Updated Post: Xaus Wins Second World Superbike Race At Imola, On Grooved Tires

Updated Post: Xaus Wins Second World Superbike Race At Imola, On Grooved Tires

© 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Categories:

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Ruben Xaus and Neil Hodgson ran grooved 16.5-inch Michelin Pilot Race tires in the second World Superbike race today at Imola, which Xaus won.

According to Nicolas Goubert, head of motorcycle racing for Michelin Competition, “We wanted to prove that well-designed grooved Michelin tires can offer good performance. Grand Prix motorcycles, which are prototypes, must use slick tyres. But, and thanks to Ducati we could prove it today, grooved tires are well adapted to racing motorcycles close to production, like Superbikes.”

A Michelin spokesman said that the tires used by Xaus and Hodgson “were designed, made and tested for the 2004 Supersport World Championship. Unfortunately, with the one manufacturer rules, they will not be used for that purpose. So Imola was a good opportunity to test them during a real race.”

World Superbike Race Two
Imola, Italy
Results:
1. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 999F03, 21 laps, 38:29.867

2. Regis Laconi, Ducati 998RS, 38:41.905

3. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 38:45.608

4. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 999F03, 38:54.713

5. Chris Walker, Ducati 998F02, 38:55.819

6. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 39:21.645

7. Troy Corser, Petronas FP1, 39:25.449

8. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 39:30.726

9. Juan Bautista Borja, Ducati 998RS, 39:33.291

10. David Garcia, Ducati 998RS, 39:47.791

11. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS, 40:01.674

12. Alex Gramigni, Yamaha YZF-R1, 40:04.579

13. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 40:13.459

14. Horst Saiger, Yamaha YZF-R1, 20 laps

15. Luca Pini, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 20 laps


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

XAUS SCORES DOUBLE WIN FOR DUCATI FILA AT IMOLA–HODGSON TAKES SECOND AND FOURTH

Imola (Italy), 28 September ’03: Ruben Xaus (Ducati Fila) scored a superb double victory at Imola today to clinch second place in the championship and help Ducati Fila score a resounding 1-2 finish in the standings. Championship winner Neil Hodgson battled with his Spanish team-mate in race 1 to finish second but was relegated to fourth place in race 2 after a trip into the gravel at the Tosa.

“I wanted to win today. My plan was to start from pole, be first into the first corner and win, win because I know I had a good set-up and good pace” declared Ruben. “In the second race Neil was braking really hard and then I was second. He was fast in some places and I was faster in others, so it was not easy to be behind him. I wanted to pass but couldn’t so I said OK and wait. Then I was past but I didn’t see that Neil had gone off. The tyres were fine, Michelin wanted to show to everyone that they can win with a street tyre design and they did today. We did even better lap times than the slick tyres in race 1. These race wins today are dedicated to my crew, because we have become a fantastic team together in the second part of the season”.

Neil Hodgson gave 100% today but was not too disappointed with his results. “I always want to win and was frustrated not to. The back-markers were the same for everyone and it was really difficult to pass two side-by-side. No excuses, I rode well and Rubens won the race” declared Neil after race 1.

“That’s racing” he added about his trip into the gravel in the second race, “I just backed in really aggressive, the bike gripped and almost high-sided me. It was good racing today and in that second race the tyre gave a lot of feeling and grip. I know I could have got Ruben because I was riding well and I always go for the win but I’m not complaining about the result”.

MICHELIN: In collaboration with its French tyre supplier Michelin, Ducati Corse fitted the 999 Factory bikes of Hodgson and Xaus with grooved rear tyres in race 2, an experiment that proved to be successful, with Xaus’s win. Nicolas Goubert, Head of Michelin motorcycle racing competition declared: “We wanted to prove that well-designed grooved Michelin tyres can deliver good performance. Thanks to Ducati we have proved today that grooved tyres are well-adapted to racing motorcycles close to production like Superbikes.”

FILA: With one round left in the championship, Ducati and Fila can consider 2003 to have been a remarkably successful year, the all-Italian partnership picking up the Riders’ and Constructors’ titles in its first season. “The agreement signed in December 2002 appointing Fila as Title Sponsor for the official Ducati Superbike team, has been successfully carried out this year” said Jon Epstein, President and CEO of Sport Brands International, the new holding company that recently completed the purchase of Fila and all of its subsidiaries. “We are proud to be associated with the winning team of the 2003 World Superbike Championship and we look forward to another fantastic year in 2004.”

FINAL ROUND: The final round of the 2003 World Superbike Championship will take place on October 19th at the Magny-Cours Formula 1 circuit in France, which last hosted an Superbike race in 1991. Hodgson and Xaus’s Ducati 999 bikes have been running Magny-Cours WSBK promotion stickers on their swing-arms since the Assen round.

RACE 1: 1. Xaus (Ducati Fila); 2. Hodgson (Ducati Fila); 3. Laconi (NCR Ducati); 4. Lavilla (Suzuki); 5. Chili (PSG-1 Ducati); 6. Martin (DFX Ducati); 7. Corser (Petronas); 8. Sanchini (Kawasaki); etc.

RACE 2 : 1. Xaus; 2. Laconi; 3. Lavilla; 4. Hodgson; 5. Walker (HM Plant Ducati); 6.
Pedercini (Ducati); 7. Corser; 8. Sanchini; etc.



POINTS:
Riders – 1. Hodgson 464; 2. Xaus 341; 3. Laconi 257; 4. Toseland 240; 5. Lavilla 230; 6. Walker 202; etc.
Constructors – 1. Ducati 550 ; 2. Suzuki 280; 3. Kawasaki 117; 4. Petronas 110; 5. Yamaha 63; 6. Honda 25.


More, from a press release issued by series organizers:

FIM SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Round 11
Imola 28 September 2003

XAUS IMMACULATE IN IMOLA DOUBLE

Neil Hodgson (Ducati Fila 999 F03) may have shared wins with his team-mate Ruben Xaus at the previous Assen round but this weekend the continuing growth of Xaus as a global force was demonstrated perfectly with two convincing race wins. The tall Catalan rider rode hard from green light to flag and forced Hodgson into two errors, which gave him a narrower win in race one and a clear margin of victory in race two.

Hodgson may have been held back by the presence of two backmarkers in race one but outbraked himself in race two, running off the track. Saving the situation with aplomb Hodgson did not crash, but rejoined in fifth, finishing his race in fourth after the chequered flag was shown.

Regis Laconi (Ducati NCR Nortel 998RS) did his championship challenge a world of good with a third and second place finish in the races at Imola, especially as his big championship rival James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati 998F02), retired in race one with a broken gear linkage and crashed in race two.

Gregorio Lavilla (Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000) was the first four-cylinder rider home in race two, in a fine third place after an early four-way fight between Laconi, Toseland, Lavilla and Chris Walker (HM Plant Ducati 998 F03). He took fourth in race one, during a lonely ride to the first non-podium placing.

Walker finished his weekend with a race one crash and a race two fifth place, the sensation of race one being Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) who stalled on the line and then rode though to fifth. He ended race two with a technical retirement.

The best private rider on show was different in each race, Steve Martin (DFX Ducati Pirelli) following in the tracks of Chili in race one, and Lucio Pedercini (Pedercini Ducati 998 RS) scoring a great sixth place.

The Foggy Petronas triple of Troy Corser was in good form in comparison to the early season races, delivering Corser a pair of seventh places. James Haydon, his team-mate, ran off the track and then had a technical failure in race one, and followed that up with another technical failure in race two.

Mauro Sanchini (Kawasaki Bertocchi ZX-7RR), Ivan Clementi (Kawasaki Bertocchi ZX-7RR) and Marco Borciani (DFX Ducati 998RS) took the last places in the top ten in race one, Sanchini, Juan Borja (DFX Ducati 998RS) and David Garcia scoring those finishes in the second 21-lapper.

In the championship Hodgson and Xaus are safe in first and second places, with 464 and 341 points respectively, while Laconi has leapfrogged his way to third place in the classification, with 257 points to Toseland’s 240. Lavilla is the top four-cylinder rider, in fifth with 230.

In the World Supersport Championship Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) and Honda took the Riders’ and Manufacturers’ crowns respectively after Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) won the race and Vermeulen finished second.

It was Muggeridge’s second straight win, following up on his devastating pole time, although another Aussie, wildcard rider Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany R6) took the new race lap record of 1:53.122 before retiring with a worn out gear linkage.

Vermeulen is now the youngest ever rider to win the championship, at the tender age of 21.

Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Belgarda R6) returned to third in the championship after scoring third in the Imola race but for the Alstare Suzuki pairing of Stephane Chambon (fourth) and Katsuaki Fujiwara (a retiree through crashing) Imola marked the end of their championship aspirations. Chambon now sits second overall, on 126, with van den Goorbergh third on 120 and Fujiwara static on 119.

The final 2003 round of both SBK and Supersport series takes place at Magny Cours in France, on October 19.



More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist:

PAIR OF SEVENS FOR TROY.
Troy had a difficult couple of 21-lap races at Imola today, but emerged with a pair of gritty, hard fought for sevenths at the end. Whilst lesser riders might have pulled out of the second race, Troy just put his head, kept going and was rewarded with his second best points tally of the season. Afterwards he was generally happy and very positive about the improvements that the team had made and is now looking for even better results in the last race of the year at Magny-Cours in October. Spaniard Ruben Xaus (Ducati) won both races today, with team mate Neil Hodgson taking runner-up spot in the first race and Frenchman Regis Laconi (Ducati) third. Xaus and Hodgson had a tremendous battle in race two, but after Hodgson crashed on the penultimate lap, Xaus cruised to victory. Laconi took second, with Gregorio Lavilla (Suzuki) third.

TROY Race 1: 7th, Race 2: 7th
Generally, I’m happy with today, though I was a bit lucky to finish the second race. I made a great start in race one and tried to run at the front for as long as possible. I knew Chili was going to catch me, so I made sure that nobody else did. Some of the other bikes were faster on the straights and in trying to keep up my rear tyre started spinning a lot and that prevented me running consistent lap times.

In race two, the engine felt slower (it was the same bike and the same tyres) and I thought about pulling in after two thirds race distance because I could see some oil on the rear of the bike. Fortunately the rear hugger must have been deflecting the oil from the rear tyre so I decided the push hard and see if Sanchini would make a mistake sooner rather then later and that’s how it was. This weekend we got the bike running pretty well in the short time we had here and that is very encouraging.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:


PODIUM FOR GREGORIO

2003 Superbike World Championship . Round 11, Imola, Italy. Sunday 28th September.

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Gregorio Lavilla took a superb third place in the second Superbike World Championship race at Imola today. He had to fight hard for it though, but his gritty, determined riding saw him achieve his seventh podium place of the year. This followed fourth place in the race one, which was a result of once again sticking to his task and picking up places as he overtook others or staying calm when some fell by the wayside. Either way, Gregorio more then deserved his twenty-nine points tally for the weekend, though it would’ve probably have been more if he’d been able to start from a grid position higher then the third row. Spaniard Ruben Xaus (Ducati) won both races today; with team mate Neil Hodgson taking runner-up spot in the first race and Frenchman Regis Laconi (Ducati) third. Xaus and Hodgson had a tremendous battle in race two, but after Hodgson crashed on the penultimate lap, Xaus cruised to victory, with Laconi second, ahead of Gregorio.

GREGORIO LAVILLA Race 1:4th, Race 2: 3rd
I’m please with today because I knew how hard its was going to be after the first practice. It was always going to be two tough races ­ especially because I was starting from the third row of the grid. My start to the first race was OK and then I was involved in a group of riders ­ all trying hard. I was able to move up to fourth by lap 12, but Laconi was too far in front and unless he made a big mistake, there was no chance of improving. I kept an eye on my pitboards though just to make sure I wouldn’t lose fourth. I used a different tyre for the second race and it was much better! I could stay with the group and then pick them off one by one and I thought another fourth was my best possibility. Then Hodgson crashed and I was in third and that made everything much better. On this track the bike is really hard to control and I feel I am spending a lot of the time fighting it. But, I always fight as best I can and today, I think we did very well to get the results we did.

Result: Race 1: Xaus (E-Ducati), 2 Hodgson (GB-Ducati), 3 Laconi (F-Ducati), 4 GREGORIO LAVILLA (E-ALSTARE SUZUKI CORONA EXTRA), 5 Chili (I-Ducati), 6 Martin (AUS-Ducati),

Result Race 2: Xaus, 2 Laconi, 3, GREGORIO LAVILLA (E-ALSTARE SUZUKI CORONA EXTRA), 4 Hodgson, 5 Walker (GB-Ducati), 6 Pedercini (I-Ducati), Points: 1 Hodgson 464, 2 Xaus 341, 3 Laconi 257, 4 Toseland 240, 5 GREGORIO LAVILLA (E-ALSTARE SUZUKI CORONA EXTRA) 230, 6 Walker 202


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

Corser lights up weekend for Foggy PETRONAS Racing

Troy Corser survived the black-out in Italy to light up the weekend for Foggy PETRONAS Racing with two seventh places at the penultimate round of the World Superbike championship in Imola.
After much of the country had spent the night without electricity, the Australian powered the FP1 – the Malaysian superbike – to another double display which highlighted the progress made in the last two rounds.

And team owner Carl Fogarty was suitably impressed with his Australian rider. He said: “It was a fantastic weekend for Troy. I am really pleased with that as it was a race that I didn’t expect us to do too well in, as
the circuit has a few uphill sections and slow corners and it is well-documented that we are down on power at this stage of the engine development. But those results show how well he is riding, how good the chassis is and how hard the team has been working. We are going to be a serious force when we get a stronger engine next year.”

Troy said: “We have got the bike working pretty well in the short time we have been here, which is encouraging. I had a great start in race one but the other bikes were a little faster on the straights. In the second race the engine was slower from the start and I almost had to pull in with six laps remaining, as I could see oil on the bike. But the rear hugger must have been deflecting it from the tyre so I decided to
push hard and try to force Sanchini into a mistake, rather than wait until the last lap to make a move. “

Team-mate James Haydon suffered another frustrating weekend and was forced to retire on the fifth lap both races with engine failure. He said: “I came into the weekend feeling really positive but the outcome was still the same and there was nothing I could do about it. After the disappointment of the first race I had a great start and was up to 15th and thought ‘Yeah, this is more like it.’ Then I felt the engine tighten,
saw oil and had to come in.”


More, from a press release issued by HM Plant Ducati:

Walker bags fifth at Imola

Race two of the penultimate round of the 2003 Superbike World Championship didn’t go according to plan for the HM Plant Ducati team with James Toseland crashing out and failing to score any points. Team mate Chris Walker’s luck improved as he managed to finish race two in fifth place after his first race ended in the gravel trap.

In overcast conditions at the Italian circuit, Chris Walker made another fantastic start off the grid, moving up from tenth to fourth place by the first corner, just in front of his team mate. However, hungry for success after his retirement from race one with a broken gear lever, Toseland soon found a way past Walker and was challenging for a podium slot as early as lap four.

Knowing that Regis Laconi’s rostrum finish in race one had brought them to within a few points of each other with just one round of the championship remaining at Magny-Cours, Toseland continued his pursuit of the Frenchman, with Walker and Lavilla joining in the fun. This four-way battle for third continued for the majority of the race with Toseland trying all possibilities to find a gap to squeeze through. The Sheffield rider eventually managed this on the tenth lap by pushing Laconi wide and forcing his way through into third place.

However, on lap 15 Toseland’s nightmare weekend continued as he crashed out with just six laps remaining, losing his third place in the Superbike World Championship standings in the process. Walker went on to eventually finish the race in fifth place, just behind Neil Hodgson, who had rejoined the track after nearly crashing while battling with Ruben Xaus, who completed a double victory at Imola.

“That was my worst weekend of the year,” said Toseland. “After having gone so well throughout qualifying, it’s hard to believe that I have come away from Imola without a single point. I’ll just have to put this weekend behind me and concentrate on the final round of the championship at Magny-Cours where it will be my ambition to regain third place in the championship. While Ruben’s double victory has safeguarded his runner-up spot, third place in the 2003 Superbike World Championship is still up for grabs and that’s what I’ll be aiming for.”

“Although I would have liked to have finished higher than fifth, I was pleased with my performance in race two,” said Walker. “I made the start that I wanted to and once James passed me I was able to stay with him fairly comfortably. However, after Lavilla came past I started struggling for grip and when I saw James crash, I backed off slightly to make sure that I finished the race and got some points for the team.”


More, from a press release issued by Scuderia Caracchi NCR Nortel Networks:

Laconi gives Scuderia Caracchi NCR an unforgettable day as Garcia is heroic in Imola

On the Santerno’s circuit the Scuderia Caracchi NCR Nortel Networks lived today an enthusiastic day: Regis Laconi rode twice his 998RS Ducati onto the winner rostrum, grabbing moreover the third place in the WSBK Championship standing, preceded just by the full 2003 factory Ducati couple. At the eve of the final round in France, at Magny Cours circuit, Laconi is confident for the final championship result.

“Today has been an exceptional day.” – confessed Regis at the end, surrounded by his Italian fans which assault him at the end to congratulate him – “The bike was perfect and all the team, managed by Marco Mozzone, has done in this occasion too an excellent job. The top speed was very close to the speed of full factory bikes and I was able to keep under control my rivals; when Toseland overtook me I saw that I was taking a lot of risks as I was riding safe. Climbing twice onto the rostrum here in Imola, very close to team’s workshop, it has been fantastic and all our fans and supporters were very close to encourage us. Now I’m waiting for Magny Cours, and im my country I’m confident to make a good performance too. Now the situation for the Championship standing is actually positive, third 17 points before Toseland and 27 points before Lavilla; if everything will run normally I suppose we’ll be able to end the championship in third position, and that for a private team means a fantastic result that rewards all the team which has been very always very committed and showed his professionalism and bravery.”

David Garcia has been heroic: not only he finished both the races, a total of 42 laps on the very difficult circuit of Imola, but he finished also in very good position, earning ten points for the championship. David has been able to put up to the pain in his injured arm, reacting to finish the race.

“I’m actually destroyed. ” – said Garcia after race-2 – “At the end of both races I had the feeling to be no more able to control the bike, but I reacted hard because I want absolutely finish the race. For me this result is like a victory! In race-2 I god a perfect start, but I had a racing boot not perfectly closed and in the first laps I was feeling something wrong in the rear of the bike, I was thinking about an oil lack; so I rode slower to control and I’ve lost the contact with the group, maybe I could get a better result, but actually I’m very happy too. I want to thank the Clinica Mobile staff for the assistance they gave me during this week end, and now I’ll have three week of hard training to be ready for Magny Cours.”


Latest Posts

WorldSBK: Bulega Undergoes “Arm Pump” Surgery In Italy

Nicolò Bulega underwent surgery for compartment syndrome Nicolò Bulega underwent...

How To Identify Real Vanson Leathers

Vanson has been producing jackets, riding/racing suits, and other...

Kato Named New President Of Yoshimura Japan

Editorial Note: Yohei Kato is the grandson of Yoshimura...

Suzuki Hayabusa Anniversary Celebration Scheduled April 27 In Concord, NC

SUZUKI HAYABUSA ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION COMING TO CONCORD, NC “Hayabusa Homecoming”...

Oxley Bom Podcast: Hanging With Jorge

Roadracing World MotoGP Editor and Isle of Man TT winner...