Power team by Suriano is the protagonist of the Misano Supersport World Championship round where strikes the very first podium of his own history. Thanks to the perfect work done by the whole team led by Antonio “Ninetto” Suriano they overthrow the chances and place the Triumph Daytona 675 in third and nine place respectively with Alex Baldolini and Vittorio Iannuzzo. The two Italian rider were protagonist of a similar first-part of the race when, after kicking off from the third row immediately gained some positions. They both placed themselves in fifth and sixth place gaining a gap on the competitors of more than 2 seconds. Beyond them was Foret that had to give way due to a penalty after the first turn. His team mate, Lowes in the meanwhile, slipped. So that, at the 13th lap, Baldolini took over the third place,immediately followed by Iannuzzo. Vittorio unfortunately gradually lost contact with the team mate and was overtook by Tamburini and Morais first, and then by Parkes and Metcher. He ended the race at the ninth place and even had to fight against some issues at the rear tyre. Alex Baldolini, opted for a different tyre’s choice and managed his advantage on Tamburini ending under the chaquered flag with a third place conquering the very first podium of his career in Supersport. Alex Baldolini Triumph Daytona 675 #25 – “I’m really happy. This is the result of the great work done by the team even after some issues we had during practices. I knew about my potential with this bike and I hit the result I was hoping for. I kicked off really well immediately gaining some positions and I could get rid of some competitors boosting up the gap on them.When I knew that I was 2 placing beyond, I fight hard because the soft tyre was starting loosing its performance. I tried to adapt my style at the situation and I was able to contain Tamburini. It’s a great satisfaction that helps me to be at the fifth place on general ranking.” Vittorio Iannuzzo Triumph Daytona 675 #31 – “I’m really sorry because I would have ended with a better result and together with my teammate. I chose a softer rear tyre, after the great results we noticed on Friday during practices. But at the end of the race its performance went down forcing me to increase the rhythm and allowing the competitors to come closer. I ended ninth gaining important results for the ranking where I’m now tenth.” Antonio ” Ninetto” Suriano team owner – ” I’m so excited for this result, eventhough I would have wanted both the riders in the first positions. Unfortunately Iannuzzo had to fight harder and he did his best and I’m sure he will soon have the chance to make it up. Alex made the best present to the team, that was in need of such a result. They all worked so beautifully and hard that they really deserve it.Baldolini finalized this work and did great in every part of the race and managing a hard ending when he encountered some feeling issues with the front tyre. I can only give them an applause and wish him many more great results to come.” Race results: 1. Kenan Sofuoglu”ƒ(Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini)”ƒKawasaki ZX-6R”ƒ36’44.023 2. Jules Cluzel”ƒ(PTR Honda)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ36’45.251 3. Alex Baldolini”ƒ(Power Team by Suriano)”ƒTriumph Daytona 675″ƒ37’04.620 4. Roberto Tamburini”ƒ(Team Lorini)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ37’05.823 5. Broc Parkes”ƒ(Ten Kate Racing Products)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ37’10.380 6. Sheridan Morais”ƒ(Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini)”ƒKawasaki ZX-6R”ƒ37’10.958 7. Jed Metcher”ƒ(Rivamoto Junior Team)”ƒYamaha YZF R6″ƒ37’17.206 8. Fabien Foret”ƒ(Kawasaki Intermoto Step)”ƒKawasaki ZX-6R”ƒ37’18.610 9. Vittorio Iannuzzo”ƒ(Power Team by Suriano)”ƒTriumph Daytona 675″ƒ37’20.876 10. Andrea Antonelli”ƒ(Bike Service R.T.)”ƒYamaha YZF R6″ƒ37’22.236 11. Raffaele De Rosa”ƒ(Team Lorini)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ37’26.451 12. Balazs Nemeth”ƒ(Racing Team Toth)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ37’26.469 13. Imre Toth”ƒ(Racing Team Toth)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ37’32.825 14. Dino Lombardi”ƒ(Team PATA by Martini)”ƒYamaha YZF R6″ƒ37’34.015 15. Gabor Talmacsi”ƒ(PRORACE)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ37’37.538 16. Luca Marconi”ƒ(VFT Racing)”ƒYamaha YZF R6″ƒ37’41.789 17. Joshua Day”ƒ(Team GOELEVEN)”ƒKawasaki ZX-6R”ƒ37’42.783 18. Sam Lowes”ƒ(Bogdanka PTR Honda)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ37’49.673 19. Martin Jessopp”ƒ(Riders PTR Honda)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ37’54.314 20. Alessandro Andreozzi”ƒ(Bike Service R.T.)”ƒYamaha YZF R6″ƒ37’59.822 21. Yves Polzer”ƒ(Team MRC Austria)”ƒYamaha YZF R6″ƒ36’54.339 22. Oleg Pozdneev”ƒ(Rivamoto)”ƒYamaha YZF R6″ƒ38’01.920 RT. Fabio Menghi”ƒ(VFT Racing)”ƒYamaha YZF R6″ƒ30’56.896 RT. Valentine Debise”ƒ(SMS Racing)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ18’43.726 RT. Marek Szkopek”ƒ(Bogdanka Honda PTR)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ19’11.017 RT. Roberto Anastasia”ƒ(KUJA Racing)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ15’44.902 RT. Stefano Cruciani”ƒ(Puccetti Racing Kawasaki Itali)”ƒKawasaki ZX-6R”ƒ10’13.648 RT. Ronan Quarmby”ƒ(PTR Honda)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ10’13.779 RT. Eduard Blokhin”ƒ(Rivamoto)”ƒYamaha YZF R6″ƒ8’59.295 RT. Mathew Scholtz”ƒ(Bogdanka PTR Honda)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ6’56.439 RT. Romain Lanusse”ƒ(Kawasaki Intermoto Step)”ƒKawasaki ZX-6R”ƒ7’29.167 RT. Massimo Roccoli”ƒ(Yakhnich Motorsport)”ƒYamaha YZF R6″ƒ3’27.689 RT. Alessandro Torcolacci”ƒ(KUJA Racing)”ƒHonda CBR600RR”ƒ3’35.199 General ranking: 106 KENAN SOFUOGLU – KAWASAKI 84 JULES CLUZEL – HONDA 76 SAM LOWES – HONDA 63 FABIEN FORET – KAWASAKI 54 ALEX BALDOLINI – TRIUMPH 53 BROC PARKES – HONDA 38 ROBERTO TAMBURINI – HONDA 37 SHERIDAN MORAIS – KAWASAKI 34 RONAN QUARMBY – HONDA 32 VITTORIO IANNUZZO – TRIUMPH 31 ANDREA ANTONELLI – YAMAHA 26 VLADIMIR LEONOV – YAMAHA 25 LORENZO LANZI – HONDA 23 JED METCHER – YAMAHA 18 MASSIMO ROCCOLI – YAMAHA 16 IMRE TOTH – HONDA 13 BALAZS NEMETH – HONDA 11 GLEN RICHARDS – TRIUMPH 11 STEFANO CRUCIANI – KAWASAKI 11 RAFFAELE DE ROSA – HONDA 10 LUCA MARCONI – YAMAHA 8 VALENTINE DEBISE – HONDA 8 TWAN VAN POPPEL – YAMAHA 8 ROMAIN LANUSSE – KAWASAKI 8 JOSHUA DAY – KAWASAKI 7 BILLY MCCONNELL – TRIUMPH 6 STUART VOSKAMP – SUZUKI 6 LUKAS PESEK – HONDA 4 THOMAS CAIANI – HONDA 3 PATRICK JACOBSEN – HONDA 2 DINO LOMBARDI – YAMAHA 2 KIERAN CLARKE – HONDA 2 MATHEW SCHOLTZ – HONDA 1 GABOR TALMACSI – HONDA 1 LUKE MOSSEY – TRIUMPH 1 1 MARTIN JESSOPP – HONDA 1 1 FABIO MENGHI – YAMAHA 1 More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Kawasaki riders celebrate 3 Isle of Man TT wins and 8 podium places Newsflash, 11 June 2012 Enjoying their most successful Isle of Man TT results for many years, Kawasaki riders and teams delivered three outright wins and eight podiums at the 2012 festival of racing. With competition held over a week alternating race days with rest days, the familiar pattern of weather and other delays meant that timetable was as subject to change yet, with the exception of the cancelled Senior TT, all other races eventually took place before a huge and enthusiastic crowd. An early highlight and indication of success to come manifested itself courtesy of the very first race, the initial sidecar event on Saturday 2 June. Expectations were high that TT stalwart, Dave Molyneux, and highly respected passenger, Patrick Farrance, would do well after their domination of TT practice on their 600cc Ninja ZX-6R powered machine. Attempting to give Kawasaki their first ever sidecar TT win, Molyneux posted the only 113mph (181 Kph) average practice lap and, this gauntlet thrown, proceeded to dominate the three lap race itself leading from start to finish. In the Superbike race held the same day burgeoning TT talent, James Hillier, guided his Pri1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R to an impressive seventh place posting a 124.5 mph (200 Kph) average lap on his way to the chequered flag. The 26 year old rider was in the top ten again on Monday 4 June, this time moving up to fifth place on his Ninja ZX-6R in the first of two Supersport races just ahead of fellow Kawasaki rider, the highly experienced Ian Lougher on his ILR Kawasaki. The eagerly anticipated Superstock race held on the same day added to the podium tally for Kawasaki riders with a much deserved second and third places respectively for highly respected Irish riders, Michael Dunlop and Ryan Farquhar on their Ninja ZX-10R machines. Second for a time, Farquhar had to give best to the hard charging Dunlop in the later stages of the race but was nevertheless delighted to gain another TT podium in what is a long and illustrious road racing career. Speaking after the race, Farquhar said: “To get a podium in the Superstock race is like a dream come true and although it’s a shame I couldn’t hold onto second, I’m still over the moon with the result.” For sidecar race two the pressure was almost unbearable for Molyneux who also designed and built the chassis and bodywork of his DMR machine. Riding under new rules which dictate that the engine used is very nearly standard, the Manxman proved his choice of Ninja ZX-6R motive power with his and Kawasaki’s second win of the week. Commenting after the race, a delighted Molyneux said: “This engine is straight out of a road bike! Its testament to Kawasaki, it’s an amazing engine”. The podium beckoned again as the second and final Supersport race of the week took place. Posting a lap timed at over 122mph (196.34 Kph) during the three lap event, Farquhar guided his Ninja ZX-6R to third spot two places ahead of TT legend John McGuinness. A surprised Ryan said: “I certainly wasn’t expecting a podium in the Supersport class at this year’s TT so be sitting here now in third place is absolutely brilliant. The race was going well and I would certainly have been happy with fifth but I could see from my signals that it was close between Bruce, John and myself so I kept pushing as hard as I could”. With changeable weather interrupting the schedule, racing was delayed by rain until Saturday 9 June. The atmospheric conditions did their best to stymie the last two scheduled events as well and, finally, with the Senior race cancelled for the first time in over 100 years, the culmination of TT week was the Lightweight race. With an overwhelming number of the field selecting the Kawasaki ER-6f as their machine of choice for the three lap event, the pressure was on the most successful exponents of this class of racing, Ryan Farquhar. Fielding no less than three of his KMR racing machines in the field, Farquhar admitted to considerable nerves before the race started but soon calmed as the flag dropped and he left the grandstand area to hurtle down Bray Hill for the first of three laps. Choosing to pit for fuel at the end of lap one, the canny Irishman saw the chasing Pr1mo Bournemouth Kawasaki ER-6f of James Hillier flash past as he replenished his tank. Gradually reeling the talented young rider in, Ryan ended the third lap nearly half a minute ahead of Hiller to claim the third TT win of his career. Joining Farquhar and Hillier on the podium was another TT legend, Michael Rutter. Winner of the TT Zero Emissions race for electric powered machines earlier in the week, Rutter’s success meant two KMR machines in the top three and a newcomer’s award for the third team rider, Jamie Hamilton who posted a highly respectable tenth place. Farquhar said upon finishing: “I’ve worked so hard for this and am absolutely over the moon to have won the race. I was pretty nervous before the race as a lot of people were saying I was the clear favourite whilst I was also putting myself under a fair bit of pressure so to actually get the win is superb. I’d also like to say a big thank you to Kawasaki who continue to be 100% behind me”. Second place Hillier commented: “I’ve been building up year on year so to get a podium is like a dream come true. I’ve been getting faster and my results have been improving and this just rounds off a brilliant week for me. I was getting a bit emotional over the last few miles when the reality of getting a podium began to sink in but I kept it going until the end and brought the bike home.” Battling over the 37 ¾ mile (60.75 Km) closed public road circuit, Kawasaki riders raced to success. Summarising the 2012 Isle of Man TT results, Racing Coordinator for Kawasaki Motors UK, Ross Burridge was fulsome in this praise for the competitors, their teams and machinery. “Of course we came to the TT with high hopes and expectations. With such professional teams taking part, and a who’s who of the top road racers in the world choosing Kawasaki machinery, there was a mood of restrained optimism during practice week. Dave Molyneux certainly set the tone with his dominant win in the first race of the week. With so many races now based on machines that are stock or near stock, the whole essence of the Tourist Trophy has once more returned to its roots with a strong connection between machines raced and the motorcycles that the fans ride themselves. It’s all the more satisfying then to do so well in the Superstock event and to enjoy such dominance in the final race of the week, the Lightweight TT, with sixteen of the top twenty finishers Kawasaki mounted. It’s been such a memorable week with eight podium places and three TT wins. Everyone at Kawasaki would like to offer their sincere thanks and hearty congratulations to all those Kawasaki teams and riders that achieved such outstanding success in what is considered to be the ultimate two wheeled road racing event in the world.” More, from a press release issued by John McGuinness’ publicist: McGuinness denied Senior TT race opportunity Morecambe’s John McGuinness was denied the chance to race for his 20th Isle of TT victory on Saturday when the Blue Riband Senior race was cancelled. Adverse weather conditions on the Island meant that the 6-lap race was postponed from its scheduled start on Friday but with damp patches remaining on various parts of the 37.73-mile Mountain Course, the organisers took the decision to cancel the race on the grounds of safety. The Superbike machines, some making close to 200bhp, are now deemed unsuitable and too dangerous for racing on damp roads at the Isle of Man and many riders, including John, agreed with the decision to cancel the race. Aside from two world wars and the foot and mouth outbreak of 2001, it was the only time the Senior race hasn’t been held. The cancellation did mean that John returned the Joey Dunlop TT Championship Trophy with two wins, a fourth and a fifth from his four races and it gave him 74 points, seven ahead of nearest rival Bruce Anstey. The Lightweight race, for smaller capacity machines, did take place whilst John also took part in a Monster Energy parade lap alongside current MotoGP star Cal Crutchlow. Speaking later, the 19-times TT winner said: “No one wants to see a race cancelled but I think the right decision was made. There was so much rainfall on Friday that the course was saturated and on some parts of the course it simply wasn’t drying up. Through Glen Helen, the 13th Milestone and from the Mountain Mile to Brandywell were still very wet. As riders, we want to put on a show for the thousands of fans that come to the TT – and I feel for them more so than anyone – but not knowing what lies round the corner on a 200bhp Superbike with slick tyres is a very scary prospect. When conditions are perfect, there’s no better place in the world to race a motorbike and we’ve seen some fantastic racing this weekend so it’s a shame to end on a bit of a low note but we’ll all be back next year to give it another go. Rider safety is paramount and we’ve had a good fortnight with no serious accidents so I think the Clerk of the Course is to be commended not just for his decision today but for everything that’s been done at this year’s TT.” “I didn’t get to race my Honda TT Legends Superbike machine but I did get to ride it in a parade lap and it was an absolute thrill to go round the course and wave at all the fans that were lining the course. It felt very, very special and I enjoyed every single second of it as I’m sure Cal did to. Overall, I’ve had another great TT and to add two more wins to my collection has been brilliant, particularly the Superstock victory as that’s one I’ve been chasing for some time. It also felt special to take a podium in the TT Zero race on the Mugen Shinden whilst I was also competitive in the two Supersport races. It’s been hard work as always but the racing has been superb and I’d like to thank all the team for their hard work. Everyone’s been 100% behind me whilst the fans never cease to amaze me and their support continues to remain invaluable.” John now returns to the short circuits with the Metzeler National Superstock 1000cc Championship taking place at Knockhill from Sunday June 22-24. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Sofuoglu Wins Second Race And Extends His Lead WSS, Misano Adriatico, Republic of San Marino Kenan Sofuoglu rode his Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini Ninja ZX-6R the race win at Misano today and in doing so put himself into a 22 point lead. Sheridan Morais was sixth in the final race results. Sofuoglu became the only rider to win more than a single race in the 2012 championship when he beat Honda rider Jules Cluzel by 1.288 seconds at a warm and humid Misano. His win was a front running effort, with the Turkish star passing over the startline in the lead for all 22 laps. Sheridan was involved in the mid-pack action from an early stage and in fighting his way up to an eventual sixth he had to come back from being 12th on lap 12. Making the most of his available grip as he climbed back through the field had a cost in ultimate traction and Sheridan was unable to get further forward than the top six at the end. He felt he could have taken a podium, had other things gone his way. With the third placed rider 20 seconds from Sofuoglu at the end, logic was on his side. Sheridan is overall eighth in the rankings, with 37 points from six races. Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Intermoto Step Racing) had a torrid raceday going from a potential podium finisher to eighth after he had to drop two places and then take a ride through penalty after being pushed out over the run-off area at turn one and missing the escape lane. He did well to get back to a top ten finishing place in the circumstances and is now fourth in the championship, on 63 points. Kenan Sofuoglu: “I am very happy to have won here because I have not taken a win at Misano before. I have raced here for many years but this time it happened. The win and the points for the championship are good but, really, I am so happy for Kawasaki. They are really giving me what I want and what I need and it has brought me the leading position in the championship and given me the chance to win races.” Sheridan Morais: “I had a really good start but we were bumping fairings in the first lap. In the beginning and middle of the race it was all good, up until five laps to go. My tyre worked well and I think the soft tyre was the right option but, because of the way things were at the start, and being hit a few times, I lost a lot of places. I think I just used up the tyre trying to get through traffic. I had a good race but I am disappointed because I am think without having to ride so hard to get back near the front and using up the tyre we could have scored a podium.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: FIXI Crescent Suzuki racer Leon Camier took an impressive 10th place in the first race at the seventh round of the eni FIM Superbike World Championship at Misano in Italy today. Camier started from 14th on the grid and was quickly on the pace and involved in a multi-bike battle for top-10 places. As the race progressed Camier tried to push on, but the technical nature of the 4.226m Italian circuit made overtaking very difficult. With two laps remaining Camier had made his way up to 12th, before passing two riders on the same lap to move into 10th; a position that he held until the chequered flag. In race two, Camier was in ninth by the fifth lap, but a crash ruined his chances of improving on his race one result. He was uninjured and able to get back on his Yoshimura-powered Suzuki GSX-R and rejoin the race to try and salvage something. Camier chased after the pack and eventually came home in 15th place for a final points-scoring position and thoughts of what might have been. John Hopkins scored points in the second race as he completed his first double race weekend of the season. He finished the 24-laps of race one in 17th position, before bringing his machine home in 14th place – despite being hit by another rider high-siding in-front of him – to score his first points since round three of his injury-hit season. Hopkins will take solace from completing the 48-laps from the two races today, with no ill effects from his recent injuries and will look to be stronger for the next round in three weeks’ time. Today’s races were held in warm and sunny conditions, with track temperatures getting up to 41°C. Italian Max Biaggi on an Aprilia took victory on his home soil in both races to extend his title lead. FIXI Crescent Suzuki will next be in race action at the Motorland Aragon Circuit in Spain on Sunday July 1st for the eighth round of the Championship. Leon Camier: “I know the results don’t look great, but I’m pretty happy with our potential today – especially race two. We made a bit of a gamble with the settings in race one, because the conditions were quite a bit cooler than they had been, but the settings weren’t spot on and the grip wasn’t too good, so the tyres wore out pretty quickly. I rode as hard as I could, kept a consistent pace; and finished 10th. “The bike felt really good in race two and I was lapping quickly from the start. I made a lot of progress and was enjoying myself passing people. Everything felt comfortable until a tip-off in turn four. I think I might have gone in a bit slower and tighter than normal and the front suddenly folded and down I went. I got back on the bike and, a lap later, I was just four-tenths-of-a-second slower than my previous best lap. During the race I set times equal to all the top guys except Biaggi. I was the fastest rider in sector four, second in sector five and third in sector one that shows how well the FIXI Crescent Suzuki was going – probably the best it’s been all year! I feel really positive after today and now all we have to do is nail Qualifying and we’ll be up there fighting with the fast guys for sure.” John Hopkins: “I can’t say that I am too happy with the results, but I am happy because I’ve done 48 laps today in hard conditions with no problems and I’m regaining my confidence. I didn’t make a particularly good start in race one and then got held up in traffic. It took a bit of time, but once in the clear I tried to stay consistent throughout the race. My lap times at the end of the race were good, so it’s a pity that I lost touch at the start. “We made some quite big changes to the bike for race two and I felt an improvement straight away. Starting races from the fifth row of the grid is never easy – especially when the competition is so tough. To make matters worse, Mercado high-sided right in front of me early on and he and his bike hit me and forced me off the track and into the gravel. I recovered, rejoined the action and then spent the rest of the race playing catch-up. Once again I was running pretty good lap times, but unable to make as much progress as I would’ve liked because of my grid position.” Paul Denning – Team Principal: “For John, the important thing this weekend was to rebuild his physical strength and his confidence. Even though the day didn’t go to plan – results wise – he put 48 laps under his belt and made good improvements. He was unfortunate to get knocked off the track in race two, but recovered and was lapping well at the end of the race. “Leon today showed massive potential – especially in race two. Without the crash, I’m sure a minimum of the top-five was on the cards – the lap times demonstrate that. The crash was unfortunate but we were impressed with his commitment to pick the bike out of the gravel and immediately start charging again. “We’ve got two days of testing coming up in Aragon and that will provide John with more miles, which will be good for his comeback and will stand him in good stead when we race there a week later. He, Leon and the team will keep working hard, keep learning and keep trying to get the FIXI Crescent Suzuki competing with the fastest riders – which is where we believe we can be.” Misano Adriatico WSB Race 1: 1. Max Biaggi (Aprilia) 38’58.471: 2. Carlos Checa (Ducati) 38’58.776: 3. Davide Giugliano (Ducati) 39’02.974: 4. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 39’07.329: 5. Jonathan Rea (Honda) 39’10.098. 10. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) 39’16.832. 17. John Hopkins (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) 39’30.373. Misano Adriatico WSB Race 2: 1. Biaggi 39’01.869: 2. Rea 39’07.224: 3. Leon Haslam (BMW) 39’07.600: 4. Marco Melandri (BMW) 39’08.873: 5. Ayrton Badovini (BMW) 39’09.790. 14. John Hopkins (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) 39’53.750. 15. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) 39’57.371. World Championship Classification: 1. Biaggi 210.5: 2. Rea 172: 3. Sykes 164.5: 4. Melandri 155.5: 5. Checa 150.5. 13. Leon Camier (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) 49.5. 21. John Hopkins (FIXI Crescent Suzuki) 10. More, from a press release issued by HSBK Racing: Wagnon and HSBK Racing Dominate CMRA races at Cresson, TX Cresson, TX – HSBK Racing and rider Derek Wagnon had a very successful weekend at Motorsports Ranch in Cresson, TX. Wagnon showed just what he and the HSBK Racing 848EVO are capable of this weekend on the 1.7 mile track. Wagnon finished first in Heavy Weight Twins managing to beat the larger KTM bike proving his technical skills on the track. He continued on to take first in Superstock B recording the fastest lap of the day at 1:14.406 sec just .5 sec off of the track record. The winning streak and first place finishes continued through Superbike B and Superbike C. Wagnon showed the rest of the field that his technical riding paired with the fine-tuned HSBK 848EVO can trump a factory bike. The HSBK team eagerly anticipates success for the rest of the season as Wagnon continues be a strong contender with his high ‘Expert Overall’ point standing. HSBK Racing would like to thank RaceworX, Akrapovic, Whoopies Cycles, Aprilia Racing, Alpinestars, K-Tech, DNA Filters, FreedomRoad Financial and Dunlop Tires for their continued support. More, from a press release issued by Sidi: SUPERSPORT: SIDI & KENAN SOFUOGLU FIRST AT MISANO The Turkish rider now heads the Supersport World series The Sidi colours are shining on the tracks of the Supersport World series. In Misano Adriatico the Turkish rider, Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini) prevailed in the Supersport class at the San Marino Grand Prix after participating in a passionate, hard fought, head-to-head battle with Frenchman Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda). It was a battle that lasted practically for the entire race, which saw the Turk crossing beneath the chequered flag ahead of his rival by just 1 second and 228 nanoseconds, earned by Sofuoglu after a decisive attack in the final. It was definitely a two man battle, as demonstrated by the duo’s more than 20 second lead over Italian Francesco Baldolini (Triumph Power Team by Suriano). It was a truly lovely victory for Sidi and Sofuoglu, who are riding a wave of success together. On the podium the Turkish rider was wearing his Vortice boots, the number one boot in the Sidi collection for track and speed. This is the second success for Sofuoglu, after the first place he won at his world series premiere at Phillip Island. Thanks to this victory, Sofuoglu is building and strengthening his leadership in the championship. He is now in first place with 106 points, 30 lengths ahead of his closest rival, Frenchman Jules Cluzel, who was beaten last Sunday at Misano. More, from a press release issued by Bel-Ray: World Superbike Championship The Misano Circuit in San Marino was the site for Round 7 of the 2012 World Superbike Championship series. The weekend provided mixed results for the Bel-Ray backed Team Althea Ducati. Both Carlos Checa and Davide Giugliano found their way to the podium in the first race of the day with Checa finishing second and Giugliano finishing third. The second race of the day was not as good for the team, as both riders suffered crashes and were forced to retire from the event. Carlos Checa had this to say about the day’s events. “Max was strong today, well done to him and to Davide, who rode a fantastic race! Then what can I say about race 2? It seems like this season we are under fire from all sides. Marco (Melandri) pushed me out through the corner, which is strange as he’s normally more careful, but anyway, that’s how it went. It’s a real pity, as I could have made another good race and taken important points.” Giugliano was very happy with his first race results, but was noticeably disappointed with his second race. “I’m really happy with how race 1 went. We’re gaining experience race after race and I’m trying to put everything that the team and Ducati has given me to good use. I knew that the last phase of the race would be more difficult and I was right; I started to have grip issues and got a little nervous when I saw Carlos and Max right behind me! I’m really happy with the result, and the fact that it comes here at Misano. On the other hand, I’m really sorry about what happened in the second race. I was lapping very fast and doing all I could to stick with the leading group. Perhaps I pushed a little too hard and it was game over. I apologize to my team, that has worked so hard for me this weekend, to the fans and I’m also sorry for how Carlos’ race came to an end.” At the halfway point of the series, Checa is in fifth place in the standings while Giugliano is in ninth. The series takes a short break before returning to action in Spain on July 1st.