PIRELLI TAMES MONZA BIAGGI BAGS DOUBLE-WIN IN WORLD SUPERBIKE THIS WEEKEND MONZA, ITALY An outstanding weekend of action at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, played out in front of 115,000 people, and culminated in a remarkable double win for Max Biaggi and his Aprilia Alitalia team. The wins pulled Max up to within three points of championship leader Leon Haslam (Alstare Suzuki). Biaggi made some radical changes to his rear suspension after his race-one win and eventually was the clear winner of race two. This was Max’s second double-win of the year – his first coming in Portimao. Pirelli is the official tire supplier to World Superbike, and delivered 4630 tires including 5 front solutions and 3 rear solutions for SBK, and 3 front and 2 rear solutions for SSP in order to give riders the best possible advantage in both warm and cool temperatures experienced at Monza. “Monza is a historic race, the one closest to home for Pirelli as well as a circuit which tests our tires to the very limit due to its high-speed Parabolica with long straights and extreme braking,” said Giorgio Barbier, Racing Director, Pirelli Moto. “All SBK riders successfully raced the newly developed three-zone 190/65 rear tire whose central compound is both more durable and higher-performing, much appreciated by the riders especially in braking sections. The most common front tire choice among teams was the B (SC2) solution, although depending teams’ bike setup, the A solution whose higher grip level or the more durable C solution used by Biaggi and Haslam also worked well at Monza.” Race One Biaggi scored the race-one win with a well-judged front running ride, albeit with several riders for company through all 18 laps. He kept his pace and consistency on his V4 machine to lead Yamaha Sterilgarda duo James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow across the line – finishing 0.247 seconds ahead of Toseland. Leon Haslam was only 0.958 seconds behind Biaggi, in fourth, with Leon Camier, Biaggi’s team-mate, fifth. Ruben Xaus (BMW) was sixth, Michel Fabrizio seventh for Ducati Xerox. Troy Corser went eighth and Tom Sykes ninth on his Kawasaki Racing Team machine. “That was a special result, because it is special to win at Monza and because this is a special track with a very high top speed,” said Max Biaggi. “We worked very hard for this race weekend so it was a perfect performance by all the team. The Yamaha guys running together means they could be quicker than me in the final lap but we held it together and took our first win here at Monza.” “It was a good strong race,” said James Toseland. “I want to congratulate the team for getting two bikes on the podium. Congratulations to Max, he didn’t put a foot wrong. On that last lap I was hoping he was going to make a slight mistake to allow me to get alongside but he didn’t. They were strong here, but we’re getting better all the time.” Results: 1. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 (C/A); 2. Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 0.247 (B/A); 3. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 0.297 (B/A); 4. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 0.958 (C/A); 5. Camier L. (FRA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 4.493 (C/A); 6. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 7.343 (B/A); 7. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1198 7.369 (B/A); 8. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S 1000 RR 9.344 (B/A); 9. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 15.338 (C/A); 10. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 16.761 (B/A); 11. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1198 16.921 (A/A); 12. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR 1000 RR 22.231 (C/A); 13. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1198 22.602 (B/A); 14. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1198 22.742 (A/A); 15. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1198 26.266 (B/A); 16. Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1198 26.415 (B/A); 17. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1198 26.968 (C/A); 18. Vermeulen C. (AUS) 36.964 (B/A); 19. Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 61.646 (B/A). Race Two Biaggi’s second win of the day came in fine style after his closest initial challenger Crutchlow – suffered an oil leak and crashed. Biaggi won by a clear 4.5 seconds, besting second-place finisher Leon Haslam. The race was an important one and sends the WSB paddock to Kyalami confident of more close action between this year’s two most consistently fast riders. Haslam now has 181 points to Biaggi’s 178 and struggled with a sore wrist from a couple of hairy moments in the second race. Troy Corser earned an historic first podium finish for BMW in WSB racing, finishing third. It is only the second season of full-on competition for the BMW S 1000RR in the production-based series. Corser is now seventh in the championship. Leon Camier was a lonely fourth for Aprilia in race two, and Kawasaki rider Tom Sykes brought an aggressive fifth-place finish to round out the day. James Toseland received a CT scan at a hospital after suffering concussion in a high-speed crash. In addition, Jonathan Rea sprained his ankle, but Ruben Xaus escaped the turn-one collision without injury. In contrast to Biaggi’s great day, some leading riders suffered disappointing results. Carlos Checa finished 14th and 11th in the races, and he tied for fourth place with 110 points with Rea, who did not score today. Toseland is fifth on 106, Haga sixth with 100. “This track is very long and it’s very easy to make a little mistake plus when you have your rhythm you stay with it,” said Max Biaggi. “(Our second win is) an unbelievable result; it looks like we are achieving our goal.” “This weekend’s been tough, we’ve been a little bit down on speed, which is unlike the Suzuki,” said second-place finisher Leon Haslam. “To get on the podium here in Monza is always special. The battle for the title is definitely closing in; we knew Max was going to be strong here, but hopefully we can get back to our winning ways because each race is getting tougher and tougher.” “I’m so happy, the team has put a lot of hard work into the project,” said third-place finisher Troy Corser. “But this weekend we’ve worked really hard and have been progressively getting better and better. Thanks to all the boys at BMW – it’s been a long time coming. Let’s hope it’s not going to be the last one!” Results: 1. Biaggi M.(ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1000; 2. Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX R 4.547; 3. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S 1000 RR 5.469; 4. Camier L. (FRA) Aprilia RSV4 1000 10.267; 5. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10 R 15.561; 6. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1198 15.816; 7. Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 15.861; 8. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1198 20.977; 9. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1198 21.920; 10. Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1198 21.974; 11. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1198 27.152; 12. Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR 1000 RR 29.315; 13. Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 30.858; 14. Hayden N. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10 R 47.160; 15. Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR 1000 RR 48.824 *note: Pirelli Race Tire Selection (Front/Rear): All riders on same solutions with the exception of Checa, who changed to B front tire for Race 2. Points (after 5 rounds of 13): 1. Haslam 181; 2. Biaggi 178; 3. Rea 110; 4. Checa 110; 5. Toseland 106; 6. Haga 100; 7. Corser 92; 8. Camier 72; 9. Guintoli 70; 10. Crutchlow 65. Manufacturers: 1. Aprilia 184; 2. Suzuki 181; 3. Ducati 149; 4. Honda 119; 5. Yamaha 113; 6. BMW 95; 7. Kawasaki 37 World Supersport The 16 lap Supersport race was won by a flag-to-flag show of speed and consistency from Parkalgar Honda rider Eugene Laverty. He won by a convincing 2.8 seconds over Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Kenan Sofuoglu. Third and only just behind Sofuoglu – after a mistake on the penultimate lap – was Joan Lascorz (Motocard.com Kawasaki). Sofuoglu’s team-mate Michele Pirro was the first Italian rider home. He came in fourth place – holding off Katsuaki Fujiwara (Kawasaki Motocard.com) and French rider Matthieu Lagrive, who was the first Triumph rider in the classification. In the championship, things are now very close, with Lascorz still leading, on 101 points, while Sofuoglu has 97 and Laverty 91. Results: 1. Laverty E. (GBR) Honda CBR 600 RR 28’51.936 (192,129 km/h); 2. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR 600 RR 2.817; 3. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 3.043; 4. Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR 600 RR 21.238; 5. Fujiwara K. (JAP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 22.003; 6. Lagrive M. (FRA) Triumph 675 Daytona 22.056; 7. Davies C. (GBR) Triumph 675 Daytona 30.724; 8. Salom D. (ESP) Triumph 675 Daytona 30.730; etc. Points (after 5 rounds of 13): 1. Lascorz 101; 2. Sofuoglu 97; 3. Laverty 91; 4. Davies 55; 5. Salom 40; 6. Rea 40; 7. Harms 35; 8. Pirro 34; 9. Fujiwara 34; 10. Lagrive 30. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 120; 2. Kawasaki 101; 3. Triumph 65 Superstock 1000 Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) secured the race win from the pole, but only after a fight with early fast-man Sylvain Barrier. The Frenchman crashed his Garnier racing BMW and lost any chance of points – leaving Badovini ahead of eventual second-place rider Michele Magnoni (SCI Honda Garvie Image) second and Daniele Berretta, Badovini’s team-mate, third. In the championship Badovini has 100 points, Magnoni 47 and Maxime Berger 46. Results: 1. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 21’44.147 (192,848 kmh); 2. Magnoni M. (ITA) Honda CBR 1000 RR 6.101; 3. Beretta D. (ITA) BMW S 1000 RR 6.371; 4. Lussiana M. (FRA) BMW S 1000 RR 6.522; 5. Petrucci D. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 18.222; 6. Savary M. (SVI) BMW S 1000 RR 19.518; 7. Baroni L. (ITA) Ducati 1198 21.971; 8. Bussolotti M. (ITA) Honda CBR 1000 RR 22.147; etc. Points (after 4 rounds of 10): 1. Badovini 100; 2. Magnoni 47; 3. Berger 46; 4.Giugliano 45; 5. Barrier 40; 6. Petrucci 30; 7. Antonelli 28; 8. Baz 27; 9. Bussolotti 26; 10. Tutusaus 25. Manufacturers: 1. BMW 100; 2. Honda 73; 3. Suzuki 52; 4. Kawasaki 30; 5. Yamaha 29; 6. KTM 25; 7. Ducati 22; 8. Aprilia 13 Performance Awards: SBK Race 1 – Pirelli BEST LAP Jonathan Rea (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda), 1’43.031 (Lap 6) SBK Race 2 – Pirelli BEST LAP Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Superbike), 1’42.937 (Lap 3) Total BEST LAP (SBK): Checa C. (Althea Racing): 3, Biaggi M. (Aprilia Alitalia Racing): 2, Jonathan Rea (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda): 2, Haslam L. (Suzuki Alstare): 1, Guintoli S. (Suzuki Alstare): 1, Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Superbike): 1 WSS – Pirelli BEST LAP Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), 1’47.767 (Lap 7) Total BEST LAP (WSS): Laverty E. (Parkalgar Honda): 2, Pirro M. (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda): 1, Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com): 1, Kenan Sofuoglu (HANNspree Ten Kate Honda): 1 Stk1000 – Pirelli BEST JUMP FORWARD Michaël Savary (Garnier Junior Racing), From 16th to 6th (10 positions) Pirelli Tire North America designs, develops, manufactures and markets tires for passenger vehicles in both the original equipment and replacement markets as well as markets and distributes tires for motorcycles and motorsports. Located in Rome, Georgia, Pirelli’s Modular Integrated Robotized System (MIRS) employs state-of-the-art technology to manufacture tires for both export and domestic markets. For more information please visit www.us.pirelli.com. More, from a press release issued by Garnier Racing Team Junior FIM Cup Superstock 1000 Round 4 Monza (Italy) May 9, 2010 Good 6th position for Savary Michaël Savary achieved a very good result at Monza, finishing at the 6th place of the Superstock race. Sylvain Barrier crashed while he was in second position. Ayrton Badovini, after being the fastest rider during the timed practices, took the lead of the race in front of Sylvain Barrier. Both men stayed together for a long time, until some rain drops made the track a little bit slippery in the Lesmo curve. That is where Sylvain crashed. After he was checked at the Clinica Mobile, doctors there released him in good health. Michaël Savary confirmed his progression all weekend long. He was careful in the beginning of the race, then went faster and faster, passing many riders in the process. He finally crossed the finish line in sixth position. This is the best result of the Swiss rider since the beginning of the season. Michel Garnier (team owner): “I am not happy at all. Sylvain could not follow Badovini. I asked him before the race to score points. He was too fast everywhere. We lost a great deal: the second position in the championship. Michaël did a good race. He rode really well. He scored very good points.” Michaël Savary: “My start was average. I was seventeenth after one lap. There were a few rain drops on the back of the track, where some riders crashed. I was careful. The set up was good. After four laps, I gained many positions. I had a good feeling with the bike. I am happy, this is a good progress and my lap times were faster than during the practice sessions.” Sylvain Barrier, at the Clinica Mobile, was not available for an interview. Race result: 1 86 Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 19’46.264 2 119 Magnoni M. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 6.101 3 29 Beretta D. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 6.371 4 93 Lussiana M. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 6.522 5 9 Petrucci D. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 18.222 6 30 Savary M. (SUI) BMW S1000 RR 19.518 7 14 Baroni L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 21.971 8 5 Bussolotti M. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 22.147 9 7 Mähr R. (AUT) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 23.423 10 21 Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 26.759 11 11 Tutusaus P. (ESP) KTM 1190 RC8 R 32.551 12 69 Jezek O. (CZE) Aprilia RSV4 1000 33.301 13 12 Vivarelli N. (ITA) KTM 1190 RC8 R 45.026 14 191 Fusco R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 45.065 15 47 La Marra E. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 46.525 Championship standings: 1 Badovini 100 points, 2 Magnoni 47, 3 Berger 46, 4 Giugliano 45, 5 Barrier 40″¦ 14 Savary 16 5th round of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup: June 27 in Misano (Italy) More, from a press release issued by Birchall Brothers Racing: BIRCHALL BROTHERS WIN AT SCHLEIZ Mansfield brothers Ben and Tom Birchall rode to a win and second place in the two world championship races at Schleiz in Germany on Sunday to move within a whisker of the lead in the 2010 FIM Sidecar World Championship. The current world champions were up against former champion Pekka Paivarinta and passenger Adolf Hanni who won the opening round of the new campaign at Le Mans in April. The Mitchells of Mansfield supported brothers were determined to narrow the five point gap separating the two top teams and dominated free practice and qualifying setting a fast lap of 1m 29.542 to claim pole position to the set of two races. As the short sprint race of 11 laps got underway on Saturday the Birchall brothers shot away to establish the lead, swiftly followed by Paivarinta. On lap two the flying Finn was overhauled by Hock/Becker but although the German team got within a couple of seconds to the world champions they were unable to keep up the pace leaving Ben and Tom to romp home to a fine victory some four seconds ahead of Hock. Paivarinta was a further four seconds adrift in third place and the best of the rest was Tim Reeves who crossed the finish line in fourth position, some 17 seconds after the leaders. The 25 points accrued from the sprint race gave the Birchalls a four point advantage at the top of the rider standings and boosted their confidence going into the gold race on Sunday. Run over 22 laps of the 3.805km circuit Ben and Tom once again began their race from pole position. But this time they didn’t get the flying start they needed and were fourth after the first lap some 3.2 seconds behind the leaders. But undeterred by this Ben got his head down and powered the LCR Yamaha past both Reeves and Hock to tuck into second place behind Paivarinta on the second lap. The pair began to pull away from the rest of the field and battled it out for the lead over the next few laps with Ben putting in the fastest time of the race on lap six with a time of 1m 28.856s, just under the lap record time of 1m 28.289s the Mansfield pair set in last year’s race. But lady luck was not on their side and as the race progressed the bike developed a fault with the brakes which caused Ben to have to ease off and bring the bike home in a very safe second place. This time it was Reeves who came home in third place, some 24 seconds after the leaders crossed the finish line with Hock finishing in fourth place. The result saw Ben and Tom relinquish the series lead and hand it back to Paivarinta who now holds a one-point lead over the Mansfield pair. “When I encountered the problem with the brakes I had to back off a bit and knowing I was a long way ahead of anyone else I just brought her home safely,” said Ben. “I was lucky to be able to continue as I didn’t know if the problem would get worse but it seemed to hold it together ok and we got the result. I am gaining in confidence more and more with the new bike and also the Avon tyres and am looking forward to getting out on track again soon to continue my world championship campaign and also the Battle of Britain series. I have to say a big thank you to all my sponsors and supporters who have given me their backing this year and both Tom and I will be doing our utmost to bring back some strong results for them throughout the season.” The next round of the FIM World championship is on June 20 when the team visit Rijeka in Croatia before returning to the UK for the next round of the Battle of Britain which takes place just six days later on June 20 at Oulton Park in Cheshire. More, from a press release issued by Gino Rea’s publicist: Gino moves up to joint 5th in the World Supersport Championship after another top 10 finish at Monza Gino Rea moves up to 5th in the World Supersport Championship after this weekends Monza Supersport race. Gino had another race long battle with Chaz Davies and team mate Massimo Roccoli to finish a close 9th. The young londoner got a good start and was sitting comfortably behind Ten Kate Honda rider Micheale Pirro and Katusta Fujiwara, but when the group came across Davies, Gino got caught up in a battle with him and couldnt make a pass stick to get away with the group ahead. Rea ran in a little wide with Davies on the last corner and the other Factory Triumph rider David Salom sneaked through on the inside. Gino’s words: ‘That was another frustrating race really. But theres also a lot of positives to take from this weekend. After a few laps I had the pace to run with Ten Kate rider Pirro and Kawasaki rider Fujiwara, but Chaz Davies got a really good start and the group started to go past him but I couldnt make a pass stick. Chaz was really strong on the brakes and this was our weak point in the race, so everytime I got past he would retake me and it let the group infront get away. Then I made a mistake and my team mate got back past, but I retook both and we had a good battle, me and Chaz ran in a bit wide into the last corner and unfortunately Salom snuck past. After our best qualifying in 8th, it’s really frustrating to finish 9th, but like I said the positive side is that I know I can run with the factory riders, I just need to put myself in the right place at the right time. We also need to work on our race setting, I am normally strong on the brakes so I have to get back to my old self, this could be a mixture of set up and electronics. As for the championship, another top 10 and now joint 5th in the standings! I cant wait for the next round this weekend in South Africa, if we can get there… we have heard the flights could be cancelled due to the volcanic ash!’ The next World Supersport race is scheduled to take place this weekend at Kylami in South Africa. More, from a press release issued by FTR MOTO: FTR MOTO AND COGHLAN VICTORIOUS IN CEV SECOND ROUND FTR MOTO and Kevin Coghlan are just one point off the lead of the Spanish CEV Moto2 Championship after the young Scotsman won Sunday’s second round of the Championship at Albacete. Coghlan ran out winner by just 0.367s in a thrilling race, run in two parts three laps and 16 laps after rain hit the 2.20-mile circuit and the original race was red-flagged. Having qualified in fifth place on the Monlau Competicion FTR machine, Coghlan led for half of the main 16-lap race before sitting behind eventual runner-up Carmelo Morales to ensure his debut win in Moto2. “It was a tough day with the first race being stopped then the result on aggregate time,” said Coghlan. “Towards the end of the 16-lapper I needed to push on a little and I’m pleased I was able to do that. I’m still getting used to the machine but I felt really comfortable throughout the weekend so all credit to the team and to FTR.” Coghlan sits one point behind Daniel Rivas in the seven-round Championship with the third round at the Jerez circuit on June 13. FTR’s Steve Bones commented: “Kev did an excellent job, he rode like a demon at the end of the race to ensure victory. The team gave him the signal to protect the lead he had on aggregate time and he responded superbly.” Russian youngster Alexey Ivanov, also riding an FTR machine, qualified in 31st place and finished 22nd as he continues his progression in the new class and in his first year of competition in Spain. More, from a press release issued by Paul Bird Motorsports: SEASON’S BEST FOR SYKES AT MONZA Kawasaki Racing Team rider Tom Sykes saw his hard work rewarded with a superb fifth placing at round five of the 2010 Hannspree World Superbike Championship which took place at Monza in Italy today. Riding the factory Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, the Yorkshireman set the scene by qualifying on the second row during yesterday’s Superpole and in race one around the historic track near Milan, Sykes got a good start and was in ninth place coming out of turn one. At the end of lap one, Tom was in eighth spot but was overtaken by Jonathan Rea and Ruben Xaus to maintain tenth spot for most of the race before grabbing a deserved ninth at the flag. Race two saw the drama unfold from the start when a turn one pile up involving a number of the leading riders saw Sykes take advantage and move into third spot. For the remainder of the race, he was locked in battle but at the chequered flag, he’d done enough to claim a fantastic fifth spot which was the team’s best result of the season. There was reward of a different kind for Australian team-mate Chris Vermeulen who was still struggling with the movement in his right knee following the Phillip Island crash. Despite the injury not improving as much as he would have liked, he gamely battled on through the weekend. The former World Supersport Champion qualified on row five of the grid before battling to 18th in race one but a dogged performance in race two saw him add to the points he scored at the previous round at Assen with a hard-fought 13th place to make it a successful race for the Penrith-based Paul Bird Motorsport team. Sykes has now scored in eight out of the ten races so far and holds 14th place in the standings with Vermeulen occupying 19th after two successive points scoring meetings. The next round takes place next weekend when the team heads to Kyalami in South Africa for round six of the thirteen round series. Rounding off a great weekend for the team was team owner Paul Bird who took a comprehensive victory in this weekend’s Manx Telecom Rally in his Ford Focus WRC, thus retaining the title he won last year. Tom Sykes: “I made two good race starts this weekend and stayed out of trouble, which has really paid off. I was a bit frustrated at the start of race two as I was unable to maintain a place early on in the race, but I knew it was important to keep consistent on the tyres. Every time I passed the pit board and saw my positions creeping up, it really encouraged me. I had a good battle with Haga and I went to make the pass and we kept coming past each other for a few laps. With two laps to go, I really went for it and it paid off. I rode defensively to keep my position and I am thrilled to finish in fifth place in race two and to have two top ten race finishes under my belt. All credit to the team, these results are well deserved. It’s given us all a confidence boost, now we just have to keep on it!” Chris Vermeulen: “I got a good start in race one as we made a few small changes to the bike before the race, unfortunately, the changes weren’t in the right direction. My right knee was also giving me some problems, so race one was a bit of a struggle for me. In race two we went back to the original settings which really improved the bike. We had another good start, however I made a mistake on the Ascari chicane on lap one and came very close to Max Neukirchner and Shakey Byrne and ran off the track. I got back on and picked up my pace for the final laps. I’m really pleased to be racing closely with Max Neukirchner under the circumstances and I’m happy with my 13th place. Paul Risbridger, Team Manager: “It has been a fabulous weekend for the team. Tom’s performance has been strong from the first session and he has continued to improve all weekend. To achieve two top ten results puts us right on target for our 2010 objectives. We are really pleased with both riders’ performances, especially in the second race with Tom fighting back for fifth place and to see Chris racing strongly with some fast lap times towards the end of race two. This weekend has been a real confidence boost for the whole team.” RACE 1 FINAL RESULTS 9. T. Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) 7 points 18. C. Vermeulen (Kawasaki Racing Team) 0 points 1. M. Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing) 2. J. Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda Team) 3. C. Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda Team) 4. L. Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) 5. L. Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing) 6. R. Xaus (BMW Motorrad) 7. M. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox Team) 8. T. Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 9. T. Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) 10. S. Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare) RACE 2 FINAL RESULTS 5. Sykes (Kawasaki WSB) 11 points 13. Vermeulen (Kawasaki Racing Team) 3 points 1. M. Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia Racing) 2. L. Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) 3. T. Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 4. L. Camier (Aprilia Alitalia Racing) 5. T. Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) 6. N. Haga (Ducati Xerox Team) 7. S. Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare) 8. J. Smrz (Team PATA B&G Racing) 9. S. Byrne (Althea Ducati) 10. L. Scassa (Supersonic Racing Team) More, from a press release issued by Team Pedercini: Warm weather conditions and dry track surface today in Monza for both the Superbike and the Superstock 1000 races. Due to yesterday’s qualifying results, fifth and sixth row respectively for Matteo Baiocco and Roger Lee Hayden in today’s Superbike starting grid. In race one, after a good start, Baiocco battled in a group of three riders close to the point’s zone. Halfway through the race, the pilot was given the ride through signal because he cut a chicane. Unfortunately, Matteo didn’t see the signal and so his race ended with a black flag. Hayden started quite well and was able to recover some positions obtaining the nineteenth position at the end of the race. In race two, after ten laps Baiocco was forced to re-enter the box because of a technical problem. Roger Hayden made a flying start from the seventh row reaching the fifteenth position and battling it out for the point’s zone. Due to a very good race pace, Roger was able to obtain an excellent fourteenth final position and the first two points of the season for his championship standing. Superbike race 1 : 1) Biaggi (Aprilia) 2) Toseland (Yamaha) 3) Crutchlow (Yamaha) 4) Haslam (Suzuki) 5) Camier (Aprilia) “¦”¦”¦.. 19) Hayden (Kawasaki) DIS. Baiocco (Kawasaki) Superbike race 2 : 1) Biaggi (Aprilia) 2) Haslam (Suzuki) 3) Corser (BMW) 4) Camier (Aprilia) 5) Sykes (Kawasaki) “¦”¦14) Hayden (Kawasaki)”¦.. RET Baiocco (Kawasaki) Roger Lee Hayden : “Race one went very well. The race started off positively and right afterwards I was able to find a good rhythm, thanks to my mechanics that solved some of the sliding problems we suffered during the qualifying sessions. Race two proved to be the best race so far in the season for me. I started very fast and my bike was working a lot better. I collected the first Superbike points and I’m extremely happy with the results achieved today. A big thank you to all of the technicians for their great help during this weekend in Monza”. Matteo Baiocco : “This was a really difficult weekend for me and for my team. I was not able to find the right feeling with my Kawasaki and we never found the right bike set-up adaptable for this very fast circuit. In the first race, I was disqualified because I cut a chicane and the race organization decided for a ride trough. Unfortunately, I never saw their signal so my race ended with a black flag. In race two, my start was not so bad but near the middle of the race I broke the steering shock absorber and was impossible to continue riding. I’m disappointed with today’s results and I really hope we’ll be able to quickly solve the problems we encountered here in Monza”. Superstock 1000 race started on a dry track. Not a quick start for Petrucci who ended the first lap in ninth position while Leeson was twenty-second. As the race proceeded Petrucci was able to recuperate several positions and near the middle of the race he reached sixth place. Moreover, Leeson recovered some positions and in a few laps he was up to eighteenth place. Unfortunately, he was unable to improve and finished the race in eighteenth position while Petrucci reached an excellent fifth position, collecting some good points for the Superstock 1000 championship standing. Superstock 1000 race : 1) Badovini (BMW) 2) Magnoni (Honda) – 3) Beretta (BMW) – 4) Lussiana (BMW) – 5) Petrucci (Kawasaki) “¦…. 18) Leeson (Kawasaki). Chris Lesson : “My start was not so good and I finished the first lap in twenty-second position. A few laps later, one rider crashed in front of me and I lost some time trying to avoid his bike. Around the middle of the race I found a very fast race pace and I was able to recuperate a lot of positions ending up in eighteenth place. That’s a great result if we consider all the problems encountered during the weekend. I want to thank my technical staff for their dedication and help here in Monza”. Danilo Petrucci : “Because of my bad start I lost some positions so I pushed very hard starting from the first few laps. It started to rain after the first five laps in some parts of the circuit and I saw some riders’ crash in front of me so I preferred to reduce my race pace and end my race in fifth position. This is the best result that I’ve obtained so far in this year’s championship so I’m extremely pleased with today’s results. With the help of my team I’m convinced to reach even better results in the future, starting from the next race in June at Misano”. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Season Best For Sykes As He Goes Fifth In Race Two The best weekend of qualifying and racing for Kawasaki Racing Team rider Tom Sykes saw him ninth and fifth at Monza on his Ninja ZX-10R, as his recuperating team-mate Chris Vermeulen also scored well. Tom’s ninth place in race one came after a good start, with the Yorkshireman only losing ground in the second half of the race and riding an eventually lonely last few laps. He would have very high calibre company in race two, as he was third on lap one, then contested the final few laps with Noriyuki Haga, re-passing the Japanese star at every opportunity. Tom held him off at the line to record his best result this year for the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R. Chris was once more once more held back by both his 18th place qualifying position and pain and weakness in his injured knee. The Aussie rider fought every lap as hard as he could and scored 18th and 13th place finishes in the two 18-lap races. His grit and determination place him 19th in the overall rankings. The whole weekend was a boost for the KRT squad, as qualifying for Tom in particular went to plan and he made the final sector of Superpole. He then had the confidence to use his skill to the full for all of each race. In the overall championship Tom is now 14th on 35 points, with the next race scheduled for Kyalami, in South Africa, next weekend. Tom Sykes: “In race two I got a good start and stayed out of trouble but I was not quite able to make the pace early on. Obviously Nori made a few strong passes, and I let him do a little bit of the work for a while. Then my lap times improved and I had a go at passing him, but he came straight back at me, in typical Nori style. With two to go I made a pass and get my head down, then on the final corner I rode defensively and pulled off a good result in fifth. All credit to Kawasaki and the team, it is very well deserved and a good confidence booster for us for the rest of the year.” Chris Vermeulen: “In each race I got a very good start, but in the first race we had tried to make a few small set-up changes on the bike, but it was in the wrong direction. Physically it made the bike very hard to handle, to change direction, so I was very tired after race one. My lap times were a lot better in race two and the bike was good, it was just my leg that is still the main thing stopping me from racing to my full potential. But I was happy with the progress in race two and racing with someone like Max Neukirchner, so it wasn’t too bad.” More, from another press release issued by Kawasaki: Lascorz Still Leads After Latest Podium Ride Joan Lascorz was third today at Monza and his fifth podium place in succession was enough to keep him in the championship lead. Katsuaki Fujiwara was also on good form, finishing fifth after 16 laps. Third in qualifying Joan was second on lap one, then third as Eugene Laverty and Kenan Sofuoglu headed the field. On the final two laps Joan drew close to Sofuoglu but was just unable to pass him on the final tour at this high-speed circuit, which also features many chicanes. Fujiwara was the second Kawasaki rider in the top five, after Fabien Foret (Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki) had to retire. Fujiwara had started seventh on the grid and as he was not quite able to stay with the leaders in the early laps he ended up in a fight with Michele Pirro, after competing at close quarters with many other competitors. Joan now has a four-point lead over Sofuoglu, with Monza race winner Eugene Laverty third on 91 points. Katsuaki is ninth, on the same points score as Pirro, 34. Joan Lascorz: “I saw that I had an opportunity to pass Kenan at the last chicane and I was fighting for the the pass but it did not go well. With every race it is getting more and more difficult in this class, so we will see how it goes week-by-week, race-by-race. This year the top three riders are all going well and our pace was good again this week, with another podium.” Katsuaki Fujiwara: “I had a big fight in the race and we finished inside the top five, which was a good result after I started seventh. The track here is a very special kind and we battled hard, but maybe I did not have the front-end set-up to be able to pass other riders under the brakes easily. But I scored good points and that was what we set-out to do.” More, from a press release issued by Phil Hartl: Lex Hartl wins 125GP/Clubman Class with WERA West at Buttonwillow Lex Hartl, age 14, finished the 125GP/clubman race with win and the fasted lap time at Buttonwillow race way on Sunday May 9 on his Honda/EBA Racing RS125. This was the fourth race of the seven race series. Lex has won each of the races so far in this series and hopes to continue the string of positive finishes. Lex is also racing the Formula 2 series, with his 125, where he is currently in first place over-all as well. He took a 3rd at Buttonwillow in Formula 2 after a bad start put him in sixth place at the first turn, and the SV650s who took 1st and 2nd did a great job. Lex was still shaking off a morning crash aboard his Moriwaki, which he had been planning to race in the Superbike D class. His best race was Saturday’s 20 lap solo where he started in 20th position in the second wave of a two wave start and finished 2nd over-all, fighting his way through the field over the 20 laps. Lex looks forward to the next WERA and USGPRU rounds. We later discovered that his wrist had been broken in the morning crash and he raced the F-2 and 125s races with the condition and earned the above results. Lex is healing well and looks forward to hopefully competing in the up-coming Miller WERA west round. We wish to thank his sponsors: California Superbike School, EBA Racing, Racetech, Dunlop Tires, California Cycle Design, Cyclegear, Galfer, Aria, Motul, Sharkskinz, Zero-Gravity, PSR, TheTrackclub, Fastrackriders”¦ and WERA for a great event”¦. Please see www.lexhartl.com for further information”¦