Monza (Italy), Wednesday 4th May 2011: on the back of three very successful rounds, the Althea Racing Team now heads to Monza, for the first of three Italian events to feature on the 2011 World Superbike calendar. As he heads into Round 4 of the championship, Althea Racing flagbearer Carlos Checa holds a 43 point advantage over Biaggi, the second-placed rider. Having clocked up four race wins and two third place finishes, Checa’s results also help place Ducati at the top of the manufacturer’s standings. Aware that the Monza track may present the biggest challenges of the season thus far, the Althea Racing squad is determined to throw everything they have at the track and defend its championship lead. In the Superstock 1000 category Althea men Davide Giugliano and Lorenzo Baroni will be looking to consolidate their positions in the standings. At the first STK event which took place in Assen, it was Giugliano who dominated proceedings, snatching his first win of the season, while team-mate Baroni just missed out on a podium place, closing in fourth. Carlos Checa “I will face Monza just as I have the other races. Up until now we have had great results and so we won’t be changing much technically speaking. This is of course a different kind of track and we will have to work hard to not lose too much ground on the straights. There are some difficult sections of track and so we must interpret the circuit well and concentrate on the tough parts. I feel in great shape and am ready to give my all. My team is extremely motivated and with their help I think we can make two great races.” Checa’s Superbike form at Monza: 2010: Race 1- 14th, Race 2 11th 2009: Race 1 9th, Race 2 10th 2008: Race 1 8th, Race 2 DNF Country: Italy Name: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza Length of circuit: 5.793 km Pole Position: left Length of straight: 1195 m Race distance: 18 laps = 103.986 km LAP RECORDS: Best lap Crutchlow (Yamaha) 1’42.937 (2010). Superpole Biaggi (Aprilia) 1’42.121 (2010). 2010 RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Biaggi (Aprilia); 2. Toseland (Yamaha); 3. Crutchlow (Yamaha). Race 2 1. Biaggi (Aprilia); 2. Haslam (Suzuki); 3. Corser (BMW) More, from a press release issued by PATA Racing Team: Nitro Nori Haga and the PATA Racing Team are ready to face the home-round: Monza. A track where lots of fans will gather together to support the Aprilia #41, called to score a great result. Monza is a circuit known as the “speed temple” because the bikes can deliver really high speed such as 330 km/h. A track that fits easily to the rider and bike’s features, but where they might have to pay attention to the fast straights that’s the key to gain a good timing during the practices and during the race. Is not likely to think about a race where one rider can immediately get his way since the start, but more about a fight until the final lap. Monza is the first of the three italian Superbike World Championship races and the most felt without any doubt. On the track are expected more than 100.000 supporters. Marco Borciani – team manager “For us, this is one of the most important round of the year. Monza is the home-track both for us than for Nori that’s living since quite a long time around here and that knows its secrets. We rare trustful to finally get a good result during the race after being able of great things after the last two rounds practices. There will be lots of our supporters that are planning meetings on facebook. I can promise them the greatest commitment by the whole team and that will aim to run a race to remember.” More, from a press release issued by the Go Eleven Team: Great expectation among the Go Eleven team, that since Friday will be busy in Monza, for the second round out of ten planned by the Superstock international championships.The team run by Denis Sacchetti is called to improve the results achieved in Assen, where despite the issues about the lack of experience with the bike, they gained a tenth place. To prepare the event at its best, the team worked on the bike’s development, testing the last week a few solutions that turned out pretty effective. Canepa and Vivarelli run the Superstock 1000 with the only goal to gain useful information to prepare this weekend round, but they scored really good timings during the race anyway. A lot is expected from Cristian Gamarino, able to close his first race on this track at the eight place. The italian rider is called to redeem after the crush during the European Superstock Championship in Assen, aiming to place himself among the first ten. Gianni Ramello – team owner “The Monza’s race rapresent for our team the beginning of the season. The round in Assen has been a kind of a test but since this weekend on things will get serious. The experience of the italian will be useful on a track where we didn’t have information about. Seen the high average and the importance of the fast straights is important to do a great job since the practices so to gain a placement among the first two rows. The Superstock races are really short and on a circuit like this, once you’ve lost the leaders is really hard to go back on top.” More, from a press release issued by Supersonic Racing Team: The fourth round of the World Championship Superbike will take place from May 6 until May 8, 2011 at the Autodrome Internazionale of Monza in Italy. The Monza circuit, also called the temple of speed, is one of history’s most famous circuits in the world. The main curve is very well known: the Lesmo curves, the Parabolica and the Variante Ascari. The Monza track was built in May 1922 and has been substantially amended in 1938 and 1955. Because racing cars and motorcycles keep on proven faster, in 1979 the circuit has been modified again to the current 5,776 meters length. Last year, was the Prima Variante, the curve immediately after the start, softened and is now easier to take. The track can accommodate 113,000 spectators and has about 45,000 seats. The Supersonic Team is present for this fourth round after receiving their first points at Assen in the World Superbike 2011 standings. Maxime Berger improves his performance race by race and now seems to be ready to reach those positions that everyone expects from rider and team. Unfortunately, the Monza track is certainly not favourable for a Ducati, the long straights on the track are the best for the four-cylinder engines. But the team from Danilo Soncini, feeling strong with the presence from Stefano Tacconi, aims to do well on this historic track and expects to receive some more points in the World Championship. Maxime Berger: “Monza is not one of my favourite tracks. I prefer the visible tracks and technical corners. In addition, two-cylinder engines are at disadvantage at Monza. But that does not mean we go to this fourth round less determined. We are always determined to fight for the best results and give a hard time to our opponents. I want to use the first day for the best setup for my Ducati, to be able to give the best in Sunday’s two races. Until now we have constantly improved and we continue on this way also at Monza. This is one of the three home races for my team and I know our fans will follow us so I want to repay them with all I have.” More, from a press release issued by Bogdanka PTR Honda: BOGDANKA PTR Honda heads to Italy and the famous high-speed circuit of Monza for round four of the World Supersport Championship with James Ellison confident of being amongst the front runners following his seventh position at Assen. Pawel Szkopek is looking to build on his and Poland’s best ever World Supersport result when he finished 12th at Assen, while the team’s Superstock 1000 rider, Marcin Walkowiak, hopes for a trouble-free weekend in Italy after a tough start to his season in the Netherlands. James Ellison: “We need to make up for Assen and I want to be higher than seventh. The team worked really hard in the workshop after the last race and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t be back up front like at Donington Park. Monza is a historic place and it’s such a good track. I’ve got some good memories after winning there in the Superstock class and I enjoy it.” Pawel Szkopek: “I’m relaxed and feeling good so I’m confident and looking forward to Monza. I want to build on our result at Assen and while I’m still not putting my goals in any numbers, I want to do well again. Monza is a very fast circuit where precision in the chicanes is the key to success but I really like that aspect of riding. It’s a very fast track too, with lots of heavy braking points and it’s fun to ride.” Marcin Walkowiak: “On paper Monza looks like an easy track which is mostly about straights but in reality it’s very difficult and getting out of the chicanes is crucial in putting a good lap together. I have a great bike and team behind me, so hope I can have a trouble-free weekend and repay the team with a good result.” Simon Buckmaster: “There is no question James has the ability and the package to run at the front in Monza and that is where we expect to see him this weekend. Pawel comes off a confidence boosting result and we expect him to build on that and go for more points at Monza. Again, the Bogdanka PTR Honda is good and will give him every opportunity. Marcin suffered a massive crash in Assen and didn’t show his real potential. We will be looking for a more considered approach at Monza and the target is to get into the points.” More, from a press release issued by Alitalia Aprilia: WORLD SUPERBIKE COMES TO ITALY WITH THE MONZA RACE On the fascinating and fast Brianza track World Champion Max Biaggi and Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team will seek to recover important points. Noale, May 4th 2011 World Superbike comes to Italy with the long awaited round at the Monza circuit, an historic track in the motorcycling world, setting for some of the most exciting races of all times. The Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team has a special relationship with the Brianza track after Max Biaggi took an historic double win last season in front of 115,000 celebrating fans. The Corsair rode his Aprilia RSV4 to a double victory demonstrating the excellent shape he was in which then cemented into the two world titles (rider and manufacturer) which crowned the 2010 season. The five-time world champion, who is absolutely determined to recover important points in the championship, will be at the centre of attention for the entire race weekend. The characteristics of the track enhance the qualities of both the RSV4 and Max Biaggi, on the hunt for the right motivation to look optimistically at the first Italian round, makes no bones about how important this race is: “This Championship is a no-holds-barred battle. There is no room for mistakes because you pay a high price for each and every one. The first three races are enough to prove that. We know that we can be competitive at Monza, but the extremely high level of our rivals must not make us lose our focus. We need to recover points and we have plenty of potential to be able to do so, even the Assen round showed that. We are racing with the number “one” on our fairing so our objective can be nothing less than victory. Racing in Italy in front of my supporters concludes Max Biaggi – will obviously give me a little more charge: I’m sure the Monza fans will give us a warm welcome and my fan-club will make it an even more special weekend for me, as they always do!”. On the other hand, the second rider on the Aprilia Alitalia Racing Team, Englishman Leon Camier, is looking for continuity after the podium in Donington and the fourth place at Assen. Leon likes Monza’s fast track where last year, during his début, he performed well in both races: “At Assen hard luck hounded me explains Camier – fourth place is certainly not the result I had expected after the practice sessions. In the Monza race we need to confirm the steps forward that we showed with our race pace, while the Superpole is still my weak point. Even though there are various opportunities to overtake on a track like this one with decisive braking, starting out front is always very helpful and it lets you avoid taking risks in the first part of the race”.