VERMEULEN AND MUGGERIDGE MAKE PROGRESS IN SPAIN Chris Vermeulen and Karl Muggeridge set the third and fourth fastest times respectively on day one of a two-day official World Superbike test at Valencia in Spain today, as Troy Corser headed the combined time sheets. After some frustrating tests earlier this year, the Winston Ten Kate Honda duo was happy to be able to spend some quality time testing different tyre combinations and chassis settings on their 2005 Honda CBR1000RR machines. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “We didn’t really have many opportunities before the first round in Qatar to test everything we wanted. During our time their, our riders were suffering quite badly from flu and apparently some people doubted how ill they really were. I think their performances in today’s first day of testing at Valencia have shown that they can both be competitive when fully fit. Today we’ve been able to make some progress at last and I’m glad to see that it’s all in a positive and forward direction.” Chris Vermeulen 58 laps, 1:36.411 “I’m so much more comfortable on the bike and feeling so much better than two weeks ago in Qatar. It’s a great feeling just to be doing some laps on a circuit that we know. Today we started with some settings from last year and just spent this morning playing around with different tyres and tyre pressures. I’m happy that we’ve shown we can be competitive on a race tyre but we’ve still got some more things to try tomorrow.” Karl Muggeridge 66 laps, 1:36.913 “We’ve got through a lot of work today, trying different suspension settings, different bikes, different tyres and so on, just to try and get the fundamentals right. We ended up this afternoon with the best combination of everything so far on the best bike and finished fourth fastest. I think it shows that we can do it and be competitive with decent levels of grip. I’ve done a lot of laps today and I’m feeling pretty tired because I haven’t been able to train much lately; but I’m pretty happy too.” Valencia day one lap times: 1 Troy Corser AUS (Suzuki) 57 laps, 1:35.911; 2 Régis Laconi FRA (Ducati) 57 laps, 1:36.147; 3 Chris Vermeulen AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 58 laps, 1:36.411; 4 Karl Muggeridge AUS (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 66 laps, 1:36.913; 5 Jose Luis Cardoso ESP (Yamaha) 47 laps, 1:37.191; 6 Noriyuki Haga JAP (Yamaha) 56 laps, 1:37.256; 7 Sébastien Gimbert FRA (Yamaha) 59 laps, 1:37.447; 8 James Toseland GBR (Ducati) 58 laps, 1:37.476; 9 Yukio Kagayama JAP (Suzuki) 55 laps, 1:37.498; 10 Andrew Pitt AUS (Yamaha) 65 laps, 1:37.543. More, from another press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: CHARPENTIER HEADS VALENCIA TIME SHEETS Sébastien Charpentier continued his recent good form by setting the fastest time in today’s official World Supersport test at Valencia in Spain. His Winston Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Katsuaki Fujiwara, who won the opening race in Qatar two weeks ago, was third fastest as Honda riders filled the first four places. Coming from their one-two finish at the Losail circuit, both Winston Honda riders continued the development work on the 2005 version of Honda’s CBR600RR winner of the last three World Supersport titles with the Ten Kate team. Ronald ten Kate team manager: “Although it may not seem like it from Sébastien’s impressive lap time, we have really been concentrating today on testing new parts that we have received recently. These include engine parts from Honda and new forks and shocks from WP that allow us to try different settings on the new CBR600RR. Because so much of the bike is new this year, we are still learning to work with it and develop its full potential something I don’t think we have seen yet.” Sébastien Charpentier 37 laps, 1:38.020 “It was a good day today especially nice to have some good weather here for testing. Valencia is not my favourite circuit and it felt strange this morning after so many recent tests with F1 and other bikes. We worked mostly on the front today to try and get over the problem I had in Qatar, which was very unusual. However, it has made me and the team work even harder to make progress.” Katsuaki Fujiwara 48 laps, 1:39.256 “Valencia is very different to Qatar, which is fast and flowing. It is much more technical here so the set-up needed is not like we had for the first race. This morning we tried some softer settings in the shock and the forks, and softer tyre compounds. I’m happy with the progress we made today. Tomorrow morning we will test the new front forks and in the afternoon we’ll try to make a longer race simulation.” Valencia test day one World Supersport times: 1 Sébastien Charpentier FRA (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:38.020; 2 Michele Fabrizio ITA (Honda) 1:39.255; 3 Katsuaki Fujiwara JAP (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:39.256; 4 Fabien Foret FRA (Honda) 1:39.265; 5 Gianluca Nannelli ITA (Ducati) 1:39.740; 6 Broc Parkes AUS (Yamaha) 1:39.968; 7 Kevin Curtain AUS (Yamaha) 1:40.019; 8 Werner Daemen BEL (Honda) 1:40.446; 9 Sébastien Le Grelle BEL (Honda) 1:40.599; 10 Javier Fores ESP (Suzuki) 1:40.613. More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: LACONI (DUCATI XEROX TEAM) SHADOWS CORSER (SUZUKI) ON DAY 1 OF VALENCIA WORLD SUPERBIKE TESTING Valencia (Spain), Saturday 12 March: Régis Laconi (Ducati Xerox Team) was just a fraction slower than Qatar winner and early pace-setter Troy Corser (Suzuki) on the opening day of a two-day official World Superbike Championship test session at Valencia, Spain. The Frenchman’s time of 1:36.147 put him ahead of the Ten Kate Honda duo of Chris Vermeulen and Karl Muggeridge. Team-mate James Toseland was eighth quickest today on his Ducati 999 after a crash in the afternoon session meant that he was the only top rider who was unable to improve on his morning’s time. “We worked a lot on the bike settings today because we didn’t test in the dry on this track in February and I am quite pleased with the way things went” declared Laconi. “We’re still missing a lot of grip at the rear and the bike is sliding around quite a lot, but we changed the suspension to try and get the best possible compromise without losing too much elsewhere on the bike. I set a good time on qualifying tyres, but I didn’t get the chance to try another tyre because another rider had an engine problem in front of me and I didn’t want to take any risks”. “I don’t know the reason for the crash because I was going through the chicane on my ‘in’ lap and the bike just went round and slammed me on the floor” declared Toseland. “I was a bit frustrated about that because there were no problems with the test until that setback. Everyone has been struggling with the grip today, I’ve never witnessed that around here in the dry. We stuck the qualifiers on and the time certainly looks better, while on race pace we’re not too far away but as far as everything else goes, it’s just been a bit frustrating”. TIMES: 1. Corser (Suzuki) 1m35.911s; 2. Laconi (Ducati Xerox) 1m36.147s; 3. Vermeulen (Honda) 1m36.411s; 4. Muggeridge (Honda) 1m36.913s; 5. Cardoso (Yamaha) 1m37.191s; 6. Haga (Yamaha) 1m37.256s; 7. Gimbert (Yamaha) 1m37.447s; 8. Toseland (Ducati Xerox) 1m37.476s; 9. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m37.498s; 10. Pitt (Yamaha) 1m37.543s; etc. More, from a press release issued by Scurderia SC Caracchi-NCR: Finally a test day without rain in Valencia for this final two-day test scheduled for Superbike and Supersport at the eve of Australian round in Phillip Island, where last year the Team SC Caracchi grabbed a fantastic win in Race-2. The dry track allowed a great setting work that Lorenzo Lanzi and Gianluca Nannelli have been able to develop, while more difficulties for Fonsi Nieto, used until today to practice under wet conditions in the few test days made on his 999RS Ducati. Fonsi Nieto and his bike, in the new look showed during the presentation party at Pascià disco-hall of Riccione, have been selected for a long TV spot movie to promote the next Spanish round of World Superbike that will be held on the Valencia circuit next April 22-24, and at the end of the movie he has been actually made as “prisoner” by a big group of his fans for pictures and autographs. Lorenzo Lanzi looks to be quiet after this debt testing day and he looks for tomorrow final day with a good confidence: “I’m quite satisfied about today’s work.” said Lorenzo at the end of practices “For me qualifying tyres use is quite new, I haven’t a big experience about them. Approaching the first corner in my fast lap I made a mistake and controlling the data recording we’ve seen that I’ve lost about hald a second, otherwise I could be faster and in a better position. Also wit race tyres I’ve been quite fast, I’ve seen I’m able to stay with the top riders group. The team made a good job, the bike was very performing; we have to improve the rear with race tyre. I hope that tomorrow will be dry once more, to allow us to complete today’s work. I’m confident we’ll be able to find a good set up and earn something, three or fourth tenth of second, in the race pace, that allow us to fight for the top positions. We have to concentrate on that tomorrow.” Not very satisfied about today’s result Fonsi Nieto. “Actually I’m not very happy” confirms the Spanish rider “The setting of the bike wasn’t good and I wasn’t able to ride. We tested several settings, but we haven’t been able to find any good solution. Tomorrow we’ll have to work hardly because the bike is sliding around quite a lot and we need absolutely to improve our performance to reach the leading group. With the soft tyre I’ve not been fast, because I found a rider parked in the middle of the track, but that doesn’t change the situation. We’ll have to work hardly tomorrow to find a valid solution. The problem is that we haven’t tested in the dry on this track this year, while I have to run miles and miles. So the setting of Qatar isn’t good here in Valencia ant this is the first time we test in the dry here.” Very satisfied, on the contrary, Gianluca Nannelli that finally had a good day for practising and developing hid 749R Ducati, and that the bad weather didn’t help until today. Gianluca rode a total of 51 laps recording at the end the fifth fastest of Supersport grid, just behind the very fast four factory Hondas that dominated this first practice day, but before al the other four cylinder bikes. “Today we worked always with the gasoline tank full.” said a satisfied Gianluca Nannelli at the end “In Qatar we suffered in the initial laps whit the gasoline tank full, so today we decided to work always with about 20 kilos of gasoline on board for solving this problem; also my fastest lap has been recorded with full tank. I’m quite happy because finally we tested in the dry, track conditions that we never found this year and which have been a bad obstacle for the bike developing.. Now the bike performs well, here in Valencia too we’ve been the fastest in the speed trap, I have a very good feeling with my team’s guys and in such conditions it’s a pleasure to work hard. Today we remained concentrate on the pace in race conditions, we didn’t look at the top performance, as my fastest lap has been recorded using the same tyre of Qatar race, a tyre half soft but able to finish a rece on some track.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Troy Corser and his Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra GSX-R1000 topped the first day of World Superbike tests in Valencia, Spain today. His time of 1:35.911 was just over two tenths of a second quicker than his nearest rival, Regis Laconi (Ducati). Chris Vermeulen and his Honda team mate Karl Muggeridge posted the third and fourth fastest times ahead of the Yamahas of Jose Luis Cardoso and Noriyuki Haga. Corser’s team mate Yukio Kagayama suffered problems with grip today and finished ninth quickest in only his second ever visit to the circuit Troy Corser: “The track conditions kept changing but strangely enough I found that the grip was better when it was cooler. There is so much rubber on the track from the F1 cars that test here that it can get very slippery when the track warms up. Today I have been concentrating on testing some new parts so I haven’t been pushing very hard. It’s good fun to know that everybody is concentrating on what I am doing and trying to chase me.” Yukio Kagayama: “I am happy today to be learning the track again. Valencia is a very technical circuit. I do not like it so much, but I am sure I would if I was in the top three. Today, like Troy, I have been trying new parts and tomorrow we may try some different gear ratios. I am sure I will improve my times tomorrow and I hope to chasing Troy at the front.” Saturday WSB Test Times: 1 Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:35.911, 2 Laconi (F-Ducati) 1:36.147, 3 Vermeulen (Aus-Honda) 1:36.411, 4 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda) 1:36.913, 5 Cardoso (E-Yamaha) 1:37.191, 6 Haga (J-Yamaha) 1:37.256, 7 Gimbert (F-Yamaha) 1:37.447, 8 Toseland (GB-Ducati) 1:37.476, 9 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:37.498, 10 Pitt (Aus-Yamaha). WORLD SUPERSPORT: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Javi Fores suffered grip problems but rode steadily to claim a top ten spot at the end of the first day of the two-day tests. The Spanish rider was not happy because the level of grip changed throughout the day and so he was unable to force his way higher up the order. Frenchman Sebastien Charpentier posted today’s fastest time with a lap of 1:38.020 ahead of fellow Honda riders Michel Fabrizio, Katsuaki Fujiwara and Fabien Foret. Javi Fores: “I have been working on getting a good balance on the bike and getting used to my World Supersport machine, which is quite different to the machine I rode last year. The changes in grip in the track made life difficult and we will probably make some changes to the suspension tomorrow to see if it helps. The team gave me a target of 1:40.5 and I managed 1:40.6, so I think we were all pretty happy at the end. Tomorrow, I will be going for a high 1:39 and I want to make sure that I am the fastest Suzuki again.” Saturday WSS Test Times: 1 Charpentier (F-Honda) 1:38.020, 2 Fabrizio (I-Honda) 1:39.255, 3 Fujiwara (J-Honda) 1:39.256, 4 Foret (F-Honda) 1:39.265, 5 Nannelli (I-Ducati) 1:39.740, 6 Parkes (Aus-Yamaha) 1:39.968, 10 Javi Fores (E-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:40.613.