FIM Superbike World Championship Valencia, Spain April 6, 2008 Race Two Results: 1. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), 23 laps, 37:03.759 2. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 1098 F08), -1.551 seconds 3. Carlos CHECA (Hon CBR1000RR), -2.903 4. Ryuichi KIYONARI (Hon CBR1000RR), -7.277 5. Troy CORSER (Yam YZF-R1), -8.051 6. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000), -9.223 7. Ruben XAUS (Duc 1098 RS08), -10.164 8. Max BIAGGI (Duc 1098 RS08), -10.614 9. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), -17.234 10. Fonsi NIETO (Suz GSX-R1000), -18.100 11. Gregorio LAVILLA (Hon CBR1000RR), -18.288 12. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 1098 RS08), -18.826 13. Michel FABRIZIO (Duc 1098 F08), -21.770 14. Jakub SMRZ (Duc 1098 RS08), -22.872 15. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Hon CBR1000RR), -25.224 16. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), -25.301 17. Roberto ROLFO (Hon CBR1000RR), -25.509 18. David CHECA (Yam YZF-R1), -25.615 19. Russell HOLLAND (Hon CBR1000RR), -26.503 20. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), -35.171 21. Ayrton BADOVINI (Kaw ZX-10R), -53.624 22. Diego LOZANO ORTIZ (Hon CBR1000RR), -54.672 23. Luca MORELLI (Hon CBR1000RR), -60.537 24. Shuhei AOYAMA (Hon CBR1000RR), -84.952 25. Carmelo MORALES (Yam YZF-R1), -1 lap 26. Makoto TAMADA (Kaw ZX-10R), -16 laps, DNF, crash 27. Loic NAPOLEONE (Yam YZF-R1), -17 laps, DNF, retired World Championship Point Standings (after 6 of 28 races): 1. Bayliss, 128 points 2. Nieto, 88 3. TIE, Corser/Carlos Checa, 72 5. Xaus, 68 6. Haga, 47 7. Biaggi, 44 8. Lanzi, 42 9. Neukirchner, 39 10. Fabrizio, 37 11. Lavilla, 32 12. Kiyonari, 30 13. Sofuoglu, 22 14. Muggeridge, 20 15. Kagayama/Rolfo, 18 17. Smrz, 17 18. Laconi, 16 19. Tamada, 13 20. Holland, 10 More, from a press release issued by Ducati Xerox: Sunday Apr 6 2008 Race – Valencia BAYLISS AND THE DUCATI XEROX TEAM TAKE SECOND PLACE TWICE OVER IN VALENCIA Valencia (Spain), Sunday 6th April: Australian Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) increased his championship lead today in Valencia after taking an impressive second place finish in Race 1 and then repeating that performance again in Race 2. Towards the end of Race 1 Troy was lying in fourth place but due to the unexpected crash between frontrunners Neukirchner and Checa in the very final stages, he took a very useful 20 points. In Race 2, a strong start put Bayliss immediately ahead of the pack but a hard battle against Haga ensued and ultimately Bayliss relinquished the win to the Yamaha rider. Race 1 proved more difficult for team-mate Michel Fabrizio who, after a less than perfect start, quickly managed to move up several places but then pushed too hard in his efforts to pass Biaggi and came off in lap four, unable to get back on track. Fabrizio subsequently completed Race 2, fighting hard throughout, but had difficulty moving up through the ranks and problems with grip which meant he ultimately finished in thirteenth place. Bayliss, the current championship leader, now has 128 points and a 48 point advantage over second-placed Nieto while Fabrizio lies in ninth place with 37 points. Ducati leads the manufacturers championship with 140 points. Troy Bayliss (2nd place – race 1, 2nd place – race 2) “I was very happy with my results today, although it was a bit of a strange weekend, having had some problems with the bike in practice and qualifying. My congratulations go to Lorenzo (Lanzi), I’m very happy for him to have taken the win and he really deserved it. I thought I was going to finish in fourth and couldn’t believe what then happened with Neukirchner and Checa on the last lap but that’s racing I guess and gave me a second place finish. In race 2 I had a good battle with Nori. At one point I was in a position to fight for the win but in the end Hagi was in control. Anyway, I was hoping for good points as points make prizes and so we move on to the next round in a strong position.” Michel Fabrizio (DNF – race 1, 13th place – race 2) “In Race 1 I didn’t make the best start and then, although I was able to move up several places quite easily, unfortunately in trying to pass Biaggi, I just pushed too hard and went down. I already knew that this track is one of those places where, if you don’t get a good start, it’s very hard to catch up and in race 2 I demonstrated this. Anyway next week we go to test in Monza and then we have the next round in Assen, a track I really enjoy and have done well at in the past, so we’ll carry on working hard and hopefully do better in Holland.” RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Lanzi (Ducati), Bayliss (Ducati Xerox), Corser (Yamaha) Race 2 – 1. Haga (Yamaha), 2. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox), 3. Checa (Honda) CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS: Riders – 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 128; 2. Nieto (Suzuki) 80; 3. Corser (Yamaha) 72; 4. Checa (Honda) 72…… 9. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 37. Manufacturers – Ducati 140; Yamaha 95; Suzuki 86; Honda 73; Kawasaki 22 More, from a press release issued by Alstare Suzuki: Team Suzuki Alstare news 2008 Superbike World Championship Round 3, Valencia, Spain Sunday 6th April Circuit: 4.005 kms. Crowd: 60,000 (3-day) Conditions: Mostly overcast, 24-30C. MAX ROBBED OF DEBUT WIN AT THE LAST CORNER! Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner was heading for his first ever World Superbike win, but was taken out on the last corner on the last lap of the first race today. He had led the race from the start and even though Carlos Checa (Honda) closed in on his rear end on the last lap, Max was in front as they entered the last turn. Then Checa tried an impossible manoeuvre up the inside of Max and his rear wheel hit Max, causing both of them to crash. In the fall, Max broke his left collarbone, so could not get back on the bike, but Checa was able to remount and finish in fifth place. After yesterday’s euphoria, raceday did not live up to the team’s expectations. Fonsi Nieto finished a strong fourth in the first race and tenth in the second, despite suffering the same problem with grip he’s had all weekend. Yukio crashed out of race one, fortunately without injury, and took a hard fought for sixth in race two. After Neukirchner and Checa crashed in the first race, it was Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) who crossed the line first, followed by Troy Bayliss (Ducati) and Troy Corser (Yamaha). Race two was won by Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha), with Bayliss second and crowd favourite Checa third. Fonsi – Race 1: 4th, Race 2: 10th Well I’m not happy about the results but at least I am still second in the championship and the season is a very long one. You get days (or weekends) like this in racing, but I was able to stay on the bike and collect some points, despite problems with grip. Today I had the same problems I’ve had all weekend, but I just tried my best even though there was no front or rear grip. I think if I had pushed harder, I would’ve crashed, so I just carried on as best I could. Yukio – Race 1: DNF, Race 2: 6th I am not happy. Throughout the weekend everything has gone well and there have been no problems really. But today, we had problems and I could not make the results I expected. I don’t know why I crashed in the first race, but because it happened so suddenly I think I must have hit some water or oil on the track. I had braked normally and then I was on the floor! I was not injured, but my bike was damaged too badly to continue. I had to use my spare bike in race two and although it had the same set-up, there did not seem to be the same level of grip as my number one bike and the feeling was not good. The grip went down after just five or six laps and after ten laps my front tyre was destroyed, so the bike became very difficult to ride. But I was determined to keep going as long as I could and finish the race, and that’s what I did. Max – Race 1: DNF, Race 2: DNS I am more then disappointed. I could almost see the chequered flag when suddenly I was hit by Checa. He tried to dive up the inside of me in the last corner, but I don’t think there was enough room for him to do what he did and we both crashed. I broke my collarbone but, to make matters worse, he was able to get back on his bike and score some points. My weekend had gone perfectly up to that moment. I had been consistently fast and I had felt very comfortable on the bike. There was no problem for me leading the race, the only problem all weekend was what happened in the last corner. Results Race 1: 1 Lanzi (I-Ducati), 2 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 3 Corser (Aus-Yamaha), 4 Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare), 5 Checa (E-Honda), 6 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda), Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare) DNF, Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki) DNF, Race 2: 1 Haga (J-Yamaha), 2 Bayliss, 3 Checa, 4 Kiyonari (J-Honda), 5 Corser, 6 Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare), 10 Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare), Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki) DNS, Points: 1 Bayliss 128, 2 Fonsi Nieto 80, 3 Corser 72, 4 Checa 72, 5 Xaus 68, 6 Haga 47, 7 Biaggi 44, 8 Lanzi 42, 9 Max Neukirchner 39, 10 Fabrizio 37, 15 Yukio Kagayama 18 More, from a press release issued by the World Superbike Series organizers, FGSport: VALENCIA 3rd ROUND 4th, 5th and 6th APRIL Valencia, Sunday 6th April 2008 WINS FOR LANZI (DUCATI) AND HAGA (YAMAHA) IN SUPERBIKE ROUND 3 AT VALENCIA Lorenzo Lanzi (RG Ducati) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) took the wins in a spectacular day of action at Valencia in front of 60,000 spectators, a record attendance for World Superbikes at the Spanish circuit. Race 1: Carlos Checa (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) and Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Alstare) were the protagonists of the first race. Neukirchner led every lap from pole position until the final corner, when Checa dived inside, but the Spaniard crashed and took his German rival down with him. Neukirchner suffered a broken left collarbone in the incident and failed to take part in race 2, while Checa remounted to finish fifth. The win went to Lorenzo Lanzi, the third in his career, after he passed Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) with one lap to go. Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia) and Fonsi Nieto (Suzuki Alstare) were third and fourth, while Haga crashed out on lap 4 and Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati) finished out of the points in sixteenth place. “For me it’s a fantastic result” declared Lanzi. “We worked very well throughout the weekend to get this result. The team is a new one in World Superbikes this year and it’s difficult for us. It was a hard-fought race today, Troy is a world champion and is very fast but you need a bit of good luck in racing and I certainly had it today.” Results 1. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 37’01.894 (149,248 kph) 2. Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08 2.987 3. Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 7.287 4. Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R1000 11.992 5. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 12.824 6. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 13.125 7. Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 13.191 8. Laconi R. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 13.906 9. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-10R 17.254 10. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 18.606 Race 2: Bayliss led for seven laps but was passed by Checa. The Honda man then had a electrical problem on lap 12 and both he and Troy were passed by Haga on lap 12. The Japanese rider was able to hold off Bayliss until the end to take his first win of the year. Bayliss’s two second places increased his championship lead to 48 points over Nieto, who could only manage fourth and tenth today. Kiyonari (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) took his best result of the season in fourth, ahead of Corser, Kagayama, Xaus and Biaggi, who rode a heroic race to finish eighth. “Of course I am very happy for this result” declared Haga.”It was a fast race and unlike the first I actually had a good feeling with the bike. I lost the front and crashed with my first bike in race 1 and had to use my second bike for this one. Honestly today I was quite surprised for the win, but we know which is our problem and the team improvised and found the solutions to let me take the win. Results 1. Haga N. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1 37’03.759 (149,123 kph) 2. Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08 1.551 3. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 2.903 4. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 7.277 5. Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 8.051 6. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 9.223 7. Xaus R. (ESP) Ducati 1098 RS 08 10.164 8. Biaggi M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 10.614 9. Laconi R. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 17.234 10. Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R1000 18.100 Rider points: 1. Bayliss 128; 2. Nieto 80; 3. Corser & Checa 72; 5. Xaus 68; 6. Haga 47; 7. Biaggi 44; 8. Lanzi 42; etc. Manufacturer points: 1. Ducati 140; 2. Yamaha 95; 3. Suzuki 86; 4. Honda 73; 5. Kawasaki 22. World Supersport Joan Lascorz (Glaner Motocard.com Honda) scored a lights-to-flag win in front of his home crowd, his first victory in the championship. The 23-year-old from Barcelona now has a 16 point lead over Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport), who finished fourth. After poleman Andrew Pitt (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda) had crashed out on lap 5, the battle for the runner-up slot was between Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport) and Craig Jones (Parkalgar Racing Honda), with the Frenchman getting the edge. Gianluca Nannelli (HANNspree Honda Althea) rode to fifth place with an injured shoulder, while points leader Joshua Brookes (HANNspree Stiggy Motorsport) had to retire with a tyre problem. Superstock 1000 Brendan Roberts (Ducati Xerox Junior Team) proved to have a superior pace to the rest of the field as he powered to the win in the Superstock race. Davide Giugliano (Cruciani Moto Suzuki Italia) was right behind him until the very end, while Xavier Simeon from Belgium (Alstare Suzuki) took the final podium slot after a last-lap battle with Alessandro Polita and Claudio Corti. Simeon was then hit from behind by an over-enthusiastic Chris Seaton on the cool-down lap and limped up to the podium, while the Australian was taken to the Clinica Mobile with concussion. Superstock 600 – Baz Takes First 600 Win The European Superstock season got underway in dramatic fashion on Saturday with the 11 lap-race eventually decided on aggregate, after a machine went on fire on the track in the first running. The restart was led by the first leg top rider, Loris Baz (Yamaha YZF Junior Team), who went on to score the 25 points ahead of warring factions Daniel Arcas (Honda Merson), Danilo Petrucci (Team Trasimeno) and Dan Linfoot (Beowulf Yamaha). Arcas was disqualified for a technical irregularity. More, from a press release issued by Paul Bird Motorsport: BEST YET FOR LAVILLA AT VALENCIA Paul Bird Motorsport rider Gregorio Lavilla got to ride his 2008 Vent Axia VK Honda Fireblade in anger for the first time this weekend at the World Superbike Championship round in Valencia and set an immediate season best of seventh in race one. The Spanish rider followed that up with eleventh in race two, and he now sits eleventh overall in the championship, with 32 points. He is the second highest Honda rider in the rankings, two points ahead of his old BSB rival Ryuichi Kiyonari, and has scored in every race so far. After missing out in qualifying for Superpole by the narrowest of margins, the 2005 BSB Champion had to start from row five of the grid and on race day, the unexpectedly overcast conditions of race one were replaced by bright sunshine and air temperatures of over 30°C for race two. Lavilla was only 13 seconds from the win in the opener; 18 seconds from glory in race two with his bike being amongst the fastest through the speed trap all weekend. Lavilla’s team tested in Spain twice in quick succession before arriving at Valencia and despite still missing some key parts to bring the machine up to full standard, due to the late arrival of the machine itself, improvements have already been made over the outgoing model. Gregorio Lavilla: “It was a hard weekend in qualifying but better in the races. To miss Superpole by one thousandth of a second, and still be less than a second from pole, was hard. But that’s the championship; it gets tougher and tighter every year. We could get the bike to work OK on used tyres, not enough to win yet but not too bad. We need to improve the set-up for use with new tyres and qualifiers. That will come with knowledge of the bike. We need some more parts for the gearbox and transmission but that is also just time and opportunity to fit them. The rest of the riders seem to have more punch than us out of corners on their gearing right now, even though our engine is good.” Paul Bird: “A good weekend really, especially after qualifying with the new bike for the first time. It’s been fantastic, the guys have done so well with the bike and Greg has ridden great today. He’s been impressive; as fast as anyone on the track sometimes, and we are chuffed with the speed of the bike. We will get the braking system sorted for Assen, and I think the bike will be really strong at the next round. I think from now on we will be very competitive.” The next race takes place in Assen, on April 27, giving the team plenty of time to prepare the machine for its next stage of upgrade. More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: ROUND 3 VALENCIA 6th APRIL 2008 RACE REVIEW 6th April 2008, Valencia (Spain) The third round of the season for the Championship and the first with a full paddock at Valencia. After the first two overseas races the two ‘Stock’ classes started and the paddock was back to its full vitality. The good weather at Valencia allowed the riders to exploit their Pirelli tyres to the full, even on Friday, and records were broken. In the SBK class Max Neukirchner, in the SSP Andrew Pitt and even in the two Stock classes: there were new track record in all the classes and several more riders were under the previous records. The German SBK rider set an incredible 1’33.805 with his Suzuki, taking his first ever Superpole ahead of Kagayama, Bayliss and Xaus. In the SSP World Championship Honda scored its 50th pole position with Pirelli (the first was in 2000 with Karl Muggeridge) thanks to Pitt, who led Lascorz, Jones and Parkes. The first two winners in the Superstock classes, Baz and Roberts, were exciting for all to watch. WORLD SUPERBIKE RACE 1: AIR HUMIDITY 27% AIR TEMPERATURE 24°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 29° Once more the racetrack of Valencia proved to be quite difficult to handle in changeable temperatures. Tarmac readings lower than in the practice sessions (9° below) definitely changed the grip situation driving some riders into some trouble. In this situation, and in front of the Spanish public, Carlos Checa made a move through the pack with a race pace impossible for the others to keep. Checa really exploited the Pirelli DIABLO SBK tyres to their best, lapping constantly under 1’36. This allowed him to reach and then to pass Corser, Bayliss, Lanzi and then to reach the race leader Neukirchner, who took the lead at the green light and never let it go. The German rider was really close to his first race win, after a great weekend and the Superpole win, but unfortunately on the last corner of the last lap Checa made his attack – and crashed, with his bike sliding into Max’s, and he too crashed. Even more bitter for Neukirchner was a fractured left collarbone. At the end the winner was Lanzi, followed by Bayliss and Corser. Checa rejoined for 5th. Race Standings Rider Bike Team Race time 1 Lanzi Ducati 1098 RS 08 R. G. Team 37’01.894 2 Bayliss Ducati 1098 F 08 Ducati Xerox +2.987 3 Corser Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB +7.287 4 Nieto Suzuki GSX-R1000 Team Alstare Suzuki +11.992 5 Checa Honda CBR1000 RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda +12.824 WORLD SUPERBIKE RACE 2: AIR HUMIDITY 21% AIR TEMPERATURE 30°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 37° Race 2 at Valencia started without the pole-man Neukirchner and with a higher temperature compared to Race 1. At the green light the fastest man was Troy Bayliss, who led the race until the 6th lap. Again in great shape Carlos Checa took the first position from him, but then suffered an electronic problem and slowed down for a couple of laps, getting into 3rd before the bike went back to full power. Haga and his Yamaha exploited the situation, and with his DIABLO SBK “C” (hard) front and “A” (soft) rear he took a great win, ahead of Toy Bayliss and his Ducati. Behind Haga’s Yamaha was this Ducati and a Honda (Checa) – making three different bike manufacturers on the podium. It was a good result that made Checa happy, so happy that he stayed on with his supporters at the paddock show, running the Pirelli giveaway contest and presenting one of his Spanish fans with a set of the new Diablo Rosso tyres that Pirelli launched in mid-February, here in Spain, in Barcelona. Race Standings Rider Bike Team Race time 1 Haga Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 37’03.759 2 Bayliss Ducati 1098 F 08 Ducati Xerox +1.551 3 Checa Honda CBR1000RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda +2.903 4 Kiyonari Honda CBR1000RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda +7.277 5 Corser Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB +8.051 Championship Standings Rider Bike Team Points 1 Bayliss Ducati 1098 F 08 Ducati Xerox 128 2 Nieto Suzuki GSX-R1000 Alstare Suzuki 80 3 Corser Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 72 4 Checa Honda CBR1000RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 72 5 Xaus Ducati 1098 RS 08 Sterilgarda Go Eleven 68 6 Haga Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 47 7 Biaggi Ducati 1098 RS 08 Sterilgarda Go Eleven 44 8 Lanzi Ducati 1098 RS 08 R. G. Team 42 9 Neukirchner Suzuki GSX-R1000 Team Alstare Suzuki 39 10 Fabrizio Ducati 1098 F 08 Ducati Xerox 37 WORLD SUPERSPORT AIR HUMIDITY 26% AIR TEMPERATURE 25°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 30° Round three of the season in the Supersport World Championship again provided a great show, proving it’s definitely a competitive and thrilling championship. Pirelli DIABLO SUPERCORSAs once more offered us a great show, allowing the riders to break the records and adapt to the new bikes and different riders riding styles. Pitt, after taking the Superpole, crashed at the beginning of the race, letting his main contenders go. The race winner was Lascorz, a home rider racing with a Honda, up on Foret, Jones and Parkes. There was a 5th place for Nannelli, despite his injured shoulder. Lascorz is now leading the championship, by 16 points, ahead of Parkes and 21 up on Foret. Race Standings Rider Bike Team Race time 1 Lascorz Honda CBR600 RR Glaner Motocard.com 37’58.607 2 Foret Yamaha YZF-R6 Yamaha World SSP Racing +1.125 3 Jones Honda CBR600 RR Parkalgar Racing Team +1.530 4 Parkes Yamaha YZF-R6 Yamaha World SSP Racing +10.514 5 Nannelli Honda CBR600 RR Hannspree Honda Althea +17.492 Championship Standings Rider Bike Team Points 1 Lascorz Honda CBR600 RR Glaner Motocard.com 54 2 Parkes Yamaha YZF-R6 Yamaha World SSP Racing 38 3 Foret Yamaha YZF-R6 Yamaha World SSP Racing 33 4 Brookes Honda CBR600 RR Hannspree Stiggy Motorsport 33 5 Jones Honda CBR600 RR Parkalgar Racing Team 32 6 Pitt Honda CBR600 RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 25 7 Harms Honda CBR600 RR Hannspree Stiggy Motorsport 25 8 Rea Honda CBR600 RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 21 9 Vizziello Honda CBR600 RR Berry Racing 18 10 Nannelli Honda CBR600 RR Hannspree Honda Althea 17 SUPERSTOCK 1000 AIR HUMIDITY 41% AIR TEMPERATURE 21°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 22° The first race of the season for the STK1000 class and it was a race with an incredible pace. In the first part of the race the leading guys were constantly under the old Roccoli record time. The fastest race lap was set by Brendan Roberts, the race winner, who made an amazing 1’36.681 a time that would have allowed him to race in the SBK class. Roberts really dominated the race on his Ducati and the battle was only behind him, between Giugliano, Simeon, Polita and Corti. Pirelli DIABLO SUPERCORSA SC2 tyres offered the riders high levels of performance, not only because of the fast laps, but most of all allowing to them to express their real potential on the Pirelli tyres on all kinds of bikes. They do not need a special race setup to perform well. Race Standings: Rider Bike Team Race Time 1 Roberts Ducati 1098R Ducati Xerox Junior Team 21’17.585 2 Giugliano Suzuki GSX-R 1000 Cruciani Moto Suzuki Italia +3.795 3 Simeon Suzuki GSX-R 1000 Alstare Suzuki Corona Exta +6.865 4 Polita Ducati 1098R Sterilgarda Go Eleven +7.272 5 Corti Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Team Italia +7.680 Championship Standings: Rider Bike Team Points 1 Roberts Ducati 1098R Ducati Xerox Junior Team 25 2 Giugliano Suzuki GSX-R 1000 Cruciani Moto Suzuki Italia 20 3 Simeon Suzuki GSX-R 1000 Alstare Suzuki Corona Exta 16 4 Polita Ducati 1098R Sterilgarda Go Eleven 13 5 Corti Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Team Italia 11 SUPERSTOCK 600 AIR HUMIDITY 38% AIR TEMPERATURE 24°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 38° The first race of the season for the Superstock 600 riders was competitive and exciting. The young riders in this increasingly competitive class have helped us to a great show and sometimes made small mistakes due to inexperience. Petrucci made a fantastic lap and new track record with the time of 1’39.549. The race itself was taken by the remarkable Loris Baz, the youngest ever race winner in this class, who turned 15 on the first of February this year. A new record was set by the Pirelli DIABLO SUPERCORSA SC2 and most of all another great race in which riders could really express their potential, thanks to being able to find set up easily on Pirelli tyres, and get good feedback. Race Standings: Rider Bike Team Race Time 1 Baz Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Junior Team 15’22.756 2 Petrucci Yamaha YZF R6 Team Trasimeno +1.166 3 Linfoot Yamaha YZF R6 Beowulf Racing +1.435 4 Beretta Suzuki GSX-R600 Cruciani Moto Suzuki Italia +2.310 5 Gregorini Honda CBR600RR Team Lorini +3.631 Championship Standings: Rider Bike Team Points 1 Baz Yamaha YZF R6 Yamaha Junior Team 25 2 Petrucci Yamaha YZF R6 Team Trasimeno 20 3 Linfoot Yamaha YZF R6 Beowulf Racing 16 4 Beretta Suzuki GSX-R600 Cruciani Moto Suzuki Italia 13 5 Gregorini Honda CBR600RR Team Lorini 11 More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: Spanish World Superbike at Valencia 6 April 2008 World Superbike and World Supersport race report Crowd: 60,000 claimed all weekend Temperature Air: 24 to 30 C Temperature Ground: 29 to 37 C CHECA ON THE PODIUM AFTER DRAMATIC RACEDAY Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) endured first race agony and second race relief at his home round, falling in race one before remounting to finish fifth, and then scoring a strong third in the second 23-lap race. He was the top Honda scorer of the day and in the championship overall, and now sits in fourth place on 72 points, tied with Troy Corser. In the first race Checa had to fight his way through from a bad start and a combination of his sheer speed and the effect of several crashes in front put him into the podium places. He was second with ten laps to go, and ate into the lead of Max Neukirchner to put himself in his slipstream on the final lap. On the very last corner, Checa pushed hard on an inside line as he tried to pass, fell from his machine and ended in the gravel with Neukirchner, who broke his left collarbone. Checa restarted to finish top Honda rider in fifth, one place up on a resurgent Karl Muggeridge (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) and Gregorio Lavilla (Vent Axia VK Honda CBR1000RR) who was riding his 2008 machine for the first time. Race one was not particularly kind to the other main Honda riders, with Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Althea Honda Ten Kate Honda CBR100RR) last into the top ten, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Althea Ten Kate Honda Jr CBR1000RR) 12th in a race with 20 finishers, and Russell Holland 13th. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR100RR) was forced to retire on lap ten with an electrical problem. Luca Morelli (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR) was the only finisher (in 18th) from the Alto Evolution Team after Shuhei Aoyama crashed on lap two when he lost the front. In race two Checa was less than three seconds from the win after having to fight through the pack to lead the race, only for a small electronic problem to lose him some time. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) was a season best fourth, having qualified best Honda in sixth. Lavilla was 11th. Kenan Sofuoglu finished 15th in race two, but Rolfo missed out on more points, in 17th. Holland was 19th, Muggeridge 20th after rear chatter affected his front grip and he almost crashed numerous times. Morelli was 23rd, Aoyama 24th. In the points standings, Lavilla is 11th on 32 points, while Kiyonari and Sofuoglu follow on behind, with 30 for Kiyonari and 22 for Sofuoglu. Muggeridge is 14th with 20, Holland 20th with 10. Checa said: “I had a bad start in race one but I made progress and on the last lap I tried to pass at a difficult point, but he closed the door. Unfortunately we both crashed and Max Neukirchner got injured and I hope he is back as soon as possible. This is racing and sometimes these things happen. In the second race I started well and got the lead but I had a traction control problem. I was able to cancel it and regain full power but it was impossible to catch Nori and Troy.” Kiyonari said: “I was too slow at the start and I must improve in that area, but Fourth position is better than Phillip Island. Before the start I was confident in the bike and the settings, and I knew I could go fast but it was difficult to pass, especially Nieto.” Rolfo said: “I’m really disappointed because in race one after a very good start I began having problems with my rear tyre. I think I lost a lot of positions. Without this problem I could have remained in the first six or seven places. We have lost an opportunity to gain a good result. My second start wasn’t as good as the first one. During the first laps I was very fast, but starting from the third lap I felt some vibrations coming from my rear wheel. I couldn’t really chase the riders in front of me and the only thing I could do was try and finish the race.” Sofuoglu said: “Considering all the crashes today I am glad I managed to stay on the bike and finish both races, but I cannot be happy with fighting for just one point. I hope I can improve my results when we go to my ‘home’ track of Assen for the next race. I know the track well and it’s a fast one, which suits my riding style. I need to show some potential and put in a better performance for my team and myself.” Muggeridge said: “Race one was good and we did good times through the race. In the second I had something chattering with the rear tyre and that affected my front grip. I came close to crashing about 40 times!” Aoyama said: “I had a very fast crash in race one when the front tyre just went away from me. My team had to fix my bike for race two because we only have one 2008 machine each now.” World Supersport Championship Pitt Falls But Lascorz and Jones Soar The World Supersport Race start was delayed due to trackside kerbstone being repaired after a race one crash damaged it at the final turn, but it finally delivered the clear win to Honda privateer and World Supersport regular Joan Lascorz. Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) fell from a potential podium place of second and remounted, but could only finish 19th and out of the points. He had been the pole man, having set a new track best on Friday of 1’36.773. Craig Jones (Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR) went third in the race, as he had in qualifying, following Fabien Foret but he was finally unable to pass the Frenchman. Josh Brookes (Hannspree Stiggy Motorsports Honda CBR600RR) and Robbin Harms (Hannspree Stiggy Motorsports Honda CBR600RR) failed to finish the race as Brookes retired due to a worn front tyre and Harms fell while chasing the leading group. Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) fought his own front tyre grip issues to go sixth, one place behind the impressive Gianluca Nannelli (Hannspree Althea Honda CBR600RR) who had started 17th on the grid. In the championship itself, Brookes lost his lead today and now sits fourth, on the same 33 point total as Foret. Lascorz is in the lead on 54 points, with Jones fifth on 32, Pitt sixth on 25, on the same unchanged total as Harms. Rea is now ranked eighth, on 21 points. Jones said: “That was a great race, I thoroughly enjoyed battling at the front of the field. While I am happy with the podium, the racer in me is frustrated at not winning – but I did everything I could today. After crashing my number one bike yesterday, we had to rebuild from scratch and try to get the set-up right during warm-up. My Parkalgar Honda team worked hard and this third place is for them.” Nannelli said: “After dislocating my right shoulder in practice I have to thank the Clinica Mobile for fixing me up and the team for giving me a fast bike. I started from way back but I made up places and I am very happy to have scored a top five.” Rea said: “That was a really difficult race for me. Some parts of our set-up weren’t working today and the front was sliding from the start, which I haven’t had all weekend. It is the same tyre as the first two days. A bike blew up in front of me and there was oil everywhere, and I thought the race would be stopped. I got a sixth place and some more points, so we can move on to Assen now.” Pitt: “I used the same set of tyres that I had used all year and we obviously had good speed, because we were on pole. We just had an issue with front grip and we need to find out why before Assen. Have to do better, simple as that.” Brookes said: “My start was OK and I was trying to get comfortable for the first couple of laps and stay with the group in front of me. The bike was feeling pretty good and I was able to get into a good rhythm. I was in 9th place when, all of a sudden, I could feel something wrong with my front tyre. I was forced to stop because of the problem and it’s really a shame because I know I could have taken important championship points today.” Harms Said: “I had an awesome start from my 19th place on the grid and was up to 8th place by the end of the first lap. Although I knew the settings on the bike were not ideal, I was pretty comfortable. I was trying to ride as consistently as possible – taking it smooth and easy. The feeling was good and I didn’t want to risk anything but then, going into a corner, I could feel the bike moving and suddenly I didn’t have the bike under control any more. I lost the front and crashed out.” The next race is at Assen, on April 27. More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Superbike World Championship Date: 06-04-08 Circuit: Valencia Superbike Race 1&2 Checa third in second Superbike race, Kiyonari takes fourth The first Superbike race in Valencia was concluded in a dramatic fashion today when HANNspree Ten Kate Honda Carlos Checa robbed himself and race leader Neukirchner of a podium place in a bid to claim victory in his first Superbike race in front of his home crowd. With only 0.6 seconds between them and just one lap to go, Checa dramatically changed the outcome of the race as he made a final attempt to pass Neukirchner in the last turn and took both riders down. Checa managed to rejoin and claimed 5th place while Lanzi got handed the victory. Checa made a strong progression through the ranks of the fields once again in the second race and took the lead in the “¦ round before he suffered a power loss of his machine due to a traction control failure and dropped back to fifth. By the time Checa had regained the power of his machine Haga and Bayliss had reclaimed their positions up front, sending Checa back to fourth position. He managed to overtake Kagayama and took third, securing his second World Superbike podium. Ryuichi Kiyonari put in a shining performance in the second race after suffering a DNF in the first race due to an electronics failure. Kiyonari battled his way through the strong field of contenders and claimed an impressive fourth position, his best result of the season so far. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager; These were clearly not the results we were hoping for today, Checa was gaining a lot of ground in the last laps so when he arrived in the last corner on the rear wheel of the leading man, you can expect any racer to make a passing and Checa did just that. Ironically Carlos was nearly taken out of the race himself in Qatar and Phillip Island. Considering all the overtaking he had to do to make his way up front, I don’t think you can say he is an aggressive rider. In race two the electronics of the machine played havoc and probably spoiled his second chance for a win. Big compliments to Kiyonari once again, he is showing continuous improvement in race conditions and just gets better and better. He will need to improve his first laps in the race, as this is where he is still losing his chances on a podium finish. Sofuoglu managed to finish both his races and took some points home. Hopefully the next race on our home track in Assen will see a different Sofuoglu. Carlos Checa, Honda CBR1000RR; My start was a lot better in the second race and I managed to progress through the field up to first position. I then pushed to escape my followers when suddenly the power of my engine went on and off and I didn’t know what to do for three or four laps before I switched off the traction control and regained the power again. Without the traction control it is not easy to control the sliding of the bike, but at least I had the power and was able to recover to third position. By this time the gap with Haga and Bayliss was too big to close, but I am happy with my third position as I thought I wasn’t going to finish the race at all. Ryuichi Kiyonari, Honda CBR1000RR; I am very pleased with the results I achieved today in the second race after I suffered technical problems in the first race. I have not been this close to a podium finish yet and it has boosts my confidence that I have been able to increase my speed during the race and overtake the riders in front of me. Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda CBR1000RR; Considering all the crashes today I am glad I managed to stay on the bike and finish both races, but I cannot be happy with fighting for just one place and taking only one point home. I hope I can improve my results when set off to my home track of Assen for the next race. I know the track well and it’s a fast track, which suits my riding style. I need to show some potential and put in a better performance for my team and myself.