FPR pair on track in Italy The opening day of the second official World Superbike test at Misano, Italy, provided more encouragement for the Foggy PETRONAS Racing pair of Steve Martin and Craig Jones. Although the cool conditions did not resemble those expected for the June race, Steve was able to run two race simulations and finished the day 11th fastest of a near-complete World Superbike field. However, spots of rain towards the end of the afternoon session prevented the Australian, from using a qualifying tyre and finishing further up the standings. Team-mate Craig Jones, on his first outing at the circuit, made steady progress throughout the day and finished with a creditable time of 1:37.999, only just over half a second slower than Steve’s fastest time in the races here last year. Steve said: “We had a nice safe day and, although it is a pity we weren’t able to use a qualifier, I am more concerned about finding a setting for the race than doing fast times during these two days. I was also able to test an engine specification with a lighter crankshaft and, while there was no noticeable difference, I did go faster on that bike by around half a second.” Craig said: “I was happy to do more than 80 laps and my times came down gradually throughout the day. I hit a bit of a brick wall mid-way through the afternoon session but conditions were not too great then and times were dropping. I like the circuit as it has lots of flowing corners and the very fast corner on to the back straight and I am hoping to start tomorrow where we left off today as I think it is now just a case of getting more track experience. But I am still learning more about the bike with every session and am not too far off the point when I can start pushing for lap times.” Day one times, Superbike World Championship official test, Misano, Italy: 1 Bayliss 1:34.460; 2 Nieto 1:35.253; 3 Corser 1:35.274; 4 Lanzi 1:35.355; 5 Kagayama 1:35.641; 6 Haga 1:35.911; 7 Pitt 1:35.926; 8 Xaus 1:35.966; 9 Fabrizio 1:36.036; 10 Borciani 1:36.075; 11 Martin (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:35.608; 25 Jones (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:37.999 More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: BAYLISS QUICKEST FOR DUCATI XEROX TEAM IN DAY 1 OF FGSPORT OFFICIAL TESTING AT MISANO ADRIATICO Misano Adriatico (Italy), Wednesday 12 April: Troy Bayliss again set the pace for the Ducati Xerox Team on the first day of a two-day FGSport official test at the Santamonica circuit in Misano Adriatico. Championship leader Bayliss, who had not raced at the Misano circuit since 2002, powered around in a time of 1m33.814s, just three-tenths of a second off his best lap of four years back and seven-tenths of a second quicker than Troy Corser (Suzuki). “On the last exit we had some spots of rain so it wasn’t worth trying to improve in the last few laps” declared Bayliss. “Overall we had a very good day, I haven’t been to Misano since 2002 so everything went OK and I felt comfortable on the bike just like I have been recently. Pretty much the first exit I got straight into good times this morning, and just continued testing a few tyres for Pirelli today and doing a little work on the bike, but honestly we haven’t changed it too much. Towards the end we did some really good laps on the race tyre just two three tenths slower than what I qualified on in 2002 so getting into the 33s on the race tyre was really good. The track is in a good condition, it’s maybe a bit bumpier since the last time here. Tomorrow I think I can go a few tenths quicker on the race tyre and maybe do a 32.9 if everything goes well.” Team-mate Lorenzo Lanzi set fourth quickest time today on the second 999F06, the 24-year-old Italian ending up just a fraction slower than Fonsi Nieto (Kawasaki) after 62 laps. Fourth quickest time is not bad and I am quite happy with the way things went” declared Lanzi. “I encountered traffic in the last few laps, the most important ones, because everyone was out on the track trying to improve, but I don’t want this to be seen as an excuse. We tried a few new things on the bikes and tomorrow we will continue with the development work. I only tested rear tyres today but we did a lot of work on the bike set-up and the tyres I’ll leave to the end in view of the race here in June. The track was good this morning but in the afternoon it got a bit worse and there were a few drops of rain towards the end”. TIMES: 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1m33.814s; 2. Corser (Suzuki) 1m34.522s; 3. Nieto (Kawasaki) 1m34.752s; 4. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m34.819s; 5. Haga (Yamaha) 1m35.096s; 6. Fabrizio (Honda) 1m35.131s; 7. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m35.160s; 8. Xaus (Ducati) 1m35.208s; 9. Laconi (Kawasaki) 1m35.405s; 10. Foret (Suzuki) 1m35.586s; etc. More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: BAYLISS BESTS THE COMPETITION ONCE MORE – 2001 CHAMPION SETS EARLY PACE AT MISANO TEST Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) came close to breaking his own outright SBK Misano circuit record on the first of two days of Superbike testing at the 4.060km circuit on the Adriatic coast, as he proved to be the only rider under the 1’34 barrier all day. His best first day lap of 1’33.814 beat the next fastest SBK regular by fully 0.7 of a second. That rider proved to be 1996 and 2005 World Champion Troy Corser (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki), putting in a late fast lap as the first light spots of rain started to fall, albeit temporarily, and to no great detrimental effect. NIETO ON FORM ON DAY ONE Spanish rider Fonsi Nieto and his PSG-1 Kawasaki were more than welcome additions to the upper echelons of the first day’s rankings, in an eventual third place on the stopwatches. Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) gave the locals something to cheer about, finishing fourth fastest on his factory Duke. The top five was rounded out by Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia), trying out the latest engine-mapping developments on his YZF-R1. The CBR1000RR of SBK rookie Michel Fabrizio made it five different machines in the top six positions, at a circuit he knows well. The top Petronas FP-1 triple belonged to Steve Martin, one place outside the top ten, and a second faster on race tyres than last year’s similar performances. BIG FIELD AT MISANO TESTS Twenty-six riders tested at Misano, with the only big names missing those of Winston Ten Kate Honda’s James Toseland and Karl Muggeridge. Muggeridge will be forced to miss the Valencia SBK round on April 23, thanks to compression injuries to two of his vertebra. Experienced Italian rider, Giovanni Bussei, will replace Muggeridge for that race but the Aussie is expected to return at Monza, for round four of the 2006 series. Another Honda rider, Pierfrancesco Chili, had the extreme misfortune to suffer a highside crash in the morning Superbike session, breaking his pelvis and two ribs on the exit of the Variante Arena chicane. The 41-year-old rider is expected to take some considerable time to recover from his injuries, and is currently in Riccione Hospital. SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) proved to be the quickest rider in the middleweight class on day one, with a 1’36.927 lap. His early pace proved to be less than a tenth slower than the best ever, and was almost matched by his team-mate, Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany). Riding a Ducati SC Caracchi, in Kopron Edo Racing colours, Gianluca Nannelli only needed the afternoon session to post the third fastest time, a 1’37.483, only just ahead of Gianluca Vizziello’s Team Italia Yamaha. Josh Brookes continued his learning year in the Ducati SC Caracchi squad 17th fastest, having to sit out the afternoon session due to technical issues. Current championship leader Sebastien Charpentier and his Winston Ten Kate Honda team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu did not test at Misano. More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: FIRST TEST DAY AT MISANO Started today at Misano’s Santamonica circuit the last general test session for Superbike and Supersport scheduled by FG Sport. It has been a full day for SC Caracchi Team riders, in order to find a good setting looking both at next championship race at Valencia next April 23 and San Marino round to be held on this track next June. Unforeseeable weather in this first day, with some very light shower not even to water the track, and more bad for the psychological point of view as for the track grip. In Superbike Roberto Rolfo, away from Misano since 1997, focused his job in the basic set up, postponing to tomorrow all fast lap attempt. Rolfo completed during the two sessions of today a total of 74 laps, recording a fastest lap time in 1’36″369 during the afternoon session. “Also if today we focused our job for the set up I can’t say to be satisfied for the recorded lap time.” declared Roberto Rolfo at the end of the day “However I believe we found a good set up, so I’m quite satisfied and for tomorrow we could look for a faster lap time. I’m away from Misano for about 8 years, so I’ve been forced also put in the memory the track that I like anyway. With the set up defined in the last session the bike has a good handling and the engine is powerful, here too we recorded the third top speed in the speed trap, very close to the leader.” The greatest new in Supersport has been the return of Gianluca Nannelli in the team. The Floentine rider closed his partnership with the team which started the season and contested the first two rounds and now, together with Stefano Caracchi, is studying the possibility to finish the season on the SC Caracchi 748R. Slacked by an electric trouble during the morning, Nannelli practiced only in the afternoon recording a very good 1’37″483, third fastest of the day, just half a second behind the leader. Nannelli rode a total of 28 laps and was quite satisfied at the end. “The package of the 748R is very improved as to last year bike.” said Gianluca “The handling is better and better, the engine is easier to manage and is very fast, we recorded the maximum top speed of the day. In the morning we had an electrical defect, but then the guys made a fantastic job and the bike was perfect. At the moment I can’t say if I’ll be able to ride at Valencia on the 749R; I would like to have the possibility to end the season without troubles, seriously and not to act as a stop gap as has been in all the proposal I’ve had in the last days. I hope to stay in this team, where I know everyone and I know as they operate. If I’ve been so fast here in Misano, that’s not my preferred circuit…” Josh Brookes has not been able to get a good result, with a fastest lap time of 1’40″337 after 39 laps, and at the end of the day he was looking very disappointed. Quite close to the Australian rider score is Luka Nedog, who recorded 1’40″490 and is quite satisfied. “Today we made a great work.” said the young Slovenian “This track is new for me, so at the beginning I focused to learn it. That’s a circuit where to be fast looks easy, but where is very difficult to be actually very fast. Today I cover a total of 53 laps. During afternoon session I improved my lap time, running very close, just 15 hundred of second from my teammate score. Tomorrow we’ll define the final set up and we’ll se to get a good result.”