Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Misano World Supersport Race Results:

1. Karl Muggeridge, Honda CBR600RR, 23 laps, 42:11.937
2. Kevin Curtain, Yamaha YZF-R6, -3.708 seconds
3. Jurgen Vd Goorbergh, Yamaha YZF-R6, -7.813 seconds
4. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki GSX-R600, -10.044 seconds
5. Alessio Corradi, Honda CBR600RR, -19.358 seconds
6. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati 749R, -28.322 seconds
7. Stephane Chambon, Suzuki GSX-R600, -40.473 seconds
8. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 749R, -41.653 seconds
9. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R600, -45.428 seconds
10. Walter Tortoroglio, Suzuki GSX-R600, -46.428 seconds
11. Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha YZF-R6, -83.233 seconds
12. Antonio Carlacci, Yamaha YZF-R6, -84.889 seconds
13. Matthieu Lagrive, Suzuki GSX-R600, -97.145 seconds
14. Denis Sacchetti, Honda CBR600RR, -1 lap
15. Eli Chen, Honda CBR600RR, -2 laps
16. Nicky Wimbauer, Yamaha YZF-R6, -2 laps
17. Broc Parkes, Honda CBR600RR, -3 laps, DNF

19. Fabien Foret, Yamaha YZF-R6, -13 laps, DNF
20. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda CBR600RR, -15 laps, DNF
21. Christian Kellner, Yamaha YZF-R6, -20 laps, DNF
22. Stefano Cruciani, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, -22 laps, DNF

Fastest Lap of the Race: Parkes, 1:47.789


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:

World Supersport Championship 2004 – Round 3
Misano Adriatico Race Report
16 – 18 APRIL 2004
Wet, 15°C air, 16°C track.


MUGGERIDGE AND HONDA WIN IN MISANO RAINS

WSS Report

In a dramatic and often costly World Supersport race at Misano, Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda) secured the race win, the first for him and his team in the 2004 season.

Chasing his team-mate Broc Parkes (Ten Kate HondaCBR600RR) for most of the race, Muggeridge was propelled into the lead when, shortly after setting the fastest lap, Parkes fell from his machine with eight laps to go. This left Muggeridge a free track but lots of work still to do, especially with rain-master Kevin Curtain (Yamaha) on his tail. Curtain was to finish second, with Championship leader Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha) third.

Torrential rain at the end of the previous World Superbike race delayed the start of the Supersport race by a significant 40 minutes, as areas of the track were cleaned and allowed to dry out somewhat. The race was nonetheless declared wet, and most riders opted for soft compound wet tyres.

The Honda Italia Megabike duo, Alessio Corradi and Denis Sacchetti, both finished, Corradi strongly in fifth place after a terrible start, and Sacchetti in 14th place.

For the Klaffi Honda team, each of their two riders was a faller in a race that had only 16 finishers. Sebastien Charpentier crashed exiting the last chicane on lap nine, experiencing a high side fall on what was a slippery and unpredictable section of the track.

Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) only managed a few hundred meters of the Misano circuit in race conditions, being taken out by a falling competitor during a three rider crash at the first corner, walking away uninjured by understandably disappointed.

Muggeridge said from the podium, “I’m delighted to win in such horrendous conditions. I was nearly out of the race a couple of times early on so I’m pleased to be here. I don’t know if I could have caught Broc. I’d close on him and he would respond so it was static. I had a few slides and would have settled for second, but I’m happy to win.”

Parkes, a previous podium finisher at Misano, was philosophical. “I lost the front on the second last left,” he affirmed. “I sort of just touched the brake going in and it tucked under, but so fast. I never had any moments in the race before that and I felt really good. I saw that Karl was catching slowly so I was dawdling a bit and needed to go a little faster.”

Charpentier stated, through his disappointment: “On the exit of the last corner the rear went immediately away. Suddenly no grip in the rear and it was the same in practice. This is a very difficult day for me because I have no more points in the championship, and that is bad for the whole season.”

Neukirchner, after another assured qualifying, said of his fall, “There was nothing I could do. In the very first corner a rider came from behind and the side and took me out. It was a very short race and an unhappy one.”

Corradi, notable by his race progress, was dismayed at his start but felt satisfied in other ways. “I changed from first to second gear off the start but the bike stayed in first so I lost a lot of time when it spun up. It’s disappointing at home but I made some good points. I have never had a good result in the rain and this is the first race in which I have a real feel for my Honda – so I am happy for two reasons.”

Sacchetti, who scored his first points in World Supersport, said “I was lucky at the beginning because a lot of riders fell in front of me and I just missed the fall, so I rode to make sure I finished in the points. I’m pleased to have done this as these two points are my first in World Supersport.”

In the Championship itself, van den Goorbergh leads on 57 points, with Curtain on 47 and Muggeridge an upwardly mobile 37. Corradi propelled himself to the 20 point mark and ninth in classification, with Parkes 11th, on 13 points.

World Superbike Races
Regis Laconi (Ducati) had to give best to wet Superpole winner Steve Martin (Ducati) on Saturday but despite having to fight through from a bad start the Frenchman took his second win of the 2004 season. The largely dry start of the race was delayed, due to problems with one of the machines on the grid, but it was stopped before the scheduled 24-lap finish, due to the return of the rains that plagued qualifying.

Second place was taken by long time leader Tory Corser (Petronas) with Pierfrancesco Chili (Ducati) third, when Kawasaki rider Mauro Sanchini crashed out. Nori Yukihada (Ducati) finisched fourth and Cris Vermeulen fifth on his privately entered Ten Kate Honda.

A quite spectacular chase through almost the entire field, from 15th on lap one, delivered the first race win of the 2004 season to Pierfrancesco Chili (Ducati). He hunted down the long time leader Laconi, as the Frenchman’s tyres went off faster than his on a drying track. In third, Steve Martin (Ducati) was fully 32 seconds adrift of the front running fight.

In the World Championship itself, Chili now leads by a convincing 20 points, 97 to James Toseland (Ducati) and his 77. In third, Laconi leads Chris Vermeulen, also on 70 points, by dint of having won two races.

Round four of the championship continues in Italy, at the classic and impressively fast Monza circuit on May 14 -16.


More, from a press release issued by Belgarda Yamaha:

Date: Sunday, April 18th 2004
Circuit: Misano, m. 4.060
Weather: damp Temperature: air 15° track 16°
Crowd: 15.000

SUPERB PODIUM FOR JURGEN!

Yamaha Racing Italia rider Jurgen van den Goorbergh took a hard-fought for third place in difficult conditions at Misano today. The start of the race was delayed by nearly forty minutes after a heavy downpour washed dirt on to the track in several corners, but when the riders lined up, the rain had abated. Jurgen had qualified on the fourth row of the grid, but made a good start and was incredibly sixth at the end of the first lap. His team mate Fabien Foret started one row further back, but never really got on terms with the conditions and crashed out after 10 laps. Jurgen determinedly reeled in the leaders and moved into third spot on lap 21, but was unable to catch Curtain (Yamaha) in the final laps. Aussie Karl Muggeridge (Honda) won the race, after his team mate Broc Parkes fell off, whilst in the lead, after 14 laps.


JURGEN VAN DEN GOORBERGH – 3rd
I am very happy to get a podium, considering how far down the grid I was after qualifying. When I saw that today was wet, I knew had a very good chance of a podium and, after my start, I knew I could probably succeed.

It would have been easy to rush things in the early stages and make a mistake, but I used my experience and just kept pushing hard. I attacked Fujiwara for third spot and once I passed him, I knew I was on the podium. Curtain was too far away at the front, but I am happy to get the points and of course lead the championship.

FABIEN FORET – DNF
I have won both races in the last two years at Misano and I was ready to win again – if it was dry! But, the rain started on Friday and never really went away and that destroyed my ambitions. I knew it was going to be hard for me today, because I only qualified on the fifth row of the grid, but I pushed as hard as I could. Unfortunately, I may have pushed a bit too hard in the last chicane because I crashed! It’s a disappointment, but I’ll be back on top in the next race at Monza.


More, from a press release issued by Connie Kassel:

Nicky Wimbauer, 16 year old American young gun riding for the Italian Team Trasimeno finished in 16th position at his first World SuperSport race in Misano and held under difficult track conditions. Rain gave way to sunshine but left a wet track for the 23 lap event.

Nicky had a good start and avoided a 3 rider crash in turn 1. He closely followed Fabien Foret(retired) & Massimo Roccoli (finished 11th) until lap 9 when a loose chain caused the rear wheel to skip which resulted in an off track ride in turn 1 and limped into the pits. The team frantically fixed the problem and Nicky was back out 2 laps down and worked his way to a nice 16th position under the checker flag.

Nicky said, “I had a great race that I met two of my goals 1st qualify & 2nd took a checker flag at a World SuperSport race. I am excited to have finished but dang, I really wanted that first WSS point and I could have finished higher. I have to focus now to next week with the Italian series and Monza later. Thank you to Team Trasimeno, my Dad, Connie, Rich, TI & everyone! I raced my first World SuperSport!”


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

LANZI (DUCATI BREIL) SIXTH AT MISANO IN SUPERSPORT THRILLER AFTER ROW 4 START

Misano Adriatico (Italia), Sunday 18 April 2004: Lorenzo Lanzi took his Ducati 749R Breil to a positive sixth place in an exciting third round of the World Supersport Championship at Misano Adriatico.

On a track made difficult by the rainy and wet conditions, the 22 year-old Italian started from fifteenth position on the grid and passed numerous riders during the early stages of the race, crossing the line at the end of lap 2, a position he held for three more laps.

Unfortunately for Lanzi, the track dried out during the 23 lap race and the young Ducati Breil rider had to settle for sixth place overall.

“I made a great start but then it stopped raining!” declared Lanzi. “I’m really disappointed because we put on a couple of softer tyres as the sky still looked menacing before the start. If it had continued to rain, I could have got on the podium today.

“Unfortunately I had to settle for sixth place because in the last five laps there was no more tyre left. Luckily the others were a long way behind but I’m a bit disappointed not to have got onto the podium. However starting from fifteenth on the grid and finishing sixth is a good result.”

RESULTS: 1. Muggeridge (Honda); 2. Curtain (Yamaha); 3. VD Goorbergh (Yamaha); 4. Fujiwara (Suzuki); 5. Corradi (Honda); 6. Lanzi (Ducati Breil); etc.

POINTS (after 3 of 10 rounds):

(Riders) 1. VD Goorbergh 57; 2. Curtain 47; 3. Muggeridge 37; 4. Fujiwara 34; 5. Lanzi & Foret (Yamaha) 30; etc.

(Manufacturers) 1. Yamaha 65 ; 2. Honda 59 ; 3. Suzuki 35; 4. Ducati 30; 5. Kawasaki 8.


More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda:

Muggeridge Takes Win for Ten Kate Honda

Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda) scored a magnificent win in trying conditions at Misano, with a fully wet track welcoming the riders in the 23-lap Supersport race, delayed because of the heavy fall of rain which stopped the first Superbike race.

It could have been a Ten Kate 1-2, as Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda) lead for the vast majority of the race distance, only to suffer a high-speed fall when his front lost grip on lap 15.

For Muggeridge, his first race win of 2004 pushes him into new levels of compe titiveness in the championship points table. “I’m delighted to win in such horrendous conditions,” he grinned. “I was nearly out of the race a couple of times early on so I’m pleased to be here. I don’t know if I could have caught Broc. I’d close on him and he would respond so it was static. I had a few slides and would have settled for second, but I’m happy to win.”

For Parkes, it was a disappointing race day, and the crash was something of a mystery. “I lost the front on the second last left,” he affirmed. “I sort of just touched the brake going in and it tucked under, but so fast. I never had any moment in the race before that and I felt really good. I saw that Karl was catching slowly so I was dawdling a bit and needed to go a little faster.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate stated, “For sure we have some mixed feelings. I am very pleased for Karl’s win because it puts us back in the charts and for us now the season is open. We can charge forward now and we know that we can be fast in any track we go to now, so we’ll see what it brings. It was looking like a good 1-2 but Broc had a moment where he lost the front but these things happen in the conditions we had today.”

In the championship itself, Muggeridge now sits third with 37 points, 20 behind leader Jurgen van den Goorbergh, with Parkes 11th on 13 points.

The next round of the championship takes place at Monza, Italy, on 16 May.