Updated Post: Muggeridge Wins Again In World Supersport

Updated Post: Muggeridge Wins Again In World Supersport

© 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

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Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

World Supersport Race Results:

1. Karl Muggeridge, Honda CBR600RR, 16 laps, 34:14.542
2. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda CBR600RR, -0.157 second
3. Andrew Pitt, Yamaha YZF-R6, -6.004 seconds
4. Broc Parkes, Honda CBR600RR, -7.499 seconds
5. Jurgen Vd Goorbergh, Yamaha YZF-R6, -7.822 seconds
6. Jam Hanson, Honda CBR600RR
7. Max Neukirchner, Honda CBR600RR
8. Arie Vos, Kawasaki ZX-6RR
9. Christian Kellner, Yamaha YZF-R6
10. Barry Veneman, Suzuki GSX-R600
11. Kai Borre Andersen Kai, Kawasaki ZX-6RR
12. Stefano Cruciani, Kawasaki ZX-6RR
13. Stephane Chambon, Suzuki GSX-R600
14. Matthieu Lagrive, Suzuki GSX-R600
15. Matteo Baiocco, Yamaha YZF-R6
16. Iain MacPherson, Ducati 749R
17. Denis Sacchetti, Honda CBR600RR
18. Roman Stamm, Suzuki GSX-R600
19. Sebastien Le Grelle, Honda CBR600RR, -1 lap
20. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati 749R, -2 laps
21. Kevin Curtain, Yamaha YZF-R6, -1 lap, DNF
22. Fabien Foret, Yamaha YZF-R6, -5 laps, DNF

26. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki GSX-R600, -10 laps, DNF

Fastest Lap: Andrew Pitt, 2:07.430


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

Assen: Muggeridge Takes Fifth Win

Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) romped to his fifth win of the season at Assen, his Ten Kate Team’s home circuit. With over 400 guests in tow this weekend, it was a special result for all concerned, and the 25 points gained for Muggeridge’s win extends his championship lead still further, to a massive 38 points, with only two rounds remaining.

Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) did not find his machine set-up a perfect match for the exceptionally hot track conditions, but fought all the way to a fourth place finish, keeping him third in the overall championship fight.

After his fifth win and his sixth podium finish in a row, Muggeridge stated, “There were a lot of guest of the team here this weekend, which added a little something to it all. I was happy just to win the race and make my team happy. Maybe I’ll get a job for next year! I’m going to keep pushing until the end, even though our points position is pretty good now. Charpentier is always there now but on the day we’ll see who can win the next races. Today Sebastien and the rest did not give me any breaks. I was desperate for them to slow down a bit and give me a break but they kept pushing all the way, With the temperature being so high it was very slippery out there. This morning we could set better times in the lower temperatures.”

Parkes felt compromised in his race pace by a not quite perfect set-up for the conditions. “I just couldn’t stay on the back of the main group and that was the problem. I lost the front a few times when I was trying to stick with them, but I tried as much as I could but couldn’t catch them again. I think it was the bike set-up so I have to do that a little bit better.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate was delighted to win, but knows the job is not complete yet. “We could not ask for more from Karl today, taking such a strong win after a great period of qualifying. It is not over yet and we will keep on working hard at the next two races. But we will be waiting for the fat lady to sing. Broc had some problems in the race with grip, so he couldn’t do any better than fourth. Luckily for us he was in front of Karl’s main championship rival Jurgen van den Goorbergh so I am happy with the job he did today.”

World Supersport Championship
Round Eight – Assen, Netherlands
3 – 5 September 2004
Race Report
1. K. Muggeridge, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR,
2. S. Charpentier, FRA, Honda CBR600RR, 0.157
3. A. Pitt, AUS, Yamaha YZF R6, 6.004
4. B. Parkes, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, 7.499
5. J. Vd Goorbergh, NED, Yamaha YZF R6, 7.822
6. J. Hanson, SWE, Honda CBR600RR, 23.817
7. M. Neukirchner, GER, Honda CBR600RR, 24.757
8. A. Vos, NED, Kawasaki ZX6 RR, 26.405
9. C. Kellner, GER, Yamaha YZF R6, 28.450
10. B. Veneman, NED, Suzuki GSX-R 600, 36.504


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

Track: Dry, 35°C
Air: Warm, Sunny 27°C
Attendance: 76,000 (three days)

World Supersport Championship 2004 – Round 8
Assen Race Report
3 – 5 SEPTEMBER 2004


MUGGERIDGE TAKES FIFTH WIN IN COMMANDING STYLE

Karl Muggeridge called on every bit of experience and all his Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR’s speed to hold off a quality field of Supersport entrants at hot and sunny Assen circuit, in front of a large and enthusiastic Dutch crowd of 76,000.

His fifth win of the year came after a peerless display of front running, with both regular riders and wildcards not quite able to match his pace throughout. Controlling things from the front, Muggeridge rode perfectly in the final corners and eventually won by a small but safe margin of 0.157 seconds, from fast Klaffi Honda rider Sebastien Charpentier, with wild card Yamaha rider Andrew Pitt in a distant third.

An imperfect set-up and high tarmac temperatures put Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) in fourth position, seven seconds from the leading pace. Swede Jan Hanson took his private Honda CBR600RR to a fine sixth while regular Klaffi Honda Team rider Max Neukirchner once more belied his age and limited Supersport experience to fight his way through to seventh.

With Alessio Corradi out of the race, thanks to a broken wrist sustained in a Saturday qualifying crash on oil, Denis Sacchetti was the lone Team Italia Megabike Honda rider in residence, and he took 17th place, just out of the points.

For Muggeridge, who extended his championship lead to 38 points as his main rival Jurgen van den Goorbergh, could only finish fifth, Assen was an important race. “There were a lot of guests of the team here this weekend, which added a little something to it all. I was happy just to win the race and make my team happy. Maybe I’ll get a job for next year! I’m going to keep pushing until the end, even though our points position is pretty good now. Charpentier is always there but on the day we’ll see who can win the next races. Today Sebastien and the rest did not give me any breaks. I was desperate for them to slow down a bit and give me a break but they kept pushing all the way, With the temperature being so high it was very slippery out there. This morning we could set better times in the lower temperatures.”

Charpentier’s race was a tough one, although he did not give up the fight until the chequered flag was unfurled. “It is very hard to pass Karl. He is a very experienced rider, he and his team have many wins and it is still only the third year of existence for our team. I pushed Karl as much as I could but it was not possible to pass him. He was riding at a very high speed and always had good lines in the corners. I feel good for the next races, so we will try our best there. We also have a good position in the championship now.” Charpentier is fourth in the title fight.

Parkes was disappointed to be only fourth after such hard work in hot conditions, but gave it his all and is third in the championship. “I just couldn’t stay on the back of the main group and that was the problem. I lost the front a few times when I was trying to stick with them, but I tried as much as I could but couldn’t catch them again. I think it was the bike set-up so I have to do that a little bit better.”

Rookie Neukirchner, rode with the exuberance of youth but finished his race with a cool head to conquer the overheated asphalt. “It was a very tough race for me today, because I had some big slides from the rear as the race went on. I have experience of this track from my European championship days and that helped. I lost contact with the group at the front after I had a big front end slide and that stopped me running with them. I was pleased with seventh, in the circumstances it was a good result for us so I am satisfied.” He ended his weekend tenth in the title fight.

Sacchetti stated, “I started not so well and I ran the first laps of the race in the final positions of the group. After three laps I got a tow from the group in front of me and then I passed many riders. I’m not completely satisfied for the race: I know that if I start better I can to run for better positions. My target for this race was to take points for the championship. The target is missed and I’m not happy.”

World Superbike Championship – Round 9
The first of two Assen World Superbike races was taken by the works Ducati of James Toseland, the Briton enjoying his second race win of the year. He was followed home at 1.2 seconds distant by Superpole winner Pierfrancesco Chili (Ducati) and Regis Laconi (Ducati), with Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) fourth and Chris Vermeulen, on a Ten Kate prepared CBR1000RR Fireblade, fifth.

In the second race Vermeulen took a popular win for the Ten Kate squad, getting the better of a classic battle between himself and Toseland, with Haga a close and threatening third. Chili dropped to fourth and Laconi was fifth. In the championship Vermeulen remains second, now on 252 points, but Toseland is the new championship leader, with 255. Fourteen points separate the leading four riders.

The championship now moves to the penultimate round at Imola, on September 26.


More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

SUPERB PODIUM FOR PITT ON HIS DEBUT

Yamaha Racing Italia rider Andrew Pitt took a superb third place in a hotly-contested race at Assen today in front of over seventy-thousand sun-baked fans. The Australian was racing a Yamaha R6 for the first time, but even though he was not used to the bike or the Pirelli tyres, he was a podium contender right from the start. He and fellow countryman Kevin Curtain – also on a Yamaha – clashed at the final chicane as they both chased third spot, but Pitt managed to keep the bike upright and ride through the gravel to take the chequered flag, behind Honda riders Karl Muggeridge and Sebastien Charpentier. Jurgen van den Goorbergh lost touch with the leaders early on in the race and finished fifth. Fabien Foret shouldn’t even have been riding (thanks to a broken ankle) but he got up to fifth before losing the front and crashing out – fortunately without any further injury.

ANDREW PITT – 3rd

Third today was better then I expected before the weekend, but I’m very happy. This was my first race on a Yamaha R6 and also the first time on Pirellis, but I got on with both pretty well. With more experience of both, I think I could have beaten Muggeridge. My only regret this weekend is my contact with my friend Kevin Curtain on the last lap. We were both chasing the same piece of tarmac and as there wasn’t space for both of us, one of us had top lose out. We made contact and he went down, but I managed to keep the bike upright and ride through the gravel trap and then rejoin the track to take the chequered flag and third place. The team have asked me to ride in the last two rounds and I’m really looking forward to that.

JURGEN VD GOORBERGH – 5th

The bike was OK today, though I needed a little bit more acceleration to be able to overtake. I think I lost the race at the start because I didn’t have a clean track in front of me. If there had been a clear track ahead, I’m sure I could’ve been right with the leaders and better placed to make a move on them. It’s a tough task to catch Muggeridge in the points standing, but I’ll try my best in the last two races.

FABIEN FORET – DNF

I pushed very hard not to lose contact with the leading bunch, but it wasn’t so easy riding with a broken ankle. I crashed when I lost the front – similar to the crash I had in practice – but luckily I didn’t do any further damage. Now, i’ve got three weeks to improve my condition and get fit to race. I want to end the season by doing something special.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

NO ASSEN JOY FOR ALSTARE TEAM
Team Suzuki Press Office – September 5, 2004.

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra left Assen bitterly disappointed at their results in today’s 16-lap Supersport World Championship race after only Stephane Chambon finished the race in a disappointing 13th position.

Katsuaki Fujiwara was forced to pull out with a clutch problem and Vittorio Iannuzzo had another crash.

Series leader Karl Muggeridge (Honda) won after a race-long battle with fellow Honda rider Sebastien Charpentier with former Supersport World Champion Andrew Pitt third.

STEPHANE CHAMBON – 13th:

“It’s no pleasure finishing 13th when you know that you are capable of much more. Thanks to my lowly grid position, I was only 17th at the start but I tried to move up the order as the race went on, but it was not to be.”

KATSUAKI FUJIWARA – DNF:

“After one lap, I was in fourth place and happy. But after two more laps, the clutch felt a bit funny and, three laps later, it became a serious problem and I had to pull in. It was a big disappointment to me and the team.”

VITTORIO IANNUZZO – DNF:

“Another loss of front end, another crash and no points! I find it hard to believe what has happened to me this season and I cannot really explain many of the things that have gone on. Imola is next and I feel it is a ‘home’ race, so I have to do well.”


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

NO LUCK FOR LANZI (DUCATI BREIL) IN ASSEN SUPERSPORT

Assen (Netherlands), 5 September 2004: Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Breil) completed a disappointing Assen weekend with 20th place in the Dutch Round of the World Supersport championship.

The 22-year-old Italian rider, starting 22nd on the grid, pitted half-way through the race with a front tyre problem and was classified twentieth, two laps adrift of the winner Muggeridge (Honda).

“I did quite a good start to get into the first corner well but on the opening lap I went wide onto the dirt to avoid another rider and finished lap 1 in 22nd position” declared Lanzi.

“I was recovering well but after four laps I began to have a problem with the front tyre and the steering was feeling strange, I almost fell a few times so I decided to come into the pits to change the tyre.

“We put a harder tyre on and I went back out again but by then I couldn’t do much. With the new tyre I was lapping slower than usual because we didn’t have the right set-up, but at least I wasn’t crashing out at every corner. It was a disappointing weekend all round.”

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