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.”

Imola (Italy), Tuesday 22nd September: This year the Imola circuit takes the place of Vallelunga as the third Italian track on the World Superbike calendar, having not featured on the schedule since 2006. In that time various modifications have been made to the track, including the construction of a controversial new chicane just after the start line that the Superbike riders experienced for the first time during the July test session organised by Infront Sports.

During the pre-summer tests, held in extremely hot conditions, it was Michel Fabrizio who dominated the sessions; he was consistently the fastest rider on track which bodes well for the coming weekend’s racing. Noriyuki was unfortunately unable to participate in the aforementioned testing due to the injuries he had sustained earlier at the Donington Park round, and so he returns to a track that he hasn’t ridden since the 2006 event.

At the start of September the German Nürburgring hosted the eleventh Superbike round but although Noriyuki was strong in both Friday’s (wet) and Saturday’s (dry) sessions, taking too his first pole of the season, a race win unfortunately eluded him; after finishing a close second in Race 1, an incident with Honda rider Rea in Race 2 meant game-over and zero points for Nitro-Nori. As a result, Haga, having led the championship until that point, now finds himself in second place, eighteen points behind Yamaha’s Ben Spies, and 57 points ahead of third-placed rider, team-mate Fabrizio. Michel also had a difficult race day at the Ring; having finished seventh in Race 1, he was forced to change bikes before the second race but, for various reasons, found it difficult to fight for the podium and concluded proceedings in ninth place.

Although the World Superbike championship cannot be decided until at least the Magny-Cours round, there is a mathematical chance that young Belgian rider, Xavier Simeon, currently leading the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup with the Ducati Xerox Junior Team, could take the title this weekend in front of the Italian crowd. There are, as last year, four riders still in the running but Xavier currently holds a 40 point advantage over second-placed rider Corti, and so would need to increase this lead to at least 50 points in order to secure victory at Imola.

Another appointment is fixed for Saturday evening, when Imola’s town council, in collaboration with Ducati and circuit managers Formula Imola, will award Ducati ambassador and three times World Champion, Troy Bayliss, with a lifetime career award. Troy Bayliss will be at the track with the Ducati Xerox Team all weekend.

Noriyuki Haga (2nd in championship, 346 points)
Noriyuki’s best result at Imola was a third place finish, scored in 2005 – this year only victory will do.
“We came away from Nürburgring disappointed, because we know we should have, and could have, taken at least one race win. Now I am in second place in the championship which means that at Imola it is even more important to finish first. There are 50 points on offer at Imola and the gap between Ben and I is only eighteen… It is of course Ducati’s home track and we haven’t been here for a few years, so, as well as needing the points for the championship, it would be great to do well in front of all the Ducatisti.”

Haga’s Superbike form at Imola:
2006: Race 1 – 4th, Race 2 – 6th
2005: Race 1 – 3rd
2004: Race 1 – 4th, Race 2 – DNF
2002: Race 1 – 5th, Race 2 – 4th

Michel Fabrizio (3rd in championship, 289 points)
Although the 2006 Superbike event at Imola didn’t go to plan for the Italian rider, Michel won the Superstock 1000 race held at the same track back in 2003.

“I was very comfortable on this track when we tested here in July, and one of the fastest, but I’m aware that it will be significantly cooler for the race and that may make a difference. The 2006 Imola event was one to forget for me but this year I am much more confident, mainly due to the fact that testing proved the 1198 can go well here. I’m looking forward to the final Italian race event of the season!”

Fabrizio’s Superbike form at Imola:

2006: Race 1 – DNF, Race 2 – DNF
CIRCUIT DATA:
Country: Italy
Name: Autodromo di Imola
Circuit length: 4.936 km
Pole position: left
Corners left: 10
Corners right: 6
Race distance: 21 laps = 103.656 km

LAP RECORDS:

Fastest lap – Barros (Honda) 1′50.266 (2006). Superpole – Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1′48.804 (2006).
2006 RESULTS:

Race 1 – 1. Barros (Honda); 2. Toseland (Honda); 3. Pitt (Yamaha). Race 2 – 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox); 2. Barros (Honda); 3. Kagayama (Suzuki).

The Nurburgring GP circuit was witness to an incredible performance from Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies today as he attacked the track to take the championship lead from rival Haga. Race one started well for the American but was almost immediately red flagged for a crash between Tamada, Hopkins and Parkes. The restart saw Spies move up into third behind Rea and Haga until the third lap where he took Rea on the brakes to move into second position. Rea briefly retook the position but held it for mere seconds before relinquishing again to the American missile. Spies then set about reeling in Haga, taking nearly half a second a lap off the Ducati rider’s lead until he had closed it to 0.3 seconds by lap 10. As they entered the chicane at the end of the lap, he pulled a swift move and took the lead, which he held to the line, throwing in an extra turn of speed at the end to increase his lead.

Race two saw a less than perfect start with Spies dropping to sixth amid a pack of riders. He fought through the pack to fourth, and gradually worked through to third behind Rea and Haga. Rea and Haga came together going into the first corner of lap four, taking Haga out of the race and leaving Ben to tuck in behind Rea to the finish line, taking second spot on the podium.

Tom Sykes got a great start off the line in race one, moving from 11th position up to seventh at the first corner before the restart. As the race restarted he got off the line in tenth, chasing down Nieto who he passed on lap six. He worked hard to close the gap on Corser and Fabrizio in front but had to settle for ninth across the line at the end. Race two saw him get off the line to ninth again, then moving up to eighth by lap two, following team-mate Spies. He continued to charge and on lap 14 took Fabrizio on the brakes going into the first corner of the circuit to take seventh. He dropped one place to eighth but held on ahead of Fabrizio to keep his position over the line.

Ben Spies heads to Imola in two weeks time having taken the lead in the World Superbike Championship with an 18 point advantage over demoted Haga with six races remaining. Team mate Tom Sykes leaves Germany sitting in eighth place in the standings just 12 points behind seventh position rider Carlos Checa.

Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team (1st, 2nd)
“the first race was tough, Rea and I battled a bit for the first couple of laps and Nori got away so I had to reel him back in, using a lot of my tire to do that. When I got to him I knew he was really strong in the first few corners so I slowed the pace a bit and controlled him through there. With three laps to go we pulled the pin and got back down to some fast laps. The second race was a tough one, I didn’t get a great start and had to spend some time working through the pack, when I eventually got up to Rea he had a great pace on so I tucked in and was waiting for him to make a mistake, which unfortunately he didn’t! I used up a lot of my tires fighting through the pack and was starting to slide around a bit at the end so tucked in and took the points. It’s fantastic to be leading the championship, it’s what we came here to do, so we’re looking forward to getting to Imola and seeing if we can build on this. The team have been brilliant, and have worked really hard all weekend.”

Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike Team (9th, 8th)
” I’m really disappointed to be honest, my pace in warm up this morning was quite impressive and I knew going into the races that repeating those lap times would mean we were running at the front. Unfortunately we couldn’t repeat it, we were really struggling for grip which we could see in the data afterwards. My braking, corner entry and everything was the same but when I got on the gas I couldn’t use the same percentage of throttle that I was this morning. We tried to change something in race two but it didn’t seem to help. I’m certainly looking forward to putting this weekend behind me and moving on. We’ve got three rounds left now to come up with something special so we’ll see what we comes out.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“we came here with the target of catching Nori, we achieved that and now we are leading the championship. It would be impossible to get a better result. I think Ben really used his head in the second race, he saw that it was tough to catch Rea especially during the last lap so he took the points. This is the first time our team has led the championship so we are very happy. We are now even more motivated to continue like this. It was a really tough weekend for Tom. He had found a really good pace in the earlier sessions but struggled to repeat it in the race. It was disappointing not to see him get a higher position at the end. The settings which seemed to work really well in the practice sessions were not so good in the race for him. We will see if can achieve more at Imola.”

Crutchlow crowned king of the ring

Yamaha World Supersport rider Cal Crutchlow was unstoppable today as he took an incredible fifth race win of the season at the Nurburgring circuit in Germany. Starting from pole, Crutchlow led the race from the off, laying down fast lap after fast lap, leaving the competition with nothing to do but fight amongst themselves. Such was his pace that midway through the race the British rider had almost a ten second lead on his closest rival, a gap which increased to just over ten seconds by the chequered flag.

Team mate Fabien Foret worked hard from a less than ideal grid start position, gaining six positions to take fifth by just past mid race. With the gap to fourth too far to bridge by this point the French rider held on to take well earned points away with him.

Crutchlow now heads to Imola in two weeks time with three races left on the calendar having extended his championship lead to 22 points over closest rival Eugene Laverty. Foret leaves Germany having moved up to fifth position, 29 points behind fourth placed rider Kenan Sofuoglu. Yamaha are also leading the manufacturer standings, four points ahead of Honda.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World Supersport Team (1st)
“it was really good for me to come here to the Nurburgring, my team’s home circuit and win and prove I’ve still got the pace after Brno. We beat the field very well there and came here and did the same thing. It’s been a great weekend, the team have been brilliant and given me the bike to win on, I want to dedicate the win to my Aunt Rose.”

Fabien Foret, Yamaha World Supersport Team (5th)
“it could be worse, when you get some rain drops it’s not my ideal racing conditions. As soon as the rain stopped I pushed harder and I had a good pace. I tried to catch Roccoli but I was making a couple of mistakes with a couple of laps to go so held on for the end. I gained a place in the championship so we’ll see what happens at the next race.”

Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager
“It was a brilliant result for Cal here today. His pace has been unbelievable all weekend. It was really good to see how he kept his rhythm when the rain came down as well. Obviously after Brno we were a little nervous watching the last few laps but it was a fantastic result, we look forward to him continuing to ride like this all the way to Portimao. For Fabien to start in 11th position and finish fifth was good. After Brno it was shame not to see him higher but we know that when some rain falls it’s not the ideal riding conditions for him. It’s been great to take the win here at our home race for the team, we’re looking forward to getting to Imola and doing it again!”

In today’s 11th round World Superbike championship races at Nurburgring in Germany Jonathan Rea won the second race after placing fourth in the first outing. It was his and the team’s second World Superbike victory of the season and his fifth podium finish.

His Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Carlos Checa, also enjoyed a successful day with two third place finishes – the first behind new championship leader, Ben Spies, who was second in race two.

Rea’s first race was affected by technical difficulties after it was red flagged on the second lap. His CBR1000RR Fireblade had not been giving him the correct level of engine braking so he swapped to his number two machine for the restart.

In the second encounter, the 22-year-old Northern Irishman had to fight through to the lead on lap four after a sluggish start. Japan’s Noriyuki Haga fought back and the pair appeared to touch on the exit the first corner, the Ducati rider crashing out. Rea went on to hold off a late challenge from Spies and was even able to break the Nurburgring lap record on his final lap.

Checa meanwhile had to force his way past his team-mate in the opening 20-lapper after starting from eighth on the grid. The Spaniard also put moves on Fabrizio, Biaggi and Corser to grab his third podium of the season.

A delighted Checa enjoyed a better start to race two and even led briefly on lap three before settling for third behind Rea and Spies.

Jonathan Rea – 4th and 1st

Apart from the issues with my number one bike in the first part of race one, I had a real problem with turn three and messed up the race. I was a bit disappointed with fourth and was really motivated to ride better in race two. The guys sat me down in between races and gave me an instruction manual on how to win. We changed nothing on the bike and I tried to ride my own race and mind my own business. I got a really bad start and had to get a bit aggressive on pe! ople in turn one. Haga ran quite wide and I went on the inside and, although I didn’t see him I felt a big bang and only found out he crashed after the race. I’m sorry for that but don’t think it was my fault and I wouldn’t blame him. I gave it all I could in the race and the package was very strong today so I can’t thank the team enough. I knew I had to make no mistakes on the last lap because Ben was so close, so breaking the lap record then was great. But it’s really a testament to how strong the bike is now and hopefully we can take this momentum on to the next race.

Carlos Checa – 3rd and 3rd

We knew it would be tough going into turn one and in the first race I just tried to catch the top guys. I got up to Johnny and had a good fight with him but right up to the last turn I didn’t know what would happen. I made a really great start to race two – I couldn’t believe it. Got into another battle with Haga early on but I could see Johnny was strong when he passed me. I tried to stay with Ben Spies and lost a few meters in the middle of the race but it was very good to keep third for me and for the team. It’s been a really satisfying weekend.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

All in all, we’ve had some good results this weekend. Jonathan had some problems to resolve after the race but, to his credit, he solved them himself – we didn’t change anything on the bike. Going back to his number one machine for race two would have helped and our congratulations to him on the win. Also to the whole staff who have worked so hard over the last couple of weeks to keep us where we are. Jonathan’s win in race two maybe overshadowed Carlos’s results, but fair play to him for two brilliant podiums. He has worked and ridden really well this weekend and we’ll now try to improve the bike even more for Imola.

Ryuichi Kiyonari took 14th and seventh place finishes in today’s two races of the 11th-round World Superbike championship race at Nurburgring in Germany.

The races were won by America’s Ben Spies and Kiyonari’s Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Jonathan Rea, as the Japanese rider continues his adaptation to new suspension components which he has been using since the last round at Brno in the Czech Republic.

After qualifying in 18th place yesterday, Kiyonari had sluggish starts to both races, but continued improvements to his Ohlins suspension allowed him to climb several places to seventh in race two

Ryuichi Kiyonari – 14th and 7th

Race two was a big improvement for me and I felt more comfortable on the bike. It had a better feeling and balance and I was able to push a little harder in the second race and pass quite a few riders. Of course, there is still a lot of work to do but I am looking forward to see how much more we can improve in the final three races of the season.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

Unfortunately, Kiyonari-san was unable to make very much progress in the first race, even though we made some improvements to the bike overnight. The changes seemed to work better in race two and Kiyo was able to improve his lap time as well as passing some other riders for a solid top ten finish. We will continue working as a team to find some more improvements when we reach Imola, which is a circuit Kiyonari knows after our test there earlier in the summer.

2009 World Superbike championship, round 11 – Nurburgr! ing, Ger many (5.13km, 2 x 20 laps) results:

Race one:
1 Ben Spies (USA) Yamaha 39’04.818s
2 Noriyuki Haga (JPN) Ducati +3.850s
3 Carlos Checa (ESP) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda +6.990
4 Jonathan Rea (GBR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda +7.109
5 Max Biaggi (ITA) Aprilia +12.825
6 Leon Haslam (GBR) Honda +13.243
14 Ryuichi Kiyonari (JPN) Ten Kate Honda Racing +31.188

Race two:
1 Jonathan Rea (GBR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 39’01.561
2 Ben Spies (USA) Yamaha +0.786s
3 Carlos Checa (ESP) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda +4.993
4 Max Biaggi (ITA) Aprilia +8.191
5 Leon Haslam (GBR) Honda +10.907
6 Troy Corser (AUS) BMW +17.152
7 Ryuichi Kiyonari (JPN) Ten Kate Honda Racing +19.743

Championship points after 11 of 14 rounds:
Spies 364, Haga 346, Fabrizio 289, Rea 244, Biaggi 224, Haslam 201, Checa 177, Tom Sykes (GBR) Yamaha 165, Shane Byrne (GBR) Ducati 134, Kiyonari 130.

WSS

Kenan Sofuoglu crashed out of a comfortable second place in today’s 11th-round World Supersport championship race at Nurburgring in Germany – a race won by series leader Cal Crutchlow. Sofuoglu’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Andrew Pitt, was seventh.

Starting from second place on the grid, Sofuoglu challenged Crutchlow on the opening laps, breaking the lap record on lap two. However, as drizzle began to fall on the 5.13km Nurburgring circuit, the Turkish rider slid off at the tight first corner.

He lost his right footpeg in the crash but was able to remount in eighteenth place and move up to 10th place before a small bolt that he was resting his right foot on worked itself loose, leaving a bitterly disappointed Sofuoglu unable to continue.

Pitt, meanwhile, got a good start from his 10th place on the grid but was affected by the rain in the early stages, when his lap times dropped. The Australian rallied in the second part of the race, however, and climbed as high as sixth before dropping back to seventh at the flag.

Andrew Pitt – 7th

I was basically just too cautious when it was wet and lost too much time. I saw a couple of other riders go down and just took it steady for a couple of laps but came back strong at the end, when my lap times were better and I was able to get into a rhythm. We still need to do some work on improving the way the bike turns – I’m just having to wait too long to get on the gas. But we’re going in the right direction and making small steps forward. We’ll have a good base to start with at Imola and know what we have to do.

Kenan Sofuoglu – DNF

I am so disappointed because I was in a good position when I crashed. I felt I had to push to stay with Crutchlow, but I just pushed too hard. I lost the footpeg but the rest of the bike was OK and I was able to do some good lap times before the bolt ! fell off and I had no alternative but to pull in. I’m sorry for the team who worked so hard to give me a good bike this weekend and I will try to make up for it at Imola.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

It’s a shame of course, but second position seemed secured until Kenan’s little off. The positive is that we had made a big step forward this weekend and in our small tests during the break. Andrew’s first half was slow, but in the second part of his race he seemed to be quick enough for maybe fourth place. However, we are moving in the right direction and look forward to continuing at Imola.

2009 World Supersport championship, round 11 – Nurburging, Germany (5.13km, 19 laps) results:
1 Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Yamaha 37’56.481s
2 Eugene Laverty (IRL) Honda +10.109s
3 Joan Lascorz (ESP) Kawasaki +10.250
4 Massimo Roccoli (ITA) Honda +31.980
5 Fabien Foret (FRA) Yamaha +34.575
6 Mark Aitchison (AUS) Honda +34.724
7 Andrew Pitt (AUS) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda +36.632

Championship points after 11 of 14 rounds: Crutchlow 210, Laverty 188, Lascorz 138, Kenan Sofuoglu (TUR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 128, Foret 99, Anthony West 96, Pitt 94

Next round: Imola, Italy – 25-27 September

An afternoon of highs and lows for Noriyuki Haga, Michel Fabrizio and the Ducati Xerox squad today at the Nurburgring. Having stepped up to the podium in Race, Noriyuki was the victim of a Race 2 incident which saw him walk away unhurt but with a DNF result. Difficulties for Michel too, who for various reasons was unable to obtain the results he had hoped for today.

In Race 1, an all-out duel ensued between Noriyuki Haga on his Ducati 1198 and Ben Spies on the Yamaha. After an accident and subsequent red flag on lap one, the race was restarted and it was Haga who got away quickest, ahead of Rea and Spies. In the first stages Noriyuki was able to build up a gap while Rea and Spies fought it out behind him, but after ten laps Spies had caught up, managing to get past the Japanese rider. The second half of the race was characterized by the fight between the two leaders, both riding on the limit, with Noriyuki taking a new lap record on the 15th lap. Unfortunately, and despite his best efforts, Haga was unable to pass Ben and closed the first race in second position. Michel also got away quickly but was caught up in a chasing group made up of Biaggi, Checa and later Corser and Haslam. Despite maintaining a good pace for the entire 20-lap race, he was able to pass only Corser in the final phase, thus finishing the race in seventh.
In Race 2 the Ducati Xerox riders were far from lucky. Haga immediately took the lead but knoew that Honda riders Checa and Rea were both hot on his heels. Checa got past him on the third lap but when Rea tried to do the same thing on the very next lap, he made contact with the Japanese rider at the end of the straight, causing Nori to fall and signifying the end of his race. For Michel the race panned out in a similar way to the first; despite a good start, technical problems prevented him from maintaining his position, and having moved up as far as fifth during the race, the Italian rider eventually finished ninth.

Today’s results mean that Noriyuki loses the championship lead for the first time this season; he is now 18 points behind Spies, while Michel remains in third place with 289 points. Ducati is still at the top of the manufacturers leader board with 439 points while Yamaha chases with 407.

Noriyuki Haga (Race 1 – 2nd, Race 2 – DNF)
“Ben got past me after ten laps and from that point on I did all I could to push everywhere so as to stay with him. I basically tried to overtake him everywhere and in some places I came close but in the end I had to settle for second. I am not so happy as I really thought I could win but Ben has a very strong bike here today. Then, before the second race, we made a small suspension modification and I had a better feeling with the rear as the race got underway; I think that would have been of benefit if I had reached the final stages of the race, but unfortunately, just I started to push to catch Checa, Rea came up fast on the straight and hit me. There was nothing I could do and I couldn’t restart the bike. I’m angry as it is the second time this has happened; I guess the only consolation is that I’m not hurt.”

Michel Fabrizio (Gara 1 – 7°,  Gara 2 – 9°)
“What can I say? The weekend didn’t go to plan. In Race 1 I had problems with rear grip and once that race was over my technicians discovered a problem with gearing which meant I had to go out with the second bike in Race 2. Unfortunately the engine of the second bike didn’t perform as it should, as it seemed as I was missing acceleration coming out of the corners, meaning it was impossible to stick with the group ahead of me. It can only go better at Imola.”

RESULTS: Race 1 – 1. Spies (Yamaha); 2. Haga (Ducati Xerox); 3. Checa (Honda) Race 2 -  1. Rea (Honda) 2. Spies (Yamaha) ; 3. Checa (Honda)

CLASSIFICATION: Riders – 1. Spies (Yamaha) 364; 2. Haga (Ducati Xerox) 346; 3. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 289; 4. Rea (Honda) 244; 5. Biaggi (Aprilia) 224; 6. Haslam (Honda) 201. Manufacturers – Ducati 439; Yamaha 407; Honda 347; Aprilia 231; Suzuki 143; BMW 105; Kawasaki 56

World Superstock

a third consecutive win for Xavier Simeon and the Ducati Xerox Team today, a victory that consolidates the Italian team’s championship lead. Sixth position for Daniele Beretta.

Xavier Simeon concluded his weekend in the best possible way. Having made a strong start, it was just a few corners before he took the lead and struck up a rhythm that made him almost impossible to catch. The Belgian rider, aware of what was happening behind him, pushed as hard as possible in the first laps, registering a new lap record in the process, and keeping his rivals at a distance. He ran a solitary race, dominating from start to finish. This makes three consecutive wins for Simeon and four second place finishes, meaning he stepped up to the podium in every race held so far this season.

XAVIER SIMEON – “Yesterday the pole was taken from me but that’s the only thing I’ve given away this weekend! I started well and got straight past Fores so as to get into a good rhythm. I chose to increase the gap immediately in the hope that I could avoid dangerous duels later in the race and I was only thinking about riding well. The bike was perfect today and I thank the whole team who’ve done an amazing job. We have a good advantage in the championship but we can’t get complacent; there are still three races to go and anything could happen. I dedicate this win to David, my very good friend, who’s not well at the moment.”

A positive race for Daniele Beretta too who fought hard against Giugliano and Corti. The Italian rider made a few small errors in the final stages, concluding the race just behind the aforementioned rivals.

DANIELE  BERETTA – “After yesterday’s practice we made some modifications to the set-up which improved the bike, but in the initial laps it was difficult to stick with Berger and Fores. From mid-race onwards I maintained a good pace and fought hard against Berger and Corti. I made some small mistakes, especially in the final stretch, and this meant I finished behind those two but, all things considered, I’m quite happy. Thanks to the team for their hard work this weekend.”

Race Result
1.Xavier Simeon (Ducati Xerox Junior Team) in 22’13’’426 in an average of 152,558 km/h ; 2.M.Berger (Honda) 2’’763; 3.J.Fores (Kawasaki) 5’’649; 4.D.Giugliano (Suzuki) 6’’620; 5.C.Corti (Suzuki) 7’’085; 6.Daniele Beretta (Ducati Xerox Junior Team) 7’’353….

Classification
1.Xavier Simeon 155 points; 2.C.Corti 115; 3.M.Berger 102; 4.J.Fores 100; 5.S.Barrier 67; 6.Daniele Beretta 66…

Day two and the second qualifying session at the Nurburgring saw Yamaha World Superbike rider Ben Spies improve dramatically on his time of yesterday as he experienced the track in the dry for the first time. The American rider managed to finish the session in second position, less than one tenth of a second from leader Haga. The afternoon’s free practice was a frustrating one, a small crash at a difficult to access section of the circuit meant Spies lost over 20 minutes of valuable track time returning to the pit, leaving him with a less than perfect set up for the subsequent Superpole sessions. He made it through all three sessions, using a Qualifier in the second and third heats and will start tomorrow on the second row of the grid in fifth position.

Team-mate Tom Sykes continued to show his consistent fast form of the weekend in the second qualifying heat, the British rider ended the session in fifth place, less than half a second adrift of Spies. Sykes flew through the first Superpole session, again in fifth place, however a faulty qualifying tire in the second session left him unable to lay down a competitive time, and subsequently he will start on the third row of the grid in ninth position behind his team mate.

Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team (5th 1′56.489)
“I didn’t do us any favours by falling in the second practice and missing out on valuable track time, so we’re still looking for the right set up. We seem to be struggling a bit for grip on the bumpy sections and that’s what we’re trying to deal with. Combine that with the rain when we arrived and the lost time in free practice means we’ve only really had an hour of dry time here to find our set up. We’ve got the warm up and two races to figure it out so we’re on it.”

Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike Team (9th 1′56.950)
“we’ve been up in the top five all weekend and feeling really good in the dry and the wet but when it came to using the Qualifier in the second heat of Superpole it felt wrong. It felt like a used race tire when I went out, so I thought I’d try another lap. I improved on my lap time but it didn’t feel remotely like a Qualifier tire. On the third lap I was undecided whether to come in or not and couldn’t see a timer anywhere. By the time I got back it was too late to get out again which was really frustrating. It’s a shame as I certainly felt like we could have been front row tomorrow for the start. Still, we’ve got a good race pace and it’s a long race so we’ll see what we can do.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“the rain yesterday really made our approach to the weekend complicated. We still have the warm up tomorrow to try some settings and tonight we will see if we can find any other improvements on the bike as well. I think we can still make a good challenge tomorrow. We’ve lost nearly three sessions this weekend which means it is normal not to have the bike set up ready. I feel really sorry for Tom, he’s been having a really good weekend and been consistently fast in all the sessions but he had a rear tire that didn’t work properly and unfortunately stayed out one lap too long so didn’t have the opportunity to change to his second Qualifier tire. I think he will have a good race tomorrow as he’s shown a really good pace all weekend.”

Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow’s two 11th-round World Superbike championship races from the front row of the grid after setting the second fastest time in this afternoon’s Superpole session at Nurburgring in Germany.

It looked as though Rea might take his first WSBK pole start but Japan’s Noriyuki Haga pipped the 22-year-old from Northern Ireland with his final lap, beating Rea to the top slot by two hundredths of a second.

Rea has been running at the top of the timing sheets all weekend but he lost almost 20 minutes of the free practice session just before Superpole. His main bike developed a technical problem and Rea then crashed his spare machine, cutting his left index finger and thumb. However, his technicians were able to repair his number one bike in time for Superpole.

His Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team mate, Carlos Checa, progressed to Superpole 3 this afternoon and will start from the second row of the grid for tomorrow’s two 20-lap races.

Jonathan Rea – P2, 1’55.749s (Superpole 3)

I put a pretty good lap in at the start of the last Superpole session and thought it would be enough. But all credit to Nori – it was a really good lap on a not exactly 100% qualifying tire. But my package was working really well and I’m glad the guys didn’t go to sleep during the summer break. We’ve come here with some really good development parts for the bike and I can’t thank the boys enough for digging deep. I really love this circuit but didn’t ride so well in the Supersport race here last year but this is a new year and I think our race package is pretty good. I can sleep solidly tonight and really look forward to tomorrow.

Carlos Checa – P8, 1’56.699s (Superpole 3)

We changed a little bit for the last run and I thought I would be able to do a low 56 or even a high 55, but it did not come. I am pre! tty happ y with the race tire, though and the package is feeling good, even though I am still struggling a little in the first sector. I wasn’t feeling so good today – a headache and maybe a little temperature. So we’ll hope for more tomorrow, both from me and the bike.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

I think we can all be quite happy with the results achieved today. It’s good to see that the work we did during the summer break has paid off. We honestly thought that Jonathan had secured pole position and I think Haga’s lap caught everyone in the paddock by surprise! Anyway, we are quite ready for the races tomorrow with both Jonathan and Carlos strong on race tires. So hopefully we’ll get some good results to maintain our recent progress.

Ten Kate Honda Racing’s Ryuichi Kiyonari qualified for Superpole after this morning’s qualifying session for tomorrow’s two 11th-round World Superbike championship races at Nurburgring in Germany.

However, the Japanese ace was not able to find the right feel with his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade in order to progress beyond Superpole 1 from which the 16 fastest riders proceed to the final two sessions.

A disappointed Kiyonari finally qualified 18th fastest on the fifth row for tomorrow’s two 20-lappers at the 5.13km Nurburgring.

Pole position was taken by his fellow Japanese Noriyuki Haga with Kiyonari’s Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Jonathan Rea, taking the runner up slot.

Ryuichi Kiyonari – P18, 1.57.522s

I am very disappointed with today’s qualifying sessions and Superpole because yesterday it felt like we were making some good progress with the bike and I had a good feeling in the wet. Today in the dry the feeling was not so good and I’m not so sure what we can do to improve things. But we will look at everything again later to see where we can improve the bike and maybe the rider. Of course, I will try my best in tomorrow’s races and hope for a better result than today.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

We felt that we were making some good progress with Kiyonari-san’s new suspension set up yesterday, but he appears to have lost some of that good feeling today. I strongly believe that we are still moving forward, however, so the Superpole result today is a real shame. Kiyo is a fighter though, and we all know he will give it his best shot in the races tomorrow.

2009 World Superbike championship, round 11 – Nurburgring, Germany
Final qualifying results:

1 Noriyuki Haga (JPN) Ducati 1’55.489s
2 Jonathan Rea (GBR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1’55.749s
3 Leon Haslam (GBR! ) Honda 1’55.776s
4 Michel Fabrizio (ITA) Ducati 1’55.927s
5 Ben Spies (USA) Yamaha 1’55.938s
6 Troy Corser (AUS) BMW 1’56.296s
7 Max Biaggi (ITA) Aprilia 1’56.440s
8 Carlos Checa (ESP) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1’56.699s
18 Ryuichi Kiyonari (JPN) Ten Kate Honda Racing 1’57.552s

WSS

Kenan Sofuoglu will start from the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s 11th-round World Supersport championship race at the Nurburgring in Germany after setting the second fastest time in this afternoon’s qualifying session.

The Turk lapped the famous 5.15km circuit in a time of 1’59.201 as Britain’s Cal Crutchlow took pole position for tomorrow’s 19-lap race.

Sofuoglu’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Andrew Pitt, will start from the third row after setting the tenth fastest time, but the Australian’s renewed confidence in his Honda CBR600RR continues to grow.

Kenan Sofuoglu – P2, 1’59.201s

It wasn’t too bad today and we are definitely improving the bike each time we go out. I went a second faster than this morning, which shows the progress we are making, and second place on the grid is a good place to start. Of course, Crutchlow was very fast today but P1 in the race is the one that counts. I think I will be racing with him and Laverty tomorrow. The team has worked so hard and I am able to hold a line when I open the gas, which is a big improvement. We will look to make another step forward in warm-up tomorrow.

Andrew Pitt – P10, 2’00.455s

It doesn’t look such a great result from the outside, but my confidence is growing all the time and I think we probably have a top five package at the moment. I did a couple of laps with Kenan this afternoon and I’m having to keep the throttle closed just a little bit longer than him, which I think is down to the balance of my bike. But we’re definitely making progress and we’re closer than we’ve been for a while. It’s tough in the first three turns and then at the end of the lap, but we’re seeing problems better and fixing them. There’s some work to do but it’s all going in the right direction.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

We definitely found a way forward this afternoon but unfortunately we were not in a position that allowed Andrew to capitalise but Kenan is going pretty well. Of course, we need to go faster, so we have some more work to do tonight and in the morning in order to challenge for a win tomorrow.

2009 World Supersport championship, round 11 – Nurburgring, Germany
Final qualifying results:

1 Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Yamaha 1’57.866s
2 Kenan Sofuoglu (TUR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1’59.201s
3 Eugene Laverty (IRL) Honda 1’59.373s
4 Garry McCoy (AUS) Triumph 1’59.716s
5 Michele Pirro (ITA) Yamaha 1’59.765s
6 Katsuaki Fujiwara (JPN) Kawasaki 1’59.779s
10 Andrew Pitt (AUS) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 2’00.455s

Tom Sykes on form with blistering pace in first German qualifying

Yamaha World Superbike rider Tom Sykes looked immediately at home in familiar weather conditions on the Nurburgring circuit today. Although an issue in the first free practice session meant missing out on some lap time, the British rider made up for it in the afternoon, and despite a small crash he moved quickly up the ranks to finish the first qualifying session in second place, half a second off provisional pole man Jonathan Rea.

Team-mate Ben Spies worked to find the right set up today, taking his time to understand how his bike performed in the wet conditions and hunting the perfect combination of bike set up and tire choice. By the end of qualifying he was confident that the right combination had been found and was looking forward to bringing his lap times down in tomorrow’s second qualifying session and following Superpole.

Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike Team (2nd, 2′11.781)
“We started off steady this morning, we knew we had a couple of issues to sort out which took some time. We were also struggling for grip to start with but we made changes which worked. I went back out on a new tire with all the changes in place and unfortunately the tire wasn’t up to temperature so I lost the back end. I managed to low side it gently and had no damage so got back on and carried on. We had a good gap in the weather so I chipped away at the time. I think maybe we can improve a bit more but I was really impressed with how much grip we were finding.”

Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team (13th, 2′13.898)
“Today went ok, we weren’t as high up in the time sheets as we wanted to be but it’s always hard coming to a track and learning it in the wet when you don’t know how the tarmac works in the rain. We worked on some set up stuff and towards the end of the session we started to get down to some better times than what we had been doing before. By the time we got to a really good set up we realized we had the wrong tires on at the end of the session, there’s pretty much one set of tires that are working well in the rain and we weren’t on them. We learnt a lot about the bike in the rain, we’ve found something pretty good so we just need to try some different rubber tomorrow and I’m sure the lap times will start to tumble.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
“for sure the conditions we had today are the worst for learning a track. We have to wait for tomorrow’s weather and hope it is better, but still we remain confident. Tom achieved some great results, I think the typical English weather helped him! He’s showed us that he’s always focusing on improving so we’re happy.”

Crutchlow defies the rain to set the pace in free practice

The notorious Nurburgring weather did little to dampen Yamaha World Supersport rider Cal Crutchlow’s spirits in free practice today, he was rarely outside the number one spot and finished the session on top, a second faster than the fastest superbike time from the earlier session. Crutchlow was one of only two riders to drop below the 1.15 mark, ending the session on a 2′13.170.

Team-mate Fabien Foret was taking it carefully in the wet, concentrating on his set up the French rider stayed out lapping until he ran out of petrol seconds before the end of the session. Foret was happy to have found a set up that worked well in the wet in advance of tomorrow’s qualifying session.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha World Supersport Team (1st, 2′13.170)
“Not a bad day to start with, the weather’s been horrible! It’s good to be up there again and keep the pressure on everybody else. Keenan is going to be fast here this weekend because he raced in the German Championship before so he knows the track. I’m looking forward to a good battle, we’ll continue tomorrow, hopefully it’ll be a bit drier and we’ll do our best.”

Fabien Foret, Yamaha World Supersport Team (23rd, 2′20.691)
“it was good to feel a bit where the critical points are on the track in case we have the same weather tomorrow. Obviously I didn’t push today, I wanted to be safe and ready for tomorrow. Qualifying is another story, that’s where I’ll try to push harder. I hope we have dry conditions for the race as it’ll be better for me, but for today I just wanted to spend some time on the track and get a feel for it again.”

Wilco Zeelenberg, Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager
“Very British weather today! Cal loves it and he’s fast again so no problems there. Fabien always struggles a bit with his riding style in the wet but he went out and stayed out until his fuel was empty. For tomorrow it will probably be a bit wet again but everything is under control here so we’re happy today.”

Noriyuki Haga and his Ducati Xerox squad this afternoon celebrated their first pole of the season at the Nurburgring circuit. Quick in every session so far, the Japanese rider exited for the Superpole with a steely determination, to register the fastest time in each of the three phases. The track temperature was significantly higher (26°C) than it had been in the morning and fortunately for the Superbike riders the all-important Superpole took place in dry conditions. Despite such a long career, this is only the seventh time that Haga has taken the pole and it came at just the right moment, with only four rounds of the championship left to run. After the physical problems he has suffered over the last two months, this result demonstrates that Nitro-Nori is back in shape and ready to fight for the world title. Team-mate Michel Fabrizio is also on the pace this weekend and, despite an error during his fast lap in the final Superpole session, he nevertheless secured a place on the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s races, fourth behind the two Hondas of Rea and Haslam.

The Superbike riders also escaped rain in the morning’s second qualifying session and so lap times dropped considerably with respect to yesterday. Fourth and fifth at the end of play yesterday, the Ducati Xerox men Michel and Noriyuki today made the progress that both had envisaged, qualifying easily for the afternoon Superpole session. Noriyuki was the fastest rider on track while Michel was two tenths of a second behind in third, Yamaha’s Ben Spies closing in second.

Noriyuki Haga 1m55.4s
“You can see that I’m back in shape after the holidays and I’m very happy to have taken the pole today. It’s my first pole position with Ducati and it comes just at the right time, as the championship reaches the final stages. I’ve been feeling comfortable on the bike all weekend and this bodes well for tomorrow. I like the track a lot and, having gone well here last year, I’m looking forward to racing.”

Michel Fabrizio 1m55.9s
“I am fairly happy with the result; it’s just a shame I made a small mistake on the last corner because I think if I had nailed that I could have finished second or third. Anyway the important thing is that I’m starting from the front row and I am more than ready to fight for the win tomorrow. I predict a close battle between us on the Ducatis and the two Hondas.”

TIMES (Superpole): 1. Haga (Ducati Xerox); 2. Rea (Honda); 3. Haslam (Honda); 4. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox); 5. Spies (Yamaha); 6. Corser (BMW); 7. Biaggi (Aprilia); 8. Checa (Honda)