Seconds Best for Shakey 2007 Bennetts British Superbike Championship Round 6 Mondello Park, Co Kildare Sunday 17th June 2007 Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport rider Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne overcame a high speed crash during qualifying to record his best two results of the season with a pair of second places at round six of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship held at Mondello Park today. Riding the VK and Vent Axia backed machine Byrne led both races and was looking good for a victory as the races were held in dry conditions after two days of heavy rain but the Dunlop-shod rider repelled the main championship protagonists as he battled it out at the front. The opening race saw Byrne cross the line just 0.158 seconds behind race winner Leon Haslam and in race two he had to give second best to fellow Honda rider Jonathan Rea, but the 40 points has got his outside hopes of the championship back on course. Meanwhile it wasn’t such a good weekend for team mate Tom Sykes as the young Yorkshireman struggled during the wet qualifying session but still managed to post a second row start. Race one proved disastrous for the 21 year old when a technical problem ruled him out in the early stages but he battled back in the second outing to end up in seventh and to add to his impressive points scoring for this season already. As a result Byrne now moves into sixth place in the Championship with Sykes in seventh going into the next round at Knockhill, Fife in two weeks time. Shane Byrne: “It’s been our best weekend so far with two second places and I really thought we had a good strong setting for race two. I think Leon made a move on Jonathan Rea and I managed to cheekily nip past both of them and I was smiling to myself. I was going much faster than in the first race but then Rea passed me and to be fair I didn’t really have an answer for him. We should be happy, but we deserve a win soon.” Tom Sykes: “I got a good start in the second race but I got boxed in at the first turn and just got messed up. I was well back at the end of the first lap and I just started picking some places up again when the safety car came out. I had another moment when I had to stand the bike up when I had nowhere to go and lost some more places but I managed to bring it home in seventh. It was just a shame I had a problem in the first race as that meant we didn’t do enough laps to collect any data to improve the bike for the second race. I just want to move on now and continue improving and scoring more points.” Phil Borley (Crew Chief): “I think overall we’ve had a good day, with two second places from Shakey and after yesterday we would have probably been happy with that but I think Shakey is a little bit disappointed not to get a win. We were unfortunate to have a technical problem with Tom’s bike in the first race but he rode well in the second one, although he maybe could have gone better if he’d got the first race under his belt.” Race 1 Result: 1, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 30m02.146s, 2, Shane Byrne (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) +0.158s, 3, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +3.491s, 4, Jonathan Rea (Honda) +9.793s, 5, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +14.786s, 6, Karl Harris (Honda) +18.354s, 7, Leon Camier (Honda) +18.443s, 8, Cal Crutchlow (Suzuki) +18.685s, 9, Chris Walker (Suzuki) +25.572s, 10, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +44.003s. Race 2 Result: 1, Jonathan Rea (Honda) 30m14.164s, 2, Shane Bynre (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) +2.344s, 3, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +2.460s, 4, Leon Haslam (Ducati) +3.231s, 5, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +8.121s, 6, Leon Camier (Honda) +13.898s, 7, Tom Sykes (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) +14.354s, 8, Karl Harris (Honda) +21.447s, 9, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +23.490s, 10, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) +38.995s. Bennetts British Superbike Championship Positions after Round 6 1, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 212pts 2, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 211pts 3, Jonathan Rea (Honda) 187pts 4, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 169pts 5, Leon Camier (Honda) 136pts 6, Shane Byrne (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) 127pts 7, Tom Sykes (Stobart Vent Axia Motorsport Honda) 115pts 8, Chris Walker (Suzuki) 83pts =, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) 83pts 10, Karl Harris (Honda) 65pts More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: Rizla Suzuki racer Cal Crutchlow crashed out on the final lap of the second race while competing for a career best sixth place in today’s sixth round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship in the Republic of Ireland. In the opening race Cal dropped from fifth on the grid to 11th on lap two, before coming through to finish eighth. In the second event he got away in fourth and spent the whole race battling for the top six in his strongest showing in the Superbike class to date. On the last lap he crashed out unhurt while in seventh and challenging for sixth. Chris Walker rode his first ever dry laps of the Mondello Park circuit in morning warm-up after two days of pouring rain. Both races were in the dry so it was a steep learning curve for the popular Nottingham rider and in race one despite a strong start he faded towards the end to finish ninth. In the second race ‘Stalker’ was 11th and had just recorded his fastest lap when he ran off track and suffered a slow-speed fall, getting up and walking away uninjured but bitterly disappointed. Ducati’s Leon Haslam won the opening race and Honda’s Jonathan Rea the second. Rizla Suzuki returns to race action at Knockhill, near Edinburgh in Scotland, at the seventh round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship on Sunday, July 1st. Cal Crutchlow: “It’s been a hard day for me and the Rizla Suzuki team. In the first race I was consistent and fast but a poor start cost me the chance to run further up the field. “In the second race I was trying and pushing very hard to try and hold on to sixth. On the last lap I went into a long left-hander faster than ever before and lost the front end. I am disappointed – doubly so after crashing at the end of an otherwise good race. I will learn from this and come back stronger than ever at Knockhill.” Chris Walker: “I got a good start in the first race but lost time as the laps went by because of a lack of track knowledge – today was my first time riding Mondello Park in the dry on a Superbike. “In the second race I was mugged when the early safety car returned to pit lane and lost a couple of places. I was recovering and riding faster than ever when I ran off the track. I stayed upright through the gravel and grass but had to lay the bike down before hitting the tyre wall to minimise damage. We deserved better results today.” Simon Buckmaster – Team Manager: “It’s been a spectacularly tough day for Rizla Suzuki and both its riders. Cal put in the most impressive race performance of his Superbike career in race two only to crash out on the final lap. He’s rightly disappointed but remains unbowed and more determined than ever to do well at the next round. His day will come. “Stalker showed real flashes of brilliance in both races but ultimately a lack of track knowledge caught him out. “We all want to see Rizla Suzuki fighting at the front in BSB and that’s something the whole team will be working on before Knockhill.” Race One Result: 1: Leon Haslam (Ducati) 30:02.146, 2: Shane Byrne (Honda) +0.158, 3: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +3.491, 4: Jonathan Rea (Honda) +9.793, 5: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +14.786, 6: Karl Harris (Honda) +18.354, 7: Leon Camier (Honda) +18.443, 8: Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) +18.685, 9: Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki) +25.572, 10: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +44.003. Race Two Result: 1: Rea 30:14.164, 2: Byrne +2.344, 3: Lavilla +2.460, 4: Haslam +3.321, 5: Kiyonari +8.121, 6: Camier +13.898, 7: Tom Sykes (Honda) +14.354, 8: Harris +21.447, 9: Hill +23.490, 10: Scott Smart (Kawasaki) +38.995. Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki) DNF. Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) DNF. Championship Positions (after five of 13 rounds): 1: Kiyonari 212, 2: Lavilla 211, 3: Rea 187, 4: Haslam 169, 5: Camier 136, 6: Byrne 127, 7: Sykes 115, 8=: Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki), Hill 83, 10: Harris 65, 11: Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) 51.

2007 FIM Superbike World Championship Santamonica Circuit Misano, Italy June 17, 2007 Race Two Results: 1. Troy Bayliss (Duc 999F07), 24 laps, 38:43.506 2. Noriyuki Haga (Yam YZF-R1), -2.537 seconds 3. Max Biaggi (Suz GSX-R1000K7), -6.386 seconds 4. Yukio Kagayama (Suz GSX-R1000K7), -8.905 seconds 5. Troy Corser (Yam YZF-R1), -9.130 seconds 6. James Toseland (Hon CBR1000RR), -13.967 seconds 7. Ruben Xaus (Duc 999F06), -16.708 seconds 8. Roberto Rolfo (Hon CBR1000RR), -16.781 seconds 9. Lorenzo Lanzi (Duc 999F07), -17.312 seconds 10. Max Neukirchner (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -33.065 seconds More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: WELL SMRZ IN THE HOT SUPERBIKE AT MISANO Satisfying day for Scuderia SC Caracchi in Superbike today at Misano Adriatico: Jakub Smrz finished twice clearly into the points. In race-1 the Czech rider finished in tenth position after a good start, while in race-2 during the first lap has been blocked by other riders, losing a few positions, but has been able to recover to 13th position. “We made a good job during the morning’s warm up and I’ve been faster as yesterday just testing the new engine.” commented a satisfied Jakub Smrz “For race-1 I got a good start and I could fight for the tenth position that I reach after 24 laps quite demanding for the warm. In race-2 I’ve been less brilliant at the start, but the biggest trouble has been that somebody blocked me and I lost three positions. I started to recover and at the end I finished in 13th position, a good result for me and all the team.” A little bit disappointed on the contrary Alessio Brugnoni: his world first experience ended before the chequered flag due a technical trouble. “This morning I was very happy, because I improved during the warm up session my lap time about 0,6 seconds once more.” said Alessio Brugnoni rejoining the pit. “Unfortunately during the race a technical trouble forced me to stop after four laps and my race ended with a not finishing. That’s been however a very exciting experience and, also if I missed the result, I’m satisfied.” More, from a press release issued by Team YZF Yamaha: Points for Nakatomi Finishing fourteenth in the second race, Shinichi Nakatomi earns two more points for the World Championship. In the beginning of race 1, Nakatomi was 14th, but unfortunately, he had to retire with an engine problem. This is the first time this year that he cannot finish a race for a technical reason. In race 2, he had a good start with the 11th position but he had to slow down by the end of the race. He still finished 14th, with 2 points for the championship. Team-manager Martial Garcia: “The first race was difficult because of an engine problem. In race 2, Nakatomi had a very good start, but he had to slow down in the last laps. We still hope to finish in a good position in the championship. We are happy with the 2 points that we get for finishing in 14th position.” Race 1: 1-Bayliss (Ducati), 2-Corser (Yamaha), 3-Kagayama (Suzuki), 4-Toseland (Honda), 5-Rolfo (Honda) Race 2: 1-Bayliss (Ducati), 2-Haga (Yamaha), 3-Biaggi (Suzuki), 4-Kagayama (Suzuki), 5-Corser (Yamaha) World Championship standings: 1-Toseland (Honda) 260 points, Bayliss (Ducati) 239, 3-Haga (Yamaha) 234, 4-Biaggi (Suzuki) 217, 5-Corser (Yamaha) –¦ 17-Nakatomi (Yamaha) 24 9th round of the Superbike World Championship: July 22nd at Brno (Czech Republic) More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group: BAYLISS DOUBLES UP FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 2007 – REIGNING CHAMPION IS THE CLASS ACT ON RACEDAY Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) was crowned king of Misano by popular vote and after trial by combat thanks to his wins in two action-packed 24-lap races, at what was a cauldron of heat and adrenaline for all the competitors. Bayliss jumped fully two places higher in the championship thanks to his 50 points today, and now sits second overall, 21 points behind the leader James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). RACE ONE Bayliss was to end the first race almost unopposed, an unlikely scenario given the four-way fight for the lead for most of the race. An eventual three rider battle, featuring Bayliss, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) and Max Biaggi (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), was decided when Biaggi collided with Haga on the second part of the Curvone corner, on lap 22, and each rider tumbled out of contention for any kind of points. The final result was Bayliss, from Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia), with Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) third and Toseland fourth. RACE TWO In a more evenly spaced finish this time, Bayliss won the race from Haga, easing up to finish two seconds ahead at the flag, while third place was taken by a recovered Biaggi, who passed both his team-mate Kagayama and Corser later in the race. Toseland was sixth, but maintained his championship lead, now on a total of 260 points to Bayliss’s 239. In third place Haga has 234 points and Biaggi 217. OFF PODIUM PLACES HARD WON AT A STEAMY MISANO Behind the fight for top places a tough weekend for Toseland became rock hard on Sunday, with fourth and a sixth his scant rewards. Behind him in each race, the points were equally hard won. His own team-mate Roby Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) was fifth in race one but down in eighth in race two, ending his day eighth overall in the series. Corser’s fifth place overall on 182 points leaves him clear of sixth and ninth place race finisher at Misano, Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox), who now has a total of 133 points. He had a strenuous battle for the status of second fastest Ducati rider of the weekend with Ruben Xaus (Ducati Sterilgarda) who recorded an eighth place in race one and a seventh in race two, despite losing power in the Misano heat. Regis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) beat Xaus in race one, and took a 11th in race two, now mimicking the latter position in the championship table. Kagayama’s front group heroics placed him back into the overall top ten, on 89 points, one behind Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Germany) who earned himself a ninth and a tenth at Misano. Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda) failed to finish either race at Misano. POS NO. RIDER BIKE TIME 1 21 Bayliss T. (AUS) Ducati 999 F07 38’43.506 (155,434 kph) 2 41 Haga N. (JPN) Yamaha YZF-R1 2.537 3 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K7 6.386 4 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K7 8.905 5 11 Corser T. (AUS) Yamaha YZF-R1 9.130 6 52 Toseland J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 13.967 7 111 Xaus R. (ESP) Ducati 999 F06 16.708 8 44 Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 16.781 9 57 Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 999 F07 17.312 10 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R1000 K6 33.065 WEST AGAIN FROM TEAM-MATE PARKES A two-part WSS race at Misano went to Anthony West (Yamaha World SSP Racing), who won both ‘legs’ and took an overall margin of victory of over four seconds. It was West’s second win in succession in the WSS class, and his third consecutive podium since his first ride at Monza. In second place Broc Parkes (Yamaha World SSP Racing) was locked in a fight with championship leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and the Australian rider triumphed on the stopwatch. Sofuoglu’s 16 points, and a no-score after a collision with Craig Jones (Revè Ekerold Honda) suffered by his nearest championship rival Fabien Foret (GIL Motorsports Kawasaki) put Sofuoglu an impressive 61 points clear of Foret after eight rounds. Eighth-placed Misano runner Katsuaki Fujiwara (Althea Honda) is still third overall, on 77 points. SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP – BAIOCCO TAKES RACE WIN 2 Home rounds in Italy are proving fruitful for Matteo Baiocco (Umbria Bike Yamaha) who took pole at Misano and carried on his victorious form from his recent race win at Monza with another full pointer at today. He won an aggregate race, by 0.581 seconds, from Xavier Simeon (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). In third place came Ilario Dionisi (Cruciani Suzuki) who rode expansively to head up a warring squadron of would be podium finishers. In the overall championship standings, Baiocco is now on 95 points, from Aussie Mark Aitchison (Celani Suzuki) on 87, plus Claudio Canepa (Ducati Xerox Junior Team) and Simeon (both on 71 points). More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra: 2007 Superbike World Championship Round 8, Misano, Italy Sunday 17th June 2007 Circuit: 4.180 kms Crowd: 68.000 (3-day). Conditions: Dry, sunny/cloudy 27-31 C. A PODIUM APIECE FOR YUKIO AND MAX! Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Yukio Kagayama and Max Biaggi both took podium places in today’s eighth round of the Superbike World Championship t Misano. In scorchingly hot conditions, Yukio took third in race one and followed that with a fourth in race two. Max was also on course for a podium place in race one, but crashed out when he tangled with Noriyuki Haga just three laps from the end. Despite a sore right leg and left hand, he made amends by taking third place in race two. Both races were won by Aussie Troy Bayliss (much to the delight of the local fans) and he is now second in the championship just twenty-one points behind series leader James Toseland(Honda). Troy Corser (Yamaha) took second in the first race, with Yukio third and Noriyuki Haga took runner-up spot in race two, with Max third. YUKIO – Race 1: 3rd, Race 2: 4th I am very happy to get back to podium ways today – even though I was a bit lucky because two riders in front of me crashed. But racing is like this sometimes and it’s good to get some good luck at last. We have been working very hard on the rear settings recently and I feel we have made some big changes and also some good progress. I did not have many problems in the first race, except those caused by my starting position. The second row of the grid is not the best place to be when the first corner is not so far away. Also, this track does not have so many passing places, so by the time I got past Toseland it was too late to do anything about the leaders. Once I was ahead of him, I had a free track and I was able to run more consistently fast laps. In the second race, I was happy in third position but then I began to have some problems with the rear tyre moving around. I really wanted another podium, but the shaking and movement was enough to slow me down, so I just tried to get the best result I could. Now that I have tasted a podium again, I want more. MAX – Race 1: DNF, Race 2: 3rd This was a hard day, but it ended with a podium so I am happy to take something positive from it. I was challenging for a podium in the first race but then Nori and I hit each other and we both crashed. I am sorry for myself and I’m sorry for him. I tumbled over and over on the crash and hurt my right leg and left hand and that caused some problems in race two. Because of the pain, I found it difficult to concentrate in the early stages and lost some ground when I ran a bit wide. But gradually I started to get back into the race and began to catch the leaders. I managed to get past Toseland, Corser and Yukio and into third three or four laps from the end of the race, but Haga and Bayliss had too much of a lead and there was nothing I could do about that. I am disappointed by what happened in the first race, but pleased that I took a podium in the second. Race 1:1 Bayliss (AUS – Ducati); 2 Corser (AUS – Yamaha); 3 Kagayama (JPN – Suzuki); 4 Toseland (GBR – Honda); 5 Rolfo (ITA – Honda); 6 Lanzi (ITA – Ducati); 7 Laconi (FRA – Kawasaki) 8 Xaus (ESP – Ducati); 9 Neukirchner (GER – Suzuki); 10 Smrz (CZE – Ducati) Race 2:1 Bayliss (AUS – Ducati); 2 Haga (JPN – Yamaha); 3 Biaggi (ITA – Suzuki); 4 Kagayama (JPN – Suzuki); 5 Corser (AUS – Yamaha); 6 Toseland (GBR – Honda); 7 Xaus (ESP – Ducati); 8 Rolfo (ITA – Honda); 9 Lanzi (ITA – Ducati); 10 Neukirchner (GER – Suzuki) Points: 1 Toseland, 260; 2 Bayliss, 239; 3 Haga, 234; 4 Biaggi, 217; 5 Corser, 182; 6 Lanzi, 133; 7 Xaus, 130; 8 Rolfo, 109; 9 Neukirchner, 100; 10 Kagayama, 89 More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) BLASTS BACK INTO TITLE CONTENTION WITH BRILLIANT DOUBLE WIN AT MISANO Misano Adriatico (Italy), Sunday 17 June: Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) bounced back into championship contention with a brilliant double win at a scorching hot Misano World Circuit in front of 68,000 spectators. Troy had a terrific battle in race 1 with Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha), Max Biaggi (Suzuki) and Troy Corser (Yamaha) to take the win, while in the second race of the day he led every lap from start to finish to hold off the challenge of Haga. With Toseland (Honda) only finishing fourth and sixth, Bayliss now moves into second place in the standings, 21 points behind the championship leader. Troy’s 37th and 38th wins here today also haul Ducati back into the lead of the Manufacturers’ standings. “That’s exactly what we needed and exactly what I wanted” declared Troy. “Misano is a very special place for me to come and win here for all the Italians. There’s not much more to say, we changed one click for the second race just to make me a little bit more comfortable on the bike. I did some really fast laps and saw that Nori wasn’t making any ground, I thought of letting him past to do some of the work but I’ve done that before and it didn’t work so I really put my head down for a while and managed to get a little gap, then I could take it easy towards the end. I’m very happy for all our team, Xerox, Shell and all our sponsors, it’s been a great journey back towards the front of the field and we leave here hopeful for the rest of the year. Unfortunately I got the Australian flag caught in the clutch on the cool-down lap and stalled the bike like an amateur! I was lucky to get a ride back, but all is well and I’m happy!” “After my sixth place in race 1, we worked hard to get a better result in race 2, unfortunately the outcome wasn’t very satisfactory” declared Lorenzo. “I’m not complaining because during the weekend we did a lot of laps on that tyre and also during the recent tests but in race 1 the tyre didn’t perform like before and this prevented me from doing a good race. In race 2 we fitted a harder tyre and made a change to the set-up. However my start wasn’t a good one and the clutch slipped and I had to work hard to recover. I’m not very satisfied with the results because despite the fact that I recorded some good times, the outcome wasn’t the best one. Hopefully I can do better next month at Brno”. RACE 1: 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox); 2. Corser (Yamaha); 3. Kagayama (Suzuki); 4. Toseland (Honda); 5. Rolfo (Honda); 6. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox); 7. Laconi (Kawasaki); 8. Xaus (Ducati); etc. RACE 2: 1. Bayliss; 2. Haga (Yamaha); 3. Biaggi (Suzuki); 4. Kagayama; 5. Corser; 6. Toseland; 7. Xaus; 8. Rolfo; etc. CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after 8 of 13 rounds): Riders – 1. Toseland 260; 2. Bayliss 239; 3. Haga 234; 4. Biaggi 217; 5. Corser 182; 6. Lanzi 133; etc. Manufacturers – 1. Ducati 284; 2. Yamaha 277; 3. Honda 274; 4. Suzuki 233; 5. Kawasaki 102; 6. MV Agusta 1. More, from a press release issued by Honda: TOSELAND STILL LEADING AFTER MEETING THE CHALLENGE OF MISANO James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) had to ride with all the guile and determination he could muster to score top six positions in each Misano race today. In doing so he left the eighth round of the championship with his championship lead intact. James now enjoys a gap to his nearest rival of 21 points, after finishing fourth and sixth in the 24-lap races. After Misano, Toseland, who had started from a front row place after setting fourth best Superpole time, has a total of 260 points. Double Misano race winner Troy Bayliss is second on 239; Noriyuki Haga is third on 234 and Max Biaggi now fourth on 217. Biaggi and Haga collided in race one, aiding Toseland’s battle in the championship. Qualifying at the new-look 4.180km Misano circuit, now longer and run in a different direction from previous years, had been a tough prospect for all in the hot temperatures that prevailed throughout the entire race weekend. Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) had been ninth after Superpole, Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) 12th, and relative newcomer Luca Morelli (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) was 19th after regulation qualifying, missing out on Superpole qualifying by three places. In the first race a potential three way fight for the lead was ended when Noriyuki Haga and Max Biaggi collided, and each fell from contention, leaving a top three of Bayliss, Corser and Kagayama. Toseland was a fighting fourth after losing pace to the early leading group. Rolfo was fifth after a strong ride from the third row, seven seconds down on Toseland, with Luca Morelli 13th. Morelli’s team-mate Fabrizio retired on lap five, with a fault traced to the alternator. Race two was a clearer cut version than the opener, with Bayliss running clear from Haga and Biaggi, with Toseland losing another early fourth place in the final analysis, experiencing reduced drive towards the end of the second race run with track temperatures almost hitting 50°c. Rolfo ground his way to eighth after losing rear traction and then working the front too hard to compensate, with Morelli finishing 18th in a race with only three non-finishers, one of whom was his team-mate Fabrizio. Toseland was not satisfied with the race day results but acknowledged that the main objective, maintaining a healthy championship lead at a track which is not a designated test venue for his team, was successfully achieved. “I knew this round was going to be difficult because it wasn’t one of our test tracks and it’s a completely new layout,” said Toseland “. I expected to be coming from behind. We got lucky in the first race when Biaggi took out Haga, but you can’t rely on luck for the rest of the season. Needless to say I’m disappointed with the weekend, but I’m looking ahead to Brno and hopefully we can get back on track.” Rolfo was happy with his progress in finding real race pace in his set-up, even if in race two results were not as good as the first race. “I am not completely happy with the results, but I am pleased that we have been able to improve the bike set-up so much this weekend,” said the former 250cc ace. “We worked really hard in qualifying and the bike is feeling very good for me now. I felt like I had a good rhythm in the races and I was making good lap times, but I wasn’t with the podium competitors like I wanted to be. I am looking forward to the test in Brno so we can continue the work we have done here and I want to say thanks to the team for their support here in Misano.” Fabrizio was distraught at his misfortunes in front of a partisan home crowd. “Obviously I am not happy to have two non-finishes, especially here,” said the 22-year-old Roman rider. “In the first race the alternator went and in race two the throttle seemed to be stuck half open and in two corners I could not get the revs down, and it was not a good idea to continue.” Morelli is now 20th in the championship, after scoring three points in race one. “Race one was good for me and I was happy with the new track,” said Morelli. “We chose a softer tyre than some and it worked OK, but I felt a harder rear would be better in race two. It wasn’t the best choice to make.” Top teams will be testing at Brno, followed by official testing at Vallelunga in July, preceding round nine of the WSS and SBK series, to be held at Brno in the Czech Republic, between 20 and 22 July. More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Toseland maintains lead after tough weekend A tough weekend of racing at the Misano World Circuit concluded today with HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s James Toseland maintaining his lead in the 2007 World Superbike Championship. Team-mate Roberto Rolfo rode well and picked up valuable points to keep eighth place in the standings. The first race of the day saw Toseland extend his lead despite not finishing on the podium. After a shaky start, the British rider struggled to keep up with the leading pack after experiencing clutch problems on his CBR1000RR. He was running in sixth when a mistake by Max Biaggi in the fight for second position caused both Biaggi and Noriyuki Haga to crash out of the race. This resulted in a fourth place finish for Toseland, who picked up 13 points to remain at the top of the standings. Rolfo had fought his way from eleventh to seventh at the time of the crash and also benefited from Biaggi’s mistake, crossing the finish line in fifth position to collect 11 points. Despite an admirable fight from Toseland in race two, he was unable to catch the front runners and passed the chequered flag in sixth position. However, the result was more than enough for the British rider to keep his championship lead by a 21 point margin ahead of Troy Bayliss. His tally now stands at 161 points. Rolfo completed the second race in eighth place after a strong performance of consistently fast laps. The Italian rider now lies in eighth in the standings ahead of the ninth round race at Brno in four weeks time. Ronald ten Kate: “We’ve had quite a difficult weekend. The only positive thing about it is that we remain at the top of the championship – we didn’t lose too much of the lead in the end. Roby got two good results – he rode well and very consistently in both races. We’re going out to Brno for a two day test, which will be really good because we can evaluate the all the data from this weekend. Hopefully we can come back fighting at the next round.” James Toseland: “I knew this round was going to be difficult because it wasn’t one of our test tracks and it’s a completely new layout. I expected to be coming from behind. We got lucky in the first race when Biaggi took out Haga, but we can’t rely on luck for the rest of the season. Needless to say I’m disappointed with the weekend, but I’m looking ahead to Brno and hopefully we can get back on track.” Roberto Rolfo: “I am not completely happy with the results, but I am pleased that we have been able to improve the bike set-up so much this weekend. We worked really hard in qualifying and the bike is feeling very good for me now. I felt like I had a good rhythm in the race and I was making good lap times, but I wasn’t with the podium competitors like I wanted to be. I am looking forward to the test in Brno so we can continue the work we have done here and I want to say thanks to the team for their support here in Misano.” More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: TROY TAKES A SUPERB PODIUM IN MISANO OPENER. Troy recorded his second best Superbike race weekend of the season with a superb second place in race one and a fighting fifth place in race two. Troy was in contention in both races, battling with Troy Bayliss (Ducati), team mate Noriyuki Haga and Max Biaggi (Suzuki) in the first 24-lapper and then with the same trio and Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) in the second. Troy suffered grip problems in the second race and nearly crashed on one occasion, but kept going as fast as he dared and managed to take fifth spot. Troy Bayliss delighted the local Ducatisti by winning both the races and is now just twenty-one points behind series leader James Toseland (Honda). TROY – Race 1: 2nd, Race 2: 5th I am happy with my second in race one and it felt good to be on the podium again. Both races were tough today, because of the heat and also because this track is physically very demanding – twenty laps would’ve been enough for both rider and tyres! Strangely enough, I didn’t feel so bad in the second race, but that was probably down to the fact that it was a bit cooler. The tyres weren’t too bad in the first race and lasted twenty laps before there were any problems. The bike felt a bit flat between third and fourth gears, so I changed to my spare bike for race two. I had ridden it in the morning warm-up, so it was no big deal. I’m not sure what happened in race two, because the grip level wasn’t the same even though we were on the same tyres and set-up. It’s possible that a stone had hit the radiator and caused a bit of a water leak and then when the water went onto the tyre, it caused some problems. Either way, exiting the first turn, the bike suddenly went and I was thrown into the air. Really I should have crashed, but somehow I fell back down onto the bike and was able to carry on. After that I was a bit tentative for few laps and took extra caution, but at least I was able to ride to the finish. So, I guess I’m happy with my result in the first race, but not the second. Yesterday Superpole went very well and I believed that I could win a race or two. One podium is good, but two would’ve been better. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha: Troy Corser and Noriyuki Haga each took a second podium position in today’s World Superbike races at Misano after starting in pole and third respectively. Haga got a good start in race one and maintained his second with his team mate right behind him in third and Bayliss leading the pack. Together with Biaggi in fourth, the pack created some distance from the rest of the field with all four riders battling throughout the race. Haga and Bayliss had an exciting fight for the lead on lap 16 but it was Bayliss who came out on top with Haga second, Biaggi third and Corser fourth. Then, on the penultimate lap Biaggi tried to overtake Haga the second curvone corner but crashed, taking both riders out. As a result of this Corser grabbed second place and his 111th Superbike podium. Race two saw the Yamaha Motor Italia team mates challenge each other for second place in the first couple of laps before Haga won the battle. Haga then turned his attention to front man Bayliss whom he diced with for first place. Unfortunately, he started to feel sick due to painkilling injections he had been given following injuries received in the race one incident. He was forced to relax his challenge on Bayliss and settle for second as his condition worsened. Following his battle with Haga early on in the second race, Corser found himself battling with Biaggi and Kagayama for the rest of the race. Despite a last lap charge to overtake Kagayama Corser had to accept fifth place and eleven points. Corser has now scored over 300 points at the same circuit – 325 to be precise. This has only been achieved three times before and by only two riders. Carl Fogarty achieved this record at Assen (350 points) and Donington Park (308 points), while Corser first achieved it in Phillip Island (330 points). Shinichi Nakatomi had a mixed day today but finished 14th in race two to take two points away. He was forced to retire from the first race on lap seven with engine problems. Today’s results have reduced Yamaha’s championship points deficit to just seven behind Ducati. Haga sits in third five points behind Bayliss and an accessible 26 behind Toseland. Corser remains fifth in the championship standings with the next race in a month’s time. The team has two tests before the next round, which is at Brno. Troy Corser (2nd and 5th – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “Today has been unbelievably disappointing after such a good day yesterday. In race one I had a rear grip problem and didn’t get a good start either. Those two factors together just made for a tough race. I changed bikes between the two races and the engine in the second bike felt better but the set-up wasn’t quite right, giving me all sorts of problems. I kept losing the front throughout the second race. I was actually crashing at one point but I landed back on the bike, hit the screen and managed to keep going. It is such a disappointment after getting my fortieth pole yesterday – a sorry end to an otherwise good weekend.” Noriyuki Haga (DNF and 2nd – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “I was unlucky in race one. Mistakes can happen to anyone; I’m not angry about the incident in race one but I’m very disappointed that there has been no acknowledgement or apology for what happened. That isn’t professional in my book. I hurt my right elbow and wrist in the race one incident and so had to have some painkillers for the second race. The race was going well when, about halfway through, I started to feel sick, which was caused by the painkillers. I had to slow down. Also, only a few laps into the race my rear brake pedal broke leaving me without any rear brake. All in all I am quite happy with second. But today was an unlucky day for me.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “Mistakes can happen but it was perhaps unexpected from such an experienced rider; Nori was unlucky to be involved. Today was a good opportunity for us to get more points in our campaign to catch Toseland but we haven’t achieved that. The day didn’t go as planned but the result is actually quite good for the team as we don’t traditionally have a good record at Misano. I am very pleased that we were able to fight for wins in both races here as it means, if we can do it here, we can do it anywhere. Nori’s second race was very good considering he felt ill and it is a good result for Troy to get pole as well as a second place.” Shinichi Nakatomi (DNF and 14th – Team Yamaha YZF) “The first race was frustrating for me; I was very disappointed to have to retire. In race two I managed to make up some places but lost a couple at the end of the race. At least I have two more points.” Martial Garcia (Team Manager, Team Yamaha YZF) “Race one was difficult for us today with Tomi suffering from engine problems. He got a good start in race two and was having a good race when he unfortunately had to slow down one some of the last laps. We came here hoping to get two good results but at least we got fourteenth and two points.”

Sofuoglu extends championship lead Following an eventful eighth round of the 2007 World Supersport Championship, HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s Kenan Sofuoglu leaves Misano with his series lead intact. The Turkish rider’s tally now stands at 161 points – 61 points clear of second place rider Fabien Foret. Today’s 22-lap race was split into two halves after a bike blow out at the end of the start/finish straight during lap four caused the contest to be red flagged. The riders re-started the race with 18 laps remaining and the combined times from the two heats determined the final finishing positions. Sofuoglu started the second heat from third on the grid and fought incredibly hard to keep his position in the leading pack. With Anthony West leading, Sofuoglu entered into a battle for second position against Broc Parkes. Although the HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider eventually won the tussle, Parkes was awarded second place on aggregate with Sofuoglu in third. He picked up 16 valuable points to further extend his championship lead. Team-mate Sébastien Charpentier’s run of bad luck continued as he struggled with the grip on his choice of softer tyre. The Frenchman passed the chequered flag in tenth position on aggregate, however the result sees him collect six all-important points to climb to fifteenth in the overall standings. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “This is another good result for Kenan, especially when you look at the championship standings. It’s a pity that the gap had already been made in the first four laps before the race was red flagged. He was already three seconds behind, which made it very difficult for him to win the race. He did remarkably well in the second half to try to overtake Broc Parkes to take the second position. With Sébastien we made a gamble on the softer tyre and this didn’t work out at all. Luckily, we are testing now at Brno and we can dial his bike in ready for the next race because the position he is in today is clearly not where he should be.” Kenan Sofuoglu: “This was a really tough race. The conditions were so hot and to choose a good set up with the tyres was very difficult. In the second half I was pushing at my limit but the gap was already there from the first four laps and it was impossible for me to make that up. I feel like we had a good set-up and I was making good lap times, but it was just too hard for me here. Anyway, I am leaving with the lead so I am happy with that.” Sébastien Charpentier: “Today has been very difficult. The first half of the race was really bad. I am not completely confident and I lost a lot of time. After the red flag, the second start was ok. We kept the tyres the same and after six or seven laps the grip started to go. It was hard for me to follow the group. Because the grip in the rear was less, I pushed harder in the front and that caused the grip in the front to go as well. I finished the race with no grip at all so there was no possibility of me finishing in a good position. We are testing in Brno soon and I hope it goes well for me because for the moment iit is not easy for me weekend after weekend.” Aggregate race results: 1. A. West 36’47.866 2. B. Parkes + 4.197 3. K. Sofuoglu + 4.340 4. M. Roccoli + 15.123 5. R. Harms + 18.429 6. S. Sanna + 18.741 7. J. Fores + 18.915 8. K. Fujiwara + 25.082 9. G. Vizziello + 30.240 10. S. Charpentier + 31.633 Championship standings: 1 K. Sofuoglu 161 2 F. Foret 100 3 K. Fujiwara 77 4 R. Harms 70 5 A. West 66 6 B. Veneman 50 7 B. Parkes 47 8 M. Roccoli 46 9 G. Nannelli 43 10 A. Pitt 40 15 S. Charpentier 29 More, from a press release issued by Honda: SOFUOGLU EXTENDS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH MISANO PODIUM Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) rode one of the hardest races of the year in temperatures over 30°c during the two-part WSS race at Misano today. He recorded a hard fought third place finish and extend his overall championship lead to 61 points. Sofuoglu’s closest championship rival Fabien Foret crashed out after a collision on lap four of the first leg, and Sofuoglu’s 16 points for third put him on a total of 161 points to Foret’s unchanged 100. The race was stopped after four laps when a blown engine on a local competitor’s machine dropped oil onto the track. The 18-lap restart saw Sofuoglu fight to the end with Broc Parkes in a dispute over the aggregate second place finish behind winner Anthony West. Sofuoglu had been fourth in qualifying, the top Honda rider pre-race. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Althea Honda Team CBR600RR) finished his day on the ‘reverse direction’ Misano in eighth place, having been as high as third at one point. He had qualified seventh, and given all that went on around him in the Misano race, he scored well to keep his overall third in the championship fight. Reigning Supersport World Champion Sebastien Charpentier (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) had another tough weekend in WSS, scoring ninth in qualifying, tenth in the race then jumping up to 15th in the championship. Lorenzo Alfonsi (Althea Honda Team CBR600RR) experienced problems with clutch slip towards the end of the race and finished 16th, one place out of the points. Sofuoglu was only mildly disappointed with third, but knows that the championship is the long-term aim. “The conditions were very tough today and to choose a good set-up and tyre combination was very hard,” said the Turkish rider. “After the red flag stopped the first part I was pushing at my limit in the restart, but the problem was still the few seconds I was down from the first leg. That time was impossible to make up. I am still leaving here with a good championship lead, so that is the most important thing.” Fujiwara struggled after being passed at the midpoint of the restarted race, and slid backwards slowly, to take his eighth place finish. “Things were going OK in the beginning,” said Fujiwara. “After a few laps there was a lot of chattering but on the left-hand corners only. Strange and very frustrating, but I kept going to score as many points as I could. I am still third in the standings, which is good considering that we had a complicated race here at Misano.” A crisis of confidence for Charpentier in the first part of the two-part race held back his overall performance and problems later in the second part sealed his ultimate finishing position of tenth. “Today has been very difficult,” said Charpentier. “The first half of the race was really bad. I am not completely confident and I lost a lot of time. After the red flag, the second start was OK. We kept the tyres the same and after six or seven laps the grip started to go. It was hard for me to follow the group. Because the grip in the rear was less, I pushed harder in the front and that caused the grip in the front to go as well. I finished the race with no grip at all so there was no possibility of me finishing in a good position. We are testing in Brno soon and I hope it goes well for me because for the moment it is not easy for me, weekend after weekend.” Alfonsi felt deprived of a points scoring finish, even if he admitted to having a bad start. “I did not have a great start,” said Alfonsi, “but near the end of the race, about lap 15, I was getting a lot of spinning from the clutch, especially on the high speed sections. The revs were going up, but not matched by the speed. It was hard here this weekend, especially on a 2006-specification bike.”

2007 FIM Superbike World Championship Santamonica Circuit Misano, Italy June 17, 2007 Race One Results: 1. Troy Bayliss (Duc 999F07), 24 laps, 38:52.856 2. Troy Corser (Yam YZF-R1), -2.374 seconds 3. Yukio Kagayama (Suz GSX-R1000K7), -8.965 seconds 4. James Toseland (Hon CBR1000RR), -11.110 seconds 5. Roberto Rolfo (Hon CBR1000RR), -18.709 seconds 6. Lorenzo Lanzi (Duc 999F07), -20.467 seconds 7. Regis Laconi (Kaw ZX-10R), -22.072 seconds 8. Ruben Xaus (Duc 999F06), -25.424 seconds 9. Max Neukirchner (Suz GSX-R1000K6), -30.891 seconds 10. Jakub Smrz (Duc 999F05), -37.724 seconds

Rizla Suzuki’s Cal Crutchlow scored his career best British Superbike Championship qualifying position by taking fifth place at the sixth round of the Bennetts Championship at Mondello Park in the Republic of Ireland today. In heavy rain at the 2.18-mile-long water-logged track, Cal only came in once to clean his visor and add a touch of preload to his forks. He completed 19-laps and was consistently in contention at the head of the timesheets, ending up just one tenth of a second off the front row. Chris Walker was in eighth when a red flag stopped the session with just over two minutes remaining. A handful of riders restarted and completed one last flying lap, with Honda’s Tom Sykes the sole improver, pushing ‘Stalker’ back to ninth. Honda’s Jonathan Rea took pole position in front of his home fans. Cal Crutchlow: “That was a bit of fun in the wet. At a couple of the corners I was spinning the rear sideways through puddles and smiling inside my helmet. All I did today was stay out and get a feel for the bike and tyres in the wet and it worked well as fifth is my best ever qualifying position in British Superbikes. “I’ve always liked Mondello Park and can’t wait to get racing. There’s a lot of talk about the weather but I have no preference whether rain or sunshine; I have my target of getting in the top six to achieve.” Chris Walker: “I am disappointed not to have qualified further up the grid but the head of the third row means at least I am starting on the best side of the track for entering the first corner. “I like Mondello Park and have enjoyed riding here; even in the pouring rain it has been good. Qualifying is one thing but points are awarded only for the races and I’ll be going for it.” Simon Buckmaster – Team Manager: “Allowing Cal to stay out on track all session was a master stroke because he simply felt his way with the tyres in the rain and went faster and faster. He’s been strong all weekend and there’s no reason he can’t keep this run of good form up in the races. “Chris did a decent job today and although he and his crew are disappointed with ninth, he can get the bike off the line like nobody else and I’m sure he’ll be mixing it with Cal in the top six in the races. “It has rained all weekend so far and we haven’t had a single dry lap in any session. We are in good shape if the races are wet but if it is dry it’s going to be a busy morning for everyone finding a set-up. Either way I think we are looking forward to an exciting race day.” Qualification Times: 1: Jonathan Rea (Honda) 1:46.776 2: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +0.091 3: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +1.758 4: Karl Harris (Honda) +2.107 5: Cal Crutchlow (Rizla Suzuki) +2.245 6: Shane Byrne (Honda) +2.396 7: Leon Camier (Honda) +2.689 8: Ton Sykes (Honda) +2.850 9: Chris Walker (Rizla Suzuki) +3.038 10: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +4.308

2007 FIM Cup 1000cc Superstock Santamonica Circuit Misano, Italy June 16, 2007 Final Qualifying Results: 1. Matteo BAIOCCO (Yam YZF-R1), 1:39.495 2. Xavier SIMEON (Suz GSX-R1000K6), 1:39.562 3. Ayrton BADOVINI (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), 1:39.676 4. Luca SCASSA (MV Agusta F4-1000R 312), 1:39.798 5. Lorenzo BARONI (Duc 1098S), 1:39.836 6. Ilario DIONISI (Suz GSX-R1000K7), 1:39.880 7. Mark AITCHISON (Suz GSX-R1000K6), 1:39.989 8. Arne TODE (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:40.064 9. Claudio CORTI (Yam YZF-R1), 1:40.250 10. Niccolo CANEPA (Duc 1098S), 1:40.253

FIM 2007 Superbike World Championship Santamonica Circuit Misano, Italy June 16, 2007 Superpole Results: 1. Troy CORSER (Yam YZF-R1), 1:34.948 2. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F07), 1:35.104 3. Noriyuki HAGA (Yam YZF-R1), 1:35.458 4. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:35.572 5. Max BIAGGI (Suz GSX-R1000K7), 1:35.578 6. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F07), 1:36.026 7. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F06), 1:36.131 8. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000K7), 1:36.206 9. Roberto ROLFO (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:36.489 10. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Suz GSX-R1000K6), 1:36.548 11. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:36.661 12. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), 1:37.141 13. Marco BORCIANI (Duc 999F06), 1:37.535 14. Shinichi NAKATOMI (Yam YZF-R1), 1:37.646 15. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), 1:37.914 16. Jakub SMRZ (Duc 999F05), 1:38.010 More, from a press release issued by HANNspree Ten Kate Honda: Front row start for Toseland at Misano Following a tough second day of World Superbike qualifying at the Misano World Circuit today, HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s James Toseland will start tomorrow’s 24-lap race from the front row of the grid. Team-mate Roberto Rolfo qualified in ninth position for a third row start. The difficulties that the team experienced yesterday continued in this morning’s second official qualifying, which saw Toseland and Rolfo finish in ninth and eleventh positions respectively. However, this afternoon’s Superpole session proved to be the turning point as both riders pushed hard aboard their CBR1000RRs to secure their grid positions. Rolfo was the first HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider to enter the one-lap dash and despite a slight mistake on the second to last corner, he achieved an impressive lap time of 1’36.489. Toseland followed and put in a bold performance to finish his lap in 1’35.572, securing fourth position on the grid. He completes the line-up alongside Troy Corser, Troy Bayliss and Noriyuki Haga. Ronald ten Kate, Team Manager: “It’s been a difficult couple of days for the whole team. James has worked really hard today to improve his time and in the end it worked out. To get the front row after the problems we have had is a real surprise and we have to be pleased with that. Roby just missed out on the second row, but he has also improved a lot today. He put in a really good lap in the Superpole and I know that he wants to do well in front of his home crowd. All in all, I think we are ready to race.” James Toseland: “To be honest, we have really struggled for not having tested here. I went out on Friday and with the problems with the bike I knew it was going to be a long weekend. We had quite a lot of problems and problems that were not easy to fix, but the team has worked really hard and I’ve really tried to concentrate on what the problems are so we didn’t waste time making any wrong decisions. In the end we got it together, which was nice, and to get on the front row is a bonus. I just have to focus on tomorrow and I hope I can bring in the result.” Roberto Rolfo: “Today has been a lot better than yesterday because we worked very hard this morning to improve the feeling in the front of the bike. This is very important for this track. I am running almost a second faster than I was yesterday and I feel more confident now. Free practice was very important because we were working towards a good race set-up and I think we are almost there now. Unfortunately, the last part of the Superpole was difficult because I was pushing very hard and just made a mistake on the last section. Anyway, the lap time was not too bad. It’s a pity not to be on the second row, but I will try hard for a good start to the race and hopefully I can get a good result.” More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi: POSITIVE DAY AT MISANO FOR SCUDERIA SC Once more a splendid sunny day characterized the World Superbike meeting at Misano Adriatico. In Superbike Jakub Smrz scored the main goal to be allowed to contest the Superpole session and tomorrow will start from the fourth row for two races which promise to be very hard for the riders if the temperature will go on so high. “During Superpole I’ve been not able to improve my qualification lap time, but with the afternoon’s high temperature the bike was not performing as for morning’s practice.” has been the final comment by Jakub Smrz “Tomorrow morning during the warm up session we’ll try to find some solution to high temperature problem; the bike anyway looks to have a good set up and I’m confident in a positive performance tomorrow. If tomorrow’s temperature will go on to be so high to run the two races it will be rather hard, but it will happened for everybody and I’m physically ready for that.” Alessio Brugnoni got a very high improvement his performance from the debut laps on Friday morning and he’s quite satisfied for this first experience in a world championship event. “If I would judge my performance just looking the final grid position I couldn’t say to be very satisfied.” said Alessio Brugnoni after the practices. “On the contrary I’m rather happy because, during the practice sessions I improved my lap time about 4 seconds, from the 1’47.513 of first free practice session to 1’43.600 final qualifying time. This bike is quite different from the machine I’m used to, but I’m going to know it better and tomorrowfor the race I’ll try to get a good result.” But the best result for the team today has been the new that Gianluca Nannelli will be able to ride at Brno’s round next July 22; after a final control doctor Costa has given the permission and Nannelli will be fit to race in Brno where, in the past season, he finished onto the podium. More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) JUST MISSES OUT IN SUPERPOLE BATTLE OF TWO TROYS AT MISANO Misano Adriatico (Italy), Saturday 16 June: Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) just missed out on the top slot in an exciting Superpole session at a scorching hot Misano. Fastest in overall qualifying and with a green light after the first two splits in the one-lap dash, Troy then made a small mistake in the final section and had to settle for second behind Troy Corser (Yamaha), who notched up a record 40 pole positions. Lorenzo Lanzi also produced a good performance today, recording third-quickest time in qualifying and then finishing a positive sixth in Superpole. “I’m pretty happy with how everything went, I did a good lap but made a bit of a mistake in the last part. I didn’t have a good line through the fast part and then coming onto the straight I didn’t put the gear in properly and missed it twice and that cost me pole but never mind, I’m on the front row and that’s important” declared Troy. Troy also spoke about a curious incident in the final few minutes of the morning’s second qualifying session during a head-to-head battle with Corser. “I did my lap and saw I was fastest so came in with a couple of minutes left but my chief mechanic Moro gave me the sign like I was second and I thought ‘Oh no! Now I’ve got to go out again!’ so I rolled straight though for a fly-by and put in a good lap to end up quickest in the session”. “It’s a pity not to start from the front row, but today in Superpole I just couldn’t go any better than sixth place so I’ll be starting from row 2. Here it’s vitally important to start up at the front at this circuit because the first corner is very close and the first part of the circuit is really tough” commented Lorenzo. “We worked well all day to improve, we didn’t alter the set-up very much but found a few things that I like. I’m particularly pleased because I lapped more or less at the same times as in the tests. The feeling with the bike is good and all the team did a great job today”. TIMES: 1. 1. Corser (Yamaha) 1m34948s; 2. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1m35.104s; 3. Haga (Yamaha) 1m35.458s; 4. Toseland (Honda) 1m35.572s; 5. Biaggi (Suzuki) 1m35.578s; 6. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m36.026s; 7. Xaus (Ducati) 1m36.131s; 8. Kagayama (Suzuki) 1m36.206s; etc. More, from a press release issued by Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra: 2007 Superbike World Championship Round 8, Misano, Italy Final qualifying, Saturday 16th June 2007 Circuit: 4.180 kms Conditions: Dry, mostly sunny SECOND ROW FOR MAX AND YUKIO. Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Max Biaggi and Yukio Kagayama finished Superpole qualifying with the fifth and eighth fastest times and will start tomorrow’s pair of 24-lappers from the second row of the grid. For Max, it was a considerable improvement from yesterday, while Yukio’s placing was down to a bike setting that didn’t work out. Troy Corser (Yamaha) rode a faultless lap to take his 40th Superpole, with fellow countryman Troy Bayliss (Ducati) second, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha) third and series leader James Toseland (Honda) fourth. MAX – 5th, 1:35.578 I think we’ve made a little improvement from yesterday and I feel that the track condition is getting better because there’s more rubber down. But, I’m not entirely happy because of the general track condition is not good and that should not be the case with a new track. The layout is not too bad but there are not many overtaking places, so it’s important to get a good start in tomorrow’s races. Of course, I don’t know what the conditions will be like tomorrow, but it’s going to be a day of two, long and hard races for sure. We’ve got good pace – as good as the others – so I’m sure it’s going to be tough out there. Tyre wear is not going to be such a big problem for us, but once again that will depend on the conditions. I don’t think we’ll make too many changes in the warm-up tomorrow, just see how the conditions are and only change something if we think there’s a real need. We found out that yesterday’s cutting-out problem was something to do with a bit of the wiring, so that has been sorted out and it shouldn’t happen again. YUKIO – 8th, 1:36.206 This afternoon we made an adjustment to the engine and the feeling wasn’t so good. Because of that I couldn’t push as hard as I wanted to and couldn’t do a faster Superpole lap. For tomorrow we will change the setting back and I should be able to go quicker. We have already chosen our tyres for tomorrow and I think they should be able to last the distance without too many problems. The first corner is not far from the start line, so it’s important I make a good start – especially as this track does not have many overtaking places. I have got to be right up with the leaders right from the start or else it will be very hard to make a good result. More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing: Corser Takes His 40th WSB Pole for Yamaha Troy Corser put in an excellent performance in today’s Superpole to take the 40th pole of his WSB career, and Yamaha’s third of the season, while his team mate Noriyuki Haga will start third on the grid in tomorrow’s races. In this morning’s qualifying session Corser and Bayliss fought an entertaining battle with the duo swapping between first and second place throughout. Corser was the first rider to break into the 1’35 lap times this weekend, matching his best time from last months test here, but Bayliss quickly followed suit to retain first place. Haga spent qualifying searching for his best race setting and took a second off his best time from yesterday to finish in seventh. Haga was the first of the Yamaha Motor Italia team mates to go out in the Superpole session and he posted a 1’35.458 to go top of the leader board in front of Toseland. It was when Corser came out and achieved the first 1’34 lap time at the new Misano circuit that Haga was knocked down into second place. Bayliss, the last rider out, was unable to beat Corser’s time and slid into second between the two Yamaha riders. Corser goes into tomorrow’s race with 13 podiums to his name at Misano. If he climbs the podium twice more tomorrow he will match the all-time record of the highest number of podiums achieved at a single circuit. The current holder of this record is Carl Fogarty with 15 podiums at Assen. Shinichi Nakatomi made good progress in this morning’s qualifying session to improve his time by almost two seconds. He qualified in 15th position, giving him his second chance of the season at Superpole. He was second out and put in a solid ride to move up a place on the starting grid to 14th. Troy Corser (1st – 1’34.948 – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “It is good to finally get my fortieth pole; I haven’t been consciously chasing it but we’ve been so close over so many race weekends that it was starting to seem a bit elusive. I’m really happy with the bike; we’ve got it working well and we’ve also found a good race tyre for this circuit. Because I had concerns yesterday with tyre life in this heat I did a long run in this morning’s session to reassure myself and it seems fine. Tomorrow is going to be a tough race. It’s going to be tough on the tyres because of the heat. I like the track with the new direction though. It’s technically more challenging but that’s good. I’m just really pleased with how the day has gone, from practice to Superpole.” Noriyuki Haga (3rd – 1’35.458 – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “Today has been okay for me, not perfect though. Superpole went okay but I haven’t yet found the right set-up for tomorrow. This evening I need to think more about my suspension settings as I made some changes and it hasn’t fully worked. The hot weather conditions only leave me with one tyre option really but I am happy to be on the front row as I know I can make a good start.” Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) “We are on the front row with both troy and Nori, which is a really good result for us as well as the riders. We still have a bit of work to do, especially on Nori’s side but we are ready for a good battle tomorrow.” Shinichi Nakatomi (14th – 1’37.646 – Team Yamaha YZF) “I’m very happy with my qualifying result for today. It felt good to take part in Superpole and I am pleased I was able to make up one starting place. It is very hot here but I am getting to know the circuit quite well. I hope I can do well in the races tomorrow for my team.” More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist: MR SUPERPOLE DOES IT AGAIN – FOR THE 40TH TIME! Troy rode a blisteringly superb Superpole lap at Misano this afternoon and his time of 1:34.948 was more then enough to take Superpole. What made it more special was that it was 40th pole position and it was at a circuit that he has had many successes before. Even though Misano is now a ‘new’ circuit because it runs clockwise instead of anticlockwise, Troy got on with right from the start – though the recent test helped as well. Second quickest today is Troy Bayliss (Ducati), with Troy’s team mate Noriyuki Haga third and series leader James Toseland (Honda) fourth. TROY – 1st, 1:34.948 I’ve been stuck of 39 poles for a little while now, so it’s great to finally hit the big forty! I’ve been close to getting it many weekends this year, but someone has always just pipped me at the last minute and I was beginning to wonder if was ever going to happen. I’m really happy with the bike; we’ve got it working well and we’ve also found good race tyre for this track. Because of my concerns about tyre life, we did a long run in this morning’s session to reassure myself and it all seems fine. Tomorrow is going to be two tough races for sure, because of the heat and because this track is very physical. I like the new direction of the track though. Technically it is more of a challenge, but that’s good. Now I am looking forward to the races tomorrow and a couple of good results.