This weekend’s seventh World Superbike Championship round at Silverstone will be another new venue for Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Max Biaggi to learn. The Italian has never ridden at the British venue, although team mate Yukio Kagayama has experience at the Midlands circuit in both World and British Superbikes. The circuit was formerly an aerodrome and is mostly flat and fast with the addition of a first-gear final chicane to catch out the unwary. Max Biaggi: “I have never raced at Silverstone so once again I have a new track to learn. From what I have been told, it’s not a difficult circuit generally, but the final section and last chicane are areas you have to know well to put in a good lap. Normally I do not have a problem learning circuits but, as usual, I will start the first day of practice learning the track and finding a good bike set-up. I think most, if not all, of my rivals have raced at Silverstone before so they will have an advantage over me, but that is not going to affect the way I approach my weekend. My goal is to learn the track, get a good set-up, and then attack in final qualifying, Superpole and the races.” Yukio Kagayama: “I have raced at Silverstone before so I can concentrate on finding a good bike set-up right from the start of the weekend. It’s true that my season has not gone as planned, but I am doing a lot of work at the track and that is my job. “Sometimes this can be a bit frustrating, but it has to be done. I have many fans in England so I would really like to do well in Silverstone – especially after last year when I could not make a good show because of my injuries after my crash in practice. This weekend I will try my best – as usual – and I hope that luck is on my side and I can finish on the podium.” 2006 results: Race 1: 1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 2 Haga (J-Yamaha), 3 Toseland (GB-Honda). 14 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) DNS. Race 2: 1 Bayliss, 2 Haga, 3 Toseland. 13 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) DNS. More, from a press release issued by Team YZF Yamaha: Superbike World Championship Round 7 Silverstone (United Kingdom) 05/27/07 Nakatomi OK for Friday Despite two broken toes after an accident during the practice of the Monza race 15 days ago, Shinichi Nakatomi is able to ride his R1 this coming Friday at Silverstone. Back from Italy, Nakatomi went to see in Manosque with Martial Garcia doctor Simonet, a surgeon who took care already of riders like Jean-Michel Bayle and Sebastien Gimbert. It was then decided that the Japanese rider can participate to the Silvertone practice session on Friday, without cast for his foot, and then a decision is to be made, considering Shinichi’s physical shape. Like the doctors of the Clinica Mobile suggested at Monza, no operation was necessary. But in the United Kingdom, Nakatomi is using an orthopaedic sole to have a better balance on his racing motorcycle, without pushing too much on his healing broken toes. Martial Garcia (team manager): “Silverstone is for our team a race of transition. We have tried our best so our rider can participate in the best possible conditions and get back in good physical shape.” The slowest track The Silverstone circuit is the slowest of the 13 tracks of the 2007 Superbike World Championship. The fastest average speed for one lap is 148.549 kph by Troy Bayliss (Ducati) last year, which is the current lap record. Silverstone Story Silverstone was built on the site of a WWII RAF airfield. The first race was held there in 1948, Luigi Villoresi winning the R.A.C. Grand Prix in his Maserati. From May 13th 1950 to July 15th 2001, 35 Formula One GPs have been raced at Silverstone. Alain Prost holds the record for the biggest number of wins: 5 with Renault, McLaren, Ferrari and Williams. Silverstone also played host to the British Motorcycle Grand Prix from August 14th 1977 to August 3rd 1986. Kenny Roberts (Yamaha) won the biggest number of 500 GPs there and Kork Ballington (Kawasaki) did the same in 250s. Both won three times while Angel Nieto won six 125 GPs (three with Minarelli and three with Garelli). Silverstone started life as a very high-speed circuit. In essence, it was all straights joined together by a few fast turns. Over the years, the track layout was changed to slow it down. Today there are six possible track configurations: Grand Prix (5.140 km), International (3.624 km), South (3.170 km), National (2.637 km), Stowe (1.281 km) and Rally Sprint (1.920 km). This permanent racing circuit is 15 metres wide, can accommodate up to 90,000 spectators and has 60,000 grandstand seats. Silverstone is 100 kms north of London, 25 kms south/west of Northampton, 74 kms north/west of Oxford and 5 kms west of Towcester in Northamptonshire. F1 speed record In 1985, on the old Silverstone circuit, Keke Rosberg driving a Williams-Honda set the fastest ever average speed for an F1 lap during that year’s British GP: 258.984 kph. World Championship standings: 1-Toseland (Honda) 229 points, 2-Haga (Yamaha) 194, 3-Biaggi (Suzuki) 191, 4-Bayliss (Ducati) 164, 5-Corser (Yamaha) 135…17-Nakatomi (Yamaha) 19 Silverstone stats Practice record (2005): 1:26.679 Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) 147.900 kph [1:25.383 Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) British Superbike / April 2007] Lap record (best race time 2006): 1:26.299 Troy Bayliss (Ducati) 148.549 kph [1:25.377 Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) / British Superbike / April 2007] Race 1 results 2006: 1-Bayliss (Ducati), 2-Haga (Yamaha), 3-Toseland (Honda), 4-Xaus (Ducati), 5-Pitt (Yamaha) 2006 Yamaha Motor France race 1 results: Nakatomi: DNS; Abe: 10th; Gimbert: DNF Race 2 results 2006: 1-Bayliss (Ducati), 2-Haga (Yamaha), 3-Toseland (Honda), 4-Pitt (Yamaha), 5-Barros (Honda) 2006 Yamaha Motor France race 2 results: Nakatomi: DNS; Abe: 11th; Gimbert: DNF 8th round of the Superbike World Championship: June 17th at Misano (Italy) More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: WORLD SUPERBIKE REACHES MID-POINT AT SILVERSTONE Silverstone (UK), Thursday 24 May: The World Superbike Championship reaches its mid-point of the season at the Silverstone circuit in the UK this weekend. Seven rounds and 14 races remain for Ducati Xerox Team’s Troy Bayliss to make up the points gap on the three men lying ahead of him in the table, James Toseland, Noriyuki Haga and Max Biaggi. After gaining three points on points leader Toseland at Monza, the Silverstone short circuit could offer the 38 year-old Australian another chance of cutting the gap at a track where he scored the double last year. Troy Bayliss, 4th in championship (164 points) Troy has a great record at Silverstone, winning three out of the four races he has competed in there. He split the wins with Colin Edwards on the long circuit in 2002 and then took a double last year. “Silverstone is featureless and a bit computer-like really, it’s a flash circuit with great facilities and is big, wide and safe but doesn’t compare with any circuits in England. We found a couple of simple things with the bike in testing at Misano last week but basically we just had a very good test and left there very confident. Honestly what we learnt there will help us at every track as well as Silverstone and I came away from there very happy. From now on I’ve always got to be on the podium but it’s time to win a few races as well because James, Nori and Max have all been really consistent. I expect those guys to be the main guys to beat this weekend but our bike is strong and we’ll put in a good performance as well.” Lorenzo Lanzi, 6th in championship (107 points) Lorenzo’s record at Silverstone on the other hand has never yet yielded him a top 10 finish in his four participations in 2005 and 2006. “Until now, apart from Valencia, we have gone better than last year and even my position in the table is better. The Silverstone track is much more favourable for us than Monza, but there’s always the unknown factor of the weather. Even though there are not many places to overtake, I like this circuit and I won here on my debut in Superstock in 2003. Hopefully I can get some good results this weekend and I’ll be trying to get into the top positions. There are five or six guys who are really strong out there but this does not intimidate me, on the contrary it really motivates me to improve”. Championship Points (after 6 of 13 rounds): Riders – 1. Toseland (Honda) 229; 2. Haga (Yamaha) 194; 3. Biaggi (Suzuki) 191; 4. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 164; 5. Corser (Yamaha) 135; 6. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 107; 7. Xaus (Ducati) 106; 8. Neukirchner (Suzuki) 81. Manufacturers – 1. Honda 238; 2. Yamaha 217; 3. Ducati 209; 4. Suzuki 191; 5. Kawasaki 77. The Circuit Name: Silverstone (short circuit) Length: 3.561 km Pole Position: right Finish line length: 491 metres Race distance: 2 x 28 laps/99.708 km Statistics : Best lap: Bayliss (Ducati) 1m26.299s (2006). Lap record: Bayliss (Ducati) 1m26.299s (2006). Superpole: Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m26.679s (2005). 2006 Results : Race 1 – 1. Bayliss (Ducati); 2. Haga (Yamaha); 3. Toseland (Honda). Race 2 – 1. Bayliss; 2. Haga; 3. Toseland.