Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn LeSanto

Hodgson wins in last lap thriller

Neil Hodgson’s winning streak looked like it might have come to an end as he entered turn one at Monza in race two in eighth place. But a charge through the pack and a last lap battle saw him edge out Gregorio Lavilla by just 0.044 second for his eighth straight win of the 2003 World Superbike championship.

Lapping a second faster on lap three than the then race leader Regis Laconi, it only took two more laps for Hodgson to blast his way into the front. The leading group of six riders then held each other up with some spectacular overtaking, with riders pulling passing moves in places that hadn’t been seen in race one.

Hodgson’s rear tyre began sliding mid-race, but it was Lavilla who was giving the best show, spinning his Alstare Suzuki completely sideways out of the Parabolica and smoking the rear tyre lap after lap.

The last lap saw a demonstration of the sheer power of the Fila Ducati 999 as Hodgson blasted into the lead from back in fourth place as the bikes motored up the main straight. The pace was furious around the back of the circuit but Hodgson held it together to take his eighth win and complete yet another perfect round in 2003.

The race marked Chili’s 201st World Superbike race, and the Italian star joked about giving up racing; “I was interviewed yesterday and I said that if I win tomorrow, then maybe I stop racing!”

While Chili is the veteran of the paddock it was Hodgson who claimed to be feeling the strain after the day’s racing. “I feel like an old man!” joked the Isle of Man based Hodgson before paying a compliment to his fellow combatant. “I’d like to say that it is not the Suzuki that’s very good, instead I think that Gregorio’s riding the wheels off the thing. He’s so good on the brakes, has got good corner speed and he was speedway sliding out of every corner. So total respect to anyone that pushes a bike that hard. At the moment Gregorio looks at one with the bike. I think he’s making the bike look fantastic.

“I don’t even want to think about the next round!” added the Ducati Fila rider. “I want to eat about four or five massive pizzas and drink loads of Peroni beer and just relax for two days and forget about motorcycle racing.”

The tyre-smoking Lavilla got agonisingly close to the first race win for the Suzuki GSXR1000 in World Superbike but couldn’t quite finish it off.

“I tried to catch Neil on the last lap,” explained Lavilla. “But there was some very hard braking going on and he closed the door, it wasn’t possible to pass.”

In sharp contrast to Hodgson’s performance, his team mate Ruben Xaus completed another weekend of mixed fortune, crashing out from fifth place with two laps to go at Ascari.

Hodgson now has a commanding 85-point lead in the championship with just four rounds gone.

World Superbike Race Two Results:

1. Neil Hodgson, Ducati, 18 laps, 32:41.366
2. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki, -0.044 second
3. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati, -0.613 second, 0.954 second
4. Regis Laconi, Ducati
5. James Toseland, Ducati
6. Chris Walker, Ducati
7. Steve Martin, Ducati
8. Marco Borciani, Ducati
9. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki
10. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati
11. Alex Gramigni, Yamaha
12. Mauro Sanchini
13. Giovanni Bussei, Yamaha
14. Serafino Foti, Ducati
15. Walter Tortoroglio, Honda
16. Marco Masetti, Ducati
17. Lorenzo Mauri, Ducati, -1 lap
18. Ruben Xaus, Ducati, -2 laps, DNF
19. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki, -3 laps, DNF
20. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas, -4 laps, DNF
21. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki, -4 laps
22. James Haydon, Foggy Petronas, -6 laps


More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist:

WEEKEND TO FORGET FOR TROY

Troy had his worst weekend and raceday of the year at Monza today. The fourth round of the 2003 Superbike World Championship should’ve been a weekend where the team continued its progress, but all Troy took home was a lowly three points.

In the first race, the tyre didn’t work as Michelin had expected and Troy rode round the 5.793 kilometre track for eighteen laps and managed to take three points. In race two, Troy was black-flagged after some flames were seen coming out under his seat. Troy pulled in to the side of the track, where a track marshal used a fire extinguisher on the bike as a safety measure.

Runaway series leader Neil Hodgson, still unbeaten after eight races, won both 18-lappers today and in so doing took Ducati’s win total to two hundred and one. In the first race he took the flag by a comfortable margin, ahead of Regis Laconi (Ducati) and Gregorio Lavilla (Suzuki). But the second race was a hotly contested affair, with five riders all in with a shout. Lavilla led the last lap, but Hodgson squeezed past to take his second win of the day. Lavilla took runner-up spot just forty-four thousandths of a second behind, with local favourite Frankie Chili (Ducati)third.

TROY
Not a lot to say really, except that it has been a bit frustrating this weekend and maybe it’s one that I should just forget. In the first race, we went for a tyre that was suggested to us and I ended up riding around just to get a finish and some points. The temperature was higher then the rest of the weekend, so maybe that’s why the tyre didn’t work as we expected. We used a softer tyre in the second race and the bike worked much better. As the race wore on, I could feel my backside getting a bit hot, so I was expecting something to happen. I saw the black flag with my number on it and pulled off the track on the back straight when I thought I could see a marshal with a fire extinguisher and that was the end of my race. It was a disappointing end to a disappointing weekend. I hope the next round at Oschersleben is better!


More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

‘Black’ day for Foggy PETRONAS Racing at Monza

Foggy PETRONAS Racing had to settle for Troy Corser’s sole 13th placed finish in an unlucky fourth round of the World Superbike championship for Carl Fogarty’s team at Monza.

Both Corser and team-mate James Haydon were black-flagged in the second race when their silencers caught fire towards the end of the race. The extreme speeds of the long straights at the historic Italian circuit had been expected to pose the biggest challenge to date in the team’s debut season on the FP1, the Malaysian superbike. So new silencers featuring a type of carbon that was hoped to be resistant to the higher temperatures generated around this circuit were used, as an interim measure while new titanium versions are being developed. But deteriorating padding left the carbon exposed to the exhaust gases, causing the flames.

Team manager Nigel Bosworth explained: “This was not the flame-out that we have been trying to eradicate all season. We anticipated the silencer issue after Phillip Island, the other high-speed track we have raced on, but this stop-gap measure proved insufficient for Monza. These are the kind of things you learn during a development season and, while this has been a tough weekend for the team and the riders, we will be stronger and more knowledgeable for the next round at Oschersleben.”

Team owner Carl Fogarty said: “This season was never going to be all plain sailing and, after a promising start, we have identified a number of issues that are exposed at circuits like Monza. These will have to be solved straight away if we are to turn the potential of the FP1 into more positive results this season.”

Following on from a challenging first race when Troy finished 13th and James retired with four laps remaining, as well as two days of qualifying dogged by mechanical problems, both riders were glad to put the weekend behind them.

Troy said: “This round has shown we still have a lot of work to do yet. I changed my tyre for the second race to a softer compound, which worked better and I could run with my pack down the straights but I riding it as hard as I could. I felt my seat getting hotter and hotter but was just hoping to be able to bring it home when I saw the black flag. I’m pretty glad this weekend is over!”

James said: “In some ways it was quite apt that my weekend ended with my bike parked, in flames, while a heavy marshall struggled to reach it with an extinguisher. In hindsight I should have tried harder to work through the difficulties with my bike and finish the first race. I have never had a more painful weekend – and I guess frustration goes hand in hand with that. It has certainly been the most testing part of our season and we are now at a point where all parties in this project have to work that much harder in order to make sure we don’t get stuck in a rut. It was a weekend to forget but, at the same time, one to learn from.”


More, from Steve Martin’s publicist:

Great weekend for Steve Martin in Monza

Australian Steve Martin rode to two top ten finishes in the fourth round of the World Superbike championship in Monza this weekend.

He finished race one in ninth and then improved on that with a hard-fought seventh in race after a massive four-way fight that lasted all the way to the flag.

“It was a tough race,” admitted Martin. “I didn’t get the best start and so found myself with lots of traffic to deal with. Once I got past them I had to deal with four riders to claim seventh.”

Steve was lucky to finish both races after running out of fuel on the cool-down lap.

“At least it was consistent,” smiled Steve, “because I stopped in exactly the same spot after both races!”

Steve and the DFX Racing Team travel down to Misano for two days testing ahead of the next race at Oschersleben in two weeks time.

“I’m looking forward to Oschersleben, despite getting injured there last season, because it’s a track we can go well at.”

Martin is now eighth in the championship on 58 points after four rounds.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

DOUBLE PODIUM FOR GREGORIO!

2003 Superbike World Championship ­ Round 4, Monza, Italy Sunday 18th May

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Gregorio Lavilla crowned his best weekend of the season with two superb podiums at Monza today. Gregorio took third in the first race behind runaway winner Neil Hodgson (Ducati) and Regis Laconi (Ducati) after a tremendous five rider battle for runner-up spot. Gregorio led the second race for seven laps and was in contention right up to the flag, but was pipped by Hodgson at the chequered flag by just forty-four thousandths of a second.

Third went to local favourite Frankie Chili (Ducati), ahead of Laconi, Toseland and Walker.

Vittorio Iannuzzo, on his first ‘wild card’ ride of the year, on another Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra GSXR1000, rode superbly to take 12th in the first race and 9th in the second.

GREGORIO LAVILLA ­ Race 1: 3rd, Race 2: 2nd

That was our best weekend of the year and it was really good to be able to lead a race and fight with Hodgson for the lead. Neil (Hodgson) got away in race one and I was involved in a big fight for second for most of the race. A couple of times I banged fairings with somebody, but it wasn’t dangerous at all, ­ just racing! Towards the end, I thought I had a really good chance of winning, but a couple of slower riders got in the way before the Parabolica, Neil got the luck and went past them, whilst I was held up!

In the second race, Neil didn’t get a break like in race one and a group of us were able to stay with him. I led a few times, but I knew Neil’s Ducati was much faster and it would be hard to be in front at the end. But, I tried my hardest and was leading two laps from the end waiting for Neil to make his move. When he did I stayed with him and looked for a way to get out of his draught , but his bike’s acceleration was better then mine and I couldn’t get ahead before the flag. I think we’re improving all the time. Don’t forget we are on a new bike, with new suspension, so the very first day of practice is like a test for us. I like Oschersleben (the next round) and want to continue my podium successes.

VITTORIO IANNUZZO Race 1: 12th, Race 2: 9th

I am very happy today because I managed some good results and beat quite a few Superbike regulars. Considering this was only the third time I’ve ridden the bike, I think we’ve done really well. I enjoyed my battles on the track and I’m looking forward to more in the next round at Oschersleben.


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Neil Hodgson (Team Ducati Fila) took Ducati’s World Superbike victory total over the 200 mark at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza today with another double win, his fourth of the year, in front of 72,000 spectators.

In glorious conditions, Neil clinched win #200 when he took the chequered flag from Laconi (NCR Ducati) and Lavilla (Suzuki). “I had a two second lead on the last lap,” he declared, “but then I got held up by the back-markers as we went through the chicane and I lost a lot of time. I then eased off towards the end to take the win but I didn’t realise everyone else was so close behind me. Now that I’ve got this 200th win and Troy’s record for six wins on the run at the start of the season out of the way, I feel a lot more relaxed for the second race.”

Neil then added another win to his total after a superb scrap in race 2 with Lavilla, which went down to the line. “It was fun out there battling elbow to elbow at 190 km/h,” declared Neil, “and hats off to Gregorio who rode a fantastic race. Frankie and Regis were also unbelievably aggressive but safe. I had no plan for race 2. I was just lucky, and ended up in the right place at the right time. All sorts of things happened to me out there: the bike wasn’t perfect at the front, I ran over the kerb at the chicane, and then after a flying start I lost touch for a few laps. But I managed to focus on the race, get back with the leading group and win. I’m really happy I could get the 200th win for Ducati today.”

A difficult day for team-mate Ruben Xaus after his dramatic crash yesterday. Ruben was declared fit to race but made contact with Walker during the first lap of race 1, recovering well to finish seventh. Race 2 went much better as the Spaniard battled for fifth with Toseland (HM Plant Ducati) for a number of laps before crashing out at the Ascari chicane on the penultimate lap.

“The whole weekend has been a nightmare,” commented Ruben. “I just got started in the first race before Walker touched me and I went into the gravel trap. Then in race 2 I lost the front end at Ascari – it was my mistake. I was having problems with the brakes the whole race and I just went down. I thought I could get some points from this weekend. I’m still second in the championship but now I just need to put this one behind me, concentrate on the next races, and score some points.”


More, from a press release issued by Scuderia Caracchi NCR Nortel Networks:

A great Regis Laconi hero at Monza

Regis Laconi has been one of the great heroes on Monza circuit today, for the fourth round of World Superbike. The French rider on the 998RS Ducati Caracchi NCR Nortel Networks, who started from the front row with the fourth qualifying fastest, scored in race-1 a fantastic second place just 3/10 of second behind the winner Hodgson, while in race-2 has been a great hero once more, but a lack of power prevent him to play his cards until the chequered flag and finished however in fourth position less as a second behind the winner, leaving Monza in fourth place in the Championship standing.

“At some point in race-2 I was really thinking to be able to win!” – confessed with a half sweet smile Regis Laconi back at the garage after race-2 – “I feel myself perfectly, The tyres were performing well despite the high temperature, then suddenly the engine had a lack of power; during the final seven laps I wasn’t able to push and in the finish line I could use the sixth gear only 40 meters after my normal gear point. I tried to brake harder, but my rivals (Hodgson, Lavilla and Chili) weren’t of course free for presents and at the end I’ve lost the possibility to climb onto the winner rostrum too. For sure was shocking every time we were in a line 10 meters long to see how was easy for the Suzuki or the 999 to overtaken me, but in the corner I was more agile and pass them, so, I repeat, I really believed that I could win. In the first leg, when we found some doubled rider at Lesmo’s corners I’ve been able to pass and only Lavilla followed me, so we grabbed Hodgson who have been slowed during the overtaking, but the finish line was too far and he has been able to get once more some meter to win, maybe if we found the group later we could also try a big slam, but I’m very happy of this result also because at the end of the race the track was very slippery, for everybody of course, and it was difficult to push more. Above all I’m happy how the tyres worked today, I believe that the gap has been cancelled. All the team worked very hard during all the week end and the guys have been fantastic; it will happened another time, we merit it and I’m sure about it.”

Marco Masetti finished both the races, getting so his goal for this event here in Monza, finishing very close to the points in race-2, and he’s very satisfied for this absolute debut.

“My hands are wounded and I have pains in all my body, but I’m very happy because I finished both the legs and I’ve been able to ride close to rider with more experience on those bike so different for me. I thank all the people who gave me the possibility of this experience that has been really very fine.”