From the SBK Press Office:

Bayliss And Edwards Share Laguna Wins

Troy Bayliss (Ducati Infostrada) and Colin Edwards (Castrol Honda) took a race win apiece during a highly competitive Laguna Seca Championship meeting.

Bayliss’ win in race one gave him the second best record for race wins in any SBK season, 14; as he approaches the record of 17, set by Doug Polen. He was denied the chance to add another in race two only by the combined pugilism of privateer Ducati rider Neil Hodgson (HM Plant Ducati) and the front-running determination of local hero Colin Edwards.

The second race was a particular classic, with all three riders in with a chance of the win with only a few laps remaining.

The smallest of errors at the entrance to the Corkscrew allowed Hodgson to pass Bayliss and the consistent attempts by both riders to gain supremacy only went the way of Bayliss after numerous audacious overtakes.

Keeping out of the battle raging on behind, Edwards took his third race win of 2002, and narrowed the gap gleaned by the combined race one efforts of race winner Bayliss and his second place team-mate Ruben Xaus.

Xaus had an eventful second outing, crashing twice on the warm-up lap, and finishing an eventual 19th.

Nicky Hayden (American Honda) had a superb ride in race one to hold Hodgson off the fourth spot. He spoiled his rookie SBK meeting somewhat by crashing in front of Noriyuki Haga Aprilia) in race two, taking both of them off the track and ending Haga’s day with no points – after a first race crash no-score. Hayden remounted to finish 13th.

The Bostrom Brothers, Eric (Kawasaki Racing Team) and Ben (L&M Ducati) were sixth and eighth in race one and fourth and fifth in race two. Eric was particularly impressive in race two leading the best in the world in the early stages.

Englishman James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati) had a great ride in race two to finish sixth, his best ever Laguna result, with Pierfrancesco Chili (NCR Ducati) taking seventh.

The most consistent local wild card rider proved to be Suzuki’s Aaron Yates, with a seventh and eighth place finish to his credit on front of a record home crowd of 98,000 (weekend).

Mat Mladin (Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki) only finished the first race, tenth, but was forced out of race two due to his injured hands.

Chris Walker’s rookie ride at Laguna rewarded him with a top ten in race two, ahead of Aussies Steve Martin (DFX Ducati) and Broc Parkes (Parmalat NCR Ducati).

The Benelli triple of Peter Goddard scored two points for his 14th place finish in race two.

In the overall championship battle, Bayliss leads Edwards 405 points to 352, with Hodgson now clear of most of his pursuers in third, with 221. Ben Bostrom leap-frogged the unfortunate Haga to fourth overall, and now sits 37 points behind Hodgson.

The tenth round of the 13 round championship series takes place at Brands Hatch, Great Britain on 28 July.

SBK Press Office


More, from Castrol Honda:

THIRD PLACE FOR EDWARDS

Castrol Honda’s Colin Edwards finished third in today’s opening race of round nine of the World Superbike championship here at Laguna Seca, USA.

Edwards led the 28-lap race from the start and only a rear wheel slide on the 24th lap cost the Texan a first victory at the Laguna Seca circuit.

“We always knew that 28 laps was going to be hard on the tyres and it started taking its toll towards the end there,” said Edwards.

And, following the slide at turn six, Edwards was passed by eventual winner Troy Bayliss and eventual runner-up Ruben Xaus.

“I just couldn’t ride any harder,” Edwards added. “I was doing everything I could while I was leading then when they got by I had no reply. We’ve got the machine set up as good as it could be but I’m just missing a tiny bit more grunt out of the corners.

“Race two will be different. I’ve never won at Laguna Seca and there’s about 100,000 people here to see me win on this stars and stripes machine so it’s going to be a win or crash approach to race two.”

LAGUNA SECA WINS FOR BAYLISS AND EDWARDS

Troy Bayliss and Castrol Honda’s Colin Edwards won a race each in Sunday’s ninth round of the World Superbike championship at Laguna Seca, USA in front of a record 98,000 crowd.

Reigning world champion Bayliss took advantage in race one when Edwards, the leader from the start of the 28-lap race, had a rear-wheel slide with four laps remaining. Bayliss went on to record his 14th win of the year while Ruben Xaus also moved ahead of Edwards to take second place.

Edwards said: “I just couldn’t ride any harder out there, it was always going to be hard on the tyres. I’ll win or crash in the second race.”

Edwards was in determined mood in the second race as he grabbed the lead from Eric Bostrom on the fourth lap and rode to victory, twice hitting back after Bayliss took the lead in a sensational race in the California sun.

As Edwards grabbed his third win of the year, Bayliss and Neil Hodgson fought it out for second place on a dramatic lap in which the pair collided three times.

Colin Edwards (Honda RC51) – 3rd race-1 and 1st race-2

Colin Edwards: “I don’t know what was going on behind me but it was some race at the front. I was pretty determined to win that race. After the first race I felt like I going home. I’ve never won at Laguna and I knew the crowd wanted to see my machine take the chequered flag. It’s always a hard battle when you_re on the race track with Troy (Bayliss) but it was time to dig deep. I don’t think I could have gone any harder. That race was about four seconds faster than the first race and it was a relief to start the last lap having got a +0.6s gap to whoever was behind.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve won and with half of Texas here to see me and a team that wanted a win badly I’m pleased to give them something to cheer about tonight.”


More, from Team Infostrada Ducati:

Troy Bayliss (Ducati 988 F02) – 1st in leg-1 and 2nd in leg-2
Ruben Xaus (Ducati 998 F02) – 2nd in leg-1 and 11th in leg-2

Troy Bayliss: ” First of all a big thanks to the Clinica Mobile because they really looked after me this weekend. The best thing about this win is that we scored a Michelin 1-2-3 at Laguna. My back is a bit sore after the crash but it’s OK, you just forget about that when you win. I just sat behind Colin and waited but then when I started to have a go at him it was difficult to pass, then when he did make a mistake Ruben was there as well. It makes me really happy to win at Laguna, which hasn’t been very kind to me in the past.

“Race two was an awesome race, both Neil and Colin were riding really good. Anyway things panned out for themselves and I did the best I could. I only made a couple of points on Colin today but that’s what it’s all about and I’m happy with a win and a second place.”

Ruben Xaus: “We got a good result in race 1, I was second and it’s good for my championship. On Friday I wasn’t satisfied with the set-up and wasn’t riding very well, so I took things calm. We did a lot of work on Saturday then in free practice I was in the top 5, Superpole was good and I found a really good tyre and set-up for the race. These points are good because they made up for the ones I lost in Misano.”


More, from HM Plant Ducati:

Hodgson in hot pursuit

Neil Hodgson rode his HM Plant Ducati 998 F01 to a strong fifth-placed finish in the first Superbike race at the stunning Laguna Seca Raceway in California. His team-mate James Toseland put in yet another solid performance to maintain his ninth-placed starting position all the way to the chequered flag.

In an action-packed race it was Troy Bayliss who eventually emerged victorious from an epic struggle with pole man Colin Edwards. Hodgson did well to stay with the leading group for the majority of the race and was devastatingly fast through many of the circuit’s fearsome corners.

“I rode as hard as I could out there,” said Hodgson. “I had some good scraps with Haga and Hayden, but I was riding on the edge all the time. I just lost out in the horsepower stakes towards the end because the pace was pretty hot and my bike was less than perfect onto the start/finish straight. I spent the whole time trying to make up the ground that I’d lost in that section, so I was really pushing it through some of the fast corners. At least Haga didn’t score any points, so my championship position is that little bit safer than it was before. I could definitely do with a bit more power, but there’s another race today and we’ll see what happens in that.”

James Toseland did well to hang on to his ninth place in the face of some pretty stiff competition from four-time AMA champion Mat Mladin among others. Toseland finished almost four seconds clear of his nearest pursuer and was giving chase to Laguna Seca favourite Ben Bostrom when he passed the chequered flag.

“I’m reasonably pleased with the result, especially considering the events that have led up to it,” said Toseland. “My lap times were consistently good and although it’s a long race – 28 laps – I didn’t have any problems maintaining the high level of concentration that you need at this circuit. That race loosened me up and I’ll be a lot more relaxed in the second one. I’m just going to concentrate on getting a good start and then hopefully improving on my race one result.”

Hodgson: back where he belongs

HM Plant Ducati Superbike sensation Neil Hodgson gave everything that he had in the second of Sunday’s Superbike World Championship races at Laguna Seca. His dedication and hard work were rewarded with a third place finish. This great result represented a return to the podium that he had stepped up on to twice in 2001. Hodgson’s team-mate James Toseland fulfilled his aim of improving upon his race one performance, heroically battling his way up through the field to record a sixth-placed finish.

Hodgson showed precisely why he has been selected to become Ducati Corse’s official rider in 2003, when he fired his HM Plant Ducati 998 F01 around the mountainous 3.6km California circuit in an impressive display of aggressive riding. The 28-year-old former British Champion not only matched the pace of the full factory machines of Colin Edwards and Troy Bayliss, but also set the fastest lap of the race (a blistering 1:25.597) in the process. After an uncharacteristic error dropped him back to sixth place in the early stages, Hodgson set about fighting his way back through the field and went on to make Bayliss work hard for his second-placed finish. The pair barrelled around the fearsome circuit fairing-to-fairing for several laps – hot on the heels of eventual race winner Colin Edwards.

“That was the hardest third place I’ve ever taken,” admitted Hodgson. “I just couldn’t give it any more than I did – I was fighting the bike all the way! It was great fun but when you ride that hard, you expect to win. There was just nothing in it and it was a case of waiting for Troy to make a mistake and then pouncing, but I just couldn’t make it stick. We were both sliding everywhere and all over the grass but I was very conscious of not doing anything too risky in case I took Troy out. My heart was in my mouth but I loved every minute of it!”

James Toseland used race two to illustrate the reasoning behind HM Plant Ducati’s decision to extend his contract for a further two years. The youngster won out in spectacular fashion after entering into a private battle for sixth place with an on-form Frankie Chili.

“That was much better than the first race,” said Toseland. “It’s always better when you have a bit of a fight on your hands and I’m glad that I managed to get back into the top six – it doesn’t feel right when I’m not up there! My HM Plant Ducati went really well, especially considering that it’s the only one I’ve had since Friday morning. I was a bit disappointed after race one, so it’s good to finish off with a strong result. It should give me the confidence that I need to really perform at Brands Hatch in a fortnight.”



More, from Fuchs Kawasaki Racing:

Eric Bostrom (Kawasaki ZX-7RR) – 4th in leg-1 and 5th in leg-2
Chris Walker (Kawasaki ZX-7RR) – 11th in leg-1 and 10th in leg-2

Eric Bostrom: “The bike felt real good during the AMA race yesterday, but we had problems with chatter in Superpole and again during this morning’s warm-up session. The front end still wasn’t right for the first race and it was only after we stripped the forks in the interval that we discovered that I’d busted the valves landing a big celebration wheelie after my AMA win yesterday. ‘I couldn’t make up the ground that I lost at the start, despite holding the throttle in a deathgrip for 28 laps – I swear those throttle cables are an inch longer than they were before the start of the race! I was hoping to get up amongst the leaders during the race, but I guess sixth place wasn’t too bad.

“What an awesome feeling it is to lead a World Superbike race. It felt like I was in front for an eternity, when in reality it was only for six laps or so. It felt real good to know that, for that short time, the World Champion was behind me. Obviously I’d have preferred to finish on the box, but I was happy enough with fourth. I can’t wait for my next World Superbike outing at Oschersleben now.”

Chris Walker: ” I got moved up a row when Gregorio Lavilla opted to sit out the first race, and that put me on the inside of the track for the start. I got away from the line pretty well and drove up the inside towards the first turn, but then I got boxed in as everyone closed up in the braking area – I think I maybe need to hook another gear there in race two. I had a good battle with Doug Chandler and Frankie Chili early on in the race but by the time I’d worked my way past them, Mat Mladin was six seconds ahead and out of reach. Frankie tried to mug me on the line at the end, but I got good drive out of the final turn and just managed to hold him off.

“We had two tyres to choose from for race two, and I chose the wrong one. Six laps in and the rear was spinning up everywhere and, even though I could see Toseland and Chili pulling away from me, there was nothing I could do about it.

“Overall, I’ve had a good weekend. The Laguna Seca circuit is awesome and, now I’ve had a chance to learn my way around, I’m looking forward to coming back next year.”


More, from Team Ducati L&M:

Ben Bostrom (Ducati 998 F02) – 5th in both legs

Ben Bostrom: “In race 1 I chose the same tyre as Neil, which was the one we’d been going well on all weekend but it didn’t turn out so good in the race. I tried to ride 100% all the time but just couldn’t do anything about the guys in front. In race 2 the tyre was way better but it didn’t stop my chatter problem, which I only had today and not the rest of the weekend. It was like riding on an egg and it got worse as the race went on.”


More, from HMC Ducati:

Chandler’s hot lap

HMC Ducati rider Doug Chandler competed in both World Superbike races held at Laguna Seca today, finishing 13th in the first and a strong ninth in the second. It was a grueling weekend for Chandler, who also competed in the AMA Superbike race on Saturday, yet he donned his leathers again to take one lucky winner for a hot lap of Laguna. Rhonda Nickle won the lap of her life when film star Ewan McGregor drew her name out of the 900 entries. Along with the ride on the back of the ultra-fast 998 Ducati, Rhonda also won a replica Suomy helmet autographed by Doug. The raffle raised more than $1800 for the Roadracing World Action Fund which will donate all the proceeds to purchasing and maintaining air fence for AMA Pro Racing.

Race 1

Chandler ran with Chris Walker and Pier-Francesco Chilli for the entire race, staying close until the last two laps when he dropped off the pace by half a second, finishing in thirteenth place.

“I tried to run with them [Chilli and Walker] but we were a bit off with our set-up,” said Chandler. “I was having to shove the front around so I couldn’t quite carry the corner speed and finish the turns as well as I’d liked. We had good tires underneath the bike so hopefully we’ll make the corrections and have a better showing in the second race.

“It was a pretty uneventful race. I tried changing my riding style but towards the end it got tougher and tougher to stay with those guys because my tire started to drop off and the rear started coming around. I need to get that front working better so I can put more weight on the foot pegs.”

Race 2

The second race was a much more successful one for the Salinas local, finishing ninth ahead of some well known WSB riders. He began the race again on the tail of Walker and Chilli but as the trio moved through the field, Chandler caught and stayed close to Walker, finally catching and passing him on lap 24, then pulling away quickly.

“The whole goal of the second race was to do the lap times I was running in yesterday’s AMA race,” said Chandler. “For some reason I had a mental block last race. It’s such a long weekend, just doing laps around here, you get into a rhythm and it’s hard to break out of it. We decided to return to the same set-up we ran yesterday and it worked better.

“I think we did well here with a top ten. Now we can go back to concentrating on our AMA racing.”


More, from Team Blimpie Yoshimura Suzuki:

Mat Mladin (Suzuki GSX-R750) – 10th in leg-1 and dnf in leg-2

Mat Mladin: “Finishing tenth in one race is not the result I was hoping for this weekend. The crash on Saturday, definitely destroyed any chances that we had of scoring some good results. I’m still very sore from the crash, which injured both of my hands as well as my right shoulder. I’ll get the hands X-rayed when I get back home in a couple of days to see if there is any additional damage. One of the big improvements that we had over the weekend was that we had access to the SWC spec Dunlop tyres. That was good for this weekend, but we won’t have them for the remaining rounds of the AMA Championship. They have a stiffer side wall construction and that seemed to suit me a lot more than the tyres that we are currently using in the AMA series.”


More, from Playstation2 FGF Aprilia:

HAGA LUCKLESS IN USA SUPERBIKE GP

Laguna Seca (United States), Sunday 14 July 2002 – Noriyuki Haga put up a fine show but was disappointed in the ninth round of the World Superbike Championship at Laguna Seca, California. The Japanese rider, with both his Aprilia RSV and his Dunlop tyres working marvels, shot up through the field in the first race, going from seventh place to second in the first few laps. But just as he was getting ready to mount an attack on Colin Edwards (Honda), he went for a slide. He got straight back on again but then had to return to the pits as the RSV had been damaged in the fall. Haga was again closing in on victory when Hayden fell in front of him: there was no way Noriyuki could avoid the Honda rider, so he found himself gloomily having to quit the action.

NORIYUKI HAGA (Playstation2 – FGF Aprilia Team rider) – “I’m really angry because I could have got a fantastic result, but here I am empty handed. I may indeed have been going too fast in the first race, but the second fall can only be ascribed to bad luck: Nicky Hayden was overdoing it when he passed me while braking and he just went flying in front of me. There was nothing I could do about it.”

GIACOMO GUIDOTTI (Technical Manager of the Playstation2 – FGF Aprilia Team) – “We’ve shown that we’ve got extraordinary potential: the Aprilia RSV was going like a bomb and the tyres were perfect too. The two races were really tough but we certainly had our say right up to the end, when unfortunately things turned against us.”


More, from Team Suzuki Alstare Corona Extra:

LAVILLA FORCED TO PULL OUT

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Gregorio Lavilla was forced to withdraw from the two WSBK races at Laguna Seca today due to his injuries sustained in yesterday afternoon’s crash. Gregorio took part in this morning’s warm-up session to see how his ankle would cope with the demanding Laguna Seca circuit and then reluctantly pulled out of the event.

GREGORIO LAVILLA
“I knew I was going to be in trouble yesterday evening, but I wanted to try and see how my ankle felt. Hurting my left foot (gearshift) and right hand (throttle) is about the worst combination of injuries to sustain! Laguna Seca is a very hard circuit and there are lots of left turns and that makes it very hard on my left ankle. After about ten minutes I knew that it would be impossible for me to take part in two 28-lap races. I didn’t want to be a danger to myself and I certainly didn’t want to be a danger to any other rider, so I decided not to race. It is the first time in my race career that I have ever not taken part in a race when I was already at the track. It is hard for the team, because it’s a long way to come and not being able to race. I’m sorry for them all and all the hard work and effort they have put in this weekend. I now have to get my hand and foot ready for the next race in two weeks time at Brands Hatch, but I’ll definitely be there”


More, from Benelli Sport:

Peter Goddard (Benelli Tornado 900) – 16th in leg-1 and 14th in leg-2

Peter Goddard: “We made a number of improvement this weekend, and the progress we made showed during the second race, the bike was definitely better. We’ve had some trouble with the slipper clutch on down-changing, but we’ve got new ones coming in time for Brands Hatch and that should help make up some more time. Bit by bit we’re making progress, things are moving in a positive direction for us. The atmosphere here in Laguna this weekend has been great and I had a good time battling for points in race two. I’m looking forward to riding again at Brands, where the atmosphere should match what we’ve experienced here in the USA.”


More, from Steve Martin’s publicist:

Steve Martin back in the USA

Steve Martin returned to the USA, where he raced earlier in his career, to fight it out with the regular World Superbike boys and six American wild
card riders.

A record crowd of 98,000 fanatical race fans poured into the Laguna Seca circuit over the weekend. The Californian track is famous for its undulating track, which includes challenging features such as the awesome steep downhill double-turn known as the Corkscrew.

Steve likes the track and was ready from the word go to give it his all, “It’ll be tough,” predicted Steve before the race, “especially with all these wild card riders joining us for the weekend.”

Steve qualified for Superpole and lined up fifteenth on the grid for the racing. In race one he improved on his qualifying and beat fellow Australian and Pirelli tyres rider Broc Parkes to the flag to snatch 14th.

In race two Steve got a poor start but got his head down to recover for a brilliant 11th. “I messed my start and that left me with plenty to do in race two,” admitted Steve. “So I raced on the limit for the whole 28 laps and was happy to pull myself up to eleventh by the chequered flag.”

The weekend left Steve with seven more Championship points. He now flies back to Europe to prepare for the next race, the European round at Brands Hatch in England.