From a press release issued by Alstare Suzuki: Team Alstare Suzuki’s Yukio Kagayama, Fonsi Nieto and Max Neukirchner have completed the first of three days of World Superbike testing at Phillip Island in Australia positive and confident with their new GSX-R1000s. The team worked mainly on suspension and engine settings and settled into a good rhythm with Kagayama just three-tenths-of-a-second off the fastest unofficial time of 1:32.6 set by Troy Bayliss. Yukio Kagayama – 73 laps. Best lap 1:32.9: “For the first day, the feeling was not so bad and certainly my body is in much better condition than it was in Qatar in the last tests. I didn’t find it hard to get into the 1:32s this morning and then we began the testing work. We tested many different areas – suspension, engine and electronics and by the end of the day the rear suspension was getting much better. All in all, I think today was quite a good day.” Fonsi Nieto – 82 laps. Best lap 1:33.2: “I am really happy with how today went. After the holiday it was good to get back on the bike and straightaway I felt at home on it. At the last tests, the bike didn’t feel as if it was my bike, but today I was happy on it right from the start and this makes me feel very good. We tried many different things today and we have a lot of good information to consider. I had a very small crash, at MG Corner, when I lost the front end. It was probably because I had a new rear tyre and suddenly I went down. But there was no injury to me at all and I don’t think the bike was even damaged much.” Max Neukirchner – 70 laps. Best lap 1:35.0: “Today we had some problems with the electronics and there was a lot of work to do, but at the end of the day I was quite happy because we had got one bike working pretty well. Then we began the work on the other bike and that is going OK also. My main problem today is me! I had a bit of a sore throat and my head ached a bit so maybe I’m getting a bit of flu or something. Because of that I found it hard to concentrate on the bike for long periods, so I hope I will feel better tomorrow – as I know there is a lot to do and I want to do it!” More, from a press release issued by FG Sport Group: Hometown hero Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) led the times on the first day of SBK testing at Phillip Island, securing a best time of 1:32.5; impressively close to the existing lap record of 1:31.826 at this early stage. Bayliss set a total of 66 laps on the new 1200cc Ducati 1098R, riding to find improvements in his new machine’s rear set-up. Second best time came from another perennial SBK challenger, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) on a 1:32.8. Haga’s compatriot Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki) scored third fastest time, putting three different machines in the top three places. NIETO IN THE TOP ECHELON Fonsi Nieto (Alstare Suzuki) set a best of 1:33.2 on his way to putting himself into the top four on the opening day at PI, running just a tenth ahead of current lap record holder Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia) and Bayliss’ new team-mate Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox). Fabrizio fell at the top of Lukey Heights, hurting on his right foot in the aftermath of his slide. BIAGGI MAKES A QUICK TRANSITION Max Biaggi (Ducati Sterilgarda Go-Eleven) enjoyed his first real experience of competing against his peers on a customer Ducati 1098R, securing a time of 1:33.5 late in the day, after the sun’s power had lessened and the afternoon winds had died down. His team-mate Ruben Xaus (Ducati Sterilgarda Go-Eleven) set the same time. NEW KAWASAKI MAKING PROGRESS ON DAY ONE With just a short amount of testing on their new model ZX-10R machines completed so far, PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse riders Regis Laconi and Makoto Tamada sandwiched new Alstare Suzuki riders after only one day of action, with Laconi setting a 1:34 flat. SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Broc Parkes (Yamaha WSSP Team) secured the fastest lap of day one after waiting for conditions to improve near the end, setting a 1:35.2 to keep Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider Andrew Pitt from the top spot with his 1:35.5. Pitt’s team mate and WSS class rookie Jonathan Rea scored third best time after a long lay off recovering from surgery, the former BSB rider proving to be a big hit first time out in his new role in racing life. Josh Brookes (Stiggy Honda) secured an impressive fourth at a track he has won on in WSS wild card guise, while the progress of the Triumph Caracchi squad was such that it wrote its name large in the consciousness of the Supersport world once more. The 675ccc three-cylinder machine, in the hands of the vastly experienced Garry McCoy, went fifth fastest, ahead of names such as Fabien Foret, Chris Walker, Katsuaki Fujiwara and Robbin Harms. Walker and Fujiwara were having their first test against their 2008 opposition at PI. Fujiwara is new to the team, but Walker is new to Supersport racing in any form, making his 1:36.6 lap time a respectable start to his latest racing adventure. SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: 1. Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 1:32.5 (66 laps); 2. Haga (Jap-Yamaha) 1:32.8 (95); 3. Kagayama (Jap-Suzuki) 1:32.9 (70); 4. Nieto (Spa-Suzuki) 1:33.2 (65); 5. Corser (Aus-Yamaha) 1:33.4 (72); 6. Fabrizio (Ita-Ducati) 1:33.4 (77); 7. Biaggi (Ita-Ducati) 1:33.5 (69); 8. Xaus (Spa-Ducati) 1:33.5 (62); 9. Laconi (Fra-Kawasaki) 1:34.0 (70); 10. Neukirchner (Ger-Suzuki) 1:35.5 (85); 11. Tamada (Jap-Kawasaki) 1:35.8 (61). SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP: 1. Parkes (Aus-Yamaha) 1:35.2; 2. Pitt (Aus-Honda) 1:35.5; 3. Rea (GB-Honda) 1:35.8; 4. Brookes (Aus-Honda) 1:36.3; 5. McCoy (Aus-Triumph) 1:36.4; 6. Foret (Fra-Yamaha) 1:36.6; 7. Fujiwara (Jap-Kawasaki) 1:36.9; 8. Harms (Dan-Honda) 1:37.7. More, from a press release issued by Pirelli: On the most spectacular racetrack of the Championship, SBK and SSP riders have just ended the first of three days of Pirelli development test. After Qatar where development riders tested many new solutions that are announcing a great season, here in Australia the first day has given some interesting news. Both SBK and SSP riders used the first day for fine tuning the bike and to find the best setup. As always in the first day Pirelli technicians do not use the new material, but test the best solution selected from the current (2007) season different rubber. This means that non-development teams taking part of the test have the same tyres, but starting from tomorrow things will change. In the first day Ducati new bike confirmed to be more than an interesting project, with riders able to exploit the softest solution for many laps with no decay of the tyre. Best time of the day went to Troy Bayliss, able to stop the watch on 1’32.5. Day One Superbike Times: Rider Bike Team Best lap 1 Bayliss Ducati 1098R F08 Ducati Xerox 1:32.5 2 Haga Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 1:32.8 3 Kagayama Suzuki GSXR1000K7 Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra 1:32.9 4 Nieto Suzuki GSXR1000K7 Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra 1:33.2 5 Fabrizio Ducati 1098R F08 Ducati Xerox 1:33.4 5 Corser Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 1:33.4 7 Biaggi Ducati 1098R F08 Sterilgarda Go Eleven 1:33.5 7 Xaus Ducati 1098R F08 Sterilgarda Go Eleven 1:33.5 8 Laconi Kawasaki ZX-10R Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse 1:34.0 9 Neukirchner Suzuki GSXR1000K7 Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra 1:35.5 10 Tamada Kawasaki ZX-10R Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse 1:35.8 Day One Supersport Times: Rider Bike Team Best lap 1 Parkes Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 1:35.2 2 Pitt Honda CBR1000RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1:35.7 3 Rea Honda CBR1000RR Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1:35.8 4 Brookes Honda CBR1000RR Stiggy Motorsport 1:36.3 5 Mc Coy Triumph 675 Triumph SC 1:36.4 6 Foret Yamaha YZF R1 Yamaha Motor Italia WSB 1:36.6 6 Walker Kawasaki ZX6R Kawasaki Gil Motorsport 1:36.6 7 Fujiwara Triumph 675 Triumph SC 1:36.9 8 Harms Honda CBR1000RR Stiggy Motorsport 1:36.7 More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: TROY EASES INTO THE NEW SEASON WITH A POSITIVE START. The holidays are over and although the new year has hardly started, Troy has begun the season. Today was the first day of the Phillip island tests and Troy and the rest of the top World Superbike teams began the three days work in preparation for the first race of the year. Troy’s fellow countryman, Troy Bayliss (Ducati) ended the day with the fastest lap, 1:32.6. Troy -79 laps, best lap 1:33.4 I know I say it a lot, but I’m reasonably happy with how the first day went today. It’s been over four weeks since I was last on a bike, so it was good to throw my leg over one today and get back into the groove. We have a lot of work to do here and many things to test, so I didn’t chase any lap times at all. The bike is the same as it was in Qatar in the last test, but we just have more stuff to try out and find a good direction. There were no problems at all, except for the birds here on the track. They just don’t seem to get out of the way! Some of them are pretty big as well and I actually had to take to the dirt to avoid smashing right into one. As it was, I did clip one, but when I looked back it seemed OK and was still on the track! Hopefully, there’ll be less birdlife on the track tomorrow and we won’t have any problems with them. Today was a good start and I think we can improve quite a bit over the next couple of days.