2010 World Superbike Championship – Round 1

Phillip Island (Australia)
Circuit: 4,445 kms., Crowd: 65,500 (3-day)
Weather conditions: Dry, sunny/cloudy 18- 20 C.
Track temperature: 25 – 31 C.

Team Suzuki Alstare

Rider Leon Haslam recorded his first ever WSBK win in the first race of this year’s Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island today. He led the race from start to finish and took the flag, just four thousandths of a second ahead of Michel Fabrizio (Ducati). Leon has been very strong in the preseason tests and today’s results showed that his performances in testing have been no fluke and well deserved.

He and his Suzuki Alstare team mate Sylvain Guintoli then disputed the lead for most of the second race, but Leon’s dreams of a superb double were dashed right at the death by Spaniard Carlos Checa (Ducati). Nevertheless, Leon’s tremendous win in race one and runner-up spot in the second puts on the very top of the Superbike World Championship, nine points ahead of his nearest rival. Leon’s performances today, followed his Superpole victory yesterday showed that he and the Suzuki Alstare GSX-R1000 will be a potent combination this season.

Also very encouraging, from the team’s point of view, is Sylvain’s ability to run at the front and be in contention – especially in race two. The Frenchman led his team mate eight laps out of twenty-two and did not look out of place at all. This was his first race of the year, on a new (2010) bike, with a new team, but Sylvain has also showed that he too will be a force to be reckoned with this year. Although he missed out on the podium, he did receive a trophy – for the fastest lap of race two, so he did not leave Phillip Island empty handed.

Leon – Race 1: 1st, Race 2: 2nd
I am so happy to get my first WSBK win and it feels great! I want to thank the team and all the staff back at the workshop for all their support and hard work and I’d also like to thank Francis and Patricia Batta for having faith in me.

The first race was such hard work and it was impossible to relax for a second. I knew that I had Michel and Nori breathing down my neck, but I just kept concentrating on my lines and my braking points and tried to hold them off. I realised that Michel was in my wheeltracks going into the last turn and would try and use the draft to get past me, but I kept my head down and charged to the flag. At the end, I didn’t know if I’d won or not, but when I realised that I had, I was so unbelievably happy and it was such a fantastic feeling. All weekend I knew that a win was possible, but thinking about and it happening are two different things.

In race two, I had some problems with rear traction but I still thought I could win. I had a great fight with Sylvain and when I finally got ahead of him and made it stick, I thought he might act as a buffer between me and the rest. Then suddenly, Carlos was there. He dived under me just three corners from the end, on the last lap. I tried to get it back, but he managed to hold me off and take the flag. But, it feels good to take a win and a second in my first race with the team and it feels fantastic to be leading the Superbike World Championship.

Sylvain – Race 1: 6th, Race 2: 4th
I have really enjoyed today and it’s been great fun. I can’t remember the last time I was leading a world champion ship race, so to lead quite a lot of race two was a great feeling and now I want to do it again. When I was in front, I felt comfortable and I knew I could keep up a good pace. Everything felt very smooth and it was all going to plan until I made a small mistake and Leon and then Carlos went through. Carlos and I touched in turn 8 when my elbow was in contact with his front wheel and then I tried a bit too hard to get back straightaway when perhaps I should’ve been a bit more patient and that;s where I lost ground.

I could’ve made a better result in the first race if I hadn’t had such a bad start. My pace was good, but I was too far off the leaders, but I am learning about WSBK race pace and also the fact that the races are longer than what I have been used to. I am very happy with all the work we’ve done and am enjoying riding this bike so much.

It was nice to get a trophy (for the fastest lap in race two) and I hope that it will just be the start of many to come. I am looking forward to Portimao and my next trophy.

Althea – Ducati

Cloudy sky and dry truck today in Phillip Island for the first World Superbike races of the season. The Althea racing team riders worked on the last minute adjustments of their Ducati 1198 bikes during the morning warm up, in order to be ready for the two 22-laps Superbike races. Due to yesterday Superpole upshots, today Carlos Checa lined up from the first row and Shakey Byrne from the fifth. In race one not a good start for Checa. The Spanish riders did not take advantage from his start from the first row of the grid. In the first few laps Checa was sixth and teammate Shakey, after quite a quick start, was seventeenth. Near to the middle of the race Checa was battling for fourth in a group of six riders while Byrne made up several places up to fourteenth. Checa ended the first race in seventh place and Byrne obtained the fourteenth position. Also in race two Carlos did not start quickly from the first row, ending the first lap in eighth place. Fifteenth place for Byrne in the first few laps. As the race proceed Checa was able to recover some position and near to the middle of the race he reached the first group of riders in fifth place. Also Byrne recovered quickly and in a few laps he was up tenth position, but caught up in the third group of riders, he was unable to make much progress and concluded in twelfth place. With few laps to go Checa moved up to fourth position and with some incredible overtaking he worked his way up through the field to pass Guintoli, Fabrizio and Haslam to take the lead on the very last lap snatching an extraordinary first victory for Althea racing team.

Carlos Checa :”The second race was perfect. In race one we chose a tire that was perhaps too hard for the conditions and I found it hard to brake. In race two we selected a better tire and I could brake much more strongly, I also had a very good pace and was able to pass riders fairly easily. My style of riding actually seemed to mean that tire wear was less of a problem for me than for some other riders. By the last lap I was up in second and I could finally get pass Haslam. I wanted to pass him earlier but it was impossible and he didn’t leave me space to pass until the very end. I am of course extremely happy with the result, it is my first race with the Althea team and on the Ducati 1198 and we have a good package with which to fight this season. My thanks go to the entire team for their hard work and dedication.”

Shane Byrne :” The first race I made it was very difficult for myself, I knew I had to make as many passes as possible to get near the front. I pushed to pass Guintoli and Sykes and couldn’t make it, so had to go straight. A small problem with the rear brake and it was hard to turn, but anyway I recovered and had good rhythm so I was happy with it, though not so happy with the result. The first thing to say about race two is congratulations to Carlos and to the whole team for the win. Genesio and the team have put together a very competitive machine. There are too many fast riders to be able to start from 18th and expect a good finish, but I got up as far as about tenth place which wasn’t so bad, having been caught up in battles with several riders. Today we have seen that there are many riders that can fight for

Xerox – Ducati

The crowds at Phillip Island were today treated to two spectacular Superbike races, the first of which resulted in the closest ever finish in Superbike history, with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) crossing the line just 0.004 of a second behind Leon Haslam on the Suzuki. Less than a second behind Michel, in third place, was his team-mate Noriyuki Haga. Race 2 was also extremely hard fought and some very close racing which made for great viewing saw Michel battle his way to a third place finish with Nori just behind him in fifth.

This morning’s warm-up passed without incident for Michel, who registered the fourth fastest lap time but unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for his team-mate Noriyuki, victim of a 250 km/hour crash on entering in the first corner after being knocked from his 1198 by Xaus. The doctors of the circuit’s medical centre declared him fit to ride, although the Japanese rider had suffered some bruising to his back, as well as a severe blow to the right forearm which swelled to such an extent as to require an pain-relief injection before the race.

Despite the difficulties in warm-up, race 1 began very well for both Ducati Xerox riders, Michel holding second position and Noriyuki, fast as lightning in his start, making up several position, to rocket from tenth to third position through the first corners. Right from the second lap the gap between the leaders, Haslam, Fabrizio and Haga, and the chasing pack, led by Jonathan Rea, began to increase and by mid-race the top three had built a five second advantage over fourth placed Rea. In the final four laps Michel tried to find a way past the young Briton but it was not to be and a final charge to the finish line led to a photofinish, with the result being declared the closest ever finish in a Superbike race. Michel crossed the line a mere four thousandths of a second after Haslam, with Haga following less than a second behind to snatch the third spot on the podium.

Race 2 began in exactly the same way as the first, with Haslam, Fabrizio and Haga again off the line quickest to take an immediate lead. Haslam’s team-mate Sylvain Guintoli soon joined the fray, as did Carlos Checa mid-race, and a five-way battle for supremacy ensued. Nori, still suffering after the earlier crash, could not keep pace with the other four but held fifth position, taking home important points in the process. Checa, on board Althea Racing’s Ducati 1198, waited until the last lap before passing both Fabrizio and Haslam to take the lead, leaving the Italian and the Briton to battle it out for second.

A very strong start for the Ducati Xerox Team as far as the championship standings are concerned, Michel in second position with 36 points, Nori fourth with 27 and their combined performances today putting Ducati in joint first place with Suzuki in the manufacturers classification.

Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 – 2nd , Race 2 -3rd)
“I had a great battle with Leon in Race 1. In the last four laps I tried to understand where I could attempt to get past him but it wasn’t easy so I pushed on right to the finish line and, to tell the truth, I thought I’d done enough! Leon and I were right there together as we crossed the line, and on the big screen I could see my wife celebrating in the box – but the result was decided by the photofinish and I had to settle for 20 points this time. The great thing about the Superbike championship however is that there are two races…. My team did not make any changes to the bike before the second race and I was again able to make a good start but it was a very difficult race. I stayed there with the leading pack but I realized it would be very hard to win, and in the last four laps it became more difficult to fight. I am very happy with today’s results, which put me in second place on the leaderboard after round 1. It will be a very long and challenging season but we’ve made a good start today.”

Noriyuki Haga (Race 1 – 3rd , Race 2 – 5th)
“My result in Race 1 was really good as far as I’m concerned as I had had a crash during the warm-up and suffered from a bit of arm-pump during the race. I was confident that I could make a good start from 10th position and I did so and then I tried to keep up with Michel and Leon but my arm led me to make a few small mistakes. Anyway I really enjoyed the race and the points I made in the race are definitely a good start for the championship. In the second race my arm played up more and it became harder to brake, I felt very tired physically. But all in all, with regard to the classification and bearing in mind this morning’s accident, it didn’t go too badly; I finished third and fifth and we take home some good points.”

Aprilia

Race 1 of the first SBK round of the 2010 season took place against the splendid backdrop of the Australian track at Philip Island. The weather was a bit dubious, with cloudy skies and strong winds – quite different from what the drivers encountered in recent days. And it was Leon Haslam, on his Suzuki, who won this first race in a photo-finish just ahead of Fabrizio and Haga, both on Ducati Factories.

It was also a good race for Max Biaggi, who, after a slow start, moved into tenth position during the first lap. The Roman driver then set an excellent pace and caught up to Rea and Checa who were fighting it out for fourth place. The duel with the Brit continued until the end of the race, with the two drivers passing each other nonstop at the end of the straightaway and at the entrance to the final curve during the last six laps. In the end Max lost out to Rea and had to settle for fifth place.

Leon Camier also had a good run at his debut here at Philip Island. The young English driver started off well, already recovering four positions by the end of the first lap. Leon set a good pace and during the tenth lap managed to catch up with Biaggi, Rea and Checa in the little group battling it out for fourth place. Unfortunately, an error just six laps from the end of the race which caused him to overshoot the first curve left him out of the running and set him back to fourteenth position. Nevertheless, Camier managed to stay focused and kept pushing forward, crossing the finish line in eleventh place.

Something quite similar also occurred in Race 2. This time both Biaggi and Camier paid their dues for running of the track (during the fourth lap for Max and during the ninth for Leon). Despite the severe handicap, both re-entered the tight group that was following the five leaders and battling it out the sixth to twelfth positions, and managed to race once again after setting excellent paces. The race ended with Biaggi in eighth position and the young Brit finishing eleventh.

The results left somewhat of a bitter taste, but they also provide some important points in a world championship that even this early on is proving to be extraordinarily balanced.

“It didn’t go very well,” stated Biaggi. “In Race 2, I went straight for the little curve, where Camier went off the track twice, because I was at my limit, and in these situations, a mistake is right around the bend. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but I’m not going away disheartened or discouraged because we are aware of our own potential and we know we can surely do better when once we have eliminated these problems.”

“I’m very sorry about all of the mistakes I made,” said Camier. “In Race 1 I tried to pass the other drivers at the little curve, but I overshot a bit while braking and in order to avoid hitting Max, I went off track. Then I really pushed to recover as many positions as possible. During the second race, I started off quite well and I was with the lead group right behind Checa, who immediately passed Toseland. When I attempted to pass, we ended up a bit wide. Then I shifted into the wrong gear and overshot at the same curve as in Race 1. I’m disappointed because I ran with very good times and seeing how the race ended, I could have had an excellent result. We’ve improved a lot, but I wasted a good opportunity. Now we’re headed to Portimao, a track that I know well and where I intend to keep up with the leaders. But, there’s still a lot of work to do and I especially have to improve during the Superpole.”

Ten Kate – Honda

Jonathan Rea took fourth and sixth place finishes in today’s two World Superbike championship races at Phillip Island in Australia, as Leon Haslam and Carlos Checa took the wins.

After struggling to find the right set-up for the fast 4.445km circuit, Rea started both 22-lappers from the second row, moving up to fourth place in race one. The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland fought off the advances of Max Biaggi to cross the line in fourth.

Rea began race two in similar vein after his crew made some changes to the front of his CBR1000RR Fireblade. However, a mistake at turn four on the opening lap left him on the grass and Rea rejoined in last place before fighting his way back through the field.

His Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, was relatively satisfied with 12th place in race one, having experienced problems during qualifying which resulted in 17th place on the starting grid.

The German also ran on at turn four in the second outing but was unable to make up enough places to get back into the points, eventually finishing in 16th place.

Jonathan Rea – 4th and 6th

We’ve had problems all week, really, from the test last weekend, right through this one. We knew it would be hard, so, if fourth and sixth is a bad weekend, I’ll take it. I was pretty happy with fourth, because I had to fight for it all the way. We changed the front a bit for the second race and I think it caught me out as I braked for the hairpin on the first lap. I had to let off the brake and by the time I got back on track I was last. It gave me a pretty strong motivation actually, and I really enjoyed riding through the field and passing I think maybe 16 other riders, which was a lot of fun. Now we’re looking forward to getting back to some tracks where we know the bike works and to fighting for some podiums again.

Max Neukirchner – 12th and 16th

Well, it hasn’t been a fantastic weekend and we struggled to find the right direction from the very start. We made some more progress during warm-up this morning and in race one I was able to make up some places from my grid position. We made a big change to the rear of the bike for race two and it felt pretty good for the early part of the race. I was following Biaggi quite closely in his slipstream and ended up braking a bit late for turn four and losing maybe 20 seconds. I had a bit of a lonely ride after that and it was a disappointing finish to the weekend. We came here to do a better job than this and we’ve got some more work to do to get back on course at the next round.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

I think Jonathan probably got the maximum out of the weekend that was possible. He rode very well in race one but the bike was a little bit off and his crew did a great job for race two when it was very competitive. A little mistake at Honda corner gave Jonathan some work to do but to come back from last to sixth was a marvellous job. However, only wins and podiums count so we’ll be chasing them once again when we return to Europe. Max has had a tough first weekend and its probably one to forget. The only positive is that the changes made for race two got him up to speed but, once he had run off the track, it was a difficult race.

BMW

A dramatic opening round of the 2010 World Superbike Championship in Australia resulted in a day of mixed fortunes for BMW Motorrad Motorsport. During the final warm-up at Phillip Island circuit, team rider Ruben Xaus collided with Ducati Xerox’s Noriyuki Haga. Neither of the riders suffered any serious injuries but Ruben felt disoriented after the collision, so after consultation with team doctor Vincenzo Tota and team management, he decided not to participate in today’s races.

This left Troy Corser to fly the flag for BMW Motorrad Motorsport at his home circuit, and he did so in style, finishing both 22-lap races in the top ten, with a great seventh place finish in race two.

At the same track where he has enjoyed seven victories, Corser made an excellent start to race one on his BMW S 1000 RR, moving up to seventh place from the fourth row of the grid. However, the likeable Aussie was forced to take avoiding action on lap three, when James Toseland crashed right in front of him. This allowed several riders past and left Troy with a lot of work to do.

By half race distance, Troy was in 10th position and was only 10 seconds behind leading rider Leon Haslam. Consistently posting quick laps, Corser moved up into ninth when Leon Camier went off the track on lap 15. The BMW factory rider managed to hold this position until the end of the race, eventually finishing just 20.291 seconds behind winner Haslam, who scored his maiden victory in probably the closest finish in WSBK history, beating Michel Fabrizio by just four thousandths of a second.

Race two was equally entertaining, with Troy up to 11th place after another good start on his BMW S 1000 RR. Before long he had caught a group of seven riders and proceeded to move through the pack. He passed Cal Crutchlow on lap 6, and then gained several places in quick succession when Jacob Smrz, Leon Camier and Chris Vermeulen all made mistakes. Before long, he had James Toseland in his sights, and passed the double WSBK champion to move into sixth place, with just eight laps remaining.

With a five-way battle for the lead up front, Troy’s terrific ride on the S 1000 RR continued and he succeeded in pulling a small gap on Yamaha riders Toseland and Crutchlow. However, with just three laps remaining he was surprised by a challenge from Jonathan Rea, who slipped by and held a lead until the chequered flag. Nevertheless, Corser finished this dramatic race in seventh place – just 12.026 seconds behind winner Carlos Checa – moving himself up to eighth in the points table.

Troy Corser: “I had a good start in the first race and gained a couple of positions but unfortunately the tire dropped quite quickly and I was unable to push as much as I wanted but I was still a good result. We changed the settings on the bike before the start of the second race and things were a lot better. The grip was a lot better immediately, and it was easier to do consistent lap times. I was able to push and fight in the second race like I wanted to in race one. I had to work really hard to pass James Toseland towards the end of race two but I did and managed to pull away slightly. Overall, we can be happy with what we achieved here today at Phillip Island.”

Berthold Hauser: “The weekend was like a rollercoaster and we had a lot of difficulties to overcome. We had to manage the pressure on the team, deal with some technical issues and of course I feel sorry for Ruben who decided not to race due to his crash in today’s warm-up session. However, the team kept focussed and did a fantastic job. We are definitely closer to the top teams than last year. Thanks to everybody in the team, and thanks to Troy who had a great second race. We can now travel back to Europe with our heads held high. Also congratulations to Reitwagen Racing who did a really good job this weekend.”

Sterilgarda – Yamaha

It wasn’t an easy start for Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland today at the season opening race in Phillip Island Australia. Race one saw both riders crash out, Crutchlow losing the front having run wide on onto a dirty section of track on lap two and Toseland highsiding on the fifth lap.

Race two saw a fiercely contested battle for points with both riders fighting off riders including Biaggi, Corser and others to stay within the top ten. Combined with a less than perfect set up on both bikes and struggling for grip the riders put in an incredible ride to bring their bikes home in the points, Crutchlow in ninth and Toseland tenth.

Crutchlow moves on to round two in Portimao in 12th position in the championship on seven points, team-mate Toseland sits just behind in 13th with six points.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (DNF, 9th)
“Race one was unfortunate, I felt we had good pace and were running up in the top five quite comfortably, I just made a little mistake. I was a bit better than Rea into the hairpin so had to run wide to avoid him and lost the front on the dirt. The second race was hard, I felt like I had no grip from the start and still some chattering. If we had better grip we could have pulled more out of it. We need to go back to the drawing board and work some stuff out.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (DNF, 10th)
“I really needed to finish the second race after the crash in the first. To only finish 14 seconds from the front with the issues we’ve had this weekend is not so bad. I was really disappointed with the first race, with my injury on Friday I wanted to have two good finishes today. Full credit to the team they’ve tried so hard but unfortunately we haven’t had the software here to solve the issue. We know what the problem is and I’ve given enough feedback and input to give the guys a direction to go in. We’ve got a lot of work to do, no doubt, but even with all the problems we’re not actually that far away. The package, the power, the balance and the suspension have come on leaps and bounds. On to Portimao now, it’s a long season so we can do it.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“It was definitely a really tough weekend for us. We solved some problems, and some we still have to work on. As we spent the two day test and the first day of the race weekend resolving the chatter issue, qualifying and race day was our first opportunity to really test the 2010 bike set up. We’ve seen that we have the potential to do well so we will go home and start working on the solutions to be ready to fight for the Portimao races. The team have worked really hard over the last few days to try and solve the issues and both Cal and James have given 100% to meet the challenges.”

Kawasaki

Kawasaki Racing Team riders Tom Sykes and Chris Vermeulen found the opening race weekend a challenging one, but Sykes got into the points in the first leg after qualifying on row three.

Sykes was a fighting 13th in the 22-lap race, but Vermeulen fell while trying to move forward from seventh, crashing out on lap four. Tom was forced out of the second race when a small technical issue caused him to enter the pits, restart, and finally retire.

Chris fell in race two after being in fourth for a period of time, sliding off at high speed at the Hayshed corner on lap eight.

Chris was checked over by the track medics, and was found to have suffered heavy bruising to his right leg and had also damaged a finger.

The team now goes to Portimao for the next round knowing that it has made great progress in real terms on track, and hoping for a change in raceday fortunes. The team has previously tested at Portimao, which will help their pre-race preparations greatly.

Tom Sykes: “In race one we made some changes to the set-up and but it didn’t suit the tire we used. In race two we got a good launch, but got boxed in and pushed out on to the dirty stuff, along with another couple of riders. So I went from thinking I would be sixth to being 15th. The bike was feeling good but when I went into the final two corners it felt like someone was pushing me from behind. I came back in and checked the bike, then went back out again before retiring. It was just a ten cent o-ring for the steering damper, causing the steering to feel strange sometimes. Otherwise, the bike was very good and giving me a strong race pace in race two. This whole Australian experience has been a good test period for us and I know that we go to Portimao having learned a lot. I would like to thank Kawasaki and the team for the amount of effort they have put in.”

Chris Vermeulen: “I was feeling positive for the race after our two-day test and qualifying sessions. In both races I had really good starts but in the first race I lost the front early on when lying 7th and in race two I had a problem that resulted in a high-speed crash. I’m bruised and battered but am feeling OK, considering the speed of the crash. I had heavy impact on my lower right leg and my finger is pretty smashed up. The preliminary X-rays have shown no breaks but for a precaution I am heading to Melbourne for a more detailed MRI scan. I’m glad we have a month before Portimao, so I can ensure that I am back to full fitness.”

Team Suzuki Alstare rider Leon Haslam took his first ever Superpole victory at Phillip Island today after consistently being in the top two or three throughout practice and qualifying.

The young Briton stormed to a lap of 1:31.229, over half a second inside the lap record, in Superpole 3, ahead of Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) and fellow Briton Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha). For a while it looked Leon’s team mate Sylvain would be joining him on the front row of the grid, but a late surge by Crutchlow, relegated the Frenchman to fifth place and row two.

Leon – 1st, 1:31.229
I am absolutely delighted to get my first Superpole victory but the results in the races tomorrow are more important. Sitting in the garage watching the other guys go round in final Superpole and seeing their times falling was more nerve-racking than being out on the track and riding and it was a great relief when it was over. When we use qualifying tires I have to use a slightly different riding style then when I am on race rubber.

Today once again we concentrated on getting a good race set up and did a lot of time on race rubber getting ready for raceday. From previous data we knew there was a certain way of working at this track to keep progressing and we did that rather than just chase any lap times.

My aim is to be in the first three in the first eight or nine laps and that will put me in a good position a good position at the end of the race. It is not what you can do in the first five laps, it’s what you do in the last five laps here that is most important
Although this is my first race weekend with the team, everyone is working together fantastically well. I have felt at home here at Suzuki Alstare since the very first time we tested and the boys have made my life easy.

Sylvain – 5th, 1:31.696
I thought I had done enough to get on the front row, but then I lost the position right at the end of final Superpole. It’s a bit disappointing because it would’ve been nice to be on the front row near my team mate and it would’ve been great for the team. But row two is OK and as long as I get good starts, I think I can get good results.

The important thing though is that I am really happy with the bike and how everything is going at the moment. I used race rubber in Superpole 1 and than qualifying tires in Superpole 2 and 3. I feel very comfortable on race tires and I am enjoying myself here.

Today we started with the same base set-up as yesterday and just made minor adjustments throughout the day. Also, I tried to improve the way I ride the bike and get more out of it, but I am just so happy at the moment and cannot wait for the races.

Michael Jordan Motorsports (MJM), led by rider Aaron Yates, enjoyed two top five finishes during Round 10 of the AMA Pro Racing series this past weekend. Round 10 took place at the beautiful Virginia International Raceway (VIR), located on the border of North Carolina and Virginia, amid sweltering heat and humidity, which taxed riders and teams to the limit. VIR is a rider and fan favorite and the weekend included strong attendance, multitudes of race-related events and great on-track action as the 2009 series winds down to the season finale at New Jersey Motorsports Park on Labor Day Weekend.

Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki No. 23
After a solid showing in Friday’s Superpole, during which Aaron Yates qualified fourth on the front row, the Jordan Suzuki rider was poised for strong showings in Saturday and Sunday’s National Guard American Superbike feature races. The veteran rider did not disappoint.

4th PLACE, SATURDAY RACE 1 – For a majority of the 23 lap Race 1, Yates engaged in a thrilling battle with factory Yamaha’s Ben Bostrom. Both riders swapped P3 multiple times throughout the race, much to the delight of the enthusiastic Virginia crowd. The battle spread out slightly as the duo hit lapped traffic late in the race with the #4 bike just barely edging out Yates at the line, placing the #23 in fourth position at the stripe.

“The Jordan Suzuki was working great today and I thought we were going to put it on the box again,” said Yates. “I had a good tussle with Ben for a while there and it was anyone’s position right up until the end. I was planning to have another run at him, but ran out of laps and that was that. Tomorrow we’ll be back out there and looking to put the #23 back on the podium.”

5th PLACE, SUNDAY RACE 2 – After a number of red flags and lengthy delays in the races leading up to American Superbike, Race 2 finally got underway late Sunday afternoon. Yates, on his GSX-R 1000, didn’t get an optimal launch and found himself outside the top 10 on the opening laps. The Georgia rider’s “never say die” attitude was in full display, however, and he begin clawing his way forward through the talented field. With front-running laptimes, Yates found himself inside the top five as the laps wound in Race 2, for a final finishing position of fifth.

“It really came down to not getting the start I needed,” said Yates. “We made some changes to the clutch before the race and it was a bit tricky on the launch. The bike was real good again today and my crew gave me a machine capable of a top position, so I offer my thanks to them. We’re heading to New Jersey next weekend, which is a new track and that should make things interesting. I’m looking forward to it.”

Yates remains in seventh place in the Championship with 248 points.

Geoff May, National Guard Jordan Suzuki No. 54
Geoff May and the #54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki team had a trying weekend at VIR, with May enduring a rare non-points scoring weekend. The team is now regrouping for one final assault on the National Guard American Superbike class at Round 11 in New Jersey, where the team had an encouraging test earlier in the season.

DNF, SATURDAY RACE 1 – May experienced an early exit from Race 1 at VIR while challenging for a podium position in the opening laps of the 23 lap contest. Losing the front entering the tricky “rollercoaster” portion of the 2.25 mile track, May went lowside and effectively ended his day.

“I was just going for it,” said May. “The bike felt good and I saw an opportunity to put the National Guard Jordan Suzuki into third and tried to make it happen. Unfortunately, I pushed the front just a bit too hard and lost it. It’s disappointing, as I felt good, the bike felt good and a podium finish was totally possible. We’ll be back out there for Race 2 and going for it once more.”

DNF PLACE, SUNDAY RACE 2 – Sunday’s Race 2 saw May forced to retire within the first few laps due to unsafe riding conditions. May holds on to eighth position in the Championship with 212 points.

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mladin Wins Unprecedented 7th Superbike Championship

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mat Mladin won his seventh AMA Superbike Championship with two races remaining in the series at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in Alton, Virginia, on Sunday afternoon. Mladin finished second in Saturday’s race and then clinched the title when he finished ninth in Sunday’s race at the double-header Superbike weekend. Mladin’s career with Suzuki has spanned 13 racing seasons and in that time the Australian’s record-setting ways have been remarkable. With Suzuki, Mladin now has an unprecedented seven AMA Superbike championships and an astounding 78 AMA Superbike wins. Additionally, Mladin has a record number of career pole positions with 62 and he is also the only rider to take every pole position in a single season – 10 out of 10 in 2005. Finally, he also holds the record for being the rider with the most AMA Superbike wins in a single season – 12 victories in 2007. With plans to retire at the end of this year, Mladin and Suzuki have truly been formidable.

Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Tommy Hayden fared very well at VIR. The Kentucky rider finished fifth in Saturday’s race and then improved upon that significantly on Sunday by bringing home a second-place finish. This result is Hayden’s ninth AMA Superbike podium finish of the season. Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Blake Young struggled a bit, finishing sixth on Saturday and seventh on Sunday. Even so, the rookie Superbike rider ran with the frontrunners during both races.

Mat Mladin:
“It’s nice to get the championship done and all wrapped up… My Rockstar Makita Suzuki guys are fantastic and it’s been a pretty amazing run. We’ve won a lot of championships as a team and over the last 10 years it’s been pretty amazing from the first one I won in 1999 all the way through to this year. What with Ben (Spies) winning three over the last few years, it’s hard to believe that there will be that many championships won in a 10-year span again by one manufacturer. It’s been nice to be a part of it and it’s been fun building it.”

Tommy Hayden:
“Definitely today was a lot better for me. I got a lot better start on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 and I put myself in a lot better position. Also, my crew did a great job overnight and that’s when the biggest improvement we made all year happened, from Saturday to Sunday. So my hat’s off to them – they definitely gave me a bike that I was a lot more comfortable on today and I could push and ride it the way I wanted to. Also, congratulations to Mat – he’s had an awesome career and he’s been a great teammate, I’ve learned a lot. I have big shoes to fill now with him gone but I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully, I can keep up the standards that he’s set over the last few years.”

Blake Young:
“It was a good weekend for us in that we learned a lot. I think that we have the potential to run up front but we missed the set-up a little bit this weekend. But sometimes that’s how it goes and we’ll try to take what we learned this weekend and apply it to the last two races at New Jersey.”

Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing will race next at New Jersey Motorsports Park in Millville, New Jersey, the weekend of September 4-6, 2009.

AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers:
1.      Josh Hayes, Yamaha

2.      Tommy Hayden, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing

3.      Ben Bostrom, Yamaha

4.      Larry Pegram, Ducati

5.      Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki

6.      Taylor Knapp, Suzuki

7.      Blake Young, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing

8.      Neil Hodgson, Honda

9.      Mat Mladin, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing

10.   Jake Holden, Honda

AMA Superbike Points Standings:
1.      Mat Mladin, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing

2.      Tommy Hayden, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing

3.      Josh Hayes, Yamaha

4.      Ben Bostrom, Yamaha

5.      Larry Pegram, Ducati

6.      Blake Young, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing

7.      Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki

8.      Geoff May, National Guard Jordan Suzuki

9.      Taylor Knapp, Suzuki

10.   Jake Holden, Honda

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mladin Podiums at VIR, Hayden & Young finish 5th, 6th Round 10 – AMA Superbike Series, Race 1, Alton, Virginia International Raceway – August 14-16, 2009

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mat Mladin carded yet another AMA Superbike podium finish, this time at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in Alton, Virginia, on Saturday afternoon. Six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mladin brought home second place in the first of two 23-lap races in the AMA Superbike double-header weekend. Mladin has been leading the championship points in the series all season and had hoped to clinch his seventh title on Saturday. As it turns out, the Australian came up a few points shy but will have the chance to wrap up his seventh AMA Superbike championship on Sunday afternoon. Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammates Tommy Hayden and Blake Young finished up the day in fifth and sixth places, respectively. Young ran up front for several laps before settling into fifth position for much of the race. Hayden himself was running in sixth place until the last lap, when he overtook his teammate Young and moved up a spot. In the overall championship points standings, Hayden is in second place behind teammate Mladin and rookie Young is in sixth place.

Mat Mladin:
“Josh (Hayes, the race winner) has been fast all weekend and he did a great job today. As I said on the podium, my guys have been quietly telling me all weekend to go ahead and get the championship wrapped up. Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do. But today it wouldn’t have mattered what I did — even if I’d pushed as hard as I could, I didn’t have anything for Josh. He was just too fast today. We’ll try to get through tomorrow, go to New Jersey and that’s it. The fans here are great and I enjoy the racetrack and it’s nice to come to a decent track that is safe and put on a good show for the crowd.”

Tommy Hayden:
“I knew my race was going to be tough today because we were starting from the third row. I dug myself into a little bit of a hole yesterday with qualifying. But I felt pretty fast this morning so I felt like if I could get in there, I had a pretty decent pace with the Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000. I thought that I got a good start but then we got through turn one and the start wasn’t as good as I first thought. But then I picked off a couple of guys… and latched on to the battle for third. I’d really wanted to do better today. Hopefully, tomorrow we can make a few changes and run more at the front tomorrow.”

Blake Young:
“The race started out pretty good, considering we started from the second row. I got a pretty good start on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000. I put my head down and tried to put in some good laps, but some guys got past me. But we learned a lot in the race today about the bike that I think we can use to go better in the race tomorrow.”

Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing will race again tomorrow in the second of two Superbike races at VIR in Alton, Virginia.

Michael Jordan Motorsports (MJM) rolls into Alton, Virginiawith just two rounds remaining on the AMA Pro Racing calendar, but plenty of action to be found
on the track. MJM-riders Aaron Yates and Geoff May will take to the 2.25 mile circuit over the August 14 – 16 weekend at the Big Kahuna Nationals looking to finish out their seasons stronglyand place their Suzuki GSX-Rs firmly on the Big Kahuna podium.

The scenic track, a favorite among riders, mixes a rolling, flowing road-course layout inside of country club-style grounds. On-track action begins Friday, August 14 with practice, qualifying, and Superpole kicking off at 9:40 a.m. The National Guard American Superbike races then take place on both Saturday and Sunday, with same-day coverage broadcast on SpeedTV.

Jordan Suzuki #23
Aaron Yates comes off a mixed weekend at Round 9 in Topeka, where the team captured a solid top five finish in Race 1, followed by a rare, non-points scoring result in Race 2. The #23 rider and team are coming into the final two rounds of the season with one common goal: placing the Jordan Suzuki on the podium in each of the remaining four races. With Yates riding his new Suzuki 2009 GSX-R well and enjoying a second-half hot streak, the veteran Superbike rider will
be one to watch as the season comes to a close. Yates currently sits seventh in the championship with 214 points.

“VIR is a fun track and one the Jordan Suzuki goes pretty good at,” said Yates. “Our bike was working well at Topeka, and though we weren’t able to capitalize fully on that, I think this weekend we’ll be right back in the hunt for a podium. The promoters always do a good job of making it enjoyable for the fans and I’m hoping they will be making some noise for the #23 Jordan Suzuki.”

National Guard Jordan Suzuki #54
Geoff May and the #54 National Guard Jordan Suzuki team have had this weekend circled on the 2009 calendar since Round 1 back at Daytona. The Virginia track is one of May’s favorites of the season and is one that the Georgia rider describes himself as having “ridden thousands of laps around” going back to his non-professional days. With two rounds remaining in the year, the National Guard Jordan Suzuki team is keen to recapture the early season magic that saw the #54 on the podium three times in the first five races. While the team hasn’t visited the podium recently, it has shown it has the speed to be there and will be working hard to place its Suzuki GSX-R back on the box at the Big Kahuna Nationals. May currently has 212 championship points, placing him in eighth position, just two points shy of seventh.

“It’s good to be back at VIR,” said May. “I’ve always liked riding here. The layout is good, the racing is always close and the fans always come out to support the round. This is the 10th year of the Big Kahuna Nationals and I’m ready to go out there and put the National Guard Jordan Suzuki back where it belongs – on the podium.”

AMA Superbike Series, Race 2 – Heartland Park, Topeka, Kansas – August 2, 2009

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden celebrated an impressive second-place finish in Sunday’s AMA Superbike race at Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, Kansas. After finishing fourth in Saturday’s race, Hayden was particularly pleased with Sunday’s results. The Kentucky rider got a good start on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 and was moving into position to battle for second place with his teammate Blake Young. Young, however, went into a turn a little too fast at this point and ran off the track. The result was that Hayden moved into the second-place position that his teammate had vacated. Hayden then followed the race leader closely and hoped to make a pass for the win but was unable to do so. In the end, he came away with second place. This is Hayden’s eighth Superbike podium finish this year. Meanwhile, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Young re-entered the field in 10th place after going off-track and worked his way into eighth place before the 20-lap race’s end. Finally, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mat Mladin opted to sit out the Kansas race. In spite of this, six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mladin still leads the overall championship points standings in the premier class.

Tommy Hayden:
“This was a good race but at the same time, it’s kind of frustrating to keep getting this close and not get a win. But I feel like I’m learning a lot in the races and so if I just keep on doing what I’m doing, it can’t be that far away… I feel like I’m trying hard and I’m putting all I can into it, and I am learning a lot. Today, though, I knew that some guys were beginning to catch me in the points over the last few races. So I wasn’t quite as unafraid as I would’ve been if I hadn’t had that to worry about also.”

Blake Young:
“I have to admit this wasn’t one of my better races. At first, I got a great start on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 but then I made a misjudged a turn and went in a little hot and I ran off the track. When I came back out, I was too far back to catch anybody and I just rode around by myself. I’m pretty disappointed because I felt like we got the set-up pretty good for today and I think we could have run a good pace. Now, I’m just going to focus on doing my best at the next race at Virginia.”

M4 Suzuki’s Cardenas Wins Daytona SportBike   Race at Heartland Park Topeka

Team M4 Suzuki’s Martin Cardenas finished off the Heartland Park Topeka double-header weekend strong by winning the second of two AMA Daytona SportBike races on Sunday in Topeka, Kansas. The Colombian rider got a good start on his M4 Suzuki GSX-R600 and rode an almost flawless 20-lap race, in spite of having to go through a restart after a red flag sidelined the race early on. In the restart, Cardenas was running in third place for multiple laps before moving into second place. He paced the leader for a while and then put on a charge toward the end. On the last lap, Cardenas battled hard for the lead before taking the win at the checkers. Winning this race was a confidence boost for Cardenas, who crashed out of Saturday’s race while battling for the lead. Additionally, this victory marks Cardenas’ seventh win of the season and also means he is currently tied for the lead in the overall championship points standings.

Martin Cardenas – 1st place, Race 2 (Sunday):
“It was a very good race. I had a good battle with Danny (Eslick, yesterday’s winner) after the halfway point and at the beginning with my teammate Jason (DiSalvo).  It was very difficult today. I knew it was going to be very difficult because Danny was very strong on the straights and I was catching him in some places but when we got to the front straight, he would get me a little bit there. I noticed today he was struggling more than yesterday in some places. So I decided to give it a go and with three or four laps from the end, I tried to pass him. My original plan was to try and gap him a little bit and try to maintain the lead when we get to the start/finish line. Unfortunately, that didn’t work out but at the end I waited for the last lap and tried to make a pass on the back section of the track and stay in front and hope that I’ll be first on the finish line. It did work that time and I’m very happy with this race and thanks to M4 Suzuki and the GSX-R600.”

Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing and M4 Suzuki will race next at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia, the weekend of August 14 – 16, 2009.

Round 9 – AMA Superbike Series, Race 1, Topeka, Kansas, Heartland Park Topeka – July 31 – August 2, 2009

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Blake Young celebrated his fourth AMA Superbike podium finish of the season after capturing third place in Saturday afternoon’s race at the series’ return to Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, Kansas. This was the series’ return to the Kansas track after an almost 20-year absence and Young made the most of the first race of the double-header weekend. The rookie Superbike rider got a good start on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 and ran in second place for several laps before settling into third. Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Tommy Hayden followed his teammate home in a very close fourth place. The Kentucky rider got off the line in eighth place and charged hard on his Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 and moved up into fourth. He proceeded to battle with his teammate for the final podium spot for the last several laps of the 20-lap race. In the end, though, it was Young in third and Hayden in fourth. Finally, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mat Mladin opted to sit out the Kansas race. In spite of this, the six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mladin still leads the overall championship points standings in the premier class.

Blake Young:
“I think we just ran out of time this weekend. We didn’t take advantage of the practice sessions on Thursday and I think we missed the set-up a little bit today. But I think today was a really good day because we got in behind second place and learned what he was doing, made some improvements and I switched up my riding style a bit. Overall I’m happy with the Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 and how the race went. I learned a lot about our set-up and what we want to try and do tomorrow. So I’ll chalk this one up to that, and try to go after it tomorrow.”

Tommy Hayden:
“I felt pretty good throughout the whole race, I just got a terrible start. Back three-deep, but I tried to pick my way through – slowly. This track isn’t the best place to pass but I was able to slowly work my way through. Every time I got ahead of a guy, I was able to close up on the next one. So my speed was good on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 today, like it has been in the last several races, but I’m just frustrated with the results. So we’ll see tomorrow if we can get a better start and I think we’ll see that the end result will be a lot better.”

Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing will race again tomorrow in the second of two Superbike races at Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, Kansas.

AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers:
1.      Larry Pegram, Ducati

2.      Ben Bostrom, Yamaha

3.      Blake Young, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing

4.      Tommy Hayden, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing

5.      Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki

6.      Josh Hayes, Yamaha

7.      Jake Holden, Honda

8.      Geoff May, National Guard Jordan Suzuki

9.      Taylor Knapp, Suzuki

10.   Neil Hodgson, Honda

AMA Superbike Points Standings:

1.      Mat Mladin, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing

2.      Tommy Hayden, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing

3.      Ben Bostrom, Yamaha

4.      Josh Hayes, Yamaha

5.      Larry Pegram, Ducati

6.      Blake Young, Rockstar Makita Suzuki Factory Racing

7.      Aaron Yates, Jordan Suzuki

8.      Geoff May, National Guard Jordan Suzuki

9.      Taylor Knapp, Suzuki

10.   Jake Holden, Honda

American Suzuki Motor Corp. (ASMC) announced today that Rockstar Makita Suzuki riders Tommy Hayden and Blake Young will compete without teammate Mat Mladin at round nine of the AMA Superbike series at Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, Kansas this weekend.

According to six-time AMA Superbike Champion Mladin, he has concerns about the track’s safety and prefers not to race at this venue. Currently, Mladin is in first place in the overall AMA Superbike championship points standings. Mladin’s Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammates Hayden and Young are currently in second and sixth place, respectively, in the overall standings and plan to race this weekend.

“I can’t speak for our rider, Mat Mladin,” said the Yoshimura-backed Rockstar Makita Suzuki Team Manager Don Sakakura. “However, the team does respect his choice to not participate in this race meeting. Mat is a six-time AMA Superbike Champion and he has raced in other series and at tracks all over the world, so he understands that track safety is paramount. At the same time, the team appreciates that Heartland Park Topeka is doing everything humanly possible to make this track acceptable to the AMA riders. Currently, Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Tommy Hayden and Blake Young intend to participate in the race meeting and we hope that this weekend will be a safe and successful one for everyone.”