From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

POINTS LEADER TOSELAND (DUCATI FILA) READY FOR BRANDS HATCH THRILLER

Brands Hatch (UK), 29 July 2004: World Superbike returns to Britain for the second time this season, this time to Brands Hatch in Kent, for its flagship event, which every year attracts well in excess of 100,000 fans.

Two gutsy races at Laguna Seca, California see Ducati Fila rider James Toseland return home as championship leader once again in this see-saw season, three points ahead of his French team-mate Regis Laconi, but only 14 ahead of the fast-emerging Ten Kate Honda rider, Chris Vermeulen, winner of the last three races.

The 23-year-old Toseland from Sheffield, whose singleton win this season came at the Valencia opener, knows that the Brands Hatch race is the one to win and will be making every effort to shine in front of an expected sell-out British crowd.

“Brands Hatch is my home track and there will be a lot of pressure and a lot of expectation not only from everyone else but from myself as well. I look forward to Brands, it’s always one of those weekends when you get to Sunday night with two good results and have a big deep breath and think ‘thank god that’s over and done with!’. My results there have been pretty good, I beat all the World Superbike boys last year, finishing third behind the wild-cards in race 2.

“The best part of the circuit is Dingle Dell. Although the new corner is not as good as the old one, it’s still very exciting, while the trickiest part of the track is Surtees, before you go onto the back straight, but there isn’t really one corner where I think ‘I can’t get round this one’.

“At Brands you’re close to the track, you can see a lot, there’s a fantastic atmosphere, and hopefully the weather will be nice. It’s just a great event, to see the bikes and the racers so close is what Brands Hatch is all about” he added.

Twenty-nine year-old Laconi, a five-time winner this year, also enjoys the challenging and undulating Brands Hatch track and will be doing his best to add to his victory total as the WSBK championship reaches moves into the final part of the season.

“The Brands Hatch race is important because I have to start to get some more good results for the championship and try to win there” declared Laconi. “I’m not really worried about the situation because we are doing a good job with the team and working very hard to see what we can do now and for the rest of the season.

“At Brands I like the right corner after the back straight, Hawthorn Bend. It’s very fast, you arrive and brake there and you need a lot of courage for that corner. For me the most difficult part is the chicane, Dingle Dell. Even though it has changed a bit, it’s still difficult to see exactly where to go.

“Now there are three of us fighting hard for the championship. It’s very important to concentrate on the last four races but I am ready physically and mentally. I know I have to be at 100% because for sure I have to win,” he concluded.

POINTS (after 7 of 11 rounds): (Riders) 1. Toseland 201; 2. Laconi 198; 3. Vermeulen 187; 4. Haga 162 ; 5. Chili 160 ; 6. McCoy 146; etc.

(Manufacturers) 1. Ducati 335; 2. Honda 194; 3. Petronas 134; 4. Kawasaki 91; 5. Suzuki 72; 6. Yamaha 39.

CIRCUIT INFO:
Name: Brands Hatch.
Length: 4.197 km.
Pole Position: Left.
Corners Left/Right: 3/6.
Finish Line Length: 380 m.

STATISTICS (modified track):
Best lap: Byrne (Ducati), 1:26.248 (2003).
Lap record: Byrne (Ducati), 1:26.755 (2003). Superpole: Reynolds (Suzuki), 1:35.706 (2003). Race Distance: 2 x 25 laps/104.925 km.

2003 RESULTS:
Race 1: 1. Byrne (Ducati); 2. Hodgson (Ducati); 3. Walker (Ducati).
Race 2: 1. Byrne; 2. Reynolds (Suzuki); 3. Toseland (Ducati).