FIM Superbike World Championship Eurospeedway Lausitz, Germany September 10 Race Two Results: 1. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), 24 laps, 39:58.796 2. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), -0.210 second 3. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F06), -3.056 seconds 4. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000), -7.396 seconds 5. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), -11.653 seconds 6. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F06), -21.386 seconds 7. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), -26.620 seconds 8. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), -26.736 seconds 9. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F05), -29.428 seconds 10. Chris WALKER (Kaw ZX-10R), -29.544 seconds 11. Norick ABE (Yam YZF-R1), -29.779 seconds 12. Steve MARTIN (Foggy Petronas FP1), -38.463 seconds 13. Craig JONES (Foggy Petronas FP1), -45.259 seconds 14. Troy CORSER (Suz GSX-R1000), -45.922 seconds, jump start 15. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), -58.393 seconds 16. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Suz GSX-R1000), -58.633 seconds 17. Roberto ROLFO (Duc 999F05), -60.033 seconds 18. Ivan CLEMENTI (Duc 999RS), -64.858 seconds 19. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), -65.825 seconds 20. Stefan NEBEL (Kaw ZX-10R), -66.149 seconds 21. Didier VAN KEYMEULEN (Yam YZF-R1), -68.295 seconds 22. Jiri DRAZDAK (Yam YZF-R1), -86.916 seconds 23. Josh BROOKES (Kaw ZX-10R), -1 lap, pitted 24. Alex BARROS (Hon CBR1000RR), -6 lap, DNF, crash 25. Kurtis ROBERTS (Duc 999RS), -13 laps, DNF, mechanical 26. Pierfrancesco CHILI (Hon CBR1000RR), -19 laps, DNF, mechanical 27. Andrew PITT (Yam YZF-R1), -21 laps, DNF, crash 28. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suz GSX-R1000), -22 laps, DNF, mechanical FIM Superbike World Championship Point Standings (After 24 of 28 races): 1. Bayliss, 357 points 2. Haga, 270 points 3. Toseland, 264 points 4. Corser, 211 points 5. Pitt, 210 points 6. Barros, 186 points 7. Kagayama, 177 points 8. Walker, 134 points 9. Lanzi, 133 points 10. Nieto, 127 points 11. Fabrizio, 117 points 12. Xaus, 103 points 13. Muggeridge, 97 points 14. Abe, 93 points 15. Laconi, 84 points 16. Rolfo, 64 points 17. Nakatomi, 33 points 18. Neukirchner, 22 points 19. TIE, Foret/Martin, 19 points More, from a press release issued by Team Yamaha Motor France Ipone: POINTS FOR ABE AND NAKATOMI In the first race, Troy Bayliss (Ducati) was leading after one lap, while Norick Abe was 15th and Shinichi Nakatomi 25th. Bayliss crashed, and then restarted. Haga (Yamaha) took the lead, in front of Corser (Suzuki) and Kagayama (Suzuki). After the first third of the race, Abe was 15th and Nakatomi 21st. After the second third of the race, Abe was 16th and Nakatomi 20th. There was a great fight between the leaders, and Kagayama finally won in front of Haga and Corser. Bayliss ended up 7th, while Abe finished 16th and Nakatomi 17th. In the second race, Abe had a better start and fought with the group going for the 7th position with Fonsi Nieto (Kawasaki), Michel Fabrizio (Honda), Ruben Xaus (Ducati) and Chris Walker (Kawasaki). Norick did a beautiful race en ended up finally at the 11th place. Shinichi Nakatomi tried very hard and finished with the point of the 15th position. James Toseland won this race just 2 tenths of a second in front of Noriyuki Haga. Troy Bayliss finished in 3rd position. Norick Abe: “In race 1, I had different small problems. We made some changes for race 2 and it was much better. I could go quicker so I am happy.” Shinichi Nakatomi: ” It was a difficult weekend. In race 1, the set up was not very good on the bumps. We made some changes for race 2, but I had the same problem.” Martial Garcia (team manager): ” Both riders did not have the right choice of tyre for race 1. Afterwards, we modified the suspensions. Consequently, in race 2 Norick Abe could have better lap times and it makes me happy. Shinichi Nakatomi tried very hard and I am proud of him.” World Championship standings: 1- Bayliss (Ducati) 357 points, 2- Haga (Yamaha) 270, 3- Toseland (Honda) 264, 4- Corser (Suzuki) 211, 5- Pitt (Yamaha) 210 ; 14-Abe (Yamaha) 93, 17-Nakatomi (Yamaha) 33 11th round of the Supersport World Championship: October 1st at Imola (Italy) More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: TOSELAND WINS RACE TWO AS MUGGERIDGE HITS SEASON HIGH After a luckless race one finish of ninth James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) rode one of the races of his life to secure the 25 points from race two that keep him in the arithmetical title hunt with two rounds to go. His team-mate Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) had the best finishes of his season in sixth and fifth, and moved from 15th to 13th in the overall points table. In race one Toseland dropped out of contention for a top six finish when he ran off track but Muggeridge rode a clean race to finish sixth and equal his best finish of the season to that point. Yukio Kagayama won the race from Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser. In race two Toseland was a virtual start to finish leader, holding off frequent attacks from second place rider Haga, and winning by a mere 0.210 seconds. Bayliss was third, not scoring enough points to take the title at Lausitz. Muggeridge was a clear fifth, finishing ten seconds ahead of the sixth place rider. The top three championship point’s scorers now line up Bayliss 357, Haga 270 and Toseland 264. Ronald Ten Kate – Team Manager “I had a full champagne shower from James after race two, but I’m not angry with him for this, he can cover me and the team in champagne any weekend he wants to! It was a great win from him. In the first race we made a wrong choice of rear tyre, and he was struggling quite a bit. In race two we could all see even when he left the garage that he was very determined to make this win for him – and us. He had to fight hard for it but he led it from start to finish, and was riding very well. I think it is important to finish the season on a high, so from now on we will go for the single race wins. It was very positive for Karl, his best finish of the season, his best weekend of the season, not really far behind so we can also say he is also moving on. All in all I have been on the podium twice today to collect a winner’s trophy, so as team manager I must say that two out of three ain’t bad. But my dream is to make it three out of three. We have two more shots for that this year so we will be working hard to get it.” James Toseland – Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (Race 1: 9th position – Race 2: First position – Championship Position: 3rd with 264 points) “I was frustrated after race one because we chose a particular tyre because of the temperature difference from Friday and Saturday and it was not the way to go. So we went back to what we knew – and I knew right away I would be in with a shout in the second. We have two rounds and four races to go and I’m third now, just in behind Nori. It’s been a great season racing with Nori all year and it’s about time I was up here on the top step after winning the first race of the year in Qatar, so I owe a big thank you to the team. I’m just happy to be back up here.” Karl Muggeridge – Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (Race 1: 6th – Race 2: 5th – Championship Position: 13th with 97 points) “This was my best race weekend of the year and my highest single finish so I have to be happy with that. In race one I wasn’t too satisfied with the traction I was getting from the back end and in race two the front wasn’t quite as good as race one but I could ride consistently today. I’m now looking to the final two races of the year to score a podium finish and move up the table.” CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 1. Bayliss – Ducati – 357 points 2. Haga – Yamaha – 270 points 3. Toseland – Winston Ten Kate Honda – 264 points 4. Corser – Suzuki – 211 points 5. Pitt – Yamaha – 210 points 13. Muggeridge – Winston Ten Kate Honda – 97 points More, from a press release issued by FG Sport: TITLE GOES TO LAST ROUNDS AS KAGAYAMA AND TOSELAND TRIUMPH RED HOT FAVOURITE BAYLISS THWARTED IN THE GERMAN SUNSHINE After setting pole position and running into an early lead in race one at EuroSpeedway Lausitz, Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) looked like he was well on the way to scoring the championship win itself with two entire rounds of the series to go. But after he fell from race one, restarting to finish seventh, the chase was on again. After the second dramatic Sunday afternoon of SBK racing in succession, this time in glorious sunshine in Eastern Germany, Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) and James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) secured the race wins. The upshot is that Bayliss will now have to wait at least until round 1 at Imola, on October 1, to wrap up his second world title. He sits on 357 points, with double second place finisher Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) on 270 and Toseland on 264. RACE ONE A brilliant three way fight for the race win in the latter stages saw Kagayama take a win by 1.2 seconds from Haga, and Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). Bayliss had led the 24-lap race before falling out of contention, remounting, and then running off track once more, finally finishing seventh. Kagayama paced his attack perfectly, making clear track on the final lap as soon as he saw the opportunity to get clear. Haga’s 20 points brought him closer to Bayliss, with James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) a disappointed ninth, after he too ran off track and lost places, having chosen the wrong rear tyre. RACE TWO In race two holeshot man Haga was reeled in by Toseland, who led every one of the 24 laps, with Haga his perpetual shadow. Bayliss had a push to try and win but had to drop pace at the end of the contest, finishing three seconds back on an overjoyed Toseland, who took his second win of the season. PITT UP AND DOWN AS CORSER GOES FOURTH Lausitz could not be described as one of Corser’s best afternoons in World Superbike but it was enough to put him back into fourth place in the championship fight, as Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) went from fourth in race one to a faller in race two. Only one point separates this all-Aussie battle, with Corser some 53 points behind Toseland. Corser was penalised with a ride through for a jump start in race two, but still worked his way up to 14th, scoring two points. Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) was very close to a fourth place finish in race one, but fell from a top five in race two, being left behind somewhat by the Corser/Pitt duel in the championship table. MUGGERIDGE SCORES BEST SEASON FINISHES Karl Muggeridge (Winston ten Kate Honda) overcame the disappointment of a relatively poor Superpole to post a fine sixth and season-best fifth at Lausitz, making the German weekend his most successful to date. A lot of hard work from Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) gave him an eighth and a sixth, a far cry from his 2005 race win at Lausitz, but earning useful points for his championship placings. Kagayama’s brilliance in race one translated to fourth in the second running, as his forward motion in the early part of the race were curtailed by slides and lack of push later on. He remains seventh overall, some 43 points ahead of Assen race winner Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse). The English rider was 11th in race one and, despite a rear tyre that spun on the rim in race two, he finished tenth. NIETO TOP KAWASAKI FINISHER AT TOUGH TRACK FOR ZX-10R All three top Kawasaki runners found Lausitz a less than hospitable circuit for their motorcycles, but Fonsi Nieto’s tenth and seventh place finishes were strong enough to keep him in the top ten overall. Regis Laconi, like Corser, jump-started race two and finished 19th, after a first race 12th. PETRONAS IN THE POINTS AGAIN Steve Martin and Craig Jones each scored points in race two (for 12th and 13th respectively) adding to Martin’s 14th in the opener. It was Jones’ first point’s scoring weekend in SBK racing. Max Neukirchner (Alstare Engineering Suzuki) went 13th in race one but was forced to retire from race two on his home circuit. Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati) scored the last point in race one, but was much more competitive in ninth in race two, one place behind the incredible surge through the pack of Assen podium finisher, Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda). Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Treme Honda) started the races, but failed to finish either, having suffered a painful crash in qualifying. Kurtis Roberts was 19th in race one, a non-finisher in race two after changing the gearing between races. Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France Ipone) went 11th in race two. SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda) played a waiting game with long time race leader Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) to take the win at Lausitzring, after another disastrous day for his team-mate Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda). 2005 champion Charpentier looked to have trouble in braking and ran on early in the race, misjudging the width of an escape lane tyre barrier, and breaking a bone in his left hand after his machine hit it abruptly. He is hoping to be fit for Imola, but his biggest championship rival, Kevin Curtain, is now 27 points ahead, with only 50 up for grabs. Third in the Lausitz race was stand-in rider for the Yamaha Motor Germany squad, Fabien Foret, who replaced injured pilot Broc Parkes. Sofuoglu is now only two points from Parkes, still third despite missing the race. SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia) scored his second win in succession after the Superstock 1000 race was rescheduled, due to a huge crash in the early laps of the original contest. A shortened 9-lap race saw Corti hold off Aussie Brendan Roberts (HP Racing) once more second, and now sixth overall. Loic Napoleone (Celani Suzuki) was third, his best race finish, with Alessandro Polita (Celani team Suzuki) miraculously largely uninjured after the massive morning crash, ninth, and still 19 points ahead of Luca Scassa (EVR Corse Ormeni Racing), who was fifth in Germany. IMOLA NEXT STOP Imola hosts the 11th round of the Superbike and Supersport classes, on October 1. More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra: YUKIO’S SUPERB WIN! TROY ON THE PODIUM ALSO Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Yukio Kagayama took a superb victory in the first race at the Eurospeedway Lausitz today. He had been in third place for most of the 24-lapper, but then charged past Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) and team mate Troy Corser with just two laps to go. From then on in, he was determined to stay in front and took the flag just over a second ahead of Haga, with Troy a close third. Yukio was ready to go all-out for victory in race two, but tyre problems prevented him from staying with the leading group of three. In the end, James Toseland (Honda) took a hard-fought for win, with Haga again second. Series leader Bayliss took third, but it was not a good race for Troy Corser. The starter held the lights for a longer then usual and many riders were moving slightly when the lights went out. Troy was judged to have jumped the start and had to pull into the pits for a ride -through penalty. The ride-though caused him to drop from fourth to twenty-third place and although he stormed his way through the field, in the end all he could manage was fourteenth. YUKIO Race 1: 1st, Race 2: 4th I was very, very happy after my win in race one, because it was such a hard race. My bike worked very well, except for a little braking problem. For the first fifteen laps or so, Nori made very good lap times and I was at my maximum just staying in third place! It was hard to overtake. In the last five laps of the race, his lap times started to come down and I saw that I had a chance. I went past my team mate Troy and Nori and was able to finish first. It was very enjoyable having a big battle like that. We used the same tyre for the second race, but it did not behave the same way and that is a bit strange. For the first few laps, the front had very little grip and my lap times were not so good and I lost touch with the leaders. Then, later on, the front tyre felt better and I began to catch up the leaders, but it was too late. The bike and the setting was the same for both races, so I don’t know why tyre behaved differently. TROY – Race 1: 3rd, Race 2: 14th It’d been a good weekend until the problem at the start of race two and the problem with my tyre, and it ended on a frustrating note and I am not at all happy. The bike worked pretty well in the first race and the tyre was all right as well. It was good to get back on the podium again, because it felt like it had been a long time. I really needed that result and I believed that another podium in race two would be possible. I’m not sure what happened at the start, because I felt that we were held for much longer then normal. I moved, but so did lots of riders, but I didn’t jump the start. Having the ride-though penalty ruined things for me, but I would’ve struggled in the race anyway because I had been having tyre problems before that. The rear tyre lost grip after one lap and I nearly highsided one lap later coming on to the start straight! The bike was virtually identical to race one and the tyre was the same, so I’m not sure what happened. Very disappointing. Very frustrated and very unhappy More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Engineering: MAX IN THE POINTS! Team Alstare Engineering Corona Extra rider Max Neukirchner scored points in the first race at Lausitz today, but was forced to pull out of the second with a technical problem. Throughout the weekend, Max had been steadily coming to terms with the GSX-R1000 K6 Alstare bike and qualifying for Superpole had been a very positive step forward. Before today, Max had hoped for top ten finishes today, but it didn’t go to plan – especially in the second race. MAX – Race 1: 13th, Race 2: DNF I was happy enough with the first race, though it was tough. I’m still getting used to the bike and learning more and more as we race. I had a little problem with the feel of the front suspension when the fuel level in the tank dropped. The suspension seemed to work OK when the tank was full at the start of the race, but when the tank was half full, the suspension didn’t work as well. There’s not much to say about the second race, as I wasn’t on the track long enough to give much information. All in all, I guess I am a bit frustrated today, because I felt that we’d get better results then we did. More, from a press release issued by Team Klaffi Honda: BARROS WITH UPS AND DOWNS AT THE EUROSPEEDWAY Alex Barros (Team Klaffi Honda) rode to fifth place in the first SBK race at the EuroSpeedway Lausitz. The Brazilian fought back from ninth position and missed out fourth just by two tenth of a second. Barros was challenging for a podium in the second race, when he lost the front six laps before the end. Alex Barros: “We made some adjustments to the front for the second race, as I had some problems in fast corners. Beside that I got stuck a little bit behind Toseland and Muggeridge in race one, because it is really difficult to overtake here. In race two the bike felt a little bit better. I was catching to the guys ahead of me lap by lap. But then Bayliss threw some grass on the track with his knee, going through the last chicane. I almost saved the slide over the front, but then the wheel got grip again and I was thrown over the bars. It is a pity, as I didn’t make anything wrong.” Klaus Klaffenback, Team Manager: “In race one Alex showed a good performance. We had the best Honda bike out there. Second race was just bad luck. Alex was the fastest guy on the track once he had a clear track ahead of him.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Xerox: WEEKEND OF MIXED FORTUNES FOR BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) AT THE LAUSITZRING Lausitz (Germany): Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) had an up-and-down weekend in the tenth round of the World Superbike Championship at the Lausitzring. The championship leader, who could have clinched the title this weekend, crashed out on lap 5 of race 1 while leading and then recovered from 23rd to finish seventh as Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) took the win from Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha). “Like I said, you never know with racing!” declared Troy after the first race. “I got off to a good start and everything was going to plan. I built up a nice little lead and wanted to get it to 4/5 seconds. I just touched the ripple-strip and lost the front, it was just one of those little things that shouldn’t happen but did”. Race 2 saw a fascinating three-way battle between James Toseland (Honda), Haga and Bayliss, but the top 3 positions remained the same for the second half of the race and Bayliss had to settle for third. With 100 points up for the taking, Troy still has a comfortable 87-point margin over Haga and 93 over Toseland as the championship heads to Ducati’s home race at Imola for the penultimate round. “Hats off to James for his win, he rode a really good race, controlling things from the front. I was a bit more cautious but we also changed the front tyre and ran with the rear from the first race and I really struggled with some grip at the rear. In the end I thought it was better to finish a safe third than go for a win which I really wanted to do, but it was going to be very difficult. For me it’s been a bit of a mixed weekend but I’ve still got a healthy points margin, now we move on to Imola and take it as it comes”. After starting fifth on the grid, team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi could only manage an eighth and a sixth place in the two Lausitzring races. “An eighth and a sixth place were not exactly the results I wanted after my performance here last year”, commented Lorenzo. “However we made a bit of an improvement in race 2 after making a better choice of tyres. The problem is that after ten laps, when I was there with Barros and we were catching the leading group, I had a drop in performance at the front which forced me to drop the pace. I tried to defend my sixth position until the flag and that was it. Here last year was the turning-point in my championship, this year I still haven’t done what I hoped to do. There are two rounds and four races left at Imola and Magny-Cours, let’s see if we can end the championship on a high note”. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: TOSELAND WINS SECOND LAUSITZ RACE IN DETERMINED STYLE James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) was made to rue his tyre choice in race one at Eurospeedway Lausitz, but he rode one of the best races of his career to score the win in race two. He dropped to third in the championship but the combined efforts of Toseland and second place championship challenger Noriyuki Haga mean that Troy Bayliss was not crowned champion at Lausitzring. Toseland’s team-mate Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) had the best raceday of the year, finishing sixth and fifth at a tight and twisty German circuit. Race one saw a three rider Honda battle in the early stages, with Toseland, Muggeridge and Barros ranged from fifth to seventh. Toseland was to run off track after Barros had passed both he and Muggeridge, with Barros finishing fifth and top Honda rider. Muggeridge went 6th and Toseland ninth. Both Pierfrancesco Chili (DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR) and his team-mate Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR) retired from the race. In race two Toseland’s aggression saw him take the lead on lap one, one he would keep for all 24 laps, yet he was to fight with Haga throughout, holding on for an 0.210 second margin of victory, with Bayliss third. Muggeridge had a lonely ride to fifth in the end, and Fabrizio had one of his best rides of the year, despite only finishing eight, as he had come through the field from 24th place on lap one. Barros fell on the 19th lap, failing to score but staying sixth overall. Chili once more retired and now sits 22nd overall. Toseland’s tyre choice in race one was soon forgotten with an impressive race win in the second, with Toseland feeling it was overdue. The championship points are now Bayliss 357, Haga 270 and Toseland 264. “I was frustrated after race one because I chose a particular tyre because of the temperature difference from Friday and Saturday and it was not the way to go,” said a regretful Toseland. “So we went back to what we knew – and I knew right away I would be in with a shout in the second. We have two rounds and four races to go and I’m third now, just in behind Nori. It’s been a great season racing with Nori all year and it’s about time I was up here on the top step after winning the first race of the year in Qatar, so I owe a big thank you to the team. I’m just happy to be back up here.” Muggeridge was happy with his weekend’s work, but is shooting for more at the next round. “This was my best race weekend of the year and my highest single finish so I have to be happy with that,” said Muggeridge. “In race one I wasn’t too satisfied with the set-up but I could ride consistently today. I’m now looking to the final two races of the year to score a podium finish and move up the table.” Barros lost some points to Pitt and Corser after his fall in race two, but was certain of its cause. “We made adjustments for race two, as I was having problems in some of the faster corners,” said Barros. “I also got stuck behind Toseland and Muggeridge for a bit, and it is difficult to overtake here. In race two the bike was a little bit better, I was catching the guys ahead lap by lap but then Bayliss put some grass onto the track with his knee at the final chicane section. I almost saved the front but the tyre gripped again and I was thrown over the bars. A pity, because I didn’t make a mistake.” Fabrizio had no choice but to retire in race one, but his run through the field was another high point in his rookie SBK season. “My lap times were very good in race two, so I am disappointed not to be further up,” said the young Roman. “I made a terrible start but a very good race after I got going.” Chili could not get his machine settings to suit him, especially after a heavy practice fall, after which he had to undergo a scan to check for undetected injury. Cleared to race his lost practice time left him without a useable set-up. “I didn’t find the settings to have a good race,” said Chili. “Every time I entered a long corner the bike wanted to run wide, and I made a mistake. I am happy for Michel because in race two I think we were the last two away and yet he came back strongly.” The SBK series now goes to Imola, for the penultimate round on October 1, with the final round at Magny-Cours one weekend later. More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: ROUND 10 LAUSITZ RACE REVIEW Lausitz (Germany) A cold weekend at times in Germany, but definitely a hot spectacle for all the SBK enthusiasts at home and on the trackside. Coming here with the clear intention of ending the Championship with two rounds to go, Troy Bayliss dominated practice, set the new track record (1’37.623) with race tyres, and took the Superpole win. A similar story in Supersport: Kevin Curtain came here as leader of the Championship, and underlined his position by being the fastest in all the sessions and improving the track record by an entire second (1’41.006 versus last year’s best from Charpentier, 1’42.017). Race 1 was the race of the day, with a world title waiting to be assigned. Troy Bayliss started the race in the best way: leading the group and racing towards a fantastic victory – until he made a mistake. Unusual for him maybe, but the races in this class are always unpredictable. Next lap he crossed the line 21st, a substantial way behind the new leader, Noriyuki Haga, who was fighting with the two Suzuki Alstare riders Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama. James Toseland, in the meanwhile was following his team mate Karl Muggeridge, but ran off the track and re-joined 9th, behind a recovering Bayliss. Bayliss started pushing furiously, able to overtake the other riders with ease, until he sat in 8th position behind his team-mate. Then something went wrong again, and in overtaking Lorenzo Lanzi, Bayliss once more ran on, and rejoined again. The final results show Bayliss 7th (just ahead of Lanzi and Toseland), while on the podium Yukio Kagayama celebrated his victory, with Haga second and Corser third. In race one the race lap record was broken, as Troy Bayliss set a 1’38.635 on his fourth lap of the race, compared to the previous 1’39.679. Race2: After a dramatic Race 1 there was even more excitement in the paddock ahead of the second. Bayliss was so close to the title, and only Toseland and Haga could keep the championship alive for the next round at Imola. And they knew it”¦ as they started pushing from the very first lap. Toseland led, followed by Haga and then Bayliss. The spectators were breathless, as Haga was shadowing Toseland so closely it seemed impossible they would not touch and fall, but no one made any mistakes, just memories. After 24 laps, the race order ran out Toseland, Haga, Bayliss. Behind the three leaders Kagayama finished 4th after the win in race 1, while his team mate Troy Corser had to do a ride through penalty, and finished only 14th, looking for revenge. The racetime of this second race was almost the same as for Race 1, but much better for Toseland, who changed the rear tyre between races, from the hardest to the softest solution (from “D” to “A”) – because he learned in Race 1 that despite the warm dry track, the softest compound would go race distance. This warm temperature at the beginning created some problems for the riders, as no one had experience on this track – which offers a poor grip – in precisely these temperatures. Thus it was not an easy choice as to which rear tyre was the right one. Both the races today were won by riders with an “A” rear solution and the race was 22 seconds faster than the same 24-lap event in 2005. Championship Standings: Rider/Bike/Team/Points 1 Bayliss, Ducati 999 Fo6 Ducati Xerox 357 2 Haga, Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 270 3 Toseland, Honda CBR1000RR Winston Ten Kate Honda 264 4 Corser, Suzuki GSXR1000K6 Alstare Suzuki 211 5 Pitt, Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 210 6 Barros, Honda CBR1000RR Klaffi Honda 186 7 Kagayama, Suzuki GSXR1000K6 Alstare Suzuki 177 8 Walker, Kawasaki ZX10 R PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 134 9 Lanzi, Ducati 999F 06 Ducati Xerox 133 10 Nieto, Kawasaki ZX10 R PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 127