From a press release issued by HM Plant Ducati:

Showdown at Imola

The build-up to the final round of the 2002 Superbike World Championship has begun. The final two races of the year will take place this Sunday (29 September) and either Colin Edwards or Troy Bayliss will come away from the Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit in Imola with the championship crown. This 13th round will also decide the final championship standings of HM Plant Ducati campaigners Neil Hodgson and James Toseland. Both riders have had an exceptional season but for Hodgson in particular, taking the chequered flag at the end of the second race will hold a special significance – it will conclude his last ride aboard the HM Plant Ducati for GSE Racing.

Hodgson’s Italian swansong is set to cap an incredibly successful four years of competition with GSE Racing. His partnership with the British team has yielded a British Superbike Championship title as well as World Superbike race wins and podium finishes. Last season the 28-year-old Englishman achieved an overall placing of fifth in the 2001 world championship. This weekend he is hoping to confirm his 2002 ranking of third in the world.

“I’m sure that it’s going to be an pretty emotional weekend,” says Hodgson. “I’ve had a fantastic four years with GSE Racing and we’ve achieved some amazing results. The team is definitely one of the most professional in the paddock and it’s been a pleasure working with them. I’ll be sad to leave but they’ll only be a couple of garages away next year and I expect that James will be snapping at my heels in most of the races, so it’s not like I’ll get a chance to miss them too much!

“I’m really looking forward to Imola, even though I had a couple of poor races there last year. I like the circuit and expect to be right up there with Colin and Troy when the lights go green. This will be my last chance to climb onto the podium in HM Plant Ducati colours and I’m going to make sure that that’s exactly what I do. I only need to score three points in the first race to secure my third place in the championship then I can just go for it in the second. I want to end my time with GSE Racing with another win.”

James Toseland may have signed to ride for GSE Racing for another two years but he is equally focussed on ending this season on a high. The last round of the championship at Assen saw Toseland climb onto the World Superbike podium for the first time in his burgeoning Superbike career. It is clear that this momentous event has only served to make the 21-year-old Yorkshireman more determined than ever to rack up even more big points finishes.

“I’ve had a great season on the HM Plant Ducati but Assen may have just given me the final boost that I needed to help me improve even further,” explains Toseland. “I’ve been getting top six finishes all season and hopefully I’ll be able to wrap it up with a couple of strong performances. Neil has been a great team-mate over the last couple of years – I’ve learned a lot from him and I’ll be putting everything that I’ve learned into action in both races.”

2001 results
Race one: 1. R. Xaus (Ducati) 38:42.598; 2. T. Corser (Aprilia) +3.601; 3. C. Edwards (Honda) +4.079; 10. N. Hodgson (GSE Racing) +49.078; J. Toseland (GSE Racing) DNF

Race two: 1. R. Laconi (Aprilia) 38:33.264; 2. R. Xaus (Ducati) +0.021; 3. T. Okada (Honda) +0.844; 7. N. Hodgson (GSE Racing) +38.727; J. Toseland (GSE Racing) DNS

Lap record: 1:49.398 T. Corser (Aprilia) 2001