Race date: 2 October 2005 Circuit: Imola Country: Italy Track length: 4933m Opened: 1953 Fastest ever superbike lap: 1’48.336 (Colin Edwards) Superbike lap record: 1’48.389 (Troy Corser) Last year’s winner: Regis Laconi (Ducati) The penultimate round of the 2005 Superbike World Championship takes place this weekend at the famous Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari in the town of Imola, the championship’s third visit of the year to Italy. The technically demanding circuit is steeped in heritage thanks mainly its history as a Formula One circuit but it is also famous as a bike venue too, having hosted the classic Imola 200 events during the Seventies and, more recently, Grand Prix and superbike racing. The circuit’s surface bears the scars of this history, with the old tarmac proving bumpy and providing the bike racers with a tough challenge to find good settings. Despite this, Imola is generally very popular with the riders – it’s challenging layout providing the sort of test that only the old-fashioned classic circuits can. Yamaha Motor Italia riders Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt come to the race in good form. The Japanese star has been on the podium in each of the last seven races, taking a win at Brno and Brands Hatch to boost him up to third overall in the championship. “The feeling with the bike is now very good and even though we did not get a perfect set-up in the last race we were still able to make good results,” says Haga. “I have never finished on the podium in Imola but last year I was leading the second race when my bike’s engine broke, so I am confident we can get a good result with the Yamaha this year.” Pitt too has been moving up the points order and goes to Italy seventh in the standings. The Australian has been one of the year’s most consistent riders with his regular top six finishes and Imola is a track which holds good memories for the 29-year-old as it is the venue at which he clinched the 2001 supersport world title. Having recorded a best finish of fourth in his debut season in the class, Pitt is targeting at least one podium finish in the remaining four races. “We’ve been close a few times,” he said. “Imola is an interesting circuit with a lot of blind corners where track knowledge counts. I hope that it will be dry because the surface is old and very slippery in the wet. We’ve got a good base setting for the bike and that is important because it is very important to have good confidence in the bike here. I like the circuit and feel that we can get a good result here.” Helping Pitt and Haga prepare, they are scheduled to test development chassis parts at the team’s local Monza circuit today (Monday). “We want to go to Imola in the best possible condition,” explains team coordinator Massimo Meregalli. “Our test at Monza will concentrate on frame parts and we have three different specification rear arms for both Andrew and Noriyuki to test. Depending on the results they may decide to use the parts in Imola.” Supersport World Championship The Yamaha Motor Germany squad arrives in Imola on a high after their Australian riders Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes took a one-two finish in EuroSpeedway Lausitz two weekends ago. The result moved race winner and Imola lap record holder Curtain up to second in the championship and, with two races remaining, he plans to stay there. He said: “I’m not the sort of guy to say I’m going to do this or I’m going to do that, but when I race I only race to win and I definitely want to end the season on a high. Charpentier may have already won the championship but there are still two races to go and I would like to at least get a couple of podiums.” Team-mate Parkes was delighted with his second place at Lausitz and feels that he can go one better in Imola. “Germany was the best I’ve felt on the R6. All season we’ve been making changes to make it suit my riding style more and in Lausitz we made a further step forward and I feel that I am now ready to be at least fighting for the win in the last two races.” FIM Superstock 1000 Cup The outcome of the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup could be decided in Imola this weekend, although most likely it will be seven days later in Magny Cours before the eventual winner is crowned. Germany looks like the most likely destination for the champion’s trophy, with Yamaha Motor Germany riders Kenan Sofuoglu and Didier van Keymeulen leading the way, but in this unpredictable class anything can and possibly will happen. The racing in the series has been nothing short of breathtaking this year and the drama continued last time out when long-time series leader Sofuoglu crossed the line first but was penalized 20 seconds for cutting a corner. That moved him back to sixth place with his team-mate inheriting the victory, although Turkish rider Sofuoglu still leads his Belgian team-mate by 10 points in the championship – 137 to 127. Three other riders have a mathematical shot at the title. Former Australian superbike champion Craig Coxhell (Suzuki) is third on 109 points while Yamaha rider Massimo Roccoli is fourth on 103. Italian Alessandro Polita (Suzuki) is the other rider with a chance of the title, but he is currently 47 points behind Sofuoglu with just 50 points available from the final two races. Local rider Claudio Corti will be looking to tie up his title in Saturday’s European Superstock 600 race. The Yamaha YZF-R6 tangled with championship rival Yoann Tibero on the last lap at Lausitz as he attempted to win the title in Germany and now the 18-year-old who has dominated the series needs to finish in at least fourth place in Imola to be mathematically assured of the title.