FIM Superbike World Championship Brands Hatch, England August 3, 2008 Race Two Results (dry conditions, all on Pirelli tires): 1. Ryuichi KIYONARI (Honda CBR1000RR), 25 laps, 36:14.904 2. Noriyuki HAGA (Yamaha YZF-R1), -1.848 seconds 3. Troy CORSER (Yamaha YZF-R1), -8.883 4. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -11.180 5. Fonsi NIETO (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -12.928 6. Michel FABRIZIO (Ducati 1098 F08), -13.696 7. Tom SYKES (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -13.872 8. Carlos CHECA (Honda CBR1000RR), -14.009 9. Jakub SMRZ (Ducati 1098 RS08), -19.065 10. Lorenzo LANZI (Ducati 1098 RS08), -19.864 11. Troy BAYLISS (Ducati 1098 F08), -20.479 12. Max BIAGGI (Ducati 1098 RS08), -20.621, ran off track 13. Gregorio LAVILLA (Honda CBR1000RR), -20.722 14. Roberto ROLFO (Honda CBR1000RR), -24.512 15. Chris WALKER (Honda CBR1000RR), -32.090 16. Regis LACONI (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -32.207 17. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Honda CBR1000RR), -32.815 18. Makoto TAMADA (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -33.648 19. Sebastien GIMBERT (Yamaha YZF-R1), -35.382 20. David CHECA (Yamaha YZF-R1), -44.866 21. Ayrton BADOVINI (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -53.969 22. Shuhei AOYAMA (Honda CBR1000RR), -60.875 23. Jason PRIDMORE (Honda CBR1000RR), -61.104 24. Luca MORELLI (Honda CBR1000RR), -64.329 25. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suzuki GSX-R1000), -1 lap, crash 26. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Honda CBR1000RR), -8 laps, DNF, retired/mechanical 27. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Kawasaki ZX-10R), -10 laps, DNF, retired 28. Tristan PALMER (Yamaha YZF-R1), -16 laps, DNF, retired 29. Christian ZAISER (Yamaha YZF-R1), -21 laps, DNF, mechanical World Championship Point Standings (after 20 of 28 races): 1. Bayliss, 334 points 2. Neukirchner, 252 3. Corser, 242 4. Carlos Checa, 233 5. Haga, 230 6. Nieto, 183 7. Biaggi, 166 8. Kiyonari, 165 9. Fabrizio, 161 10. Xaus, 148 11. Kagayama, 109 12. Lanzi, 94 13. Smrz, 91 14. Lavilla, 83 15. Muggeridge, 64 16. Sofuoglu, 47 17. Tamada, 41 18. Laconi, 36 19. Rolfo, 32 20. Nakatomi, 29 21. TIE, Badovini/Russel Holland, 14 23. Sykes, 9 24. TIE, David Checa/Gimbert, 7 26. TIE, Aoyama/ Niccolo Canepa, 3 28. Walker, 2 29. Michael Beck, 1 More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service: Team Alstare Suzuki’s Max Neukirchner remains in second place in the World Superbike Championship after finishing seventh and fourth in today’s rain-lashed Brands Hatch 10th round in Kent. Race one was delayed because of a rain shower as the teams lined up on the grid, but the track dried out and the race got under away after 15 minutes. Team Suzuki Alstare rider Yukio Kagayama took fourth place, with team mate Fonsi Nieto fifth. Neukirchner struggled with a tyre problem but still came home in seventh place. Japanese rider Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) won the race – his first ever WSBK win – with Troy Bayliss (Ducati) second and Max Biaggi (Ducati) third. Race two did not start well for Kagayama: He was hit by Briton Tom Sykes on the first lap and was forced to go straight on into the gravel. He crashed, but remounted and rejoined the race dead last but was too far behind and could only finish 25th. Neukirchner had a much better race this time, ending fourth, with Nieto just behind in fifth. Kiyonari had a terrific battle with fellow countryman Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha), but managed to hold him off and take his second win of the day with Troy Corser (Yamaha) a distant third. Fonsi Nieto – Race 1: 5th, Race 2: 5th: “In terms of points, today has been one of our best race days recently and I’m happy about that. I had some tyre problems in race one and that prevented me from pushing harder. We are using some new front forks and they are better for braking and entering the turns, but we need more time to evaluate them and understand how we can get better grip. I was more aggressive in race two and pushed harder, but I lost contact with the leaders after about five laps and then it was difficult to get back into contact. All in all though, I’m happier this weekend.” Max Neukirchner – Race 1: 7th, Race 2: 4th: “Race one wasn’t so good because I guess we used a tyre that was too soft and it was spinning a lot and not giving good grip. I kept going as best I could and tried to score as many points as possible. The second race was much better. We used a harder tyre and I was happy to take fourth place and maintain second place in the championship. We were unable to try anything in this morning’s warm-up because of the wet conditions and this is the kind of track where you need to put in a lot of laps to get a good set-up. Once again, my team worked very well this weekend and I want to thank them for that.” Yukio Kagayama – Race 1: 4th, Race 2: 25th: “I am very disappointed with how today worked out because I really felt that I could make two very good results. I had problems entering the turns in race one and the bike was chattering a bit at the rear end. It was bad in some corners and not so bad in others but I adjusted my riding style and tried to work my way round the problem. I lost some positions, but my lap times were pretty consistent and I was pleased to get fourth. In race two, I got hit by Tom Sykes on lap one going into Druids. His bike caught my brake lever and that locked up the front end and I was forced to go straight into the gravel – where I crashed! It took a few moments to get the bike upright again and then I got back on it and rejoined the race. I was last by a very long way, but I decided to keep going and finish the race even though I had no chance of any points. I did this because I have many fans in Britain and I did not want to disappoint them.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) and Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) took second and third places respectively after impressive performances in the second Brands Hatch race, both riders changing their tyre choices from race one. An unhappy outcome to a promising first race saw Haga fall on lap seven while Corser dropped back from the leading group to go eighth, on a track surface that had started off slick after a fall of rain shortly before the scheduled 12 midday kick-off. The second race proved to be a great battle for Haga, the determined Yamaha rider fighting almost to the very end of the 25 laps, but he had to give best on the day to Ryuichi Kiyonari. In the second outing Corser rode determinedly and ended up a lonely but safe third, eight seconds from the win. Corser is third in the overall rankings, only ten points behind second thanks to his Brands finishes. He now has 242 points, with leader Bayliss on 334. Haga is fifth, on 230 points. David Checa (Yamaha GMT94) was 17th and 20th in today’s races, Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha GMT94) suffered a technical retirement in race one and made up for it with 19th in race two. Shinichi Nakatomi (Team YZF Yamaha) missed out on riding after injuring his wrist in a qualifying fall. Noriyuki Haga (DNF and 2nd – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “I am happy to take a second place in race two because in the first race my rear tyre choice was not so good, and I was disappointed with that. In the second race I just changed the rear tyre and I had a good feeling with that one. I had a good battle with Kiyo but he was faster than me in some places, then I would catch him up. Congratulations to Kiyo and also my team, because they made a good job to allow me to finish second.” Troy Corser (8th and 3rd – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “Race two was better than the first race, we made some changes to the tyre choice and the bike and they worked well. I just could not run the pace of the guys at the front because they just pulled away. I had a bit of a battle with Bayliss and it took a bit of time for me to get past him, but I am content with third. I’m out there trying to win races but podiums will have to do for now.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “We did not get what we expected in the first race but we did a really good second race as a team, with both riders on the podium. We made the wrong tyre choice for both riders on the first one, so in race two one rider went softer and the other one harder. Obviously each choice was a good one! It was a difficult first race because of the weather delay, but we made up for it well in race two. Well done to everyone in the team.” More, from a press release issued by Honda: KIYONARI TAKES A SUPERB DOUBLE WIN AT BRANDS HATCH Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) took his first and second World Superbike race wins today after two thrilling contests, the first with championship leader Troy Bayliss and Max Biaggi, then the second with his countryman Noriyuki Haga. The top three were covered by only 0.180 seconds in race one, but after a better start in race two, Kiyonari secured a margin of victory of 1.8 seconds, pushing on in the final laps to break Haga’s intense pressure. Kiyonari’s wins take him to eighth in the championship overall, with a total of 165 points. He had secured a front row start of third after a wet Superpole contest on Saturday and put his years of BSB knowledge to good use on this circuit, making wise tyre choices and finding a good race set-up early in the weekend. The top placed Honda rider in the series is still Kiyonari’s fellow Suzuka 8-Hour race winning partner, Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) who was 11th in qualifying, but sixth and then eighth in the two Brands Hatch races, run over 25-laps each. Checa is fourth in the championship, on 233 points to leader Troy Bayliss’ 334. Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Althea Honda CBR1000RR) overcame his tough qualifying experiences at Brands Hatch to secure tenth place in race one, then 14th in race two, starting from 19th place in each contest. Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR Jr) improved his overall set-up greatly this weekend, but was just out of Superpole by one place and thus 17th on the grid, then scoring points for 13th in race one but none for 17th in race two. Gregorio Lavilla (Vent-Axia VK Honda CBR1000RR) was another rider in the points mix in each race but dropped back from 13th place on the grid to 14th in the opener and equalling his pre-race performance in race two. His new team-mate Chris Walker (Vent-Axia VK Honda CBR1000RR) missed out on Superpole but scored points in each race by going 15th on two occasions. Karl Muggeridge (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR), was only 16th in race one and then a retiree in race two, after qualifying 16th in Superpole. Shuhei Aoyama (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR) was a retiree in the opener and 22nd in race two, while his team-mate Jason Pridmore (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR) went 22nd and 23rd. Kiyonari said: “I’m so happy, I cannot really believe it. We have been near the top of the leader board in all the sessions this weekend so we knew that we had a good race set up. The team worked hard to give me a great bike for both races and finally we have a win no, two wins! to celebrate. It wasn’t easy. I found it difficult to pass and I made a couple of mistakes. In race one, I was very nervous for the last few laps but in race two I was able to keep a good pace right to the end.” Checa said: “I cannot say that I am happy with the results but I have to be satisfied after the problems we have had this weekend. Of course, Brands Hatch was a new circuit for me to learn and we found it difficult to find a good setting for the bike. I had a problem with the left-hander going onto the back of the circuit and this is a corner you must get right to carry speed for the rest of the lap.” Sofuoglu said: “Of course, I am disappointed especially because I couldn’t move forward from the results in Brno. We made a change after the first race and my pace was definitely better. But after a good start, I got blocked in at the first corner and then found it hard to pass Laconi and Walker. However, I am looking forward to a little holiday before coming back stronger at Donington.” Rolfo said: “This second race was more difficult for me compared to the first one. My start was not so good and I lost some positions in the first curves. I’m pretty satisfied with my fourteenth place, but I’m disappointed because I cannot reach a good starting position during the qualifying sessions and it’s always difficult to begin a race from too far back.” Lavilla said: “We made some improvements to the bike in the second race and we put in some good lap times. We were consistent once again and within the points but I wasn’t able to improve much on my qualifying position. So we have to keep working hard on set-up and move up to the next level, which I hope we can achieve at Donington.” Walker said: “Every time I went out on the bike I learned more and more and it’s great to be back on a Superbike. The bike felt brilliant and I was happy with the race set-up in the end. My fitness level is good but I need to get into the gym to work on my arm strength as I had to lose weight to ride the Supersport.” The World Superbike Championship reconvenes at Donington Park, on September 7th, after the traditional summer break. More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: MIXED FORTUNES, BUT A PODIUM FOR TROY The weather and the tricky conditions made life difficult for all the riders and teams at Brands Hatch today, with the start of the first race delayed because of a rain shower just as the riders lined up on the grid. But the rain stopped, the track dried and the 25-lapper got under way with all riders on slick tyres. The second race was also blighted by spots of rain at the beginning but, just like the first race, the track remained dry. Troy suffered grip problems in the first race and finished a frustrated eighth. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) won the race, with Troy Bayliss (Ducati) second and Max Biaggi (Ducati) third. Troy changed to a softer front and a harder rear in race two and that, together with a small revision to the bike’s geometry allowed him to push much harder. Despite some problems with the rear spinning a little, he rode superbly to take third place, behind Kiyonari and Noriyuki Haga. Troy – Race 1: 8th, Race 2: 3rd I am disappointed how race one turned out, but there was not much I could do about it once the rear started spinning quite a bit after five or six laps. Spinning is OK as long as you also have a bit of a push, but I didn’t and it was a frustrating going sideways a lot of the time. We changed to a softer front tyre and a harder rear tyre for the second race and it was definitely an improvement. The bike was still spinning a bit, but this time I was getting forward momentum as well. I did all I could but I just couldn’t catch Kiyonari and Haga, so I kept a watch on the gap to the person behind me and tried to keep consistent. I didn’t use the traction control or the anti-wheelie today. Brands Hatch is as a track that needs a good set-up and it helps if your traction and wheelie controls are working well. But if it’s not working perfectly, I prefer to control the bike myself. More, from a press release issued by Bennetts: Bennetts BSB Champion conquers the world Reigning Bennetts British Superbike Champion Ryuichi Kiyonari proved that he is world class at Brands Hatch today with a double race victory at the Bennetts round of the HANNspree Superbike World Championship. The Japanese rider – who secured two championship wins during his three years in the domestic series – was on top form at the Kent circuit. Kiyonari has seemingly found it difficult to adapt to the new circuits in his debut Superbike World Championship season, but his true potential shone through today at a track that he knows well. Bennetts British Superbike wildcard rider Tom Sykes also performed well following his first race win and double victory at the last round of the domestic championship at Oulton Park. Sykes enjoyed a strong start to race one and was battling for a top five position before being forced to retire due to a technical problem. He returned to the grid for race two and this time clinched seventh place at the chequered flag – further proving the British rider’s talent. More, from a press release issued by Team YZF Yamaha First victories for Kiyonari Very beautiful victory in the Superbike World Championship for Kiyonari in race 1, in front of Bayliss and Biaggi. In race 2, the Honda rider wins again, in front of the Yamaha riders Haga and Corser. Troy Bayliss is still leading strongly the World Championship with a 72 points advantage. Shinichi Nakatomi unfortunately could not take part in the race, due to a medical decision because of a slightly broken bone in his left hand. Shinichi Nakatomi: « My wrist feels a little bit better today, but it will take some time to heal completely. » Race 1: 1- Kiyonari (Honda), 2-Bayliss (Ducati), 3-Biaggi (Ducati), 4-Kagayama (Suzuki), 5-Nieto (Suzuki) Race 2: 1- Kiyonari (Honda), 2-Haga (Yamaha), 3-Corser (Yamaha), 4-Neukirchner (Suzuki), 5-Nieto (Suzuki) Superbike World Championship standings: 1-Bayliss (Ducati) 324 points, 2-Neukirchner (Suzuki) 252, 3-Corser (Yamaha) 242, 4-Checa (Honda) 233, 5-Haga (Yamaha) 230… 29-Nakatomi (Yamaha) 29 11th round of the Superbike World Championship: September 7th at Donington (UK) More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Ryuichi Kiyonari today took his first World Superbike victory in round ten of the 2008 championship at Brands Hatch, and followed up with his second win in race two. The HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider started both races from third place on the grid and, in the first outing, shadowed championship leader Troy Bayliss for 17 of the 25 laps around the 3.7km circuit. Kiyonari took his Honda CBR1000RR past Bayliss at the fast Hawthorns right-hander on lap 22 and held the Australian at bay for the remaining laps to take his maiden win. In race two, the Japanese ace proved that he could lead from the front, slipping past race leader Noriyuki Haga before mid-race distance and leading all the way to the chequered flag. Carlos Checa, on his first visit to Brands Hatch, finished sixth in race one and eighth in race two, scoring further valuable points to retain fourth place in the championship. Meanwhile, Kenan Sofuoglu, took 13th and 17th places. Ryuichi Kiyonari 1st and 1st: I’m so happy, I cannot really believe it. We have been near the top of the leader board in all the sessions this weekend so we knew that we had a good race set up. The team worked hard to give me a great bike for both races and finally we have a win no, two wins! to celebrate. It wasn’t easy I found it difficult to pass and I made a couple of mistakes. In race one, I was very nervous for the last few laps but in race two I was able to keep a good pace right to the end. Carlos Checa 6th and 8th: I cannot say that I am happy with the results but I have to be satisfied after the problems we have had this weekend. Of course, Brands Hatch was a new circuit for me to learn and we found it difficult to find a good setting for the bike. I had a problem with the left-hander going onto the back of the circuit and this is a corner you must get right to carry speed for the rest of the lap. Kenan Sofuoglu 13th and 17th: Of course, I am disappointed especially because I couldn’t move forward from the results in Brno. We made a change after the first race and my pace was definitely better. But after a good start, I got blocked in at the first corner and then found it hard to pass Laconi and Walker. However, I am looking forward to a little holiday before coming back stronger at Donington. Ronald ten Kate team manager: Now and then, Ryuichi is speechless but, this weekend, we are the ones who are speechless because of his stunning performance. Of course, it is much easier to display his undoubted talent on a track that he knows well, but to fight off Bayliss in race one and Haga in race two shows the scale of his achievement. Carlos did OK for his first ever visit to Brands Hatch and I’m quite sure that, with a year under his belt, he will come back stronger next year. Unfortunately, Kenan could not match his Brno results. I’m looking forward to a short holiday now but, this year, I cannot wait for Donington. More, from a press release issued by Sterilgarda Go Eleven: Max Biaggi powers to a thrilling wonderful race-1 and gets the third step of the podium. After the green light the Roman champion keeps the position before starting to recover positions lap by lap. His show starts when he passes Corser and Sykes, reaching the third place and immediately breaking with them, just 3 seconds behind the leaders. At 7 laps to go, Biaggi begins to recover on Bayliss and Kiyonari; at the last but one lap he reaches them but it is too late for passing. In race-2, after some defensive lap, Biaggi ended in the run-off area due to an attempt to avoid a rival. Gotten back to the track he started another great recovery, finishing the race in twelfth position. Ruben Xaus has been stopped by the fever which got higher during the night. He did not take to the track at all, picking the wise choice to wait in the bed the journey back to Spain. In Superstock1000, Alex Polita grabs the 5th place after a poor start and a great attacking race which allowed him to collect meaningful points for the championship ranking where now he is 4th at 94 points, just 15 points from the leader. MAX BIAGGI | Ducati 1098 RS | 3rd and 12th classified: “I’m really satisfied with my result in race-1 which allowed me to finish on the podium for the third time in a row. The team have done an excellent work and I’ve tried to give my best; unfortunately in race-2 I did not take the corner in the right way and I ended on the run-off area, compromising my race. When I started again I was the last but one but anyway I powered to a good recovery which has ended in twelfth position”. RUBEN XAUS | Ducati 1098 RS | Retired: “Unfortunately I’m feeling very low. Riding the bike would have been an high risk. I’m not able now to take a Superbike to the limit. I hope to make up for the lost race in the next championship round at Donington after the holidays”. ALEX POLITA | Ducati 1098R | 5th classified: “I picked for a front rain tyre since the track was wet and due to the rain fallen before the start. I thought that the rain would have kept up to fall, but it wasn’t. So my choice was not the best one and I was not able to follow the pace of the rivals endowed with dry tyres. Anyhow the gap from the championship leader is still little”. More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: Kiyonari grabs sensational double win in World Superbike round 10 at Brands Hatch Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) crowned a triumphant week of racing with two sensational wins in the tenth round of the HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship at Brands Hatch in front of 97,000 spectators, just a few days after winning the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race in Japan. The 25 year-old, reigning BSB champion, got the better of Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) in race 1, before completing a day of triumph with a second win over Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) in race 2. Race 1 Bayliss led for most of the race with Kiyonari right behind but the Honda man passed the points leader on lap 22 and held on for the win. Second place went to Bayliss and third to Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati), who was the fastest rider on the track in the final stages after making up more than 3 seconds on the leaders in eight laps. At the flag Kiyonari, Bayliss and Biaggi were separated by two-tenths. Two Suzukis were next up, with Yukio Kagayama fourth and Fonsi Nieto fifth, while Max Neukirchner finished seventh after being passed by Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) towards the end. It was a disappointing race for the factory Yamaha team, with Troy Corser only managing eighth and Noriyuki Haga crashing out while fighting for the top positions. British wild-card Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) was also running well but had to retire with a holed radiator while in third. It was a disappointing race for Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) in twelfth, while Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati) was weakened by flu and failed to take the start. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda): “I am very happy today, I started badly in the early laps but my bike had a really good set-up so I could keep lapping in 1m26s laps. Then I pushed and pushed and finally I got the win.” Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox): “I was feeling quite comfortable for most of the race and everything was working quite well, but I haven’t actually spent much time racing with Kiyonari and wasn’t sure how it was going to pan out. He was very strong on the first split and when he came past I would have been very happy for second, but when he did I realized he was in the same trouble as me. Then I saw Max coming so fast and had to push really hard and it became a bit of a dogfight towards the end.” Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati): “I’m quite satisfied with the result. I started good then went backwards as some other riders came through. The first laps were very hard, then I got into a good rhythm and overtook one by one. At the end I couldn’t believe I came close to these two guys, but there was not enough time to try and take Troy or Kiyonari, but it was a good race.” Results: 1. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 36’18.607 (152,933 kph); 2. Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08 0.137; 3. Biaggi M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 0.180; 4. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 5.733; 5. Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R1000 6.499; 6. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 6.984; 7. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R1000 8.300; 8. Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 10.732; 9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098 RS 08 16.547; 10. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 16.569; 11. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 18.366; 12. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 F08 22.308; 13. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR1000RR 26.788; 14. Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 26.856; 15. Walker C. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 32.877; 16. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 38.329. Race 2 The second race also had a Japanese flavour about it as Kiyonari powered ahead to win from Haga after a race-long battle. The final podium slot went to Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB), who ran a steady race but was unable to challenge the top pair, while Neukirchner scored a good result in fourth. The German finished ahead of his team-mate Nieto, who passed Fabrizio on the last lap, while Sykes this time managed to hold off Checa for seventh. Bayliss was out of luck after changing to a different compound for race 2 and could only finish eleventh, one place ahead of Biaggi, who dropped down to 28th position in the early stages after an off-track excursion. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda): “I’m very happy with this weekend. On Friday I was in first position in qualifying, then yesterday I set a good time in Superpole. It was the same today, with fast lap times and a double win. I had a lot of pressure with Nori behind me and many times I made a mistake but to win here at Brands Hatch was fantastic today.” Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB): “I’m very happy for this result because in the first race the rear tyre was not so good and I was very disappointed. In the second race I just changed it and this tyre gave quite a good feeling. I make a battle with Kiyo but he was faster than me in some places and finally I was not able to catch him, but we made a really good race. Congratulations for Kiyo!” Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB): “It was better than the first race, when we had a few tyre troubles but we made some changes to the bike which definitely improved it but there was no way I could run the pace of the guys at the front. They just pulled away. I had a bit of a battle with Bayliss and it took me a few laps to get past him, but I’m content with third. It’ll do for now, but I’m looking forward to winning races again!” Results: 1. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 36’14.904 (153,193 kph); 2. Haga N. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1 1.848; 3. Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 8.883; 4. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R1000 11.180; 5. Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R1000 12.928; 6. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 F08 13.696; 7. Sykes T. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 13.872; 8. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 14.009; 9. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098 RS 08 19.065; 10. Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 19.864; 11. Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 1098 F08 20.479; 12. Biaggi M. (ITA) Ducati 1098 RS 08 20.621; 13. Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 20.722; 14. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 24.512; 15. Walker C. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 32.090; 16. Laconi R. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 32.207. Points (after 10 of 14 rounds): Riders 1. Bayliss (Ducati) 334; 2. Neukirchner (Suzuki) 252; 3. Corser (Yamaha) 242; 4. Checa (Honda) 233; 5. Haga (Yamaha) 230; 6. Nieto (Suzuki) 183; 7. Biaggi (Ducati) 166; 8. Kiyonari (Honda) 165; 9. Fabrizio (Ducati) 161; 10. Xaus (Ducati) 148. Manufacturers 1. Ducati 403; 2. Yamaha 345; 3. Suzuki 303; 4. Honda 297; 5. Kawasaki 64. FIM Supersport World Championship The Supersport race was stopped on lap 16 when British rider Craig Jones (Parkalgar Racing Honda) crashed coming onto the pit straight, sustaining a serious head injury in the process. He was transferred to the Royal London Hospital by air ambulance for further assessment and treatment. Victory in the race went to Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), his second in a row, ahead of the unfortunate Jones and Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), who boosted his lead in the championship. Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport), Brookes (Hannspree Stiggy Motorsport Honda) and Veneman (RES Software Suzuki) took the next three places. Results: 1. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 22’29.935 (148,087 kph); 2. Jones C. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 0.209; 3. Pitt A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 0.664; 4. Parkes B. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R6 2.816; 5. Brookes J. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 6.789; 6. Veneman B. (NED) Suzuki GSX-R600 9.094; 7. Nannelli G. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 15.048; 8. Roccoli M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF-R6 15.623. Points (after 9 of 13 rounds): 1. Pitt (Honda) 149; 2. Rea (Honda) 117; 3. Parkes (Yamaha) 113; 4. Brookes (Honda) 112; 5. Jones (Honda) 100; 6. Foret (Yamaha) 97; 7. Lascorz (Honda) 83; 8. Harms (Honda) 50; etc. Superstock 1000 FIM Cup Maxime Berger (Hannspree IDS Ten Kate Honda) lived up to pre-race expectations with a dominant win in the Superstock 1000 encounter. The Frenchman powered away into the lead taking Matteo Baiocco (O Six Kawasaki) and Matej Smrz (MS Racing Honda) with him, but he then pulled away at the mid-point to win easily, while his two rivals both crashed out. Thanks to this second win in a row, Berger moves into the lead of the table on the same points as Brendan Roberts (Ducati Xerox Junior Team), who finished fourth. The two remaining podium slots went to Sheridan Morais (Pedercini Kawasaki) of South Africa in his first race of the season, and Italian Andrea Antonelli (Althea Racing Honda). Title chaser Xavier Simeon (Alstare) had a disastrous weekend, the Belgian crashing his Suzuki on Saturday and then going out with a broken engine on the warm-up lap. Results: 1. Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 21’56.050 (141,773 kph); 2. Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 4.172; 3. Antonelli A. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 5.808; 4. Roberts B. (AUS) Ducati 1098R 18.391; 5. Polita A. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 18.629; 6. Pirro M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF-R1 19.049; 7. Burrell B. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 19.468; 8. Corti C. (ITA) Yamaha YZF-R1 24.682. Points (after 7 of 10 rounds) : 1. Berger (Honda) & Roberts (Ducati) 109; 3. Simeon (Suzuki) 95; 4. Polita (Ducati) 94; 5. Pirro (Yamaha) 83; 6. Antonelli (Honda) 57; 7. Giugliano (Suzuki) 55; 8. Smrz (Honda) 48. European Superstock 600 Championship Loris Baz (YZF Yamaha Junior Team) scored an important win in the Superstock 600 race, his third of the year. The young Frenchman was passed by his chief rival Patrick Vostarek (Intermoto Czech Honda) in the early stages, but both Vincent Lonbois (MTM Suzuki) and Dan Linfoot (StoneBaker Yamaha) managed to catch up with the leading group by lap 4. Linfoot and Vostarek then made contact next time around and both were eliminated. Lonbois challenged Baz until the flag but post-race he was disqualified from the standings, leaving second place to Gino Rea (StoneBaker Yamaha) and third to Daniele Beretta (Cruciani Moto Suzuki). Results: 1. Baz L. (FRA) Yamaha YZF-R6 16’56.504 (144,219 kph); 2. Rea G. (GBR) Yamaha YZF-R6 1.586; 3. Beretta D. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R600 1.744; 4. Petrucci D. (ITA) Yamaha YZF-R6 9.700; 5. Bussolotti M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF-R6 9.730; 6. La Marra E. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R600 10.062; 7. Gines M. (FRA) Yamaha YZF-R6 10.125; 8. Black G. (GBR) Yamaha YZF-R6 15.357. Points (after 7 of 10 rounds): 1. Baz (Yamaha) 142; 2. Vostarek (Honda) 110; 3. Bussolati (Yamaha) 81; 4. Rea (Yamaha) 77; 5. Linfoot (Yamaha) 74; 6. Petrucci (Yamaha) 67; 7. Beretta (Suzuki) 66; 8. Black (Yamaha) 45. More, from a press release issued by Team Pedercini: Sheridan Morais gives to Team Pedercini its first seasonal podium thanks to a wonderful second place at Brands Hatch Superstock1000 race. The South African rider confirms in the race the good performance of the qualifying, showing to have the skill to be quick even on a wet track. After an excellent start, Morais passed the first finish line in 4th place. He kept the position for some laps also controlling the gap from the heading pack made by Berger and Baiocco. Shortly after Baiocco crashed and Morais took advantage of the situation, getting the best from a dryer track and recording his fastest time when it was one lap to go. One point for Yoann Tiberio too. The French rider started with a rain front tyre which prevented him to capitalize his good performance during the last laps of the race. On the other hand Aldrovandi took the 24th position due to a contact with Rosso which sent him in the run-off area. In SBK Vittorio Iannuzzo is author of a good race-1; after two hard qualifying days he grabbed the 20th place. In race-2 he was not able to repeat the good performance of the opening race due to excessive tyre wear and he had to take the way of the pits prematurely. Although Ayrton Badovini got retired in race-1, he ran a good second race. Unfortunately after an excellent start the young Italian was forced to slow by wear tyre in the final part of the race, missing the appointment with the points. VITTORIO IANNUZZO | Kawasaki ZX-10R | 20th Classified and Retired: “I’m really satisfied with my day. In race-1 I was able to make a good start, grabbing position lap by lap and especially expressing my skill until the chequered flag. That charges my spirit for the second race where, after a good first part, I had to slow down due to the tyres wear which forced me to the pits”. AYRTON BADOVINI | Kawasaki ZX-10R | Retired and 21st Classified: “In race-1 I took the way of the pits due to the front chattering which prevented me to ride as I wished. I had to slow down lap by lap and I preferred to go back to the pit-lane. In race-2 I had the same problems of my team-mate and I lost the chance to finish into the points”. More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) INCREASES HIS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH A PODIUM AT BRANDS Brands Hatch (UK), Sunday 3rd August 2008: despite typically unsettled British weather Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) took a second place finish in Race 1 to increase his overall points advantage after ten rounds of the World Superbike championship. A restarted Race 1, due to the onset of rain, was dominated by Bayliss from the start. Although Troy was able to hold off a battling Kiyonari for the majority of the race, the young Japanese rider finally passed Troy who, suffering by that stage from rear tyre wear, had to settle for second place. Bayliss’ team-mate Michel Fabrizio suffered too due to the tyres but was affected above all by pain in his forearm which meant he finished the first race in twelfth place, unable to make up any real ground. In Race 2, Troy again made a great start, leading for the first few laps before the same tyre issue saw him fall gradually back through the field to take an eventual eleventh place finish. Michel made better progress this time around, moving up from fifteenth position to cross the finish line in sixth place, gaining valuable points despite the ongoing pain in his forearm. Bayliss has further increased his championship lead, albeit by just three points, and now has an 82 point advantage over Neukirchner. Fabrizio now holds 161 points and lies in ninth place overall. Ducati continues to lead the manufacturers championship, holding 403 points ahead of second-placed Yamaha (345 points). Troy Bayliss (Race 1 – 2nd, Race 2 – 11th) “I’m quite disappointed to tell the truth as I hoped to do a lot better today. By the last few laps of the first race the rear tyre wear was pretty bad and that’s why we changed the tyre before Race 2. Unfortunately that was the wrong choice and there wasn’t much I could do after the first few laps. I am however happy with podium in race 1 as those 20 points have meant that I’ve increased my overall lead, even though it’s by just a few points. That was a great race this morning and my congratulations go to Kiyo who really was fantastic here today.” Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 – 12th, Race 2 – 6th) “In race 1 the tyres were a real problem. We chose a harder tyre but it wasn’t right so we went for a softer option for race 2 which, although better, did not perform as we had hoped. In both races my right forearm, the one already operated on, was playing up again and although I went to the Clinica Mobile after race 1 for some treatment I still experienced pain throughout the second race. I’m pretty satisfied with the fact that I was able to make up so many positions in race 2 though, to finish in sixth place, taking valuable points in the process.”