2007 FIM Superbike World Championship Vallelunga, Italy September 30, 2007 Race Two Results: 1. Troy BAYLISS (Ducati 999F07), 39:30.861, 24 laps 2. Max BIAGGI (Suzuki GSX-R1000K7), -1.431 seconds 3. Noriyuki HAGA (Yamaha YZF-R1), -4.466 4. Troy CORSER (Yamaha YZF-R1), -13.766 5. Roberto ROLFO (Honda CBR1000RR), -20.848 6. Ruben XAUS (Ducati 999F06), -21.930 7. Lorenzo LANZI (Ducati 999F07), -29.847 8. Fonsi NIETO (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -29.986 9. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yamaha YZF-R1), -40.126 10. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suzuki GSX-R1000K6), -40.733 11. James TOSELAND (Honda CBR1000RR), -42.544, crash 12. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -54.504 13. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Honda CBR1000RR), -55.024 14. Steve MARTIN (Suzuki GSX-R1000K6), -55.304 15. Yoann TIBERIO (Honda CBR1000RR), -59.781 16. Norino BRIGNOLA (Ducati 999F05), -60.609 17. Luca MORELLI (Honda CBR1000RR), -66.922 18. Marco BORCIANI (Ducati 999F06), -78.228 19. Dean ELLISON (Ducati 999RS), -1 lap 20. Regis LACONI (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -12 laps, DNF, crash 21. Michel FABRIZIO (Honda CBR1000RR), -16 laps, DNF, mechanical 22. Jakub SMRZ (Ducati 999F05), -23 laps, DNF, crash 2007 FIM Superbike World Championship Point Standings (after 24 of 26 races): 1. Toseland, 396 points 2. Biaggi, 367 3. Haga, 363 4. Bayliss, 341 5. Corser, 267 6. Lanzi, 192 7. Xaus, 187 8. Rolfo, 177 9. Neukirchner, 136 10. Fabrizio, 123 11. Laconi, 122 12. Kagayama, 116 13. Nieto, 98 14. Smrz, 66 15. Nakatomi, 61 16. Muggeridge, 53 17. Brookes, 40 18. Martin, 27 19. Iannuzzo, 19 20. Borciani, 12 More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: UP AND DOWN FOR SMRZ AT VALLELUNGA Black and whita day at Vallelunga for Jakub Smrz. The Czech rider scored an excellent eleventh position in race-1, but later in race-2 crashed at the second lap and his race ended. “In race-1 I made a rather good race.” said Jakub Smrz. “I had a good start, but the accident between Corser and Neukirchner made a lot of confusion in the group behind the leaders and I finished at the end of the group. I recovered lap by lap, despite the bike suffered an excess of motor-brake and a cluth not perfect, and I arrived at the shoulder of Iannuzzo at the last lap, but I’m not able to pass him and we finished side by side, and I was behind for one tenth. For race-2 the guys made some change and the bike was good, but I had a bad start and pushing to recover I lost the front wheel at Soratte corner and I crashed. I am really unhappy, also because the bike has been badly damaged and with the Magny Cours round so close it’s a big problem.” More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) TAKES RACE 2 WIN AT VALLELUNGA TO SPOIL BIAGGI’S ROMAN HOLIDAY Vallelunga (Italy), Sunday 30 September : Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) bounced back from a race 1 defeat by Max Biaggi (Suzuki) to grab the second race spoils and ruin the Rome rider’s hopes of a double win at his home circuit in front of a massive 80,000 crowd. Lorenzo Lanzi could only finish sixth and seventh. Troy led the first three laps of race 1 before Biaggi powered past and then Haga did the same three laps later. The Australian had to make four attempts to get past Haga (Yamaha) before clinching the runner-up slot. “I was struggling to make the bike do what we want it to do” declared Troy after race 1. “Everything was working OK but we really need to do something with the settings to get that last bit of feeling. I had three or four goes at getting round Nori, it wasn’t easy and finally I managed but there was no way I was going to catch Max unless he made a mistake.” In race 2 Troy’s Ducati Xerox crew made a slight change to improve the set-up and the Australian led every lap, but the crucial moment came on lap 15 when Bayliss and Biaggi almost touched at a slow corner and Troy was able to administer a two second lead to take his seventh win of the year. “It’s been a really hard day, it’s pretty warm out there and Vallelunga is a very physical track. I didn’t see the race before our race, and when I went out on the sighting lap there was cement dust everywhere for the oil and I was really concerned about that so the track was warmer but slower as well because you couldn’t use the right line. Congratulations to my Ducati Xerox squad, they’ve all worked hard. I put the bike down three times this weekend through a bit my fault and trying something new and sometimes you lose a little feeling as well. In the second race I wanted to change the rear tyre but my chief engineer Ernesto Marinelli wanted me not to and I went with his decision and I have to say ‘Ernie, you’re the man!”. It paid off so I put that win down to him!” Lorenzo Lanzi couldn’t repeat his good qualifying and Superpole form in the race and finished sixth and seventh. “I’m a bit disappointed really because we set some good times in qualifying and the warm-up this morning but unfortunately I was struggling for grip at the rear and was unable to repeat that form in the races. The only good thing about the weekend is that I’m back in sixth place in the table.” Toseland’s race 2 crash means that Biaggi and Haga are now 29 and 33 points behind the British rider in the title battle, while Bayliss is out of contention in fourth place with one round remaining, at Magny-Cours next weekend. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Max Biaggi won the first race at Vallelunga today, much to the delight of his legions of fans who had packed the 4.110 kilometre circuit, then followed that up with a hard-fought for runner-up spot in race two to move into second place in the World Superbike Championship. Biaggi overtook Bayliss after three laps of the first race and then immediately began to extend his lead lap by lap. He took the chequered flag by a comfortable margin with Troy Bayliss (Ducati) second and James Toseland third. In race two, the Italian once again battled Bayliss for the lead and looked as if he was going to pass the Australian at the two-thirds distance mark, but he ran wide at one of the turns and lost ground. That was the breathing space Bayliss needed. Although Biaggi charged back at Bayliss, the gap was too great and he was forced to settle for second place. Third went to Haga ahead of Troy Corser (Yamaha), Roby Rolfo (Honda) and Ruben Xaus (Ducati). Biaggi’s team mate Yukio Kagayama was unable to race due to pain in his right hand and knee – the result of his crash in Lausitz two weeks ago. Max Biaggi – Race 1: 1st, Race 2: 2nd: “Winning the first race here in front of my home fans is an incredible feeling. It’s been a long time since I raced at Vallelunga, but the last time I was here, I won! So it’s good to come back with a win. It took me a few laps to get going in race one but once I got past Bayliss and into the lead, I was able to run at my own pace. I kept an eye on my pit board and ran consistent laps and that was good enough to take the win. Winning a race is always special, but to win at your ‘home’ track in front of your own fans is even more special. “Race two was very difficult race. There was a lot of cement dust on the track after an oil spillage in the race before. In some places there was so much dust flying around that it got on to my visor and it was hard to see where I was going! We all settled into the race after a few laps and I caught Bayliss and was ready to make my move. But, in one turn, I nearly hit him and avoiding him I ran a bit wide. That was the key moment of the race because it gave him a bit of a gap. My tyres were spinning a bit, maybe because of the higher temperatures, but it was the same for everybody. I am a little disappointed because I really want to win both races today – for myself, my team and all the fans.” Yukio Kagayama -DNS: “I knew this morning that it would not be possible to race in my condition, so I made the decision before the warm-up. It’s a big shame because I wanted to race but not if I would be a danger to the other riders or if I could not ride safely. My injuries need time to heal up so I am not sure about Magny-Cours next weekend. I will see how it all feels in the first day of qualifying and then make up my mind.” More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Toseland maintains lead at Vallelunga Round 12 of the 2007 World Superbike Championship concluded today with HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s James Toseland maintaining his series lead. The British rider now holds a 29-point advantage over new closest rival Max Biaggi ahead of the final round at Magny Cours next week. Race one saw one of Toseland’s toughest battles of the season so far. Following a strong start from eighth of the grid, he settled into fourth place after narrowly avoiding the aftermath of Troy Corser crashing out. He maintained station for most of the race, gradually closing the gap on third place rider Noriyuki Haga. Toseland caught his rival on the penultimate lap, and in a nail-biting display of skilled riding, kept him at bay until the finish line. With Biaggi in first place and Troy Bayliss in second, Toseland extended his lead to a 44-point advantage. The second race of the day was more difficult, with Toseland experiencing problems with the traction control on his CBR1000RR and crashing out on lap nine. He quickly re-joined the race to battle for a points-scoring position, eventually finishing in 11th to collect five points. With Bayliss, Biaggi and Haga securing the podium spots, Toseland now lies 29 points ahead with two races remaining. Team-mate Roberto Rolfo also had a day of mixed results. He was forced to retire from race one with a burst tyre after being shunted from behind during Corser’s crash. Race two was more successful as he battled from ninth on the grid to finish in fifth position. The Italian maintains eighth place in the standings with 177 points. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “Obviously, this wasn’t the result we were hoping for today. All the practices went really well and we’d done some good race distances. You can never be sure of a win, but we were confident that we could get two podiums today. After warm-up we decided to go with the newly-built number one machine, which we reconstructed overnight after the Superpole crash. There was a problem in race one when we found an issue with the traction control on the bike and it didn’t improve for race two. We have lost some points today but we are still going into the final round with a decent advantage and we have to be happy with that.” James Toseland: “We’ve gone from a really dominant and strong position on Saturday to struggling today. The guys made a great job of rebuilding my number one bike after the Superpole crash and I chose to ride it. This was my decision and maybe it wasn’t the best decision because we struggled to get the traction control working. There was no improvement from race one to race two and race one was bad enough – definitely the hardest of the season so far. Having said all that, we’ve come out of today with a 29 point advantage. If someone had told me at the start of the season that that would the case I’d have been happy with that so it’s not that bad.” Roberto Rolfo: “Race one was not so great for me. I got a good start but I got caught up in Corser’s crash and somebody went into the back of me. This made a hole in my tyre and I had to retire. The second race went much better – I found a good rhythm and kept in the top five for most of the race. I am going to Magny Cours with a good feeling and I’m looking forward to the race.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: TOSELAND TAKES 29 POINT ADVANTAGE INTO FINAL ROUND NEXT WEEK Long-term championship leader James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) had a contrasting weekend of results once more, scoring third after a tough first race and then falling in race two, remounting to finish a battling 11th. Despite his misfortune he still enters the final round of the championship with a 29-point advantage over his nearest rival – now Max Biaggi, after the Roman rider scored a win and a second at his home circuit. Troy Bayliss took the second race win, with Noriyuki Haga, Toseland’s only other championship rival, fourth and then third today. At the top of the championship standings Toseland now has 396 points, Biaggi has 367 and Haga 363. Bayliss, despite his seventh win of the year, is now finally out of the championship contest, 55 points shy of Toseland, with only a maximum of 50 points remaining. Biaggi won the first race from pole man Bayliss, but the battling qualities of Toseland ensured that the Honda rider would beat his main championship rival, Noriyuki Haga into fourth. Roby Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) had the misfortune of retiring early when another rider struck the rear of his machine, broke his wheel rim and punctured his tyre. The next best Honda rider behind Toseland was local man Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR), fifth and good value for it after a less than perfect start. Karl Muggeridge (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR) was 13th, his team-mate Yoann Tiberio (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR) 15th after a good ride in only his second over SBK race. These two riders would go on to repeat their race one fortunes exactly in race two. Luca Morelli (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) was 16th in the opener, 17th in the second 24-lap race. The second race went to Bayliss, from Biaggi and Haga, and the top placed Honda rider was Rolfo, fifth. Fabrizio was forced to retire, while Toseland crashed out of fourth place at the slowest corner of the track – his second fall of the weekend, after he crashed out of Superpole and thus started each race from eighth place on the grid. In the Manufacturers’ Championship, Honda leads by three points, setting up a dramatic finale at Magny-Cours next week. Toseland was bitterly disappointed to crash in the second race, but indicated that it was a tough weekend all round. “I was stronger than most other riders in the first section in race one and I made the most of that,” said Toseland. “It was hard in fourth place to be going as fast as possible and still only fourth until near the end, while losing the front and the back end. We’ve gone from a really dominant and strong position on Saturday to really struggling today. The guys made a great job of rebuilding my number one bike after the Superpole crash and I chose to ride it. This was my decision and maybe it wasn’t the best decision because we struggled to get the traction control working. There was no improvement from race one to race two and race one was bad enough definitely the hardest of the season so far. Having said all that, we’ve come out of today with a 29-point advantage. If someone had told me at the start of the season that that would the case I’d have been happy with that, so it’s not that bad.” Rolfo was disappointed with his race one misfortune, but knew there was little he could do about it. He had qualified ninth in Superpole, and now sits eighth overall in the series, on 177 points. “Race one was not so good for me,” said a philosophical Rolfo after his third home race of the year. “I got a good start but I got caught up in Corser’s crash and somebody went into the back of me. This made a hole in my wheel and I had to retire. The second race went much better I found a good rhythm and kept in the top five for most of the race. I am going to Magny-Cours with a good feeling and I’m looking forward to the race.” Fabrizio was in combative form with factory Ducati rider Lorenzo Lanzi in race one, but in race two his machine stopped after the battery was drained by an electrical problem. He is now tenth in the title chase, after qualifying seventh for his home race. “The set-up for race one was only 50/50, so we changed it for race two,” said Fabrizio. “We were going OK then but the bike stopped after a faulty regular drained the battery. It was good to fight with and beat Lanzi in race one, and really enjoyed riding in front of my home crowd.” Muggeridge knew that after failing to qualify in the top 16 riders that go forward to Superpole by one place, his job on raceday would be tough, but he worked his way through well, and now sits 16th overall, on 53 points. “We were very consistent today but not at a pace I wanted to be at,” said Muggeridge. “We were spinning a lot because of the lack of electronics on our bike and at this kind of circuit, you are dead in the water. I can’t make up for that, not for all 24 laps of each race. I worked hard for it and we got points both times. We came away in one piece. We need grip, and some help keeping it. It will make a big difference.” Morelli, 21st in qualifying, took better fortune in race one than in race two. “It was good to fight with Tiberio in the opener,” said Morelli, “but not so good in race two. I heard a loud noise, which I thought came from my machine, and I looked down to check. There didn’t seem any thing wrong so I carried on, but by then I had been passed by some other riders.” Tiberio enjoyed the challenge of Magny Cours, and despite finding it hard work, the Frenchman, who had qualified only one place behind Muggeridge in 18th, took two single-point scores away to France in readiness for the final round. “I think this was a good weekend for me, and I made good progress in comparison with Lausitz,” said Tiberio. “I am closer to the times now so things are coming better, and I’m really enjoying the bike now.” Next week Magny-Cours (7 October) hosts the final championship races of the year for all classes. More, from a press release issued by Team YZF Yamaha Best ever result for Nakatomi Finishing two times in 9th position, Shinichi Nakatomi brilliantly achieved his best ever result since he entered the Superbike World Championship. In great shape on the Vallelunga track, Tomy had two good races, facing a very strong opposition, and he proved the quality of the Yamaha R1 provided by Martial Garcia’s team. In the first race, Nakatomi had a good start and he was 9th after one lap. He then progressed to 8th position, but lost one place to Fonsi Nieto (Kawasaki) when he experienced a problem with the rear tyre. Nakatomi had a careful start in race 2 because there was some oil on the track from a previous race. He then gained a few positions and fought with Max Neukirchner (Suzuki) until the checkered flag. He could stay in front of the German rider and the World Championship leader James Toseland (Honda) who crashed previously without damage. Max Biaggi (Suzuki) won the first race in front of Troy Bayliss (Ducati), with the result being exactly the opposite for race 2. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) ended up 4th and 3rd and can still be World Champion next weekend at Magny-Cours against James Toseland and Max Biaggi. Shinichi Nakatomi: “I am happy. The first race was difficult because I could feel some vibrations coming from the rear wheel after 3 or 4 laps. During the last 5 laps, it was impossible to keep a good rhythm. Without this tyre problem, maybe I could have finished 7th. At the start of race 2, I was careful. I had to adapt to the oil spot on the track. After that, I gained positions and I had a good fight with Max Neukirchner. Finally I kept my 9th position. I am happy. I shall try to gain one position in the standings at Magny-Cours. My goal is to be in front of Jacub Smrz and to allow the team to progress in the team standings.” Team-manager Martial Garcia: “Shinichi Nakatomi was in great shape and we could be 8th during most of the first race. Unfortunately, the rear tyre turned around the rim and there was a lack of balance. It’s why he lost one position. Tomy confirmed his good shape in race 2. He had a good fight with Max Neukirchner, a top rider. We are confident for Magny-Cours because our rider and our Yamaha R1 are now completely competitive.” More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: 30 September 2007, Vallelunga (Italy) A dramatic weekend for the first ever SBK event at the Vallelunga Circuit. The Roman fans came along in their droves even on Friday, despite early changeable weather and occasional showers. In World Superbike the attention was on James Toseland, here to earn the world title one weekend early, and Max Biaggi, a local hero still fighting for the championship itself. Saturday’s Superpole competition offered a theatrical show, with Toseland crashing during his flying lap and starting the race from eighth position. Pole man was Troy Bayliss, from Corser, Xaus and Biaggi. Race1: AIR HUMIDITY 47% AIR TEMPERATURE 21°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 31° A thrilling opening race, in all possible ways, and from the very start. First out of the first game was Corser, crashing without injury to anything except his championship placing. Leading the group were Bayliss and Biaggi, followed by Haga and Toseland. Max, in his home race and in front of an adoring public, made a great job, taking the lead and running away with impunity. A lovely but lonely race that drove him to the highest step of the podium and 25 big time points. Behind the Italian rider a dramatic play was being acted out. The four leading guys made different tyre choices, as Bayliss went for a rear tyre in a 200 section and a hard front, Haga used the hard front but preferred the ‘regular’ 190 section rear, while Biaggi and Toseland decided to use a soft front tyre, despite the warmer temperature. The range of tyres brought here by Pirelli was well engineered; so all the riders could have a fantastic race with many passing manoeuvres that made the crowd breathless until the very last lap. Biaggi won from Bayliss, Toseland and Haga, with Haga keeping overall second, behind Toseland. Race2: AIR HUMIDITY 32% AIR TEMPERATURE 26°C TRACK CONDITION Dry TRACK TEMPERATURE 40° Nothing basically changed in terms of tyre choices after race one. Neither was the show, which once again proved to be a fantastic one. Like the previous race, Bayliss started with the 200 rear tyre not the 190, Biaggi and Toseland with a soft front, Haga with a medium-hard pairing. Temperature grew up and not only in tarmac surface but also in riders’ performance. At the green light they started off at furious speed, hitting each other in order to pass and drawing different lines almost every lap for overtaking. Bayliss took the lead and no one could touch him until later in the press conference, while Haga and Biaggi put together a great show after Toseland’s crash. Toseland started out at Vallelunga to bring things to a head, but these races are always unpredictable, and if you want to run with the big guys at the front you simply cannot avoid taking risks. Toseland crashed – if almost gently – and rejoined the race in 12th position, taking some important points with an eventual 11th. Bayliss finished first, ahead of Biaggi now 2nd in World standings and Haga. No fewer than 23 races so far (cancelled Silverstone race two stops it being 24), but Magny Cours, and the last two races of the season, will decide the winner of the championship. For the neutrals, a dream. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Yamaha Keeps Championship Hopes Alive In a day of dramatic racing, Yamaha came away with both their rider and manufacturer championship still hopes alive. Haga came third and fourth in today’s races with Corser finishing in fifth in the second race after a DNF in race one. Race one had a spectacular start as Corser lost the front and crashed out on the first lap while Haga almost crashed but managed to move into third in front of Toseland. He then proceeded to take the fastest lap three times to catch Bayliss and Biaggi who were battling for first. Having caught Bayliss, Haga tousled and swapped places with him many times before Bayliss made it stick on lap 17. The battle up front had given Toseland the chance to catch up and challenge Haga for third position; a challenge which he eventually won. Race two was equally exciting with the usual suspects of Bayliss, Biaggi, Haga, Toseland and Corser up front and challenging for position. Bayliss took an early lead but Haga was quick to chase, along with Biaggi. Corser, in fifth, fought to get past Toseland until Toseland crashed allowing Corser to get on with catching the front runners up. The fight for first place turned into a three-way battle between Bayliss, Haga and Biaggi until Biaggi squeezed past the Yamaha rider for second place on lap 13. From there on the positions remained the same until the chequered flag. Shinichi Nakatomi had one of the best rides of his WSB career today, taking a pair of ninth place finishes. He made a good start in race one to move up to ninth, where he finished. Race two’s start wasn’t as good as he went down to 15th but he focused on the job in hand and managed to claim ninth by the end of the race. The outcome of today’s races is that Haga now lies third in the championship, 4 points behind Biaggi and 33 points behind Toseland. With 50 points still up for grabs at the final round next weekend all three riders will be looking for the all-important win. Yamaha lies second in the manufacturer championship but only 3 points adrift of Honda. Both championships will be decided next weekend at Magny-Cours. Noriyuki Haga (4th and 3rd – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “Today was a bit disappointing for me with regards to the tyres. I used the same tyre in warm up as in the first race but in the race it didn’t work as well as I’d hoped. I ended up focusing on my finishing position rather than the race win because the grip had gone. I chose to use my second bike for second race because the two bikes feel quite different. I found it to be better feeling with better engine delivery. In the middle of the race I tried to catch Bayliss but I was unable to and so had to settle for third and 16 valuable points. Next weekend at Magny-Cours is going to be crazy with everyone going for the win but I’m still confident and determined. I’ve reduced the gap between Toseland and me and I’m not giving up yet!” Troy Corser (DNF and 3rd – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “Race one was my fault. I turned off some of the electronic systems for the start and didn’t turn them back on. It’s as simple as that really. In race two I didn’t get off the line so well and I even hit Xaus twice. But once I got going it was fine. I got held up behind Toseland, who looked like he was having problems of some kind. I couldn’t get past him but then he went down and my times starting improving. From then on it was just a case of staying on until the end.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “We came here with a 41-point gap and we leave with a 33-point gap. The championship is still open, which is the most important thing. We didn’t find a good set-up for tyre life this weekend; generally they were good for half a race before they wore out but we must now focus on the final round next weekend. We’re still in the running and that’s what counts.” Shinichi Nakatomi (9th and 9th – Team Yamaha YZF) “Today was one of the best rides of my career, certainly of this season. I’m very pleased to have got two ninth places. The bike was working very well and the team have worked hard to set it up right. I would like to thank everyone for all their hard work this weekend. I’m looking forward to Magny-Cours!” Martial Garcia (Team Manager, Team Yamaha YZF) “Nakatomi was in great shape today and he was in eighth for most of race one. It was only because the tyre turned on its rim that Nieto got past him on the last lap, pushing him to ninth. He put in as good as ride in race two and I’m very proud of what the team has achieved today.”