Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) put in a quick lap right at the end of the two-day official Superbike test to take the top slot at a sweltering Imola track in preparation for the round here on September 27. The Northern Ireland youngster set a time of 1 minute 48.670 seconds around the 4.936 km circuit to edge out Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox), who had been quickest until then, from the top slot by two-tenths of a second. Texan Ben Spies finished third overall, the Yamaha World Superbike man not improving on his time from yesterday. Points leader and the only other WSB race winner this year Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) did not take part in the test as he is recovering for the next round at Brno. “It’s really motivational coming to a new circuit and finding your feet” declared Rea. “Our approach was a bit different than normal in that we forgot about setting up the bike and getting me up to speed first. Now we’ve had a lot of time on the bike the package is very strong and finally I’m happy after we went round in circles a bit at Donington. The team has put a massive effort into it, so a big thanks to them for everything. I put my fastest time in on a qualifier, but we’ve been consistently fast on both days, in the top 5, and I did a long-run and the tyre was pretty good so hopefully they can bring that for the race. Where we are right now is good so I’m really happy.” Max Neukirchner, back on his Alstare Suzuki for the first time since the Monza incident, high-sided at the Tamburello ninety minutes into the morning session. He was stretchered to the medical centre but a further X-ray scan at Imola hospital revealed a D12 dorsal vertebra fracture in his lower back as well as three minor cracks in the right L1, L2 and L3 lumbar vertebrae. Neukirchner will return to Germany and must remain at total rest in a plaster cast for 30 days. Fourth place went to Ducati DFX Corse’s Lorenzo Lanzi, who was perfectly at home around his local circuit, while Tom Sykes (Yamaha World Superbike) also made progress in today’s morning session to move up to fifth. John Hopkins (Stiggy Racing Honda) ran well this morning to finish sixth, but was then advised to sit out the afternoon session as his recent injuries are still not fully healed. Ruben Xaus (BMW Motorrad) made considerable progress over the two days, moving his S1000 RR up the timesheets to finish seventh overall, but team-mate Troy Corser could only manage seventeenth. Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda), Shane Byrne (Sterilgarda Ducati) and Shinya Nakano (Aprilia Racing) completed the top 10, the Italian factory outfit preferring to concentrate on a major parts evaluation session rather than go for outright times. Overall Times: 1. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’48.670; 2. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’48.847; 3. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1’49.262; 4. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’49.309; 5. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1’49.422; 6. Hopkins J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’49.443; 7. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1’49.467; 8. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’49.555; 9. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1’49.577; 10. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’49.645; 11. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1’49.736; 12. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1’50.226; 13. Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’50.265; 14. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’50.310; 15. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’50.414; 16. Nieto F. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’50.423; 17. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1’50.486; 18. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1’50.518; 19. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’50.583; 20. Polita A. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1’50.743; 21. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1’51.077; 22. Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’52.547 Kenan Sofuoglu made it double Dutch delight for the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team today as he pulled off a surprise result in the Supersport test. The Turk’s time of 1 minute 51.552 seconds was quick enough to knock Cal Crutchlow off the top slot after a day and a half of domination by the Yamaha World Supersport man. Ireland’s Eugene Laverty was just a fraction down on the third placed Parkalgar Honda machine, while Fabien Foret (Yamaha World Supersport) was the only man to lap in the 1’52″ bracket in fourth. The rest, led by Garry McCoy (ParkinGo Triumph) and Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) in fifth and sixth, were some way off the pace. Overall Times: 1. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1’51.552; 2. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1’51.705; 3. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1’51.890; 4. Foret F. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 1’52.531; 5. McCoy G. (AUS) Triumph Daytona 675 1’53.152; 6. Pitt A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1’53.612; 7. Nannelli G. (ITA) Triumph Daytona 675 1’53.767; 8. Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 1’53.803; 9. West A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1’53.931; 10. Aitchison M. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1’53.963; 11. O’Halloran J. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1’54.316; 12. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1’54.331; 13. Dell’Omo D. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1’54.346; 14. Vizziello G. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1’54.778; 15. Morais S. (RSA) Triumph Daytona 675 1’54.882; 16. Laverty M. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1’55.502 More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: OFFICIAL TESTING DECLARED A SUCCESS BY FABRIZIO AND THE DUCATI XEROX TEAM AT IMOLA; FABRIZIO SECOND OVERALL Imola (Italy), Thursday 16 July: Michel Fabrizio and his Ducati Xerox squad concluded official testing at the international Imola circuit today and the Roman rider again dominated proceedings until the final minutes when Honda man Rea went out on a qualifier, improving on Michel’s fastest time by two tenths of a second. The Ducati Xerox Team are nonetheless extremely satisfied with the amount of work carried out in such extreme weather conditions. In the first hour of the morning session, when the track was cooler (36°C), Michel concentrated on testing the various new tyre compounds that Pirelli brought for the Superbike teams to try. He was immediately fast with every solution and remained very consistent throughout the session, putting together a whole string of laps, fifteen of which he completed in under 1m50. While testing the final tyre of the morning, Michel became the only rider to duck under 1m49, recording a flying lap of 1m48.9s. Lanzi (Ducati), Rea (Honda), and Spies (Yamaha), the next fastest guys on track this morning, were all four tenths of a second off Michel’s pace. In the early afternoon, and on a significantly hotter tarmac (60°C ), it was almost impossible to improve on the times set earlier this morning; in fact, of the ten fastest riders, only Fabrizio and Rea managed to improve on their morning times, both lapping in under 1m49 but on a qualifying tyre. Fabrizio completed a total of 65 laps today, and he and his technicians have collated valuable data in preparation for the Imola race at the end of September. Michel Fabrizio “Both today and yesterday we have worked really well, despite the excessive heat. All in all, I am very happy with what we’ve achieved here. As planned, today we did a good test of the three new Pirelli tyres and all seemed to perform well, even with these extreme conditions. In the afternoon we made some set-up changes, particularly testing a different fork, but unfortunately it didn’t give me a particularly good feeling and so we went back to that which I’ve always used. I’m happy that I was one of the fastest here this week and now I have to replicate this performance each race weekend from now on! I leave here feeling really confident ahead of Brno and am also looking forward to returning to Imola in September.” TIMES (Day 2): 1. Rea (Honda) 1m48.6s; 2. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 1m48.8s; 3. Lanzi (Ducati) 1m49.3s; 4. Spies (Yamaha) 1m49.3s; 5. Sykes (Yamaha) 1m49.4s; 6. Hopkins (Honda) 1m49.4s; 7. Xaus (BMW) 1m49.4s; 8. Haslam (Honda) 1m49.5s More, from a press release issued by Team Sterilgarda: Team Sterilgarda returns from Imola after another good performance all around. Shane Byrne employed the two days of testing at the Santerno circuit to better prepare the third WSBK round taking place on Italian soil in the last weekend of September as World Superbikes returns to the Italian circuit after three years. The track, dedicated to the memories of Enzo and Dino Ferrari, has suffered some changes for security purposes as the lower corner has been made slower. Nonetheless, it has not lost its charm and it is still one of the most loved circuits by the entire motorsport community. Byrne adapted himself to the track setting the sixth fastest time in day 1. Despite the boiling hot weather, with the surface reaching 64°C, the English rider improved his time by almost a second today as he took to the track especially in the morning after he finished working on setup. SHANE BYRNE | Ducati 1098R | 9th in 1’49.577: “I really like this track as it has ups and downs and fast corners. I just hope I won’t have to ride with the same hot weather as in the last couple of days. Despite everything, we still did a good job setting up the bike for the Imola round. It was a good test for the last round before the holidays as well which will take place at Brno”. MARCO BORCIANI – team manager: “Shakey further confirmed he’s in great form. He was constantly in the top 5 fastest riders and he was still only a tenth of a second behind after today. We decided to skip the last session though due to the hot weather and not being able to use the experimental tyres tested by the official teams in the afternoon”. Overall times 1 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’48.670 2 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’48.847 3 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1’49.262 4 57 Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1’49.309 5 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1’49.422 6 121 Hopkins J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’49.443 7 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1’49.467 8 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1’49.555 9 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1’49.577 10 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’49.645 11 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1’49.736 12 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1’50.226 13 14 Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’50.265 14 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1’50.310 15 100 Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’50.414 16 10 Nieto F. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1’50.423 17 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1’50.486 18 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1’50.518 19 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1’50.583 20 53 Polita A. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1’50.743 21 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1’51.077 22 77 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1’52.547 More, from a press release issued by Parkalgar Honda: Parkalgar Honda in the mix at Imola test EUGENE LAVERTY and Miguel Praia enjoyed a strong two-day official World Supersport test at Imola in Italy, finishing third and eighth overall. Eugene was one of only three riders under the 1min 52seconds mark. Miguel competed with race winners and a World Champion in eighth place. The 10th round of the World Supersport Championship is at Brno in the Czech Republic on Sunday, July 26th. Eugene: “This test was just what we needed. At Misano we had the choice of developing the bike in two directions and selected the wrong one. This test has allowed us to go back a few steps and find a different way that has worked. Basically I have the support from the rear that I want without sacrificing any side grip. I did more laps than anyone and we tried just about everything, we learnt a lot this test. I am really looking forward to Brno as it is a similar circuit to Imola with a lot of downhill braking, so we will be taking the bike as it sits and it should be a good setting to start with.” Miguel: “It was a good test. I did not expect the big gap to the leaders but my ideal time put me sixth and I am riding in the company of some very good riders, including the reigning World Champion. We tried many different solutions that we normally wouldn’t get the chance to try on a race weekend. It has been very hot and tough. I am very happy and more confident in the settings on my Parkalgar Honda and can’t wait to get to the next race.” Simon Buckmaster, Parkalgar Honda Team Manager: “A great test and Eugene was consistently on the pace throughout. He did his fastest time at the end on a normal race tyre, not a Factory development tyre, making it all the more impressive. It was quite funny to watch Cal go through the chicane on the back wheel celebrating what he thought he had the fastest lap, not realising that Kenan had just beat him and Eugene was only a tenth of a second behind”¦ “A big thanks to Akrapovic for supplying a new exhaust specific to our bike for this test, it worked well and it’s that sort of support that will give us an edge. Miguel did well and was consistent with his lap times again he has proved he can compete in the top 10. The front three are on a different level than the rest well done to Ten Kate Honda for helping Kenan to compete with the big two, it’s nice to have someone else able to put pressure on Cal at the front.” More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Tamada Returns To Action At Imola Test Newsflash, 16 July 2009 Official tests at a revamped Imola circuit provided a chance for Makoto Tamada to re-join his Kawasaki World Superbike team-mate Broc Parkes on track, after missing several WSB races through injury. Despite his time away from the heat of WSB competition, and his unavoidable lack of full race fitness, Tamada finished 15th overall, with a time of 1’50.414, set on qualifying tyres. He had set very similar times on race tyres also, and was therefore reasonably satisfied with his return to action. Parkes did not opt for qualifying rubber in the final session of the second day, but worked on overall race set-up and new chassis parts. His pace on Thursday morning put him 19th, with a best lap time of 1’50.583. Broc and his team made great progress on day two, despite going through a tough first day on Wednesday. Official tyre supplier Pirelli brought new solutions to the tests and the team also evaluated those, as well as working through an extensive programme of internal development work. On 26 July the team will race at Brno, in the tenth round of the championship, where conditions are hoped to be slightly cooler than the two blistering days of testing everyone endured at Imola. Track temperatures hit 62°C at times at Imola, which now features a new and very tight chicane on the start-finish line. Makoto Tamada: “My wrist was quite painful on the first day at the test after a couple of months off the bike. I also had some arm pump, but day two was much better for me. The test programme started slowly, as we tried many different settings, but by the end of day two I was happy to be in the top fifteen, and also happy with the machine’s progress.” Broc Parkes: “We struggled on the first day but we got some good inroads towards the end on the race tyre and were happy with the race pace overall. On day two we tested a lot of new things and ironed out some problems we’ve been having and completed our test programme. We’ve made some real progress at the test and I feel that we’ve got a decent setting ready for the Brno race.” More, from a press release issued by Stiggy Racing Honda: The Stiggy Racing Honda Superbike pairing of Leon Haslam and John Hopkins and their Supersport teammates Anthony West and Gianluca Vizziello concluded the official two-day test at the Autodromo di Enzo e Dino Ferrari at Imola today. The Stiggy Racing Honda Superbike pairing of Leon Haslam and John Hopkins and their Supersport teammates Anthony West and Gianluca Vizziello successfully concluded the official two-day test at the Autodromo di Enzo e Dino Ferrari at Imola today. The Stiggy Racing Honda Superbike riders were able to make important progress in the development of their CBR1000RR machines as they tested new suspension components and other updated parts on the 4.9km long Italian track, which will host the 12th round of the World Superbike championship on September 25-27. John Hopkins recorded the sixth fastest time of 1’49.443s on Thursday morning, but had to sit out the afternoon session and seek medical advice following a near-crash earlier in the test. Medical examination revealed no further damage had been done to his previously injured hip bone. Leon Haslam, who took the Stiggy Racing Honda to four podiums so far this season, closed the official two-day test in an overall eighth best time of 1’49.555s. In spite of updated engine parts, Supersport riders Anthony West and Gianluca Vizziello were less fortunate at the Imola track as both riders struggled to set satisfactory lap times. It remains hard to tackle the problem for the Stiggy Racing Honda Supersport team, who finished third in last year’s championship. John Hopkins – 6th – 1’49.443s: “I feel like I have completed a good two days of testing here at Imola. It’s my first time here and I used the first day to learn the track and find the right set-up for the machine. My confidence is growing on every lap and the bike really feels the way I want it to be. We only had one set of tyres to test here, but I have been able to lower my lap times on every outing. Unfortunately, the machine lost grip this morning, and when it came back it threw me back in the seat in a hard way. I had to get some x-rays of my hip and decided it would be best to skip the afternoon session.” Leon Haslam – 8th – 1’49.555s: “I have finished a good two-days of testing here at Imola today. The heat played a big part in the afternoon session, it was just too hot and hard to improve the lap times. I managed to set the second fastest time on the standard race tyres. We have made good progress with the new front suspension and have tested some different clutches. I am happy with the development we have made here and feel in good shape for the next round at Brno.” Anthony West – 9th – 1’53.931s: “I am disappointed with the results here at Imola and I struggled to find my confidence throughout the two days of testing. We have tried a lot of different things, but it was hard to make the progress we set out to achieve here. It was hard to find the right set-up for the machine at this track and as a result of that I am too far away from the front man. Hopefully we can find some more improvement at Brno next week.” Gianluca Vizziello – 14th – 1’54.778s: “My test didn’t exactly go to plan. After I set my best result this season at Donington three weeks ago, I am really pushing for further improvement, but I have found it hard to find the rhythm here at Imola. I am still convinced there is a lot more in store though and we will just need to keep on working on the development of the bike.” Johan Stigefelt, Team Manager: “I am very happy with the Superbike results. We have tried a lot of different things that we wanted to try for a long time. It is good to see John improving on his bike, it is the first test in which he could actually work on developing the set-up of his machine. Unfortunately, we did not have access to the development tyres like the other teams, and are a little behind in that perspective. John has shown he is very fast and has great potential. Leon has already shown the potential of our machine, and with some new parts arriving for Brno, I am confidently looking forward to the next races. On the other hand I have to say that I am very disappointed with the Supersport results. We have tested a rebuild engine here which worked well in Brno where we tested last week. The team has worked so hard, but we do not seem to go forward at all. It is frustrating that we cannot succeed with the package we have at the moment and the knowledge that is available within our team. It is just not good enough.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: The World Superbike Championship has the Italian round of Imola back on the calendar this year so the teams have spent the last two days testing their machines there in preparation for the upcoming races on the 27th September. The track is new for both Ben Spies and Tom Sykes however it was clear from the two day test that neither the lack of track knowledge or the sweltering Italian sunshine was going to prevent them from displaying some serious pace. Day one saw Spies leading the field until the very end of the sessions where rive Fabrizio made a couple of extra tenths on fresh tyres. Day two such much of the same with the American rider working through his set up and understanding the circuit in advance of the race in September. Team mate Sykes was showing the consistent turn of speed we are now seeing from the British rider and ended the first day second fastest Brit in the pack in seventh place behind Bryne in sixth. Day two saw the morning session go well for Sykes, moving up to fifth and shaving three tenths of the previous day’s time, he held onto the fifth spot at the end of the day and came away in confident mood for the upcoming Brno round. Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team “It’s been a really good couple of days testing for me, we’ve not been out there trying to be the fastest guys, but have been focused on working through the set up of the bike to make sure we have everything ready for when we race here and also just to shake it down. It’s been really hot so I’m looking forward to getting away from the track now and relaxing before we go to Brno next week.” Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike Team “I started off had a good chat with the team here and then moved into testing with a good plan in mind. We worked through quite a lot on the bike including suspension and brakes and tried some new tyres too and it all came good. I ended up fifth overall which was good, where we should be nearer the top. It’s certainly where I want to be and closing the gap on the front now. Hopefully we’re heading to Brno with more information from the test and we’ll be strong there.” Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager “in the end it was a good test for us. Both riders now know the Imola circuit. We tested some new tyres as well which were interesting. We also worked a lot on the bike set up with both riders. Unfortunately the temperature was really high here which made it tough. We’re ok and ready for the next race where we have to catch Noriyuki up and we’re ready to be more focused for the championship win.” Crutchlow on fire in the Italian Sunshine Yamaha World Supersport rider Cal Crutchlow continues to be the man to catch in the World Supersport Championship after displaying more of the blistering speed at Imola that has kept him at the front of the pack so far this year. The first day of testing ended with Crutchlow setting a 1’52.9 lap, over six tenths faster than any other rider on the track, another he has never ridden before. Day two saw more impressive riding as he consistently led the field, only passed by Sofuoglu in the dying stages of the day. Team mate Fabien Foret got quietly down to business in day one, putting in impressive laps to finish the day fourth in the standings two tenths of a second behind title challenger Eugene Laverty. Day two saw the French rider put down more consistent times to end in fourth. The Yamaha World Supersport Team also took part in a one day test at Brno last week. The test was Fabien Foret’s first run on the Czech circuit since he crashed there last year. It was Crutchlow’s first time at Brno however the English rider was fast from the off, going under the lap record in the process. Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World Supersport Team “It’s been really good for me to come here and learn the circuit, I didn’t use anywhere near as many tyres as some of the other riders so was really happy with the times I’ve managed to put in. I’m looking forward to coming back and racing here. I also had a good run in Brno last week, great to get the lap record and I’m really excited about racing there next week.” Fabien Foret, Yamaha Word Supersport Team “I’m really happy with my riding here. I’ve found some tyres I really like which has helped me find the front end a bit more on the bike so I’m looking forward to testing that in race conditions. Brno was interesting last week, it was a big deal to come back here after my crash last year so it was very important to go round the track and feel ok.” Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager “We are very pleased with what we have achieved here, Cal has been fast on both days. We tried everything we wanted to test and we come away with some good information. We’ve learnt some things for the race here as well. Fabien found a really good front tyre and finishing fourth behind the top guys is good so he’s pleased. For Brno it was good to come back to a track where Fabien had big crash last year and it was important for Cal to learn the track and he broke the lap record so it’s fair to say he likes it there! Let’s see how he goes next week.” More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda: Ten Kate Honda Racing’s Ryuichi Kiyonari has set the 12th fastest time at a two-day World Superbike championship test which concluded at Imola in Italy today. The Japanese ace lapped the circuit near Bologna in a time of 1’50.226s as he became accustomed to riding his Honda CBR1000RR with full Ohlins suspension for the first time. Ryuichi Kiyonari best lap, 1’50.226s Although my lap time doesn’t look very fast compared to the others, I am very happy with the two days we have had to test the new suspension here at Imola. I am never the fastest rider when I go to a new circuit, but I like Imola and we had a chance to try lots of different things and learn how they work with the bike. I didn’t use a qualifying tyre but just tried to concentrate on learning the circuit and getting comfortable with the new suspension. Ronald ten Kate team manager After Misano and Donington, Kiyo-san is now completely Ohlins with the rest of the team and we have found a lot of positives during this two day test. He is really very precise about the setting he is comfortable with and we are still looking for that. However, I think we’re close and we can go to Brno with a good base from which to start. More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Jonathan Rea has put himself on top of the timing sheets after setting the fastest time during a two-day World Superbike championship test at Imola in Italy. The series will return to race at the historic circuit near Bologna on 25-27 September for the first time in three years. Riding at Imola for the first time, and in temperatures of more than 36 degrees, Rea’s best time of 1’48.670s was two tenths faster than second placed Michel Fabrizio, while his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Carlos Checa, finished the test in 11th place. As well as evaluating tyres for Pirelli, the test represented the team’s first real opportunity to undertake an extended test with new technical partners, Andreani Group, since changing to Ohlins suspension prior to the Misano, Italy round in June. Jonathan Rea best lap 1’48.670s It’s been a good couple of days here at Imola, which we started with a really different approach. Instead of trying to change things from the start, we just waited until I was really up to speed. That took most of the first day, when we really only changed one thing. We started trying some new stuff this morning and I was able to run consistently in the top three and we were able to confirm the good base setting that we found at Misano. After that, we just fine tuned things, but it was really motivational to be at a new track with everything fresh. I was even quick through the sector with the chicane in it, and slower corners and chicanes are normally my weaker points. All in all, it’s been good and I want to thank the team for all their work in changing the approach to work here. We got another boost when Kenan set the fastest Supersport time, so I think we can go to Brno next week with some confidence. Carlos Checa best lap 1’49.736s I think we did a good job here at Imola. It’s been ten years since I last rode here, but I like the circuit and even the new chicane is quite good. We have found something for a base setting here, although we still have some more work to make the rear a little more stable. It’s been good to spend some time working with our new suspension technicians outside a race weekend, and I think we are in good shape to move forward at Brno next week. Ronald ten Kate – team manager Actually, we are quite happy with Carlos’s overall pace, which is pretty good, even though he looks a little further back than he actually is. We have some very useful data now, as we have concentrated on looking for something like a base setting and finding out which areas to concentrate on with the new suspension. We have even tried new things when the bike was really going well, just to see what reaction it gave it’s paid off very well. We’ve done longer runs on various tyres, but everything has really been geared around the new suspension, and two of our technicians spent a couple of days at the Andreani factory near Misano earlier this week to really understand better how everything will work with our bike. More, from another press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: With temperatures in the high 30s, Kenan Sofuoglu has emerged as the fastest rider at the end of a two-day World Supersport championship test at Imola in Italy. The Turkish rider topped the time sheets with a lap of 1’51.552s around the revised circuit near Bologna, ahead of current series leader Cal Crutchlow and second placed Eugene Laverty, who was third fastest at the Imola test. Sofuoglu’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Andrew Pitt, set the sixth fastest time on his Honda CBR600RR as the team continued to become more familiar with the new Ohlins suspension it has been running since the Misano, Italy round of the championship last month. Kenan Sofuoglu best lap 1’51.552s I am very happy to be back here and to be back on top. We have got through a lot of work these two days and it has been good to work with the new suspension without having to worry about putting in a fast lap for qualifying. Everything has worked really well and now I am much more comfortable with the new equipment we have. I am looking forward to next week’s race in Brno where I am sure that Crutchlow and Laverty will be strong again. But we can start from a stronger position, I hope, and look for a good result. Andrew Pitt best lap 1’53.612s It’s been really hot here, so I’m not sure what we can bring back in September, when it’ll be something like 15 degrees cooler. But we got a lot of stuff done and learned lots about the new kit, including what NOT to do! We concentrated on the rear and only used one bike for nearly the whole two days. I jumped on the spare with a slightly different front setting near the end of the test which worked, but I only got one go at it. I need a little more confidence in the front to suit my riding style but we’re definitely getting there. Kenan and I were going in quite different directions with set-up, so it’s interesting, if a little disappointing, so see him that far ahead. But I think we’ll know which way to go next week. Ronald ten Kate team manager We’ve been running the new Ohlins front forks here in Imola and I’m pleased that it’s been working really well. The new forks have definitely lifted us up to the next level, but the really good thing is that there’s still quite a bit more to come. The setting is just about OK at the moment, but there is definitely a lot more potential than we thought before. I think we can travel to Brno in a good frame of mind, even though we know it will present new challenges for us. But we now have a good base from which to start work there. More, from a press release issued by ParkinGO Triumph BE1 Racing: It was two days of hard work for ParkinGO Triumph BE1 Racing as the whole team took the track at the “Enzo and Dino Ferrari” circuit. The goal was to continue where they left off and prepare both for the next week’s round at Brno and for Imola in September. In this official test, permanent riders Gianluca Nannelli and Garry McCoy were joined by Southafrican Sheridan Morais who only tested in the last of the two scheduled days. Things got complicated due to the hot weather which made the surface very slippery. The riders however finished working on setup as scheduled. GARRY McCOY | Triumph Daytona 675 | 5th in 1’53.152: “I found a good feeling with the track and tested different setups for Brno. I was very close to the fastest time with race setup, that is until the end of today’s session. I went on with the testing in the afternoon and so I couldn’t improve my time. All in all it was a good test that will enable us to prepare more easily for the September round at Imola. Obviously, the weather will be much more different than this and we’ll have to use a different setup. I didn’t like the new corner, I think it’s pretty dangerous. As long as you’re alone on the track there’s no worries, but if someone else made a mistake in the pack, you can barely pass”. GIANLUCA NANNELLI | Triumph Daytona 675 | 7th in 1’53.767: “It was nice to return at Imola. It’s a special place for me because on this track I had my first and only win back in 2005. However, I hope to replicate that result with Trumph in September. As far as the test is concerned, we really did a good job even if I went over the top a the beginning. But I did my personal best four laps in a row although I had race tyres on. It was a good test, very useful for the September round when I hope to score a good result”. More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: IMPROVEMENT IN SIGHT! The new spec engine from BMW in Imola was a significant improvement straightaway and Troy was looking forward to two full days working with it and making good progress. But the new engine blew a head gasket yesterday and Troy had to revert to the older engine which was not so easy to ride. In his brief spell with the new engine, Troy found the bike easier to ride and control and a very positive improvement all round. But after the problem, Troy was forced to soldier on with the older engine and just do the best he could. Briton Jonathon Rea (Honda) posted the fastest lap of the tests, with a lap of 1:48.670. Second is Michel Fabrizio (Ducati), with Ben Spies (Yamaha) third and Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) fourth. Troy – 17th, 1:50.486 That was a big shame, because I found that the new engine much better at once and I wanted to put in the laps and make progress. It has been a bit of a tough time for us all recently, but the signs are now looking positive again. What the new engine is giving us is rideability and making everything a bit easier. Going back to the older engine has made us all realise that the new engine is the way to go and this is what the mechanics will be working on so that we can approach Brno in much better shape. It’s frustrating having a nice engine and then not having it and I can’t tell how much better it feels then the old one. But you can see what affect the new engine is having on Ruben and his lap times are much closer to the top guys then ever before. I can’t wait for the next time out with the new engines and being able to fight with the fast guys again. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Team Suzuki Alstare Brux rider Max Neukirchner suffered a high-speed crash at the InFront official World Superbike test at Imola in Italy and has damaged four vertebra. He was taken to hospital in Bologna and, after X-rays, was fitted with a cast to prevent any further damage. He stayed in the hospital overnight, but is scheduled to fly back to his local hospital in Germany for further investigation today. Neukirchner’s setback is a cruel blow to the whole team who have been looking forward to his return since Monza. Until his crash, he had enjoyed his time on the bike and, despite some understandable soreness in his leg, was happy to be back in the saddle again. Team mate Yukio Kagayama struggled in the scorching conditions and although the team made numerous changes and adjustments to the bike, he was unable to push as hard as he would have liked and finished in a disappointing 18th place. Jonathon Rea (Honda) posted the fastest time of the tests with a lap of 1:48.670. Second was Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) with Ben Spies (Yamaha) third. Max Neukirchner: “I am not sure why I crashed, but I have injured myself some more and so I must start the recovery process all over again. Yesterday was not so bad and I showed that I could ride the bike OK after some weeks away. I was looking forward to a second full day on the track, so it was a big pity that I fell. It seems that I have cracked or damaged some vertebra and so I must go back to my hospital in Germany and get everything checked out. Once that is done, my doctors will work out a programme for me and I will start treatment and rehabilitation. I have done this before, so I know I can do it again.” Yukio Kagayama – 18th, 1:50.518: “On the positive side, the lap times are pretty close and shows that a split second can make the difference between a high position or a low one. Over these two days, we made many changes and adjustments and tried many different things. But, I am sorry to say that we were unable to get the bike to go any better. These two days have given us a lot to think about and now we must try and analyse all the data and make a step forward. We hoped to have made a step forward here, but it didn’t happen. So now we must work some more and try again.” Overall results: 1 Rea (GBR-Honda) 1:48.670, 2 Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati) 1:48.847, 3 Spies (USA-Yamaha) 1:49.262, 4 Lanzi (ITA-Ducati) 1:49.309, 5 Sykes (GBR-Yamaha) 1:49.422, 6 Hopkins (USA-Honda) 1:49.443, 18 Yukio Kagayama (JPN-Suzuki Alstare Brux) 1:50.518, 21 Max Neukirchner (GER-Suzuki Alstare Brux) 1:51.077.