FIM Superbike World Championship Kyalami, South Africa May 16, 2010 Race Two Results (all on Pirelli tires): 1. Leon HASLAM (Suzuki GSX-R1000), 24 laps, 39:52.870 2. Jonathan REA (Honda CBR1000RR), -0.522 second 3. Max BIAGGI (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -0.601 4. Cal CRUTCHLOW (Yamaha YZF-R1), -0.991 5. Carlos CHECA (Ducati 1098R), -1.479 seconds 6. James TOSELAND (Yamaha YZF-R1), -13.324 7. Troy CORSER (BMW S1000 RR), -13.740 8. Michel FABRIZIO (Ducati 1098F10), -14.250 9. Jakub SMRZ (Ducati 1098R), -15.190 10. Noriyuki HAGA (Ducati 1098F10), -16.790 11. Ruben XAUS (BMW S1000 RR), -21.101 12. Luca SCASSA (Ducati 1098R), -22.670 13. Shane BYRNE (Ducati 1098R), -24.506 14. Tom SYKES (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -31.301 15. Sylvain GUINTOLI (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -31.836 16. Chris VERMEULEN (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -33.710 17. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Honda CBR1000RR), -35.203 18. Broc PARKES (Honda CBR1000RR), -55.929 19. Roger HAYDEN (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -56.074 20. Matteo BAIOCCO (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -68.481 21. Leon CAMIER (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -7 laps, DNF, retired 22. Sherdan MORAIS (Aprilia RSV4 Factory), -14 laps, DNF, crash World Championship Point Standings: 1. Haslam, 222 points 2. Biaggi, 207 3. TIE, Rea/Checa, 141 5. Toseland, 125 6. Haga, 106 7. Corser, 105 8. Fabrizio, 95 9. Crutchlow, 86 10. Camier, 82 11. Guintoli, 77 12. Byrne, 62 13. Smrz, 61 14. Xaus, 42 15. Sykes, 37 16. Lanzi, 26 17. Scassa, 25 18. Neukirchner, 23 19. Vermeulen, 5 20. TIE, Morais/Andrew Pitt, 3 22. TIE, Hayden/Brookes, 2 24. TIE, Parkes/Baiocco, 1 More, from a press release issued by Infront Motorsports: Fabrizio and Haslam score in Kyalami thrillers Two very different races delivered two types of riveting spectacle for the enthusiastic fans at Kyalami, with race two the pick of the day’s action. The opening race was taken by a rejuvenated Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) in front-running style. Race two victor Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare), on the other hand, battled it out right to the end, with the top four riders all within a second of each other after 24 intense laps. The net result is an extended championship lead for Haslam, now on 222 points to Aprilia Alitalia rider Max Biaggi’s 207. Race One Fabrizio took an early lead in the first race of the day at Kyalami and the factory Ducati Xerox rider did not put a wheel wrong as he dominated throughout. Behind was Carlos Checa, on an Althea Ducati privateer machine, while third went to a patient Haslam, who extended his championship lead over fourth place rider Biaggi. Jonathan Rea, from Hannspree Ten Kate Honda, made an amazing charge towards the end of the race, taking fifth place for his efforts. Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) had the late pace to stick with Rea on the last couple of laps, but Yamaha Sterilgarda team-mates James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow were unable to drive as hard in the final reckoning and went seventh and eighth. Jakub Smrz (Pata B&G Ducati) was a battling ninth, and right on the tail of the Yamaha duo on the very last lap. Peculiarly, Fabrizio’s winning time of 2010 was only 0.033 seconds faster than the first race time he set to go second in 2009. Michel Fabrizio: “I am very happy for Ducati and so happy to win for myself as well. I needed it. We tried our best from the very start and I rode an intelligent race to control the gap to the rider behind.” Carlos Checa: “We started with a very strong pace; 1’38 low was very fast. I was focused to be behind Fabrizio and we kept a good pace early on. Then the tyres dropped down and I thought maybe at that point I would have been able to manage the tyre better, but Fabrizio did very well. On some laps I could improve one tenth but then I would lose it. The bike is working well here.” Leon Haslam: “It was pretty tough out there, a long race doing 24 laps round here. It is really key to make the start but the biggest thing round here is that it is hard to pass, so you definitely have to get the start done. I was feeling pretty good in that race but I was having a little bit of chatter every time I pushed to try and get on the back of the front two.” Results: 1.Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1198 39’48.343 (153,620 km/h) (B/B); 2. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1198 1.098 (B/B); 3. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX R 1000 5.049 (B/B); 4. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 6.974 (A/A); 5. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR 1000 RR 13.710 (B/B); 6. Camier L. (FRA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 13.848 (B/B); 7. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 16.064 (B/B); 8. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 16.231 (B/B); 9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1198 16.580 (B/B); 10. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX R 1000 23.100 (B/B); 11. Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1198 24.561 (B/B); 12. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 25.504 (B/A); 13. Morais S. (RSA) Aprilia RSV4 27.073 (B/B); 14. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 27.273 (B/B); 15. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1198 30.692 (B/B); 16. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 34.008 (B/B); 17. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1198 35.948 (A/B); 18. Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10 R 44.030 (B/A); 19. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR 1000 RR 48.382 (B/B) Race Two Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) wrapped up a magnificent race two win as five riders were covered by 1.479 seconds at the flag and any one of three were in with a real chance of winning even in the final lap. Second was long-time leader Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Max Biaggi went third for the Aprilia Alitalia team. Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda) and Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) completed the top five, all on different manufacturer machinery. James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda) battled hard to record sixth place, with both he and Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad) overhauling a fading Fabrizio at the end. Jakub Smrz was again ninth and 2009 double race winner Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) tenth. The top Kawasaki rider was Tom Sykes, 14th, while Camier and Sheridan Morais (Emtek Aprilia) failed to finish. In the championship Haslam now has 222 points, Biaggi 207 and Rea 141, tied with Checa. Leon Haslam: “Racing is all about winning and I felt I was in a position where I was strong in a few places and I had to go for it. And it worked out. It was a high risk last few laps with the front and rear moving about but we didn’t make too many mistakes and we won.” Jonathan Rea: “It seems we now have a base with the bike that works everywhere. I really enjoyed the race, it was good fun but I wanted to win so badly. Leon rode well and every time he passed me he would run deep and I was able to cut back inside. With two laps to go I thought maybe it would be mine if I just covered myself, but Leon made a lunge three corners from the end of the penultimate lap.” Max Biaggi: “A nice and close race. In race two I made a good start and that was maybe 50% of the final result. In race one I was held up and could not go through but in race two I went away with top two guys and could match their pace. At the end I tried but my attack did not come off.” Results: 1. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX R 1000 39’52.870 (153,312 km/h); 2. Rea J. (GBR) Hodna CBR 1000 RR 0.522; 3. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 0.601; 4. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R 1 0.991; 5. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1198 1.479; 6. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 13.324; 7. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S 1000 RR 13.740; 8. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1198 14.250; 9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1198 15.190; 10. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1198 16.790; 11. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S 1000 RR 21.101; 12. Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1198 22.670; 13. Byrne S. (GBE) Ducati 1198 24.506; 14. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 31.301; 15. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX R 1000 31.836; 16. Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10 R 33.710; 17. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR 1000 RR 35.203; 18. Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR 1000 RR 55.929; 19. Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10 R 56.074; 20. Baioco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX10 R 1′.08.481 Pirelli Race Tyre Selection (Front/Rear): All riders on same solutions with the exception of Corser: A front and B rear, Toseland: A rear, Haga: B front, and Baiocco/Hayden: B rear for Race 2. Championship standing (after 6 Round of 13): 1. Haslam 222; 2. Biaggi 207; 3. Rea 141; 4. Checa 141; 5. Toseland 125; 6. Haga 106; 7. Corser 105; 8. Fabrizio 95; 9. Crutchlow 86; 10. Camier 82 Manufacturers standing: 1. Suzuki 222; 2. Aprilia 213; 3. Ducati 185; 4. Honda 150; 5. Yamaha 135; 6. BMW 108; 7. Kawasaki 39 World Supersport Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) ripped open an early gap he was to extend all race long and scored his third race win in a row; his fourth of the year. Second place rider Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) now leads the championship, as previous leader Joan Lascorz was only fifth today on his Motocard.com Kawasaki. The leading points totals are now Sofuoglu 117, Laverty 116 and Lascorz 112. In finishing third in today’s race, ParkinGO Triumph BE-1 rider Chaz Davies is in a clear fourth place overall, on 71 points. It was Davies’ second podium finish of 2010. Results: 1. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 39’13.215 (149,399 kph); 2.Sofuoglu K. (TUR)Honda CBR600RR 4.184; 3.Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 9.609; 4.Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 12.912; 5.Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 23.383; 6. Lagrive M. (FRA) Triumph Daytona 675 25.252; 7.Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 25.315; 8. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 27.087; 9.Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 32.358; 10.Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 32.476; 11. Isaacs L. (RSA) Honda CBR600RR 35.347; 12. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 36.882; 13.Lundh A. (SWE) Honda CBR600RR 48.961; 14.Chesaux B. (SUI) Honda CBR600RR 1’06.978; 15.Boscoscuro A. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1’29.261 Championship standing (after 6 Round of 13): 1. Sofuoglu 117; 2. Laverty 116; 3. Lascorz 112; 4. Davies 71; 5. Salom 49; 6. Pirro 47; 7. Rea 47; 8. Harms 43; 9. Lagrive 40; 10. Fujiwara 38 Manufacturers standing: 1. Honda 145; 2. Kawasaki 112; 3. Triumph 81 “The Pirelli team worked all weekend with SBK teams and their suspension engineers to find bike setups to handle the very rough racing surface of Kyalami. Some teams utilized quite extreme suspension setups, causing the tyres to lose contact with the asphalt in certain sections. Riders demonstrating a consistent pace throughout practice sessions and qualifying led the two very exciting races with competition from every angle. Ducati riders Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) and Checa (Althea Racing) brought strong performances in Race 1, mounting the mid-soft (B) compound on front and rear for a 1-2 finish, and Fabrizio even thook home a Pirelli Best Lap and Kyalami lap record. Max Biaggi (Aprilia) was the only rider who chose the newest soft compound (A) solution for the rear, finding a podium in Race 2. Five different manufacturers in a row for the final SBK race of the weekend is an ideal result for a tyre supplier, and left nearly everyone in the crowd and the paddock something to celebrate.” – Giorgio Barbier, Racing Director, Pirelli Moto Performance Awards: SBK Race 1 – Pirelli BEST LAP Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox Team), 1’38.170 (Lap 3) SBK Race 2 – Pirelli BEST LAP Jonathan Rea (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda), 1’38.658 (Lap 2) Total BEST LAP (SBK): Checa C. (Althea Racing): 3, Rea J. (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda): 3, Biaggi M. (Aprilia Alitalia Racing): 2, Haslam L. (Suzuki Alstare): 1, Guintoli S. (Suzuki Alstare): 1, Crutchlow C. (Yamaha World Superbike): 1, Fabrizio M. (Ducati Xerox Team): 1 WSS – Pirelli BEST LAP Kenan Sofuoglu (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda), 1’41.054 (Lap 3) Total BEST LAP (WSS): Laverty E. (Parkalgar Honda): 2, Sofuoglu K. (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda): 2, Pirro M. (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda): 1, Lascorz J. (Kawasaki Motocard.com): 1 More, from a press release issued by Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: Jonathan Rea produced two outstanding rides in today’s sixth round World Superbike championship races at Kyalami in South Africa to take fifth and second place finishes. The two races were won by Michel Fabrizio and Leon Haslam in front of a large, sun-drenched and enthusiastic crowd. Starting from the third row of the grid, Rea began race one impressively, moving up to sixth on the opening lap before a lack of grip dropped him to ninth place. However, the 23-year-old was able to maintain consistent times throughout the race and he fought his way back to fifth in the closing laps, including one thrilling move around the outside of both James Toseland and Leon Camier at turn 12. With a slightly harder rear spring in his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR for the second outing, Rea charged into second place on the first lap and snatched the lead from Haslam on lap two. The Northern Irishman was able to hold Haslam and Max Biaggi at bay unti l Haslam made his winning move on the penultimate lap. Rea’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, suffered from further chatter problems over Kyalami’s severe bumps and, despite an improvement to the bike for race two, was only able to post 19th and 17th place finishes. Jonathan Rea 5th and 2nd I got a good start in the first race but just couldn’t hold the other guys as I didn’t find any grip. But even when I dropped down to ninth with quite a gap in front, I didn’t give up on a single corner or a single straight. I was able to maintain pretty consistent laps which allowed me to catch and pass the others at the end. We made a small change for race two and then I got a blinding start. From there I found it easy to go to the front but it was really difficult to make a break. In the end, Haslam made a lunge and I had to settle for second. All in all, I would have taken your arm off if you’d offered me those results this morning and I’d like to thank the team for keeping my spirits up it wasn’t looking too clever after warm-up. I’m really looking forward to Salt Lake City now that we’re back on the podium. Max Neukirchner 19th and 17th Race one was just a continuation of the problems we’ve have had all weekend but we were able to improve the bike a little for a better feeling in the second race. However, I still couldn’t push hard enough to pass the guys in front of me. Over the last few laps, we also had a bit of a problem with weight transfer on the bike, which we also had in race one. Now we have to hope we have learned something that we can take to Miller in America, which I missed last year, but I got two podium finishes there in 2008. Ronald ten Kate team-manager Well, it&rs quo;s been an interesting day that’s the very least we can say! We knew we had a good race pace with Jonathan but in race one he just lacked the outright speed for the opening laps. He had to fight his way through and, for most of the second half of the race he was the fastest guy on the track. His strategy of immediately taking the lead in race two was a bit of a surprise to everyone in the garage, but it worked out well!. Kyalami was where he took his first Superbike podium last year, which really kick-started his season, but we have to be strong in every single race now if we are to close the gap on the leaders. Max had more problems today problems that have plagued him all weekend here. We know it’s a difficult circuit to get right though, so we’ll move on to Miller, where we know our bike can work well. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Alstare: SUPER LEON EXTENDS HIS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD IN KYALAMI. Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam is not only still on top of the world, but in Kyalami today he extended his championship lead over his closest rival to fifteen points. Leon didn’t achieve his third in race one and tremendous win in race two though without a fight. Race two was particularly dramatic and action-packed and was one of the best battles of the season so far. Throughout the race Leon fought tooth and nail with fellow countryman Jonathan Rea (Honda), with Leon taking the lead several times only to get overtaken again. The battle went right down to the wire, with Leon making an audacious passing move one lap from the end. This time he made it stick and went on to take the chequered flag by half a second. It was Leon’s third win and ninth podium podium of the season and one of hardest victories of his career. Team mate Sylvain Guintoli endured another average day at the office and ended with 10th in race one and 15th in race two. It was the Frenchman’s first visit to Kyalami and one that he will not remember with much fondness. Leon – Race 1: 3rd, Race 2: 1st What an amazing day! The second race was one of the best races I’ve ever been involved in and definitely one of the hardest. Jonny and I had a real ding-dong and it was bar-to-bar stuff for almost the whole race. I passed him a few times, but he always got me back and the longer the race went on I could feel him working out where I’d pass and how he’d stop me. In the end, I had to pass at a different place and this time I made it stick and held on to the flag. To win a race like that is quite an emotional thing and I have to give a big thank you to the whole team for all their work this weekend. The bike in the second race was an improvement over race one. We had a few issues in race one, so changed the balance by making a bit lower in the front and higher in the rear. I still had some issues with it, but it was better and allowed me to fight for the win. After the drama of race two, it’s hard to remember what happened in race one. I didn’t get a good start and had to make up a lot of ground as best I could. I wasn’t completely confident in the front end, so could not push hard enough to catch Michel (Fabrizio) and Carlos (Checa), but I was happy to get on the podium. Today was a tough day, but I’m very happy to have extended my championship lead and I’m looking forward to the next round in USA. Sylvain – Race 1: 10th, Race 2: 15th Well today should’ve been a lot better than it turned out and I am very disappointed. The first race was not so bad, except that I lost a lot of time in two particular corners and could could not catch the front guys. OK, this is new track for me, but I think I should’ve been able to cope with it better. The second race was a disaster! I had no grip and no feeling in the brakes. I had made a good start, but Sykes touched me and I lost position. Then I started having problems with the brakes. It felt as if they had no power and that’s not a good feeling to have when you racing at high speed at a track like this. It’s been a weekend to forget and I hope that I will be able to get on the pace at the next race, though it will once again be a new track for me. Results Race 1: 1 Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati), 2 Checa (ESP-Ducati), 3 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare), 4 Biaggi (ITA-Aprilia), 5 Rea (GBR-Honda), 6 Camier (GBR-Aprilia), 10 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare), Race 2: Race 2: 1 Leon Haslam (GBR-Suzuki Alstare), 2 Rea, 3 Biaggi, 4 Crutchlow (GBR-Yamaha), 5 Checa, 6 Toseland (GBR-Yamaha), 15 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare), Points: 1 Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) 222, 2 Biaggi 207, 3 Rea 141, 4 Checa 141, 5 Toseland 125, 6 Haga 106, 11 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA-Suzuki Alstare) 77, Manufacturers standings 1 Suzuki 222, 2 Aprilia 213, 3 Ducati 185, 4 Honda 150, 5 Yamaha 135, 6 BMW 108, 7 Kawasaki 39, More, from a press release issued by Althea Racing: Kyalami, May 16th 2010 – Even if the classification places him fourth, Carlos Checa’s points total is equal to that of Jonathan Rea, meaning they are more accurately tied in third place. Althea Racing therefore continues to maintain contact with the leaders, even if Haslam has an 81 point advantage. Carlos Checa’s racing today was exemplary. He managed to match the lap times of Michel Fabrizio on the Ducati Xerox 1198 and this balance meant it was hard for Carlos to catch the Italian race leader. In Race 2 Checa was unable to find sufficient grip but then, once the tyres began to work, he was able to lap fast and finish just one second behind Crutchlow. “The races took place on a difficult circuit”, said Carlos. “In Race 2 I wasn’t immediately able to find grip and the four cylinders started to get away. It’s difficult to catch those guys because in acceleration they have the advantage. In Race 1 on the other hand everything went well, and with good grip we were able to make up some points to Haslam. My performance was the same in both races but the position was different. We need to improve in our acceleration and hope that the regulation gives us a hand in this respect. It’s evident that our bikes are inferior and we hope a solution can be found. However it was overall a positive weekend.” Shane Byrne made it into the points zone in both races but couldn’t do better than a thirteenth and fifteenth place finish that awarded him just four points. In the coming week Althea Racing’s technicians will assess the situation and decide how best to help Byrne. Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager of the Althea Racing Team was also satisfied and declared: “Great racing from Carlos who made the best possible use of our technical package. In race 1 Carlos rode a fantastic race, seeing as his times were the same as those of Fabrizio. Shane did what he could with the set-up he was provided with. In Race 2 we were worried in the first corners when Carlos lost some time but he then fought back. On the uphill, however, the four cylinders stretched away from him and to make up what was lost in the braking and in the corners was almost impossible. We will have a technical meeting with regard to Shane in order to help him out of this dark period. I would like to thank Carlos, the team and Ducati for having allowed us to experience this great weekend.” RESULTS RACE 1: 1. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 39’48″343 – 2. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R a 1.098 – 3. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 a 5.049 – 4. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV 4 a 6.974 – 5. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR 1000 RR a 13.710 -…15. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R a 30.692 RACE 2: 1. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 39’52″870 – 2. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR 1000 RR a 0.522 – 3. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV 4 a 0.991 – 4. Crutchlow (GBR) Yamaha YZF R 1 – 5. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R a 1.479 – ….13. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R. CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS: 1. Haslam p. 222 – 2. Biaggi p. 207 – 3. Rea p. 141 – 4. Checa p. 141 – ….12. Byrne p. 62 Manufactures: 1. Suzuki p. 222 – 2. Aprilia p. 213 – 3. Ducati p. 185 – 4. Honda p. 150 – 5. Yamaha p. 135 More, from a press release issued by Team Pedercini: Sixth row for Matteo Baiocco and Roger Lee Hayden in the sixth round of the Superbike World championship on a sunny Kyalami circuit. During the morning warm-up both Pedercini riders had bettered their pace with respect to yesterday and they concentrated on improving their grip. Overall, it wasn’t an easy day for our riders. In race one Baiocco crashed during the eighth lap, luckily without any physical consequences, while Hayden was forced to end his race during the fifteenth lap due to a lack of traction on his rear tire. In the second race both riders ended the race. Hayden obtained the nineteenth position while Baiocco finished in twentieth place. It has been a difficult weekend for the entire Pedercini team. Kyalami was a totally new circuit for Hayden and Baiocco, and it also features an uneven track surface. Both riders worked hard during the qualifying session and also the races trying to find a good bike setting, but unfortunately it wasn’t possible due to the bad condition of the track surface. The team will now go to Salt Lake City for Roger Lee Hayden’s home races. Superbike race 1 : 1) Fabrizio (Ducati) 2) Checa (Ducati) – 3) Haslam (Suzuki) 4) Biaggi (Aprilia) 5) Rea (Honda) ..”¦RET Hayden (Kawasaki) – RET Baiocco (Kawasaki) Superbike race 2 : 1) Haslam (Suzuki) – 2) Rea (Honda) – 3) Biaggi (Aprilia) 4) Crutchlow (Yamaha) 5) Checa (Ducati)”¦”¦.19 Hayden (Kawasaki) – 20) Baiocco (Kawasaki) Roger Lee Hayden :” I’m really disappointed because I was unable to finish race one. My start was very good and having started from the first few laps I pushed very hard and I found a fast pace. Unfortunately, around the middle of the race I had to reduce my rhythm because the rear tire had no more grip and I preferred to re-enter the box to avoid a possible crash. We made a few changes to my Kawasaki ZX10R between the two races. We changed the tires and we also used a different traction control. The bike’s performance increased and I was able to obtain the nineteenth final position. Now I’m looking forward to Salt Lake City where I hope we can perform better in front of my home crowd.” Matteo Baiocco :”I’m really disappointed because in race one I was able to find a good feeling with my bike, but suddenly, during the eighth lap, I lost control in a curve and I crashed. For race two my team made some changes and I was also able to test a new traction control. Unfortunately, I did not find the same feeling with my bike as I did in the first race and I preferred not to force my pace and to use this second race as a functional test. Of course I’m not happy with the twentieth position achieved but I look forward to getting better results in upcoming races”. More, from a press release issued by Team PATA B&G Racing: Jakub Smrz took two ninth places in South Africa, putting in two good performance and grabbing fourteen points which puts him just one point behind Shane Byrne in the tables. Smrz essentially rode two almost identical races. After losing a few positions in the first corners, he rode behind the leading pack, which halfway into the race became longer and managed to finish both races in front of many factory riders and not very far behind the leader. JAKUB SMRZ | Ducati 1098R | 9th , 9th : “I made a good start in both races, but I lost a few positions in the first laps. I stayed with the leading pack, but I couldn’t close the gap to the riders battling for the podium and lost ground. I’m nonetheless satisfied, we were among the fastest all weekend long. I just hope I’ll be able to improve my results at Miller Park in the U.S.”. Marco Borciani: “I’m happy with the performance, but I was expecting better results. Both races were wide open and the first few laps were very important. The only issue I have about the race is the fact that the rider couldn’t keep the door closed on his rivals. However, if we look who finished behind Smrz, I have to congratulate him”. More, from a press release issued by Honda: South African World Superbike at Kyalami Sunday May 16 2010 World Superbike and World Supersport race report 4.246km circuit – attendance 54,000 all weekend – claimed Weather: Dry, sunny Temperature 22 to 24 ambient, 28 to 29 track REA ON THE PODIUM AFTER FANTASTIC BATTLE FOR A WIN Jonathan Rea from the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team had two great rides from a disappointing grid place of 11th, scorching through a high class field to go fifth in race one, then leading for all but three laps of race two, finishing behind winner Leon Haslam (Suzuki) by only 0.522 seconds. Rea was unlucky in Superpole to not be able to get into the eight-rider group that takes part in the final session of this elimination-style qualifying process, and he started from row three in each 24-lap race. The intense 4.246km circuit near Johannesburg is a challenge for all thanks to its bumps and tricky layout, but after some changes in bike set-up over the weekend and a move back to some known settings, rider and team turned things around on raceday and played a full part in a thrilling race two. Rea is now third in the standings, on the same 141 points total as Carlos Checa (Ducati). Haslam leads with 222 and Max Biaggi (Aprilia) is second on 207. Five riders finished within 1.479 seconds in race two, after a start-to-finish win for Ducati rider Michel Fabrizio in race one, from Checa, and Haslam. Biaggi was third in race two, behind Haslam and Rea. A tough weekend for Hannspree Ten Kate Superbike rider Max Neukirchner saw him 17th in Superpole, and then 19th and 17th in the races, results which left him with no points for his weekend’s efforts. ECHO CRS Honda’s Broc Parkes made some progress in machine set-up as he continues to find his way in his privateer team after missing the first few rounds through injury. Chatter, which has affected him in every round so far, was eradicated by his team this weekend but other issues conspired to prevent Parkes finishing in race one or scoring points for 18th in race two. He is currently 24th in the rankings. Squadra Corse Italia Garvie Image Honda entrant Vittorio Iannuzzo did not race at Kyalami and will also miss the next round of the championship, at Miller Motorsports Park in Utah, USA, on May 31. Uniquely, that race weekend will commence on a Saturday with Superpole on Sunday and raceday on Monday. LAVERTY WINS AS HONDA RIDERS GO 1-2 IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS Under clear African skies at Kyalami Eugene Laverty secured his third race win in succession for the first time in his career and in doing so the Parkalgar Honda rider put himself second in the overall championship chase. He is now one place and one single point behind the man he beat into second in today’s race, Kenan Sofuoglu, from the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team. Chaz Davies (Triumph) was third at Kyalami. Laverty and Sofuoglu, first and second in qualifying respectively, were the first two off the line for the 23-lap race, and within a few corners Laverty had passed Sofuoglu for a lead that was never seriously challenged. Laverty won the race by 4.184 seconds, his fourth win of the season, but it is Sofuoglu who leads on points after six rounds, 117 to 116. Honda riders have won five of the six races so far and Honda is further ahead in the Manufacturers’ Standings now, on 145 points to Kawasaki’s 112. Sofuoglu and Laverty were aided in their chase to the top of the table by the fact that former championship leader Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki) was only fifth today, and he is now on a total of 112, making the overall fight for the championship tighter than ever. Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Michele Pirro qualified third and then overcame the effects of a crash on Friday to take an assured fourth place, running fast early on but having to slow as pain and muscle fatigue in his left arm and shoulder kicked in. He is ranked sixth, tied on 47 points with Gino Rea from the Intermoto Czech Honda team. Gino was 12th in qualifying after a crash at a crucial time, but recovered to go ninth in the 23-lap race. Parkalgar Honda man Miguel Praia was struggling in 15th place in qualifying but a set-up breakthrough overnight saw him fight up to ninth for a time, before being pushed to tenth by Rea in the last corner. Massimo Roccoli was another rider struggling with a pre-race injury, suffered in warm-up this morning. He had been seventh on the grid and seventh in the race before he fell on lap 14, his painful left shoulder contributing to his crash. He remounted but had to head back to the pits. WSBK Rider Quotes Jonathan Rea, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: 5th and 2nd – 3rd overall. “It seems we now have a base with the bike that works everywhere. I really enjoyed the second race, it was good fun but I wanted to win so badly. Leon rode well and every time he passed me he would run deep and I was able to cut back inside. With six laps to go at the end I thought I was going to get swallowed up, because I kept watching other people’s pit boards to see who was in the group, and my mind was working overtime. With two laps to go I thought maybe it would be mine if I just covered myself, but Leon made a lunge three corners from the end of the penultimate lap.” Max Neukirchner, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: 19th and 17th – 18th overall. “Race one was just a continuation of the problems we’ve have had all weekend but we were able to improve the bike a little for a better feeling in the second race. However, I still couldn’t push hard enough to pass the guys in front of me. Over the last few laps, we also had a bit of a problem with weight transfer on the bike, which we also had in race one. Now we have to hope we have learned something that we can take to Miller in America, which I missed last year, but I got two podium finishes there in 2008.” Broc Parkes, ECHO CRS Honda: DNF and 18th – 24th overall. “A difficult weekend and we were still struggling with chatter up until today. It was the first time that we could start to work without so much chatter. In Superpole yesterday and in race one today we had an electrical problem. In race two I had to take the second bike and we had a big problem with no grip and we are not sure why right now.” WSS Rider Comments Eugene Laverty, Parkalgar Honda 1st – 2nd overall. “When I feel I have the pace I like to go to the front. Last year I had a few scraps, like Assen, but this year I won with a good few seconds’ gap each time. That’s the way I like it because in the second half of the race I can remain relaxed. It was a fantastic race and that is three wins on the trot for us now, so I am delighted. Right now myself and Kenan look to be the strongest, but I am sure Lascorz will come back soon.” Kenan Sofuoglu, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: 2nd – 1st overall. “In the beginning it was not really difficult to go with Eugene, and I was waiting for the end because normally I am very strong at the end. But this time it did not work and Eugene was really good in the second half of the race. Maybe he did not improve his lap time but could keep the same pace and I could not. It will be a big competition this year, but I am sure that in the last half of the year we will be even better.” Michele Pirro, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: 4th – 6th overall. “My left shoulder is in a lot of pain after my crash on Friday evening, and it was really hard to change direction on the bike today. But I finished the race with good points and I was happy with that. The bike was working really well.” Gino Rea, Intermoto Czech Honda: 9th – 7th overall. “Similar situation to the last race as I felt I had a good pace in the first half. I thought my team-mate Massimo could tow us up to the top half and my lap times were similar to the riders in fourth fifth and sixth, but I was too far behind them. If we had qualified better we could have been up there, but that’s what happens when you crash in qualifying.” Miguel Praia, Parkalgar Honda: 10th – 12th overall. “Even in warm-up our pace was good and this is the kind of pace we should find on Friday or Saturday. But we could not do it. The team did a fantastic job changing the bike for today until the grip dropped off on the rear tyre, and then I could not go any farther up. But we had a good race compared to last year, and we are almost inside the top ten of the championship; this is where we should be.” Massimo Roccoli, Czech Intermoto Honda: DNF – 11th overall. “The race was going well but my left shoulder was really sore and weak from my high-speed crash this morning in warm-up. I did not break my collarbone but I nearly did. I was happy in seventh and looking for a good finish but then the crash happened and I was out of the race.” More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: FABRIZIO (DUCATI XEROX) POWERS HIS 1198 BACK TO WINNING WAYS AT KYALAMI TODAY Kyalami (South Africa), Sunday 16th May: Ducati Xerox rider Michel Fabrizio was celebrating with his squad this afternoon after dominating a spectacular Race 1 to take his first victory of the 2010 season, at the South African track of Kyalami. Michel Fabrizio made a perfect start to Race 1, moving straight into the lead by getting past Crutchlow, Toseland and Checa right off the line. The Italian rider quickly extended his lead over Checa (on Althea Racing’s 1198) and maintained a constant one second advantage for the entire duration of the race. Lap times inevitably began to increase during the final stages of the 24-lap race but nonetheless Michel carefully managed his advantage and crossed the line first, to take his first race win of the 2010 season, just over a second ahead of the Spaniard. Noriyuki had a more difficult race, struggling with a lack of grip. Although he made up a few positions straight off the start line, progressing from sixteenth to twelfth, after about ten laps the lack of rear grip began to affect his lap times which consequently caused him to lose over the final laps the positions he had previously gained; the Japanese rider therefore closed Race 1 in seventeenth position. Michel made a less impressive start to Race 2 but his reactions were quick and he made up over the course of the first lap the positions he had lost off the line. For the first eight laps he remained in fourth position, just behind Jonathan Rea, Leon Haslam e Max Biaggi who battled it out among themselves up ahead. Unfortunately however, an unexpected loss of grip subsequently prevented the Italian rider from pushing and, in increasing difficulty in the final stages of the race, he eventually concluded the race in eighth place. Noriyuki meanwhile had a better race, lapping consistently fast, with lap times in the final stages that matched those of the podium placed riders. Although he continued to improve, there was too much to make up from sixteenth on the grid, and the Japanese rider had to be satisfied with tenth place. Despite two difficult races, Noriyuki Haga still holds on to sixth position in the overall standings (106 points) while Michel Fabrizio, thanks to today’s win, has started to close the gap; now eighth with 95 points. Ducati remains in third position in the manufacturers championship with 185 points to Aprilia’s 213 and Suzuki’s 222. Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 winner , Race 2 8th) “I’m really happy with the win in the first race, happy for Ducati of course but above all happy for myself. I really needed a result like this after several difficult race. It wasn’t easy however, I had to make an intelligent race, doing all I could to maintain the second of advantage that I had over Carlos. It was a great race but also a very tiring one! Race 2 went very differently; the level of grip immediately began to drop after only three or four laps and it became impossible to catch the leading group that continued to gain on me. Anyway with the points taken in race 1 today I’ve gained a position in the overall standings and now I’ll turn my attention to the next event at Salt Lake, a track I really like.” Noriyuki Haga (Race 1 17th , Race 2 10th) “In Race 1 after about ten laps the performance of the rear tyre dropped dramatically. There wasn’t much I could to improve. I’m disappointed of course because with no grip you don’t really get anywhere. In the second race, having made some small changes to my bike but deciding to go with the same tyre, I had a better overall feeling and, from more or less mid-race, unlike race 1, I was able to push increasingly hard. The problem was that those ahead of me had already built a significant lead; I needed a few more laps to be able to catch some of them.” More, from a press release issued by Leon Camier’s publicist: MIXED FORTUNES FOR CAMIER AT KYALAMI Alitatlia Aprilia World Superbike rider Leon Camier had a strong 6th place finish in Race 1 of Round 6 in Kyalami, South Africa today. The reigning British Superbike Champion was then forced out of Race Two. Starting from 8th on the grid, a flying start in Race 1 saw Camier gain 3 places as he fought his way into the first corner. Sticking with the leading pack, a pass on Lap 9 by team mate Max Biaggi pushed Camier back to 6th and a battle of the Brits would then commence. With 3 laps remaining, Camier made a move on James Toseland for 5th but was soon pushed back down to 6th as Jonathan Rea went through on the inside.. The final 2 laps made for some close racing with Leon finishing in 6th just 0.1 seconds behind Rea. Again Camier got away well in Race 2 and despite being pushed wide into turn 1, he was still able to gain a place and remain with the leaders. Bad luck hit just 4 laps in when Camier began to suffer from tyre issues which gradually saw him drop back and finally retire on Lap 17. Valuable points from Race 1 leave Camier 10th in the Championship standings as the riders and teams head to the USA for Round 7 in 2 weeks time. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Pole position starter Cal Crutchlow and team mate James Toseland were among many of the riders today struggling to find adequate grip levels on the abrasive Kyalami circuit as they battled for valuable championship points in the two World Superbike races. Race one saw Crutchlow initially drop to ninth off the line, while team mate Toseland battled it out in the top three, pursuing Michel Fabrizio and Carlos Checa and fighting off the attack of Leon Haslam from behind. As the grip levels dropped dramatically he gradually dropped over a number of laps, eventually crossing the line in seventh with team mate Crutchlow just two tenths of a second behind in eighth place. Race two saw the riders again struggling to maintain a competitive race pace as their grip levels suffered early on. Despite a less than perfect start Crutchlow battled up to take fourth position, taking race one winner Fabrizio and Ducati rider Checa in the process. Crutchlow held his fourth position to the line, taking the chequered flag just under a second behind race leader Haslam. Team mate Toseland also dropped back several positions from the start but battled up to then enjoy a relatively quiet run to a sixth place finish at the line. The riders now head to round seven of the World Championship at the Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City, with Toseland holding on to fifth place in the standings on 125 points, just 16 points off Jonathan Rea in third. Team mate Crutchlow moves up to ninth position in the championship, just nine points adrift of Fabrizio in eighth. Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (8th, 4th) “We did the best job we could today at a track that the bike is not best suited to. Like a lot of riders today I seemed to lose a lot of grip very early in the races making it a struggle to keep on the pace. Having said that I was pleased overall with the second race, we were battling for a win and showing good pace throughout to hold on for points. It’s a difficult circuit and we’ve done well, the team did a really good job and we’re looking forward to getting to Salt Lake City. The track at Miller will suit our bike a bit better so I’m confident we can achieve some good results.” James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (7th, 6th) “The team are a bit bewildered after today, we lost grip on the tyres so quickly in the two races it was a challenge to keep up race pace. Considering I had my big crash only a week ago, getting a sixth and seventh finish is not bad for the championship for me. The differences that people have had today in grip level is incredible, some riders seemed to lose performance dramatically between the two races. I am a little frustrated but I certainly haven’t had as bad a day as some riders. Over the weekend my neck got better and better, it was a bit sore still on Friday but it was fine today. A big thank you to the team who did a fantastic job this weekend, we’re looking forward to a rest now before Salt Lake City in a couple of weeks.” Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager “We had a very strange weekend here in Kyalami. We had all good practices and then some problems during the races with grip level with both riders. We are a little disappointed and for sure we need to try and understand the reasons why the tyre behaviour changed so much today. Having said that, the team and the riders worked really hard all weekend, so we will head to the next round in America and look to improve on this weekend with better results.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Points For Sykes In South Africa Tom Sykes and Chris Vermeulen worked hard on raceday at Kyalami but the nature of the circuit and set-up issues did not help their joint push towards the top places in two 24-lap races. The Kawasaki Racing Team Ninja ZX-10R riders had been 12th and 19th respectively in qualifying, with the best single result of raceday being 14th for Tom, in race two. Sykes was an agonising 16th and one place from a point in race one, but rallied to take two points in the second leg. He is now 15th in the championship standings. Chris Vermeulen once more had his weekend conditioned by his injured right knee, but he found real progress in race two with his set-up, and hopes for better results in two week’s time in America. Chris was 18th and 16th today. The track conditions at Kyalami remained dry through raceday and the fans were treated to a particularly close contest in race two, with four riders finishing inside one second. Tom Sykes: “A very tough one out there today but I made it count when we have good grip. Again we have not been able to make it work out the way we want over race distance, which is frustrating for us all, but it something we are keeping working on. Realistically, we have come away with more points on the board and we cannot fix things overnight. We have to sit tight and take the results when we can.” Chris Vermeulen: “In the first race we made some changes to the bike based on work we did in warm-up and it made the ultimate performance better. But front tyre durability was a real issue and we have not had that all year. I struggled in the later parts of the race. In race two I got held up in the first couple of corners but started to come through and towards the end the lap times were strong. We have really improved the bike and we are on a direction to help us go fast and improve tyre durability.” More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: MIXED FEELINGS FOR TROY IN KYALAMI After the sixth round of the Superbike World Championship, Troy left Kyalami circuit with mixed feelings. He struggled with grip problems in race one and finished 12th, but then had a much better second race and ended 7th. The race tyre he used in the first race appeared to be the same as one he had used in practice and qualifying, but was in fact a much older tyre and behaved differently, leaving Troy with a lack of grip. Troy used a different tyre in race two and made some small changes to the bike’s set-up. This time he was able to push much harder and came away with seventh, though it would’ve been better if he had not have been baulked at the start. Race one was comfortably won by Michel Fabrizio (Ducati), with Carlos Checa (Ducati) second and Leon Haslam (Suzuki) five seconds away in third. Race two was an absolute thriller, starting with a six rider freight train. Less than a second separated the top four at the end, with Haslam taking the win ahead of Jonathan Rea (Honda) and Max Biaggi (Aprilia) third. Five different manufacturers filled the top five places, with Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) fourth and Checa (Ducati) fifth. Troy – Race 1: 12th, Race 2: 7th Today was just one of those frustrating inconsistent racedays. In the first race I had about zero grip after just a few laps. After that it was a struggle just to get round the track, but I wanted to finish and pick up whatever points I could. I had virtually no feeling from the tyres and I knew I would crash if I pushed any harder, so I cruised around as best I could. The tyre I used in race one was the same as one I’d used in practice, but it just didn’t work. When we checked afterwards, we found out that it was a tyre from 2009, so it’s possible that it had been on and off tyre warmers and so maybe was not in as good condition as it should’ve been. It’s funny, but the tyre we used in practice was a 2010 tyre, and what we had for race one was a 2009 tyre! We changed the bike a bit for race two and also tried a different (B) tyre and I noticed an improvement straightaway. The bike was still spinning, but this time I could feel what was going on and could push the bike much harder. I made a good start and saw a gap that would get me through to the top four, but at the last minute the two guys in front of me closed the gap and I had to ease off or possibly touch them. Today the engine felt quite good and the braking was also good. I sort of think that the our grip problem is more a mechanical problem than electronic and maybe we need to work more on the chassis. Also, today the throttle response could’ve been better – more smooth – and that would’ve helped a lot. All in all, a bit of a frustrating weekend, with one bad race and one good. But, we’ve learnt a lot this weekend and now we can take all this info and work on improving the bike for the next race.