Lonato, July 6th 2010 – Team Pata B&G Racing switched to Aprilia. Starting from the Brno round, the team managed by Marco Borciani and Mirco Guandalini will race on an Aprilia RSV4. It was a consistent investment, necessary in order to enable Jakub Smrz to battle for the top positions in the remaining rounds of the season. Marco Borciani and Mirco Guandalini fulfilled their project as they have bigger ambitions for the second half of the season. Nothing will change for Lorenzo Baroni in World Superstock 1000 as he will continue racing on the Ducati 1198 R. “We really wanted to reach this deal, Borciani and Guandalini said. We are confident that as a result of this collaboration, we will be able to prepare for Smrz the best machine in Superbike, if we look at the overall standings. However, changing will not be easy, but we are working very hard in order for us to be at our best at Brno, where we will be in three days time. I’m sure this change will be exciting for our rider too, who has been slowed down by technical issues lately and his hard work did not bear fruit” More, from a press release issued by Aprilia: Aprilia Racing will provide an RSV4 to Pata B&G Racing Team Noale, 6 July 2010 – From the Brno race, the ninth round on the World Superbike Championship schedule, Aprilia Racing will provide an RSV4 to Pata B&G Racing Team which will be ridden by Jakub Smrz. In the 2010 season, the RSV4 has already won eight victories with Max Biaggi – the Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team colours bearer and current leader in the World SBK rankings – and another 5 podiums, which have taken Aprilia to the lead in the Manufacturer rankings. More, from a press release issued by Infront Motor Sports: Biaggi heads to favourite circuit with the championship lead The HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship enters its ninth round this coming weekend, at another firm favourite for riders and fans alike, Brno, in the Czech Republic. A modern era circuit with its roots very firmly in the heritage of the old road courses that have hosted races in this area since the early decades of the previous century, Brno is a classic of its type, with wide chicanes that are still attacked with pace, plus uphill and downhill sections that are a real test of engine power and front end set-up. After winning another two races at the previous round, the experienced Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) now has eight race victories in 2010, and a 37-point championship lead over Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare). Haslam enters the Brno round determined to peg back Biaggi, but the fact that Brno is Biaggi’s favourite circuit of all, where he won a race on his Aprilia RSV4 last year, may hamper Haslam’s ambitions. But Haslam has been a revelation this year too, which leaves a fascinating battle of nerves all ready to be played out for the benefit of the fans this coming weekend. Like many of their peers, both official Aprilia and Suzuki teams left the previous round of Misano and went directly to Imola for a two-day test. Carlos Checa (Althea Ducati) will be ready to go for more wins and podiums on his well-supported 1098 machine, while his team-mate Shane Byrne will be out to overcome the effects of a nasty left hand laceration suffered at the Misano tests. Checa still leads the factory Ducati Xerox duo of Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio, but for Michel in particular, Brno is his ideal venue, one he has enjoyed success at both as a privateer and a factory rider. He scored his first ever podiums in WSBK at Brno, and has scored at least one top three finish there every year since 2006. Curiously, he has never quite taken a win at Brno, however. Brno should be a new track for some riders, but for others it is a well-known venue. Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) has been a rider on the rise this year, and at Brno he has also a strong record, with three of his previous 33 race wins coming in the Czech Republic. His team-mate Ruben Xaus is out to eradicate bad memories of a femur fracture he suffered in 2009 at the base of the uphill section. For local riders the sight of Jakub Smrz racing gladdens the heart at any time and for the Pata B&G team rider a last minute swap to Aprilia RSV4 machinery may well bring him back into the upper echelons of the results sheets. In the official Aprilia team Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) will be out, with the second works Suzuki coming from Sylvain Guintoli (Alstare Suzuki). With seven manufacturers on the grid in 2010, the talent pool is deep and wide, and in the Honda camp Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) is still the man most likely to post the strongest results, despite his team-mate Max Neukirchner and privateer Broc Parkes (ECHO CRS Honda) finding improvements to their respective set-ups during the Imola tests. Yamaha Sterilgarda duo James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow are looking for a step-up in pace to allow them to compete for wins in 2010, a season in which everything has moved forward several steps compared to even 2009. Each is capable and if they qualify well, can be in with a chance on raceday. One squad particularly pleased to have tested at Imola last week is the official Kawasaki Racing Team, and at the Italian venue Tom Sykes and Chris Vermeulen each found a way forward with machine set-up, leaving them more confident of better finishes as the season wears on. The impressive Luca Scassa (Supersonic) and experienced Lorenzo Lanzi (DFX Ducati) will be two more privateers competing at Brno and the pairing of Roger Lee Hayden and Matteo Baiocco will be looking for their best performances of the year on their Pedercini Kawasakis. Points (after 8 rounds of 13): 1. Biaggi 307; 2. Haslam 270; 3. Checa 172; 4. Rea 158; 5. Haga 151; 6. Corser 149; 7. Toseland 138; 8. Fabrizio 131; 9. Camier 130 70; 10. Crutchlow 120. Manufacturers: 1. Aprilia 313; 2. Suzuki 283; 3. Ducati 250; 4. Yamaha 177; 5. Honda 169; 6. BMW 152; 7. Kawasaki 47 SUPERSPORT: The championship lead changed hands at Misano as Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) won and Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) scored second, but there are only three points in it. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) is only 13 points off a share of the lead with five rounds remaining, including Brno. All of the top three have won races so far, Laverty five, Sofuoglu two and Lascorz a single. ParkinGO Triumph BE-1 rider Chaz Davies sits fourth, 33 points up and away from his team-mate David Salom. Davies is 36 away from both Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Honda) and Michele Pirro, Sofuoglu’s team-mate. This will be a home race for the Intermoto Czech Honda team that fields Gino Rea and Massimo Roccoli, and they will also have one of a total of eight one event riders swelling the ranks of this division this weekend, Czech rider Tomas Holubec. Points (after 8 rounds of 13): 1. Laverty 161; 2. Sofuoglu 158; 3. Lascorz 148; 4. Davies 97; 5. Salom 64; 6.Harms 61; 7. Pirro 58; 8. Rea 54; Manufacturers: 1. Honda 195; 2. Kawasaki 148; 3. Triumph 107; 4. Yamaha 11 SUPERSTOCK 1000: Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) has claimed the 2010 version of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup as something of his own private realm this year, winning five from five, with another five races still to run. He will have a strong selection of chasers to deal with as usual, Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Racing Junior Honda), Michele Magnoni (Honda), Davide Giugliano (Team06 Suzuki) and Sylvain Barrier (Garnier Junior Racing BMW) just a few of them. There is a Czech wildcard in the shape of Michal Sambra (Automotoklub Masarykuv Okruh BMW), plus two other one-event riders in this popular class. Points (after 5 rounds of 10): 1. Badovini 125; 2. Berger 66; 3.Magnoni 63; 4.Giugliano 53; 5. Barrier 47; 6. Antonelli 41; 7.Baz 37; 8. Bussolotti 37; Manufacturers: 1. BMW 125; 2. Honda 93; 3. Suzuki 60; 4. Yamaha 39; 5. Kawasaki 36; 6. Ducati 26; 7. KTM 25; 8. Aprilia 13. SUPERSTOCK 600: Five rounds gone and five to go in the 600 Superstock class and French youngster Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing Yamaha) heads up Florian Marino (Ten Kate Junior Racing Honda) by 25 points, with Federico D’Annunzio (Martini Corse Yamaha) third. The top two are the only race winners so far. Points (after 5 rounds of 10): 1. Guarnoni 111; 2. Marino 86; 3. D’Annunzio 61; 4. Karlsen 51; 5. Calero Perez 44; 6. Lombardi 43; 7. Lanusse 39; 8. Fanelli 38; THE CIRCUIT: Brno in its most modern guise is a 5.403km track that weaves its way through the forests and the hills above the Czech Republic’s second city, Brno. It is the asphalt and gravel embodiment of the idea that a modern, safe circuit does not have to be tight and cramped, and the real proof that Brno worked right first time is that it has hardly been changed at all since it was first built in 1987, despite huge advances in engine outputs and corner speeds in that time. The power sapping last hill takes the riders up a gradient of over 7%, making this a place where the true worth of any engine is proved in the toughest test of all, real racing. More, from a press release issued by Honda: Czech Republic World Superbike at Brno Tuesday July 6 2010 World Superbike and World Supersport preview 5.403km circuit HONDA RIDERS OUT TO MAKE MORE HISTORY AT CZECH FAVOURITE There has been competition in and around the city of Brno since the early days of motorcycle racing, but the official Honda riders who travel to the Czech Republic this weekend are out to write their own new chapters in the Superbike or Supersport categories. Hannspree Ten Kate Honda’s Jonathan Rea is particularly keen to get back to the kind of situation that allowed him to take two Superbike race wins at Assen in April. The last few races have not been as kind to team or rider, but after a test at Imola last week Rea is looking for a positive turn of events at Brno, a circuit that he and virtually all his peers rate as one of the very best. Jonathan is currently fourth in the championship fight, one of six riders who have won races in 2010. The championship leader is Max Biaggi for Aprilia (307 points), second is Leon Haslam for Suzuki (270 points), third Carlos Checa on a Ducati (172) and Rea now has 158 points. The Supersport World Championship has hardened into a three-way fight for the title in 2010, with Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) taking the lead from Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) at the previous round. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki) is in a close third place and only 13 points separate the ‘big three.’ The fourth placed competitor over 50 points from Lascorz. Honda continues to lead the Manufacturers’ Standings, by 47 points. Brno is a special race for Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Superbike rider Max Neukirchner, as the German rider can count on a high degree of support from hundreds of his fan club members and other supporters who make the journey to the Czech Republic each season. Like his team-mate Rea, he found some real improvements with his machine set-up at the recent Imola test and intends to put them to good use in the fast esses and frequent inclines of Brno. Another Honda Superbike team, ECHO CRS, and its rider Broc Parkes had their first joint test of the season at Imola, as Broc missed the early races and pre-season with injury. Eliminating chatter was their aim, and they succeeded to some degree, filling Parkes with hope that he can make two solid points scoring finishes at Brno. The second Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Supersport rider, Michele Pirro, sees Brno as a chance to make up for the points lost at Misano last time out, when he collided with fast starting Gino Rea (Intermoto Czech Honda). This race is a vital one for each rider, as Pirro needs to score strong points, and Rea will be racing at his team’s own racetrack. Pirro is now seventh, Rea eighth in the standings. Massimo Roccoli, Gino’s Intermoto Czech Honda team-mate, is looking for the ideal of a top five finish at Brno, the same target as Parkalgar Honda rider Miguel Praia. Praia set out to score top tens in each race in 2010, and has largely succeeded, taking two ninths and three tenths so far. In the standings, Roccoli is 12th, Praia 13th. After Brno there will be a two weekend break in race meetings, before both WSBK and WSS classes return to a new-look Silverstone for round ten, between 30 July and 1 August. WSBK Rider Comments Jonathan Rea, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR: “I feel OK about the forthcoming race in Brno. In Imola during the test we didn’t suffer from chatter problems as badly as we did in Misano for the race. We did try some radically new things in Imola. Nowadays nobody really makes big strides in WSBK, it is just about little things, but we are looking for a big step. Things have changed in WSB since last year, since last time we were in Brno. The tyre we always use is creating a lot more grip, and that is maybe causing some of our issues. I have had some good results at Brno in the past and we will definitely start practice on Friday with an open mind. We’ll be giving it a good go as always.” Max Neukirchner, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR: “We found a little bit in the test at Imola and I could get a bit more feel. It was not so good on the first day but the team worked well and we spoke a lot about how to improve things. I was a lot happier on day two. I only used race tyres so my best lap time was not so bad. I hope we can have a good result in Brno and I really like the racetrack. Lots of my fan club members will be there too and I want to put on a good performance for them as well as the team.” Broc Parkes, ECHO CRS Honda CBR1000RR: “We had a good test at Imola recently, and made progress with the chatter we had been having on the bike. It is still there, but reduced. There are not really an awful lot of things we need to get our two bikes a bit closer to each other in configuration and set-up. It’s just making the strategy work in the same direction. I have had some good results at Brno in Supersport so I am hoping we can go there and be a lot stronger.” WSS Rider Comments Eugene Laverty, Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR: “We did not have a test at Imola but I think we will be fine at Brno. I enjoy riding Brno even if struggled a bit last year, as we didn’t get the settings quite right. With the bike working so well this year we will start in a good way, even on Friday. It is turning into a fight between the top three guys, and I think it will be that way to the end of the season. It would be good to have a few more people up there at the front, however.” Kenan Sofuoglu, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR: “We had a good test and we have improved everything on the bike. I have to ride at the maximum to win the championship but I know I have the package to be world champion and I know I have the belief. Everything is very good now. I have a bike and suspension package to be ready at Brno.” Michele Pirro, Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR: “We had a good test at Imola last week when we tried lots of things and worked on the electronics some more. It was very useful also for me to spend some time on the track because the Italian championship doesn’t go to Imola and it was only my second time there. I like Brno because it is smooth, the lines are smooth and it has not too many slow corners. It is a very important race for me, and we need to take a good result.” Gino Rea, Intermoto Czech Honda CBR600RR: “We tested at Brno and that wasn’t too bad; we got to try a few things that we would not normally get to use on a race weekend. We’re all feeling good for the race and it’s my team’s home event, so it should be a good one. We proved we can run up the front last time at Misano, so I am looking forward to getting back on track again.” Massimo Roccoli, Intermoto Czech Honda CBR600RR: “We tested at Brno last week and did the same times as we did in qualifying last year. It was not so easy as it was a track day as well, so many riders were on the circuit, but it was very useful for us all. This will be my team’s home track and they will bring many guests, so everybody wants to have our best race yet here.” Miguel Praia, Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR: “I am pretty motivated after the race at Misano and our bikes will be strong in Brno. I like the track and I am 100% fit. We need to keep pushing and make another step in Brno. I would like to try to go for a top five as that is something I have not done yet. I think given everything we have should look to that as a new target. We have already met one target of making top tens this year.” More, from a press release issued by Team Pedercini: The ninth round of the Superbike World Championships and the sixth round of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup will take place over the weekend of July 9/10/11 on Brno circuit. The Brno Circuit is the largest and the most prestigious racing circuit in the Czech Republic and is located near the city of Brno. The brand new racetrack was built in 1987 and since then all of the most prestigious motor sport events have taken place there. It’s named after the first president of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Masaryk. Only one week after the victory of Matteo Baiocco in the Superstock 1000 Italian championship race at the Misano World circuit, Pedercini team moved to Brno for the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup and the Superbike world championship. Team and riders are eager to continue to develop their Kawasaki ZX 10R and to continue improve riders and bikes performances. Roger Lee Hayden : “I have never been there before and I’m eager to ride and get to know this new circuit. This weekend I am really looking forward to a fresh start. In the previous races I have not so much luck go my way, but I am determined to be strong from the first practice onwards. Our bike has been working well during recent races and I have confidence in both my crew and bike, so I really can’t wait to get started” Matteo Baiocco : “I am going to Brno in a positive mood and I’m looking forward to another challenge. We are glad to have been able to race and win in Misano because the race was a good preparation for the following races of the season. We improved the base set-up of our bike and we found some good solutions to be used in Brno. I want to do my best and reach a good result in Sunday’s races”. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Alstare: LEON AND SYLVAIN LOOKING FORWARD TO THE BATTLE OF BRNO Team Suzuki Alstare riders Leon Haslam and Sylvain Guintoli are looking forward to Brno and hoping to go into the summer break on a high. The 5.403 kilometre circuit is a favourite amongst riders due to its flowing nature and elevation variations but, as usual, a good set-up is necessary for a fast lap. It has been a busy time for the riders recently, particularly Leon, who managed to fit a visit to the Goodwood Festival of Speed last weekend, but he and Sylvain will be chasing podiums at the Czech Republic circuit. Leon I like Brno circuit because it has a bit of everything really. There are a lot of ups and downs and it is a challenging track to ride and one that requires a good bike set-up. Max (Biaggi) is obviously the rider to beat at the moment because he and his bike are working really well together. But, I’m going to fight all the way this weekend and hopefully claw back some of the points. It has been very hectic recently because after the San Marino race, we had a two day test in Imola and then the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Unfortunately I had a couple of get-offs at Imola and bashed a delicate area of my body, but it will not affect me on the bike. I’m fit and ready to battle Brno and Max and want to start my summer holiday with some more podiums. Sylvain Fortunately I have been to Brno before, so at least I will not have to start the weekend wondering which way the track goes! It’s a good track and I enjoy racing there and am hoping to be on the pace right from the of practice and be in a good position come raceday. Recently, I feel I have begun to have a better understanding of what World Superbikes is all about and how strong you have to be right from the first moments of day one. This is a tough old series and very competitive, so you really cannot hang about at all. The racing is hard and a real battle and I like that a lot. After Brno, we have quite a break, so my goal is to get two very good results this weekend and then enjoy my holiday. 2009 results Race 1: 1 Max Biaggi (ITA-Aprilia), 2 Carlos Checa (ESP-Honda), 3 Jonathan Rea (GBR-Honda), 7 Leon Haslam (GBR-Honda), Sylvain Guintoli DNS, Race 2: 1 Ben Spies (USA-Yamaha), 2 Max Biaggi, 3 Michel Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati), 12 Leon Haslam, Sylvain Guintoli DNS, More, from a press release issued by Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: Hannspree Ten Kate Honda riders Jonathan Rea and Max Neukirchner head to the Czech Republic this weekend (9-11 July) for round nine of the 2010 World Superbike championship, which takes place at the famous Automotodrom in the country’s second city of Brno. The CBR1000RR-mounted duo will be looking for improvements to the set-up of their machines, which restricted both to frustrating and unsatisfactory results last time out at Misano in Italy. Rea suffered his worst weekend of World Superbike results at Misano, and the 23-year-old was bitterly disappointed with 13th and 12th place finishes at the Italian circuit where he scored his first championship win in 2009. However, the Northern Irishman was encouraged by a positive test, which took place with a number of his championship rivals at Imola in Italy last week, when he finished with the fourth fastest overall time. With some adjustments to the way his crew is set up , Rea is looking forward to re-visiting the 5.4km circuit Brno circuit where he took his debut world championship victory in the 2008 World Supersport race. Neukirchner, too, was encouraged following last week’s test at Imola, and is buoyed by the fact that Brno is relatively close to his home town of Chemnitz in eastern Germany. Several coach-loads of his home fans are expected to make the four-hour trip to support the 27-year-old this weekend. Jonathan Rea After the disaster we had at Misano, I’m really looking forward to turning over a new page at Brno this weekend. I’ve really enjoyed riding the circuit in the past and took my first World Supersport win there a couple of years back. So, I’m hoping that my team will be able to take the information we got from Misano and then at the Imola test last week and translate that into a strong package that will allow us to challenge at the front again. W e worked a little more outside the box at Imola to learn more about the bike and tried some fairly radical things. It gave us a small step forward but, at this level and in this environment, it’s really difficult to find big chunks of time. I’m happy that the team has been changed around slightly to help us maintain our challenge and it’ll be good if we can start at Brno on Friday with the same feeling we finished with at Imola last week. Max Neukirchner I had a bit of a fever last week during the test so the first day wasn’t so good and it was a bit frustrating that we weren’t able to make any progress. However, I felt better on the second day and me and the team got through a lot of work and tried some new things. We made some small steps forward and I was able to go faster during the afternoon but then, during a quicker lap, I had to slow down because of a crash. I am looking forward to Brno ver y much and, although the results there have not been fantastic, I like the circuit. We’ll have to see how the work we did last week works there, but I’ll certainly have some extra support at Brno, so of course I will try my best for all the Germans fans there. Ronald ten Kate team manager The problems we experienced at Miller and then again at Misano were, of course, our biggest focus during the test at Imola last week. We definitely improved the bike and found something of a cure for the chatter that has plagued both riders and we’re looking forward to trying that solution at Brno this weekend. With some luck, it should put us back to the top of the results sheets where we know we should be. More, from a press release issued by Hannspree Ten Kate Honda: Kenan Sofuoglu has said that only victory will satisfy him in this weekend’s (9-11 July) ninth-round World Supersport championship race at Brno in the Czech Republic. The Turkish ace, who has finished all eight of this season’s races on the podium, with two visits to the top step, currently lies in second place in the current championship standings after his third place finish in the last outing at Misano in Italy. The 25-year-old has acknowledged that he will need to dig deep in the remaining five rounds of the 2010 championship if he is to fulfil his ambition of reclaiming the World Supersport crown that he secured in 2007. Sofuoglu’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Michele Pirro, is hoping to mark his 24th birthday, which he celebrated last Monday (5 July), with more success than in his most recent race. The Italian crashed out on lap five of the Misano encounter after starting from pole position. How ever, Pirro is determined to make up for that, and for the technical problem that prevented him from finishing last year’s race with his previous team after qualifying on the second row of the grid. Kenan Sofuoglu I was very happy to have the test at Imola last week because I was so disappointed after the race at Misano. It was difficult starting from the second row but also I made too many mistakes trying to pass Lascorz and catch Laverty. So it was good to spend some time with the team testing the new electronics and getting back to the race pace of last year, even though it was very hot. Brno is a circuit that I like very much and, although I want to forget last year’s race, I have won there in the past. I have to win again this weekend. Michele Pirro I celebrated my birthday in Cesena where I got some physiotherapy after the bruising that I got in Misano. Luckily it won ‘t stop me from doing my best at Brno and we had a good test at Imola last week when we tried lots of things and worked on the electronics some more. It was very useful also for me to spend some time on the track because the Italian championship doesn’t go to Imola and it was only my second time there. I am looking forward to going back to Brno because I like this circuit very much and enjoyed the practices last year when I qualified eighth. Unfortunately my bike broke after one lap so I did not enjoy the race so much. I hope to do better this year and get a good result for my team who have worked so hard in the last races and during the test last week. I would like to give them a nice birthday present from me. Ronald ten Kate team-manager We used the Imola test last week to do a lot of fine-tuning and back-to-back testing of various parts and settings. We are happy that the package as a whole is constantly improving but even now there are some areas where we are constantly working to make things even better. It’s important that we are ready for the latter part of the season which we believe will be even harder than the first part. More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki: Czech Race Follows Successful Test For KRT Riders WSBK, Brno, Czech Republic, 6 July 2010 Chris Vermeulen and Tom Sykes will represent the Kawasaki Racing Team once again, at round nine this weekend in Brno, having undergone successful tests at Imola a few days ago. Advances in the overall set-up were found in the two days of testing in Italy as Kawasaki’s official squad continued to look for improvements that Sykes and Vermeulen can use to collect more points through the season. The riders and the team hope that some of the new Pirelli tyres they tested at Imola will make it to the Brno race weekend, between 9 and 11 July, particularly as this is a circuit each rider enjoys competing at. Brno is a flowing 5.403km circuit, with the long and fast chicanes allowing the riders to keep up a rhythm through the entire lap. Changes of elevation and camber abound, with the final drag up a steep hill into the final chicane a true test of engine power and gearing choices. A classic of late 20th century track design, Brno is a popular venue, located right in the heart of the Czech countryside, yet not far from the city that bears the same name. On the entry to the Brno weekend, Sykes is 16th in the championship standings, Vermeulen 19th. Tom’s best result so far has been a fine fifth place finish at Monza; Chris has a season best of 13th to aim to beat this weekend, after a season affected by a knee injury. Tom Sykes: “We did a lot of work at the Imola tests and we know what we should be working on, and in which direction. We were planning to stop earlier in those tests but we just keep working to the end. Overall I am reasonably happy with the way we will enter the Brno round. It should be a good place for us now so we need to start well, get a good set-up as soon as possible and work round about that. We were more consistent at the tests and that will be needed at Brno.” Chris Vermeulen: “We should get some new tyres for Brno and hope we do because we found a good one in testing. Brno is full of fast esses and it’s one of those circuits where if you get one corner right you should be able to get all of the corners right. There are so many similar corners on the racetrack. It’s a good layout, I enjoy racing there, and so we should be able to get some good results.” More, from another press release issued by Kawasaki: Another Hot Race Awaits Joan and Katsuaki WSS, Brno, Czech Republic, 6 July 2010 Brno is traditionally a hot and testing environment to race in, a fact not lost on Joan Lascorz and Katsuaki Fujiwara as they enter the ninth round of the often-busy WSB season. Katsuaki is largely recovered from a nasty bout of appendicitis that prevented him from racing at Misano last time out, and he is ready for his final medical checks to be carried out before he takes to the track in the Czech Republic. Joan is ready and hopefully able to notch up another win in WSS, having secured victory in Valencia, and podiums in all but one WSS race so far in 2010. A recent test for Joan at Imola was a good springboard close to the Brno race weekend, with the Provec Motocard.com team finding advances in suspension front and rear. Brno has some similarities to Imola, but the track surface in the Czech Republic is much smoother, and there are more geometric corners than the different shapes and sizes found in Imola. As the team’s recent record shows, no matter the track, the Ninja ZX-6R has been able to perform and score heavily, and Joan is ready to make up more ground in the championship chase. He is currently third, only 13 points from the lead, and ten points from second. Katsuaki is still inside the top ten despite losing another points scoring chance due to his illness. Eleventh overall is the Kawasaki Lorenzini by Leoni Ninja ZX-6R of 2002 World Champion Fabien Foret, a rider who is looking to score his first podium of the year. Joan Lascorz: “I am completely ready for Brno, especially after a positive test at Imola where we found some good developments with the machine and the set-up. After the Imola tests I went to the Montmelo GP, to see some friends, but I have still been working hard to get ready for the Czech race. We have a lot of races left and the championship is very tight, so we have to concentrate to beat the other riders in the races.” Katsuaki Fujiwara: “It was a bad surprise to have suddenly taken ill before the last round in Italy, but I feel much better now. I will have to take an exam from the doctor on Wednesday but I have been feeling stronger every day. I am sorry I also missed the test at Imola but the team did very good work there, so I am looking forward to riding the bike again.”