From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

HODGSON (DUCATI FILA) SETS RED-HOT PACE AS SUPERBIKE COMES TO SCORCHING ITALIAN ADRIATIC RIVIERA FOR ROUND 7

Just one week after racking up his fifth double win of the season, Britain’s Neil Hodgson (Ducati Fila) continues his red-hot championship pace this weekend as the World Superbike championship comes to a scorching Misano Adriatico circuit in Italy. Neil will not only have to contend with the summer temperatures, but also with his numerous rivals, including team-mate Ruben Xaus, twice on the podium at Silverstone.

Hodgson, who overcame a throat infection and a high temperature at Silverstone to win two of the best races seen all year, brings a 130-point lead to the Santamonica track as the championship moves into the second half of the season.

“After my two wins at Silverstone I feel 100% fit now” declared Neil. “I know it’s going to be a hot weekend here at Misano, but it’s great to be racing at what is more or less Ducati’s home circuit and I know there will be thousands of fans cheering me on come Sunday. Misano is not one of my favourite tracks, although I have set a couple of poles here and last year I finished third in race 2, whereas the year before my tyre exploded!. I’m feeling pretty confident for some good results here, although I don’t think the racing will be as crazy as Silverstone!”

Team-mate Ruben Xaus scored two third place finishes in Britain which have helped to boost his confidence and the 25-year-old Spanish rider now looks to capitalise on those results at Misano.

“I feel that when we find the right set-up, the 999 is great and we can go well but I need more testing time with the bike”, said Ruben. “As we saw in Silverstone if you work hard and find a good set-up for the race, then the results will come. I won here in Supersport twice and I was a bit unlucky last year. I hope to start working the best way on Friday, practice and practice and then the result will come by itself. The track surface and the heat are the worst parts of the Misano circuit, they’ve asphalted most of the track but not the back bit so you have to find the right compromise for that part of the circuit as well.”

CIRCUIT: The Misano circuit was designed in 1969 and started activity in 1972. Since 1992 it has continuously hosted the San Marino Round of the World Superbike Championship. The track’s location on Italy’s Adriatic Riviera and its mid-June date in the WSBK calendar have always guaranteed massive crowds for the race. The circuit itself measures 4.060 km and has four left and four right-hand curves, but the most impressive part is the long sweeping left-hander from Carro to Tramonto.

POINTS (after 6 of 12 rounds):
Riders – 1. Hodgson 295; 2. Toseland 165; 3. Xaus 158; 4. Laconi 145; 5. Lavilla 131; 6. Walker 110; etc.
Manufacturers – 1. Ducati 300; 2. Suzuki 158; 3. Petronas 52; 4. Kawasaki 51; 5. Yamaha 40; 5. Honda 21.

STATISTICS: Lap record: Kocinski (Ducati) 1:34.296 (1996); Superpole: Bayliss (Ducati) 1:33.525 (2002). Qualifying: Yanagawa (Kawasaki) 1:33.494 (1997). Race distance: 2×25 laps / 101.500 km.

2002 RESULTS:
Race 1 – 1. Bayliss (Ducati); 2. Edwards (Honda); 3. Hodgson (Ducati).
Race 2 – 1. Bayliss; 2. Edwards; 3. Haga (Aprilia)


More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Heat is on for Foggy PETRONAS Racing at Misano

Foggy PETRONAS Racing enter the second half of their first World Superbike campaign this weekend at Misano aiming for further progress in the development of the FP1.

With James Haydon ruled out of action through injury for this seventh round of the series, staged near the principality of San Marino, wild card Italian rider Lorenzo Mauri has been drafted in for a one-off ride. And, with temperatures expected to be the highest of the season, team boss Nigel Bosworth realises the heat is on for both Mauri and FPR regular Troy Corser.

He said: “We go into the second half of the season looking to improve on the development of the FP1 that we have achieved in the first six rounds. Work is underway on a modification to the cylinder heads and, when available, this should improve power and torque, produce better cooling, push the tyres and chassis more and result in us moving up the field. For this weekend, when it is expected to be very hot, we are increasing the pressure in the cylinder head to try to improve efficiency of a new water pump and therefore the cooling system.

“Lorenzo will have to go out and learn the bike first, as it is going to be very difficult for him on a new bike and with a new team. It’s never ideal to put a new rider on a bike at a race weekend, without having done any testing. But it is a great opportunity for him and we will do our best to make the most of this new input on the bike, as he has a good knowledge of Misano.”

Lorenzo said: “If necessary I will work 25 hours a day this weekend to make the most of this opportunity with Foggy PETRONAS Racing. It is very important for me and I am in great shape and very focused. After meeting the team today I already feel very comfortable with them and the FP1 is a very beautiful bike, although I have had to change the position of the bars and foot-pegs to suit my racing position. I know the Misano circuit very well and have been racing here for four years. I do not specialise in any one circuit, I just treat them all the same. This year, in the Italian Superstock championship, I qualified on pole here and was catching the leader, Lanzi, with three laps remaining when I had a problem with brakes and ran off track.”

Troy, whose fiancée Sam Davies is expecting their first child next week, said: “This is a track that I like and know very well as we used to do a lot of testing here with Ducati. It’s a very technical track and how you get onto the back straight is the key to a good lap time. The heat will be the most important factor for us.”