From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

VERMEULEN AND CBR600RR CHASING FOUR IN A ROW

Honda’s Chris Vermeulen is looking to win his fourth successive World Supersport championship race in Sunday’s seventh round of the championship at Misano, San Marino.

Celebrating his 21st birthday today, Vermeulen enjoys a 47-point championship lead as the series arrives at the popular Adriatic coastal
circuit.

“We’re just on a roll and long may it continue,” says Ten Kate Honda team rider Vermeulen. “But last Sunday’s win at Silverstone in Britain wasn’t easy, the team worked long into the night on Saturday to make sure the race
set-up was good.”

Vermeulen’s closest challenger at Misano may well be Karl Muggeridge, his own team-mate in the crack Dutch Ten Kate squad. Muggeridge put a string of disappointing races behind to take third place at Silverstone.

“I’ve made some silly mistakes this year and it was time to get my championship campaign back on track,” reckons Muggeridge. “Third place at
Silverstone last week did just that.”

Of the eight Honda Europe supported riders it is the experienced Van Zon pairing of Ian MacPherson and Werner Daemen who will be aiming to put their Misano knowledge to good use as they take Honda’s new CBR600RR machine there
for the first time.

The BKM Honda effort fields Frenchman Christophe Cogan–sixth last Sunday at Silverstone–and promising young Australian Broc Parkes–looking to make amends for a disappointing retirement from last week’s British round.

The Austrian-based Klaffi Honda team fields French ace Sebastien Charpentier and experienced Austrian Robert Ulm.

Charpentier believes: “Misano will be a good test for all of the Honda teams. It’s a new track for everyone racing the new RR machine and we’re all starting equal on Friday morning.”

The Misano World Supersport action gets under way with free practice on Friday morning followed by the opening qualifying session on Friday afternoon. Friday’s schedule is repeated on Saturday while Sunday’s race gets under way at 1:20 p.m.

World Supersport championship points after six of 11 rounds: 1 Chris Vermeulen, Australia (Honda) 131, 2 Jurgen van den Goorbergh, Holland
(Yamaha) 84, 3 Katsuaki Fujiwara, Japan (Suzuki) 76, 4 Stephane Chambon, France (Suzuki) 62, 5 Christian Kellner, Germany (Yamaha) 59, 6 Alessio Corradi, Italy (Yamaha) 48, 7 Karl Muggeridge, Australia (Honda) and Pere Riba, Spain (Kawasaki) 46, 9 Christophe Cogan, France (Honda) 35, 10 Broc Parkes, Australia (Honda) and Jorg Teuchert, Germany (Yamaha) 30. 12 Robert Ulm, Austria (Honda) 22. 15 Sebastien Charpentier, France (Honda) 17. 16 Iain MacPherson, GB (Honda) 16. 17 Werner Daemen, Belgium (Honda) 13.

Manufacturers points: 1 Honda 140, 2 Yamaha 110, 3 Suzuki 102, 4 Kawasaki 50.

Misano statistics:
Circuit length: 2.52 miles – 4.06km
Lap record: Stephane Chambon (Suzuki) 1:38.856 (June 2002)
2002 pole position: Fabien Foret (Honda) 1:37.669
2002 winner: Fabien Foret (Honda)