September 2006, Eurospeedway Lausitz (Germany) The World Superbike Championship is about to face the final acts of its latest exciting season, with a championship standing that may feature a substantial advantage for leader Bayliss, but is also promises a fantastically open contest behind Troy B. At the Lausitz track the battle will be to keep the Championship open, to postpone the victory party for Ducati and Bayliss that now seems almost sure. But more than this: Toseland and Haga are fighting closely for second position in the Championship, and with them there will also be Pitt, looking for a prestigious result to convince Yamaha he’s still a rider who deserves the investment of another season. There are also the two Suzuki Alstare riders and Lorenzo Lanzi, who became a star here last season, winning a race and convincing the team Ducati Xerox outfit to offer him an official bike in 2006. With them in the upper echelons are the green Kawasakis, which can now score important results, as they proved last round at Assen, where they took a win (Walker) and a third place (Nieto). Alex Barros, with his Klaffi Honda, is also expected to figure strongly – especially after a solid test here earlier in the year. Easy then to predict another two exciting races for this round, on a racetrack which has proved to be technical and quite tortuous in previous visits. For the SBK class Pirelli has brought the DIABLO SUPERBIKE in three different front solutions (of which the “A” and “C” are those that everyday riders are used to buying under the name of “SC1″ and “SC2″) and four different rear solutions – plus as usual the qualifying tyre. This is the choice, if we have a dry race, otherwise riders will move from the slick tyres to grooved products – “Intermediate”, “Rain” and “Full Rain” tyres. Aside from the SBK class, the Supersport category will be the most closely conteseted, as Australian rider Curtain proved when he leapfrogged 2005 World Champion Charpentier to take the series lead at Assen. The single rider maximum of 75 points to be assigned from now on in offer us the prospect of a grandstand season finish. Also for the Supersport class, Pirelli has brought more solutions: 2 front and 2 rears, but the rules do not allow the use of a qualifier. SS is raced with DIABLO SUPERCORSA tyres, the new 17″ DOT tyre presented by Pirelli for the first time at the Misano round. Adding the wet weather tyres, the two Superstock 1000 (Pirelli DRAGON SUPERCORSA PRO SC2) choices and Superstock 600 (Pirelli DIABLO CORSA III- Three zone compound) materials, we reach the total of almost 6,000 tyres in Lausitz, brought by Pirelli to provide a weekend of ultimate emotions and adrenaline overload. More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: TOSELAND READY TO DEFEND SECOND PLACE AT WORLD SUPERBIKE ROUND IN GERMANY Notwithstanding that the Assen race didn’t go quite how the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team hoped, the Dutch race delivered an important result: second position in the World Championship standings for James Toseland. This is the primary objective for the tough English rider for the last three rounds of the season; going out to defend his overall second, starting off by aiming for two podium placings in Germany. The team also expects a good performance from Karl Muggeridge, who is looking for his first podium of the season. The Australian rider was unlucky in Assen race 1, when he slipped on the wet track while he was in fourth position, but fortunately there were no resultant injuries. On Sunday the Eurospeedway races will give him a chance to step up to at least one plateau of the German podiums. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “The Race in Assen didn’t go as we wished, also because of the weather conditions, which didn’t allow us to work with any great continuity. What comforts me is that both Karl and James never gave up, especially James who picked himself up after a fall and a straight-on, which saw him on the grass. At the end of the races all of us weren’t so happy, but I saw in my riders’ eyes their desire for immediate revenge.” James Toseland Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “The only positive thing to come out of Assen is that I took back second position in the world standing. I think this has become the main the objective of the season, because I think Bayliss is now a bit too far ahead; but I’ll try my best as usual anyway. From Lausitz, it will be the start of start my defence of second position, while still trying to win as many race as possible.” Karl Muggeridge Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “I can’t deny that I want to just forget about the Assen weekend really soon. In particular I still have a bitter taste in my mouth about how race one went while I was in fourth position: I had a great feeling with the bike and I was sure I could have stepped on the podium. I’m happy we have the Lausitz race straight away and I can have another shot at stepping on the podium, something that for one or other reason I’ve missed out on so far.” CHARPENTIER LOOKS TO REGAIN WORLD SUPERSPORT LEAD AT LAUSITZ The objectives of the Winston Ten Kate Honda Team at Lausitz, for the tenth round of the SS World Championship, could not be clearer. To recover at least seven points in the championship for one rider, and confirm the Assen victory for another. The principal attentions are of course concentrated on Sebastien Charpentier, who will try his best to recover this leadership in the World standings, helped by his physical condition, which is now back to normal like at the beginning of the season. In his assault on Curtain’s lead, the French rider will surely be able to count on Kenan Sofuoglu, who is putting together a great final part of the season, mostly thanks to his victory in Assen. The Eurospeedway track is also one of Kenan’s favourites, and he is determinate to achieve the same result he gathered in Assen. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “For Supersport the Assen weekend was full of satisfaction. Because Kenan won a great race, his first career WSS race win, and because we have seen Sebastien in the back to the same condition as in the beginning of the season – apart from a bit of pain in his back. I am sorry to have lost the leadership of the championship but I am convinced that we have all that is needed to get it back. Of course from now on Seb cannot make any mistakes, but I know he can win all the races. Kenan can also help him out, after he showed us what his true value is.” Sebastien Charpentier Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “Despite the fact that I lost the leadership of the championship I am sort of satisfied, with Assen, because I could finally understand that my physical condition is back to normal. At Lausitz on Sunday I will feel even better. I just need to solve the little problem I had at my back. I have seven points to recover but there are still 75 points available, therefore everything is possible.” Kenan Sofuoglu Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider “My first victory gave enormous satisfaction to me and I think also my team. I have to thank them so much for all the support they gave me, even when things didn’t go so well. I am only sorry that Sebastien didn’t make it to the podium for only two tenths of a second but in the next three races I will do my best to give him a hand. Lausitz is one of my favourite tracks. I count on continuing the positive form I have shown for three races now.” More, from a press release issued by Millet Racing Yamaha Junior Team: SAVARY 7TH IN WORLD SUPERSTOCK 600 CHAMPIONSHIP HEADING INTO LAUSITZ Michael Savary did a beautiful race in Assen last Sunday when he finished 9th and he is now 7th of the championship. Franck Millet ended up in 19th position. The Millet Racing Yamaha Junior Team is nom ready for the 8th race of the season to be held next weekend in Lausitz (Germany). During the Assen practices, the situation was initially difficult with Savary in 21st position and Millet in 23rd. On race day, Michael Savary had an excellent start and was 7th at the end of lap 1. Franck Millet was then 17th. At the end of the race, Michael Savary finished 9th and Franck Millet 19th. The great performance of Savary allows him to be now 7th of the championship and first of the Yamaha R6s. THE EUROSPEEDWAY LAUSITZ RACE TRACK Lausitz was opened on August 20th 2000. The racing complex follows current trends and includes an oval and a road circuit. This type of configuration originated in the United States but can now be found more and more frequently elsewhere. Examples are Rockingham (near Northampton in England), Jacarepagua (Brazil) opened in 1978, Welkom (South Africa, opened in 1999) and Motegi (Japan, opened in 1997). Stretching over 570 hectares, the Lausitz EuroSpeedway offers sprint events like Superbike a 4265km long circuit. But F1 racing can also be catered for, over a 4.5km long course, Endurance racing has a 11.3km circuit while the Super Speedway tri-oval is 3.2km long. There are a total of 120,000 seats for spectators with 96,000 of them giving a full view of the circuit. Total tarmac surface is an impressive 90,000m2. Compare that to Valencia’s already large 49,066m2 or Oschersleben’s 60,000m2. EUROSPEEDWAY LAUSITZ STATS Practice record (2005): 1’46.822 Niccolò Canepa (Kawasaki) 143.730 kph Lap record (best race time 2005): 1’47.365 Yoann Tiberio (Honda), 143.007 kph Race results 2005: 1- Berger (Honda) 2- Tiberio (Honda) 3- Simeon (Suzuki) 4- Antonelli (Kawasaki) 5-Jezek (Kawasaki) Championship: 1-Siméon (Suzuki) 160 points, 2-Canepa (Ducati) 126, 3-Giugliano (Kawasaki) 100″¦7-Savary (Yamaha) 41″¦11-Millet (Yamaha) 30 More, from a press release issued by Ducati Xerox: TENTH WIN TAKES BAYLISS CLOSER TO SECOND WSBK TITLE Lausitz (Germany): Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) took a major step forward towards winning a second World Superbike title just a few days ago at Assen, where the Dutch round of the championship was held. A win in the second race, with two DNFs for his closest rival Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha), took Troy’s championship lead to 100 with three rounds and 150 points remaining. “It has been pretty much on my mind this week” declared Troy about his chances this weekend. “I realise that if I have a good weekend here then I could wrap it up but maybe for the Ducati fans it would be better if I won the title at Imola! Seriously speaking, I am just thinking to get on my bike and plan to win like I always do! But now I’m here, we can start tomorrow like any normal weekend. This is my third time at the Eurospeedway, I haven’t raced here for a few years, but we had a good test in the summer. I’ve had three wins and a second from four starts which is a good record and I enjoy riding here. Actually Lausitz is quite a hard track for us because it seems that the fours have more acceleration, but our bike works well over the full lap. It’s not going to be easy this weekend, that’s for sure”. After a difficult season that has netted him just two podiums, Lorenzo Lanzi hopes to recapture some of the form that took him to a sensational maiden World Superbike win just twelve months ago at the Eurospeedway. “We come from the race at Assen, which could have gone better given the expectations we had during practice and qualifying” declared Lorenzo. “The Lausitzring race is a race that last year marked a major change in my career because it helped me to join the factory team. Luckily the weather looks good this weekend so we shouldn’t have the same problems we had at Assen. Lausitz is not one of my favourite tracks and I won’t have the ‘surprise’ factor anymore but we went well in testing and I’m sure I can do a couple of good races”. The Eurospeedway Lausitz is now a permanent fixture on the World Superbike calendar. Built as a tri-oval for Indycars with a twisty infield section, the imposing structure hosts the German round of the championship for the fourth time. Troy Bayliss has already won three races at the German track, in 2001 and 2002, while the other Ducati win went to Lorenzo Lanzi last year. Honda are the only other manufacturer to triumph at the Lausitzring, with Colin Edwards taking the honours in 2001 and Chris Vermeulen in 2005. THE CIRCUIT Name: Eurospeedway Lausitz Length: 4.265 km Pole Position: right Finish line length: 650 metres Race distance: 2 x 24 laps/102.360 km CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after 9 of 12 rounds): Riders – 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 332; 2. Toseland (Honda) 232; 3. Haga (Yamaha) 230; 4. Pitt (Yamaha) 197; 5. Corser (Suzuki) 193; 6. Barros (Honda) 175; 7. Kagayama (Suzuki) 139; 8. Walker (Kawasaki) 123; 9. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 115; etc. Manufacturers – 1. Ducati 351; 2. Yamaha 299; 3. Honda 292; 4. Suzuki 282; 5. Kawasaki 181; 6. Petronas 13. STATISTICS: Best lap: Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m39.019s (2005). Lap record: Xaus (Ducati) 1m39.679s (2002). Superpole: Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m39.019s. 2005 RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Vermeulen (Honda); 2. Haga (Yamaha); 3. Corser (Suzuki). Race 2 – 1. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox); 2. Vermeulen; 3. Haga.