FIM Supersport World Championship Phillip Island Victoria, Australia March 2, 2008 Race Results: 1. Andrew PITT (Hon CBR600RR), 21 laps, 33:51.257 2. Josh BROOKES (Hon CBR600RR), -0.062 second 3. Robbin HARMS (Hon CBR600RR), -0.597 second 4. Fabien FORET (Yam YZF-R6), -0.780 second 5. Jonathan REA (Hon CBR600RR), -0.976 second 6. Garry McCOY (Tri Daytona 675), -1.228 seconds 7. Joan LASCORZ (Hon CBR600RR), -6.590 8. Gianluca VIZZIELLO (Hon CBR600RR), -10.266 9. Massimo ROCCOLI (Yam YZF-R6), -10.594 10. Gianluca NANNELLI (Hon CBR600RR), -10.991 11. Ivan CLEMENTI (Tri Daytona 675), -16.068 12. Mark AITCHISON (Tri Daytona 675), -16.245 13. Graeme GOWLAND (Hon CBR600RR), -16.355 14. Chris WALKER (Kaw ZX-6R), -16.526 15. Vesa KALLIO (Hon CBR600RR), -17.270 16. Craig JONES (Hon CBR600RR), -17.480 17. Matthieu LAGRIVE (Hon CBR600RR), -20.948 18. David SALOM (Yam YZF-R6), -36.396 19. Lorenzo ALFONSI (Kaw ZX-6R), -45.078 20. Barry VENEMAN (Suz GSX-R600), -46.640 33. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Kaw ZX-6R), -19 laps, DNF, mechanical 34. Broc PARKES (Yam YZF-R6), -19 laps, DNF, crash World Championship Point Standings (After 2 of 14 races): 1. Brookes, 33 points 2. Lascorz, 29 3. TIE, Pitt/Parkes/Harms, 25 6. Jones, 16 7. Vizziello, 14 8. Foret, 13 9. TIE, Rea/Lagrive, 11 More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Pitt secures first win for the HANNspree Ten Kate Honda team After an eventful first race at Qatar’s Losail circuit last week, HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider Andrew Pitt was determined to show the competition he’s ready for battle and grabbed first place in a spectacular round of racing at his Phillip Island home circuit. It was a close fought battle at the front with Pitt and Brookes swapping places throughout most of the session. Pitt reclaimed the lead in the last lap, before Joshua Brookes and Robin Harms, who completed the successful day for title sponsor HANNspree. Jonathan Rea managed to put in a good performance finishing 6th despite the hand injury he sustained in last week’s Qatar crash. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager; Andrew put in a fantastic performance today. He really did well on his home soil, which will hopefully prepare us for the forthcoming races. Johnny was a bit in a bad shape this weekend, not only encountering problems with his hand but also some technical problems with his CBR600RR throughout the practise days. The first part of the race he was riding too cautious but in the second part he showed what kind of racer he really is and almost made it to the podium. I’m very confident after this race and am sure we’ll be having a really nice Supersport-racing season. Andrew Pitt, 1st; First I want to thank Ronald and Gerrit ten Kate for having faith in me and putting me on the CBR600RR in their team. The guys in the team have worked very hard to make it work this weekend. We came here very determined after the first race in Qatar. We had to bounce back and we’ve done so in the best possible way. It was a tough race, with a big group of guys battling at the front but I was confident I could work it out in the last laps. Am very happy with the result. Jonathan Rea, 5th; I am happy enough. We scored a 5th today, I rode very hard but still struggle to understand the tire when its brand new. The last 10 laps I can be as fast as the front guys, but in the opening laps when the tire is new, I still have to learn to push it harder. That was my biggest mistake today as I lost so much time at the start of the race. I would like to give a big thank you to my team and the mechanics for all the work they put into the bike over the weekend. I am really looking forward now to going to the track in Valencia. I know the track and should be able to fight back and score some points. More, from a press release issued by Parkalgar Honda: Jones learns a lesson at Phillip Island PARKALGAR HONDA racer Craig Jones finished out of the points in the second round of the World Supersport Championship at Phillip Island in Australia and admitted he will learn from the experience and come back stronger and faster for it. Starting from 12th on the grid, British rider Jones settled into a race long battle to maintain his place. In the last laps of the race he was mugged by the riders around him as he struggled for rear grip and crossed the line in 16th, just outside of the points. Parkalgar Honda’s Miguel Praia started from 28th and made a quick getaway, making up four places immediately. The Portuguese racer fought his way into the top 20 before eventually ending up 21st. In warm sunshine Honda’s Andrew Pitt won in front of his home crowd. There is now just over a month’s break before the third round of the World Supersport Championship at Valencia in Spain on April 6th. Parkalgar Honda will test at Valencia on March 13th and 14th in preparation for the race. Craig Jones: “We chose a different rear tyre from most of the other teams and it proved to be the wrong choice. It was OK at the start of the race but from halfway onwards I felt I had no grip whatsoever and it was very difficult for me to maintain race pace. “We struggled all weekend and I cannot blame my Parkalgar Honda, I think it is down to me and a lack of testing at the track it never clicked for me. I am now counting the days down to Valencia. My previous three races have all been podium finishes, so I would never have thought I would miss out on points here, but this will make me stronger and faster as I will learn from it.” Miguel Praia: “I tried hard today but the racing was very fast. I struggled with rear end traction and pushed as hard as I could from the start. In the end I was riding at my own speed and it was quite a lonely race with no other riders around me. “This is not the top 10 that I had hoped for but as we had no test time here, it is maybe not surprising that both the team and I struggled. I am very much looking forward to racing at Valencia now as it is a more familiar circuit for me.” Simon Buckmaster, Team Manager: “You can’t dress the results up, both our riders missed out on the points and we are happy to be putting Phillip Island behind us. Parkalgar Honda did not test here pre-season and it showed; the first practice session being wet also didn’t help as it reduced our useful time on track. “We thought Craig had a good set-up and for much of the race he was battling in 11th or 12th, but as his rear tyre faded he lost out and disappointingly missed a points scoring finish by fractions. “Miguel, compared to his qualifying position of 29th, rode well. He is still finding his feet at this level and is learning and improving. “Looking at the season calendar, Phillip Island was always going to be our bogey circuit without any testing or previous bike data. Before the next round at Valencia we will have a two day test at the circuit and I am sure the team will be back where it belongs in the points and dicing for the World Championship title.” More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Racing: HANNspree dominates Australian World Supersport race HANNspree-supported riders dominated the second World Supersport race of the season at Phillip Island in Australia today. HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s Andrew Pitt secured the race win, while HANNspree Stiggy Motorsport Honda’s Josh Brookes and Robbin Harms finished in second and third positions respectively. The victory was just reward for Pitt at his home track following an eventful opening race at Qatar last week that saw him leave the Losail circuit with no points. The action at the front of the pack was close with Brookes and Pitt swapping places on several occasions. However, it was Pitt who took the advantage on the final lap and managed to make it stick until the chequered flag. Pitt’s team-mate Jonathan Rea also enjoyed a successful race, finishing in fifth position despite nursing a hand injury that he picked up in last week’s race. It was more of a difficult day for the HANNspree Honda Althea team though as tyre problems forced Gianluca Nannelli to settle for tenth position. His team-mate Andrea Antonelli was involved in an unfortunate incident, which ended his race prematurely. Brookes now leads the championship standings for HANNspree Stiggy Motorsport Honda ahead of round three of the 2008 championship. More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: In Supersport Phillip Island delivered one of the best races in recent memory, with many passes and close calls for the top riders. Parkes, after winning in Qatar, set the fastest time in the practice sessions and seemed to be a good winning bet – but his crash on the second lap ruined his dream. At the head of the race was a group of battling riders, Pitt, Brookes, Harms, joined by Foret, Rea and McCoy. Foret started the last lap in the leading position and yet finished 4th; Brookes started the last lap 4th and finished 2nd with a gap of only 0.06 seconds to the winner Pitt. The first five riders finished the race within one second of each other: an extraordinary race just like the DIABLO SUPERCORSA has always allowed, despite the very high track temperature. More, from a press release issued by Honda: World Supersport Championship Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) followed up his fastest ever qualifying lap of Phillip Island with a battling race win in Sunday’s 21-lap Supersport race. He leaves his home track with the new WSS track best of 1’34.592, set in qualifying. A three rider Honda civil war at the beginning of the race became a six rider fight at one stage, but the trio of Pitt, second place qualifier Josh Brookes (Hannspree Stiggy Motorsports Honda CBR600RR) and Robbin Harms (Hannspree Stiggy Motorsports Honda CBR600RR) were the top-finishing trio after an all-time classic Supersport race. They swapped the leading positions time after time, with Pitt attempting to slow the pace to conserve his tyres, allowing other riders to join the fray until the very last lap, when the top three moved ahead again. They had been joined by first Fabien Foret, then Garry McCoy on the three-cylinder Triumph and Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) who could not start as fast as his main rivals. He ended up fifth, equalling his qualifying performance after looking like he could take a podium at one stage. Gianluca Nannelli (Hannspree Althea Honda CBR600RR) made it seven Honda riders in the top ten places, with privateer riders Joan Lascorz and Gianluca Vizziello taking seventh and eighth places respectively on their Honda CBR600RRs. Qatar podium finisher Craig Jones (Parkalgar Honda CBR600RR) struggled in Australia, qualifying 12th and dropping to 16th in the race itself, struggling for traction. Andrea Antonelli (Hannspree Althea Honda CBR600RR) qualified 19th and suffered a DNF. In the championship itself, Brookes leads with 33 points, Lascorz is second on 29, with Pitt third, thanks to his 25 Phillip Island points. Harms also has 25 points, and is credited with fifth after a three way tie in the championship table. Jones is sixth, on 16. Pitt said: “The guys in the team have worked very hard to make it all work this weekend. We came here very determined after the first race in Qatar. We had to bounce back and we’ve done so in the best possible way. It was a tough race, with a big group of guys battling at the front, but I was confident I could work it out in the last laps. I did, and I’m very happy with the result.” Brookes said: “It wasn’t as good as 2004, when I won, but it was a fantastic and very close race. I would like to thank the team for believing in me and for doing a great job this weekend. It was a very tough, hard race but great fun at the same time. I’m sure all my friends, family and fans really enjoyed the race and they must have been biting their nails at the end. Pitt and I put our heads down and charged for the line, but in the end he got it – by just sixty-two hundredths of a second!” Harms said: “I am very, very happy because it’s been tough recently, what with my injuries. I felt very strong in the race and although it must have seemed a crazy race, I felt totally in control. I was actually a bit frustrated with Pitt sometimes because in some places he was holding me up. I’d like to say thank you to the team for doing a great job and hope we can carry on this way.” Rea said: “I am happy enough. We scored a fifth today; I rode very hard but still struggle to understand the tyre when it’s brand new. The last 10 laps I can be as fast as the front guys, but in the opening laps when the tyre is new, I still have to learn to push it harder.” Nannelli said: “My natural style is to use a lot of front brake and a lot of throttle opening when exiting corners. So up to half race distance, no problem. After that, I had a lot of spinning from the rear, so I had to work hard to finish in the top ten.” More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Foret just misses podium as Parkes crashes out A breathtaking 21-lap World Supersport race at Phillip Island provided very different fortunes for the Yamaha World Supersport Team’s riders, Fabien Foret and Broc Parkes. Foret overcame a poor start and went from sixth on lap one to the lead on lap 20, only to be swamped by riders as the finish line approached. He ended round two a strong fourth, only 0.780 seconds from the win, and in a group of six riders covered by only 1.228 seconds. Broc Parkes was looking good for another podium finish to go with his race win at Qatar last weekend until he fell under braking into the tight downhill right hand MG corner on lap two while leading. The tough Aussie rider remounted to try and score some points, but was forced to stop after entering the pits to check his machine over. Andrew Pitt, who was a non-finisher in the opening round in Qatar, won the race and therefore the World Championship battle is still a relatively open one. Parkes is currently fourth, sharing a total of 25 points with two other riders, while Foret’s 13 Phillip Island points take him to eight in the championship. Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) put his Qatar disappointments behind him with a strong ninth place finish, just over ten seconds from the win after 21-laps of frantic raceday action throughout the field. David Salom (Yamaha Spain World Supersport team) finished out of the points in 18th after taking to the grass on lap two, and he is now 15th on points, one place ahead of Roccoli. Fabien Foret (4th – +0’0.780 – Yamaha World Supersport Team) “I was happy to be able to catch the leaders even if I did not have so much grip in the race. I could follow them and the plan was to wait for the last lap. Then I was hoping to use the slipstream and use the R6’s high top speed to pass and then keep them behind me. But when I saw McCoy coming from behind I knew I could not wait anymore. So I had to push and I got into the lead. It was a hard fight on the last lap but I just wanted points in this race. To get 13 points is not what I wanted but it is better than two no-scores in a row. The championship is open, and the season is long.” Broc Parkes (DNF – Yamaha World Supersport Team) “I had just got into the lead and I was keen to stay there, just racing the clock. The pace was not strong in the first lap so that’s why I decided to go out in front. Entering the MG corner on the second lap everything just felt normal, like every other lap, until the front went away from me. Maybe the tyre wasn’t quite warm on the right side. I tried to continue but the handlebar was too bent. By the time I got back to the pits the race was over for me.” Wilco Zeelenberg (Team Manager, Yamaha World Supersport Team) “It looked like a good race was coming for Broc because he had a very good pace in morning warm-up. We talked things through and we knew our riders were strong enough to lead. Maybe Broc just went too early. But that’s racing, you can’t wait sometimes. Fabien’s starts are always a bit cautious, but that is not a big problem for him. He always finds his pace early and can catch up. He had to push hard near the end even though it wasn’t the ideal time to do it, so he had to try harder in the braking areas. It is impossible for any rider to defend a lead at this track because of the slipstreaming opportunities. Overall the race package we have is good and when we get it all together things will be fine.” Massimo Roccoli (9th – +0’10.594 – Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) “After warm-up the bike felt OK but I had to work hard to gain some positions at the front during the race. Vizziello, Nannelli and I had a very similar pace so we ended up racing together. After 15 laps the rear tyre was sliding more and more and it was impossible to push at the same speed as the beginning. These are my first points of the year, so overall I am happy.” David Salom (18th – +36.396 seconds – Yamaha Spain World Supersport Team) “The start was not so bad but in the second lap I passed a rider under braking but I was too fast and my bike didn’t stop. I left the track and ran onto the grass. It was like starting all over again but I had a good pace and passed many riders, until I found myself on my own again. The team did a great job and I hope never to make the same mistake under braking again.” More, from a press release issued by GIL Kawasaki: Walker 14th but Fujiwara Stops Phillip Island, Australia, 2 March 2008 Chris Walker (GIL Kawasaki) rode his Ninja ZX-6R to 14th place at Phillip Island this weekend, in a delayed 21-lap race. Walker 14th but Fujiwara Stops Starting from the fourth row, Walker was involved in several midfield battles during the race, but made up two places on his qualifying position at the end of 21 laps. His team-mate Fujiwara was relegated from 15th on the grid to 21st place on lap one and he was forced out altogether on lap three, despite having high hopes for raceday after some late set-up changes. Chris Walker – “Hard work for not a lot of reward but it was good to get a finish and points. We struggled with the rear bouncing around in the corners in places and unfortunately it was at its worst in the corners just where you could do some overtaking. So everything I had gained elsewhere I then lost, especially going over Lukey Heights. The back tyre was bouncing a bit, but it wasn’t chatter. The lap times weren’t so bad towards the end and that was a good sign. With a test in ten days or so we can learn more and the boys in the pitbox did really well for us.” Katsuaki Fujiwara – “We had an engine problem so it turned out to be a hard raceday, as well as a tough weekend of qualifying. The team has worked very well and this morning, in warm-up, we found some good settings. But when you have to stop, there is nothing more you can do. We learned a lot this weekend, and we want to continue working in a good direction at the test in Valencia.”