supplied by the Mattighofen manufacturer in Austria moves into its second half of the season. Round 5 at Brno will see Spain’s Javier Orellana leading the way thanks to a win in his home race at Aragon. After a slow start to the season Orellana, born on 27 July 1997, has now worked his way to the top. He lies just one point ahead of Austrian Lukas Wimmer, who won at Misano, while the only female rider in the category, Spain’s Victoria Alcala is still searching for her first points. Points (after 4 of 8 rounds): 1. Orellana 46; 2. Wimmer 45; 3. Vidal 39; 4. Demoulin 35; 5. Wielebski 30; 6. Pasek 25; 7. Garcia 25; 8. Lewis 25; etc. Coppa dei Due Paesi (Two Nations Cup) Brno is the venue for the second round of the Coppa dei Due Paesi, the promo series for Superstock riders from Italy and Russia. The first round at Misano was dominated by Leonardo Biliotti, a rider who is also rapidly emerging on the domestic scene with his domination of the one-make Yamaha R6 Series. A healthy entry list of 22 riders will line up in the Czech Republic with the Russian representatives out for revenge. In 2011 the Coppa dei Due Paesi was won by Russia’s Vladimir Leonov, who currently races in World Supersport. The series concludes on August 26 at Moscow Raceway. Points (after 1 of 3 rounds): 1. Biliotti 25; 2. Sacchetti 20; 3. Vostarek 16; 4. Mamola 13; 5. Vlasov 11; 6. Buccheri 10; 7. Frosi 9; 8. Valla 8; etc. More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport: Czech Republic Brno. Preview. 20th 22nd July 2012 9th of 14 race weekends Munich/Stephanskirchen, 17th July 2012. Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport is in action at another iconic racetrack this weekend. The ninth round of the 2012 FIM Superbike World Championship will take place at the “Automotodrom Brno” in Brno in the Czech Republic. Brno has been closely associated with the history of motorcycle racing for decades. Eight race weekends into the season, factory rider Marco Melandri (ITA) is currently second in the Riders’ Championship on 200.5 points, 48 behind leader Max Biaggi (ITA). Marco’s team-mate Leon Haslam (GBR) is sixth on 142 points. The pair has already claimed three wins, eleven podiums and three fastest laps for BMW Motorrad Motorsport this season. Together, they have already scored 342.5 points for the team. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, BMW is third with 242 points. Only the best result from each race counts towards this championship. Marco has good memories of Brno: he finished first and runner-up there last year and set the fastest lap in both races. After the last round at Motorland Aragón (ESP), Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport remained at the circuit to take part in the official Infront test. The team tried out the new 17-inch tyres for next season. They also prepared for the coming races, working on the set-up of Marco’s and Leon’s BMW S 1000 RRs. The two factory riders then headed to Garmisch-Partenkirchen (GER), where they visited the BMW Motorrad Days. Brno from the rider’s point of view: Marco Melandri: “I really like Brno because it is a very fast and smooth circuit. The turns are not too fast, most of them are second gear corners and just a few times you turn in third gear. However, you can use all the power of the engine between the corners. The layout is really good fun because it is up and down and the track is very wide. Last year I was successful there and I am confident for this race weekend. I think that our RR will work quite well on this track. I am excited about going there. The weather could be a little bit unstable, so we will see. The BMW Motorrad Days at Garmisch-Partenkirchen were very good fun. I have never been there before and was overwhelmed it was such a huge event. There were so many different kinds of people who all shared the same passion for motorcycles. It was very nice to be there and I was very proud to see so many BMW fans.” Leon Haslam: “I am really looking forward to Brno. I love racing there. The circuit has a lot of history. It is fast, flowing and wide and the layout is quite unique with its up and down sections. The characteristics of the circuit should suit our RR. Last year we had a tough weekend there, so I am looking forward to getting a better result there this year. I am still missing a podium there, so that is definitely the target for this weekend. The weekend at the BMW Motorrad Days was great. There were many exciting attractions and it was amazing to see so many motorcycle enthusiasts. It was good to meet them without the pressure of a race weekend and to give them a few insights into racing and the Superbike World Championship.” Brno from a technical point of view: Andrea Dosoli (Head of Race Operations): “Brno is an historical circuit, and it will be an important event for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport. Both of our riders and crews are very motivated and looking forward to Sunday’s races on a track that should suit the characteristics of our BMW S 1000 RR. Its changes in direction and the last uphill section will be just right for our powerful BMW engine. Leon has shown in Aragón that he is capable of performing well everywhere, even on those tracks where he has struggled in the past. We are confident that he will do the same in Brno. Marco and his crew have been working hard to prepare for this event on a track where he has already won last year. This will be an extra motivation to work even harder, as every race is a new challenge. Both of our riders will try to benefit from the changes to the chassis settings, which we tested on Monday during the official Infront test in Aragón.” Brno from Pirelli’s point of view: For the two races in the ninth round of the Superbike World Championship which will be held next weekend on the Brno circuit, Pirelli will bring four different solutions for the front and just as many for the rear, as well as intermediate and wet tyres. On the front the Superbike riders will be able to choose from two SC1 compound alternatives and two SC2 compounds, including those in the 2012 range. For the rear, on the other hand, they will have two SC0 compound solutions and two SC1 compounds available to them. The former refers to the R548 solution, already used by various riders in the Misano Adriatico (ITA) round where it made its first appearance, and the R874, a new tyre, never before used in oversize profile that Pirelli decided to bring to Brno because the heat and the long, fast curves make for an interesting setting to see how it will perform also in view of the development of future 17 inch tyres. The two solutions in the SC2 compound area are the already well known P1060 as the 2012 range SC2 and the R302, a tyre which riders tested for the first time at Imola (ITA) and which has already used in a few races this year, even with very different asphalt temperatures, well-liked by many of the riders. Background: Brno is located on the south-east edge of the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands. With over 400,000 residents, it is the second largest city in the Czech Republic. The capital Prague is about 250 kilometres away, while Vienna (AUT) is roughly 150 kilometres away. Brno enjoys a close association with international motorcycle racing, which has played an important role here for decades. The first races were held back in 1930 in the old “Automotodrom Brno”, which was also known as the “Masaryk Ring”. The Motorcycle World Championship was a regular visitor to Brno between 1965 and 1982. However, the old facility failed to meet modern safety standards in the mid-1980s. The new “Automotodrom” was opened about ten kilometres from the old circuit in 1987. The Superbike World Championship made its debut here in 1993 and Brno has been a permanent fixture on the World Championship calendar since 2005. Last year Marco Melandri (ITA), now a BMW Motorrad factory rider, claimed a victory and a second place behind Max Biaggi (ITA), as well as setting the fastest lap in both races. The MotoGP series also visits Brno every year. The undulating 5.403-kilometre circuit weaves its way through hilly woodland and features climbs as steep as eight per cent. The lowest point on the track is 70 metres below the level of the pit lane. The width and many full-throttle passages makes Brno a very fast and flowing circuit. On the one hand, the engine performance is key here. On the other hand, however, the riders must show the right feel for the corners. On top of this, the bikes must also have the right set-up, as the riders find themselves braking downhill into one corner and then uphill into the next. From the start/finish straight, the circuit leads the riders slightly uphill into a long 180-degree right-hander, which is taken at high speed. When accelerating out of the bend, they must try to take as much speed as possible into the next left-hander, which can be negotiated at full throttle. The track now heads through various corners into the valley, at the bottom of which await a straight and a fast right-hander before the steep climb back uphill begins with a left-right chicane. It is important to exit the chicane with plenty of momentum and use the engine’s full capacity on the uphill section. The lap ends with a flowing left-right combination, which leads back onto the start/finish straight. This combination of corners is another key point on the circuit, as the riders must find a good line in order to take as much speed as possible onto the straight. More, from a press release issued by Althea Racing: CHECA AND GIUGLIANO (ALTHEA RACING) ON TRACK FOR SBK ROUND 9, THIS WEEKEND AT BRNO Brno (Czech Republic), Tuesday 17th July 2011: the Althea Racing team now travels to the Brno Circuit, in the Czech Republic for round 9 of the World Superbike Championship, scheduled for this coming weekend. At the recent Aragon race Carlos’ home round the Spaniard was pleased to step up to the podium in race 1 with a third place finish, before closing race 2 in seventh position. SBK rookie Davide gained another clutch of valuable points, with two top ten finishes, consolidating his position in the standings. One year ago at the Czech track Carlos secured solid points thanks to a double podium finish, when he crossed the line in third place in both of the day’s races. Davide crossed the line in second position in the Superstock 1000 race, missing out on the win by just 0.070 of a second! After the first eight of fourteen championship rounds, Carlos lies in fourth position in the general standings with 175.5 points while Davide is in ninth place with 94 points. Ducati holds 247.5 points in the manufacturer’s championship and is second position to Aprilia with 266 points. Carlos Checa “I like this track actually, despite the long straightway! Last season brought me my best Brno SBK result so far; the double podium finish gave me solid points at an important stage of the championship. I definitely need a points boost now, and hope that conditions allow us to make two strong races on Sunday. We’re now into the second half of the championship and competition will be tough but we’re ready to fight.” Checa’s Superbike form at Brno 2011: Race 1 3rd, Race 2 3rd 2010: Race 1 9th, Race 2 6th 2009: Race 1 2nd, Race 2 5th 2008: Race 1 8th, Race 2 DNF Davide Giugliano: “My best Brno experience to date came last year when I finished the Stock 1000 race in second place, I’m only sorry that I missed out on the win by so little! This year in Superbike I am continuing to work hard, gain experience and grow race by race. Everyone knows that this track isn’t the easiest for the Ducati but you can be sure that I’ll be fighting hard to take as many points as possible as I try to improve my position in the standings.” Country: Czech Republic Circuit: Automotodrom Brno Length: 5.403 km Pole Position: left Race distance: 20 laps = 108.060 km LAP RECORDS: Best lap Crutchlow (Yamaha) 1’59.291 (2010). Superpole Crutchlow (Yamaha) 1’58.018 (2010). 2011 RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Biaggi (Aprilia) 2. Melandri (Yamaha); 3. Checa (Ducati). Race 2 1. Biaggi (Aprilia) 2. Melandri (Yamaha); 3. Checa (Ducati) More, from a press release issued by Honda: FIM SUPERBIKE / SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND 09 SUNDAY JULY 22 BRNO, CZECH REPUBLIC PREVIEW HONDA SUPERBIKE RIDERS READY FOR LATEST CHALLENGE AT BRNO 2012 FIM Superbike World Championship competitors Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team) and Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team) now face the challenge of the undulating Brno circuit in the Czech Republic for what will be the ninth round of the year. The circuit is far from an unknown quantity for the Honda pairing, and after a successful test for both riders on their CBR1000RR machines immediately in Spain after the Motorland Aragon race last time out, they are ready to push for points once more at the modern classic circuit near the old closed road track which used to host Czech GPs. Rea’s two race wins in 2012 have taken his career total to 10 while his mid-season push has now placed him third in the rankings, 65.5 points behind championship leader Max Biaggi (Aprilia), but only 17.5 points behind Marco Melandri (BMW). Rea has won on a Honda Superbike before at Brno, taking race one in 2010, from a third place starting slot on the grid. Aoyama has yet to race a Superbike at Brno, but as part of a successful GP career he took a podium on a 250cc machine at Brno. Aoyama is heading back to Europe after conducting tests for the famous Suzuka 8-Hour race back in his native Japan after his outings at Aragon. After Brno, Silverstone in the UK hosts the tenth round of the SBK championship, on August 5. LOWES AND CLUZEL AIMING TO MOVE ON AGAIN The eighth round of the 2012 FIM Supersport World Championship will take place at Brno this weekend as the championship fight begins to harden into what is appearing to be a four-way fight for supremacy. Two Honda riders are in that leading four, Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) in overall second and Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda) in third. Points leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki) looked like he was making a break prior to the revised final result of the previous round at Motorland Aragon, but he is now only 16 points ahead of Lowes, who won his second race of the year in Spain. Lowes is in turn 17 points ahead of Cluzel, who took victory at the Monza race earlier in the year. Pole positions have been fought out between Lowes and Cluzel with regularity this year, with Lowes taking four and Cluzel two. The only other rider to score a pole in 2012 is Honda man Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products) at his home round of Phillip Island. That was also the venue for his only podium score so far, but Parkes is still overall fifth in the rankings, with designs on more top three finishes before season end. Ronan Quarmby (PTR Honda) is another podium man for Honda in 2012, sitting in eighth place overall as the circus heads to Brno. The South African rider is keen to get back to posting another top three result after his early success at Imola. Roberto Tamburini (Team Lorini Honda) has nearly been inside the top three on two occasions this year, but he is still inside the top ten in points. His team-mate Raffaele De Rosa (Team Lorini Honda) has not been present for the full season so far, but is still currently ranked 17th overall. Massimo Roccoli (Kuja Racing Honda) is a substitute rider for Roberto Anastasia at this round, although Roccoli has been riding Yamaha machinery until this point, to put himself 15th in the points. Imre Toth (Racing Team Toth Honda) occupies 16th place in the rankings, but is confident that he and his team can get back into the top ten finishing places they targeted at the beginning of the year. Balazs Nemeth (Racing Team Toth Honda) completes the current top 20 positions in the championship, with Valentin Debise (SMS Honda) 24th. The PRORACE Honda team has tasted victory in 2012 already, with one-off rider Lorenzo Lanzi, at an almost waterlogged Assen back in April, but once more they return to the track with new regular rider, Gabor Talmacsi. Mathew Scholtz (Bogdanka PTR Honda) and Martin Jessopp (Riders PTR Honda) join Pawel Szkopek (Bogdanka Honda PTR) as more regular Honda riders keen to put in season best finishes at Brno. Brno has been generally kind to Honda riders over the years, with the two most recent race winners each taking victories on CBR600RR machinery. HONDA RIDER COMMENTS Jonathan Rea (Honda World Superbike Team): “I love the circuit at Brno and I had my first ever world championship race win there, on a Honda in 2008 in World Supersport. It seems to be a track that I bond with pretty good. Although I missed the round there last year my pace there in 2010 was pretty OK. Our bike is kind of progressing and I am really excited, even if Aragon was a tough round for us. We struggled there a little bit because we did not have any previous data. But for Brno we have a lot of previous information from there. We tested at Aragon after the race and we tried a lot of electronics bits and pieces, so it was a bit of a data gathering exercise for us. I love Brno and I am looking forward to going there.” Hiroshi Aoyama (Honda World Superbike Team): “I have raced this circuit before so I know the layout. In the summertime in Brno it can be very hot, so it can be tough. I know the track and I got a positive feeling at the last test, and I want to keep this positive feeling for the Brno race weekend. I want to start with a good feeling and a good lap time on Friday, and stay in the Superpole positions, as it is important to do that to get a good grid position.” Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda): “We won the race at Aragon, but I know we need to continue working hard. Brno is a track that I like and I know I can do a good job there so I’m looking forward to the weekend and the rest of the season. Brno is a fast and flowing circuit with a lot of elevation changes and character. It’s an enjoyable track to ride and produces some good racing. That’s why so many fans and riders like it. It’s a home race for Bogdanka with a lot of Polish fans in the stands so I’ll try to do my best to put on a great performance. We need to get as many points as we can this weekend and keep closing on Kenan in the standings.” Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda): “My main target for Brno is to finish the race. I’d like to challenge for the podium, but my first aim is to finish as I made a mistake at the last round and now need to score good points for the Championship. At Aragon I was very surprised by the crash and it was a combination of many things – temperature, hard tyre on the front, heavy fuel load, windy and too much lean angle. I lost the front and don’t want to do that again. I will do my best, my target is to finish the race.” Ronan Quarmby (PTR Honda): “I really enjoyed the last race at Aragon and feel that we made big steps with the set-up of my PTR Honda to suit my riding style. I am super-confident that we can get a good result at Brno; I can’t wait to get racing again. I’m eighth in the Championship now and want to improve that as well.” Imre Toth (Racing Team Toth Honda): “I have a big expectation for Brno because it is my home race. We have a lot of fans that come to see us. Also, we like the track and we scored some points there last year. Our bike should work well there. It is very important to get the right suspension settings for Brno, as it can be a little bit difficult for that there. But the work we have put in during previous times should help us to take a better final result.” Mathew Scholtz (Bogdanka PTR Honda): “I know Brno and actually have a race win under my belt there so I’m feeling confident ahead of the weekend. We’ve been unlucky in the last few races so I’m looking to put everything together this weekend and score some solid points at Bogdanka’s home round.” Martin Jessopp (Riders PTR Honda): “My shoulder is as good as it will be until I have an operation at the end of the year – it is back to how it was before I broke my collarbone, so no issues. My back is still sore, but will be no problem on the bike. My foot is a lot better as well, and while I am not a long distance running it will be fine riding a bike. I rode at Brno nine years ago and loved it from what I can remember. I aim to get into the points this weekend. I will start strong and try to qualify better. I want to use qualifying to get as far up the grid as possible to give me a chance into the first corner.” Pawel Szkopek (Bogdanka Honda PTR) “I’m feeling good and confident ahead of Brno. Having raced at Aragon after returning from injury, I now know that I can ride well, so I’m looking forward to getting back on my bike again. Brno is a home race both for myself and Bogdanka, so I’ll do my best to give the Polish fans a good reason to celebrate. It’s a fast and fun track, but it’s also very demanding, so it will be a busy weekend, but I can’t wait to get it started and go for a decent result on Sunday.”