By Dennis Noyes Chris Peris crashed near the end of World Supersport free practice at Silverstone on Friday morning and opened a deep gash in his right forearm that required stitches to close. He was declared unfit by the medical center and was unable to take part in the final Saturday qualifying and could not ride in the race. Peris was 10th-fastest in the opening free session on his Bikersday Moto 1 Yamaha YZF-R6, his best performance to date in his first full season of World Supersport.

Aussie Brendan Roberts took victory in the third round of the Suzuki GSX-R European Cup at Silverstone today after a race-long battle with Briton Tommy Bridewell. The pair – both ‘Wild Cards’ – entertained the crowd throughout the race after early leader Xavier Simeon crashed out after four laps. Roberts was too strong for Bridewell and took the chequered flag by just over three tenths of a second. Third place went to Italian Simone Castellani ahead of Magnus Houston, Anthony Delhalle with Robert Barber sixth. With ‘wild cards’ ineligible for any points, Castellani took the 25 points and has now closed the gap on leader Simeon to just four points Brendan Roberts – 1st: “It took me a few laps to get going in the race, but once I got past Tommy, I knew it was going to be a fight between the two of us. We soon pulled away from the rest of the field and although he overtook me with one lap left, I knew what to do and where to do it. I knew I was stronger than him in certain points, so I made my move on the last lap, put my head down and held him off. It was always going to be a bit of a ‘do-or-die’ situation, but I felt pretty confident that I’d come out on top. This has been a fantastic experience for me and it’s been great racing in front of a large number of fans. I hope I can get another ‘Wild Card’ ride later in the season and have some fun all over again.” Result: B Roberts, 2 T Bridewell, 3 S Castellani, 4 M Houston, 5 A Delhalle, 6 R Barber. Championship Points (after 3 rounds): 1 Simeon 50, 2 Castellani 46, 3 Mahr 41, 4 Delhalle 37, 5 Hafenger 33, 6 Van Der Marel 33.

Yamaha Racing Team’s elite road race squad have shown today why they are considered amongst the ‘best in the business’, again taking out round honours across both Superbike and Supersport classes at Perth’s Barbagallo Raceway, host of round two of the YMF Loan Australian Superbike Championship. Once again it was dual championship leader Jamie Stauffer who claimed the spoils after a perfect pair of pole positions, though he received strong support from his teammates across both classes. The power and pace of both the YZF-R1 and YZF-R6 machines was more than apparent as they continued their dominance from the previous round across the course of the race meeting. The Yamaha Racing Team will have little time to regroup as the series travels back east to Mallala Motorsport Park, SA for round three. Yamaha Racing Team Superbike Squad Yamaha Racing Team’s man of the moment Jamie Stauffer has added another Superbike round win to his impeccable season 2006 record today, though he did it without winning a race. Stauffer’s consistency through two 2nd place finishes was enough to award him round honours as the winners of both races stumbled in their weekend campaigns. The racing was littered with red flags which halted any momentum the riders could build as the fast and sandy circuit claimed a number of victims. Stauffer said it was a strange situation in which to win a round but felt that he would have been more than capable of gapping the field had they been able to string more than ten laps together without stopping. “We were able to learn quite alot about the bikes today as the circumstances forced a major change to race strategy,” explained Stauffer. “It’s great to have taken the win and though a little of it may have been through luck, I feel as though we worked very hard for it as a team.” “It’s still fairly close as far as the championship is concerned, both Russell (Holland) and Shannon (Johnson) again put in strong race results and it will be interesting to see what we can do at Mallala.” Dan Stauffer experienced an up and down weekend aboard his YZF-R1 machine, but made some good ground in the second race of the day. Stauffer executed two perfect restarts, leaping up the order early as his rivals struggled to get the power down. Despite the good result in race 2 (5th), he was unable to make inroads on the points leaders as the race was declared and only half points awarded. Stauffer’s weekend result keeps him in the title hunt and he sits handily placed within the top 5. “It was a pretty trying weekend, we had some good speed but it was hard to convert it to results as there were constant interruptions and rain,” said Stauffer. “I was particularly pleased with the restarts though, the bike got off the line really well.” “I’ll take some of the things I learnt about the R1 to Mallala and try to further refine the bike into a race-winning package.” Yamaha Racing Team Supersport Squad Yamaha Racing Team’s Supersport trio have experienced a highly successful weekend in their quest for round victory, and all three riders shone in their pursuit of the top podium place. In the end it would once again be Jamie Stauffer who claimed overall honours, though he was capably backed up by his younger teammates Mark Aitchison and Jason O’Halloran. Aitchison and O’Halloran put in stellar performances across the course of the weekend and demonstrated the full potential of both themselves and their bikes. Aitchison had the measure of Stauffer for much of the weekend and only just fell short of his mark in terms of round points. “It’s been a really positive weekend for the team, and I feel like I am coming along leaps and bounds in terms of my own riding,” said Aitchison. “The R6 really is a complete package and was really suited to this style of track, and I think it showed as we stuck together at the front.” “Third and second places across both races is where I want to be, it was a great improvement over the Eastern Creek result and the bike was more reliable than ever.” Jason O’Halloran experienced a fairly successful weekend, the highlight being his magnificent comeback in race one. He was left with nowhere to go as the massive Supersport grid roared into turn 1, and ended up stranded deep in the sand. O’Halloran demonstrated a resilient attitude by single-handedly getting himself back onto the road and onto the back of the pack, and was later rewarded with a restart which gave him the opportunity to make up ground. By the end of Supersport race 1, O’Halloran had made up a number of spots, showing just how determined he was to catch the leaders. “It could have been a much better result for me personally, I really made a mess of the first race but was able to get a little back after the red flag,” said O’Halloran. “I’ve been really pleased to be able to run with Jamie up the front, I’m getting more and more confident each time we take to the bikes.” “Mallala will be a good test to see if I can challenge for race wins, I’m quietly confident of being there very soon.” More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Three-time Australian Superbike rider Shawn Giles suffered a broken foot and a laceration to his arm in a heavy crash during round two of the 2006 series at Barbagallo Raceway, Western Australia, yesterday. The Suzuki star crashed from the lead as a result of oil on the track left by a back-marker who also crashed only moments earlier. Left with nowhere to go, Giles’ GSX-R1000 hit the oil and the 35-year-old was sent skidding feet first into the sand The battered and bruised Champion was taken to hospital with initial fears of two broken ankles. Currently with his right foot in plaster and six stitches in his arm, he also has very sore ankles and hips as a result of the impact. The Team Suzuki rider has returned to New South Wales and is now recuperating at home with his family and has not yet been ruled out of next weekend’s Australian Superbike round at Mallala in South Australia.

‘HOME’ RACE PRESENTS FRESH CHALLANGE FOR CAMEL YAMAHA TEAM The Camel Yamaha Team heads into its home Grand Prix this weekend looking to turn a stuttering start to the season into a consistent challenge for MotoGP World Championship honours. The fast and flowing Mugello circuit in Italy presents an entirely different challenge to the tight complexities of recent tracks such as Le Mans and Shanghai and both Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards hope it can also deliver a similar contrast in the fortunes that have followed them around the world during a dramatic opening five rounds of the campaign. Rossi, in particular, is keen to get his fifth title defence back on track in front of his adoring Italian public. The Tavullia-born superstar, who was last week honoured with the ‘Spirit of Sport’ award at the prestigious Laureus Sports Awards, is aiming to add another prize to his trophy cabinet by claiming his fifth consecutive victory at the Mugello circuit. Edwards is equally focused on the top step of the podium after again demonstrating winning potential at the last round in France. The American was forced into the gravel in the first turn but he battled through from last place to take sixth overall and finish just eleven seconds down on the race winner. Like Rossi, he knows that if things play in his favour this weekend it can be a glorious return home for the Monza-based team. VALENTINO ROSSI: ELEVEN WINS SHOULD DO IT! After failing to score points at the last two rounds because of freak tyre and engine problems, Rossi now trails series leader Nicky Hayden (Honda) by 43 points and lies eighth in the championship his worst ever start to a World Championship season in any class. However, with a typical air of optimism based on confidence in his unrivalled ability, the Italian refuses to consider defeat at this early stage of the season and says this weekend is the ideal time to turn things around. “Mugello has been very good to me over the past few years it is a very special race and this season it is even more important than ever,” admits Rossi. “I have had some incredible emotions there over the years and it is always a very busy weekend for me, but it is crucial that we maintain our focus on the job because we have to be at 100% if we want to win again. The new chassis worked well at Le Mans and we have some good data from the test to improve it at Mugello so I have reason to be confident.” If Rossi did go on to win the title this year he would be the first rider ever to do so having had only one podium finish in the first five races of the year. It is the kind of challenge he relishes. “We have had a lot of bad luck but I don’t think 43 points is such a big gap when there are still twelve races left,” he says. “It will be difficult to win them all but I will settle for taking eleven wins and one second place! When you look at what has happened to us this season, mostly things out of our control, I probably lost 25 points in France, 16 in China and 14 in Jerez so if it wasn’t for all that I would be in a much better situation in the championship now. I think we showed our true potential last weekend and it is just a matter of our luck changing now. Mugello would be the perfect place for that.” COLIN EDWARDS: A FAMILY AFFAIR Colin Edwards has more than one reason to look forward to Mugello, both on and off the track. During a gruelling run of races visiting all corners of the globe over the last two months the Texan has not had much chance to see his young son Hayes, but the baby, who was born in December, will be making his first visit to Europe this week and staying on the road with the whole family during the upcoming run of races on the continent. The proud father hopes family life on the road can provide the foundation to a series of positive results. “Hayes will be coming over with my daughter Gracie and my wife Alyssia so obviously I’m really looking forward to that,” admits Edwards. “I love being with the family and living out of the motorhome instead of travelling all over the place staying in hotels. I find it helps me to focus on my performance on the track and hopefully it can give me an extra edge this weekend. That is the most important thing and at this stage of the season, with the way things have gone recently, we need every advantage we can get.” Another plus point for Edwards this week will be the delivery of a new chassis for his YZR-M1 machine, used by Rossi with positive results at the last round in Le Mans. “My bike has been the same since Turkey and whilst I have got comfortable with it now I think we have reached the limit in some areas. I did thirty laps with the new chassis at the Le Mans test and I could clearly see the extra potential. Now I’ll have one from the start at Mugello and so that’s something for us to get our teeth into from the first session and see how far we can go.” DAVIDE BRIVIO: EXCITEMENT AT HOME! Whilst recognising that recent results have not lived up to expectations, Camel Yamaha Team Director Davide Brivio remains upbeat that his riders are still on course to meet their objectives for the season. The Italian has been encouraged by recent progress made by Yamaha’s engineers and says a simple turn in fortune is now all that is required for both Valentino Rossi and Colin Edwards to be challenging at the sharp end of the field. “In the last race at Le Mans we had a lot of bad luck but it was a very important and encouraging weekend for us to confirm the general progress we are making with the bike,” says Brivio. “Valentino was riding steadily in the lead and probably would have won quite comfortably, whilst Colin also had an excellent race to come through from last place and finish sixth so we know we have something to build on and we want to continue with this progression. “We have twelve races left to get points back and the first stage of the recovery is this weekend at Mugello. All we can do is try to gather as many points from race to race and that means taking victory on Sunday. It is a home race for Valentino and for half of the team so it will be important for us to have the support of the big Italian crowd to help us do this. This has been an unpredictable championship so far but something we can be certain of at Mugello is that it will be very hot and very exciting!” TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: MUGELLO ACCORDING TO DANIELE ROMAGNOLI At 5.245km the Mugello circuit is one of the longer contemporary MotoGP circuits, in no small part due to the fact that it has retained its original length and layout. Running across two sides of an impossibly scenic Tuscan valley, Mugello differs from other fast circuits in its frequent changes of gradient and the speed of its chicanes. There is a mix of slower and high-speed corners, although even the slowest corners are wide, allowing several ‘ideal’ lines and putting the emphasis on rider skill as well as chassis set-up precision. “Mugello is a very technical track,” explains Daniele Romagnoli, Colin Edwards’ Italian Chief Mechanic. “Chassis set-up is perhaps the most important thing but you also need a good engine for the straight because there is around 950m with the throttle fully open. The gearing is also important at this point you need small gaps between fourth, fifth and sixth gear to get the most out of the engine. “Generally it is a very complex track and the rider can make the difference. It has a very hard braking into turn one, where the riders go from around 330km/h to just 85km/h. Then there is a sequence of ‘esses’ where it is important to have a bike that has good turning capabilities and agility. There are some quick changes in direction, with uphill and downhill turns, so you need a good compromise with the set-up to make it turn well in both types of corner.” Romagnoli adds that the delivery of a new chassis for Edwards at this round could not have come at a better time. “The new chassis has improved the performance of the front end of the bike, particularly in terms of turning and stability on corner entry. It has also improved the chatter problems that we have experienced and this will be crucial at Mugello because there are some very fast corners and a lot of lateral load on the bike.” VALENTINO ROSSI: INFORMATION Age: 27 Lives: London, UK Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 GP victories: 80 (54 x MotoGP/500cc, 14 x 250cc, 12 x 125cc) First GP victory: Czech Republic, 1996 (125cc) First GP: Malaysia, 1996 (125cc) GP starts: 162 (102 x MotoGP/500cc, 30 x 250cc, 30 x 125cc) Pole positions: 40 World Championships 7 Grand Prix (1 x 125cc, 1 x 250cc, 1 x 500cc, 4 x MotoGP) COLIN EDWARDS: INFORMATION Age: 32 Lives: Conroe, Texas Bike: Yamaha YZR-M1 First GP: Japan, 2003 (MotoGP) GP starts: 53 x MotoGP World Championships – 2 World Superbike Mugello Lap Record: Max Biaggi (Honda) 2005 1’50.117 Mugello Best Lap: Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 2005 1’49.223 2005 Results 1. VALENTINO ROSSI (ITA) Yamaha, 42’42.994 2. Max Biaggi (ITA) Honda, +0.359 3. Loris Capirossi (ITA) Ducati, +3.874

Arclight Suzuki’s Jeff Wood earned pole position for the American Sportbike Racing Association (ASRA) Sportbike and Superbike Nationals during qualifying Sunday at Summit Point Raceway. Hal’s Performance Buell’s Dan Bilansky, meanwhile, was the fastest in qualifier in Thunderbike at the West Virginia racetrack. Riding a GSX-R600 on DOT-labeled Dunlops, Wood lapped the 2.0-mile, 10-turn course in 1:16.037 to take the pole for the Factory Pro Tuning Sportbike final. Martinmoto.com’s Michael Himmelsbach was second-fastest with a 1:16.420 on his Triumph Daytona 675. Shenandoah Honda’s Tim Bermisderfer was third-fastest with a 1:16.785 on his borrowed CBR600RR, and Jason Moss earned the final front-row starting spot with a 1:18.027 on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Riding the same GSX-R600, albeit with Dunlop slicks, Wood was also fastest in Superbike qualifying with a 1:16.057, just edging out Tim Bemisderfer’s second-fastest 1:16.192. Himmelsbach was third in Superbike qualifying with a 1:16.400, while Michael Murray took the final front-row starting spot with a lap of 1:17.658 on his Yamaha YZF-R6. Bilansky blew up his primary XB-12R Firebolt in practice Saturday but was still able to take pole position in Thunderbike with a lap of 1:18.865 on his Pirelli-shod back-up Buell. Harley-Davidson/Buell of Frederick’s Bryan Bemisderfer (Tim Bemisderfer’s older brother) qualified second with a 1:19.274 on his XB-12R. Defending Thunderbike Champion Dave Estok qualified third with a 1:19.325 on his Veatch Motorsports Firebolt XB-12R. Current Thunderbike Championship points leader Nate Kern grabbed the final spot on the front row by turning a 1:19.529, a personal record, on his Mainline BMW R1100S. Several noteworthy riders were present at Summit Point Raceway but absent from Saturday’s qualifying session. Former Summit Point Raceway lap record holder and Thunderbike race winner Dave Yaakov told Roadracingworld.com that he could not run Monday’s Thunderbike race because he had to work on his commercial property. Former Sportbike and Superbike Champion Robert Jensen planned on racing in the ASRA Nationals but crashed his Butler Machinery Suzuki GSX-R600 during Sunday morning practice and missed qualifying. At post time, Jensen, who was uninjured, did not know if his Suzuki GSX-R600 could be repaired in time for him to start Monday’s races from the back of the grid. Jensen did, however, turn a 1:14.853 on his Michelin-equipped GSX-R1000 to take pole position in Unlimited Grand Prix, the premier CCS class. Weather at Summit Point Raceway Sunday was sunny and hot, and similar conditions are forecast for race day Monday. ASRA National Championship Series Summit Point Raceway Summit Point, West Virginia May 28 Qualifying Results: Sportbike: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600), 1:16.037 2. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675), 1:16.420 3. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600RR), 1:16.870 4. Jason Moss (Yam YZF-R6), 1:18.027 5. Reuben Frankenfield (Kaw ZX-6), 1:18.139 6. Nick Scoggins, 1:19.529 7. Steven Giacomaro, 1:19.685 8. Gustavo Laya (Kaw ZX-6), 1:19.713 9. Tony Palarie (Suz GSX-R600), 1:20.893 10. M. Arwood (Suz GSX-R600), 1:21.227 Superbike: 1. Jeff Wood (Suz GSX-R600), 1:16.057 2. Tim Bemisderfer (Hon CBR600RR), 1:16.192 3. Michael Himmelsbach (Tri Daytona 675), 1:16.400 4. Michael Murray (Yam YZF-R6), 1:17.658 5. Ryan Patterson (Yam YZF-R6), 1:17.770 6. Bryan Bemisderger (Buell XB-RR), 1:17.971 7. Reuben Frankenfield (Kaw ZX-6), 1:18.457 8. Jonathan Lawrence (Yam YZF-R6), 1:19.012 9. Rick Beggs (Kaw ZX-6R), 1:19.696 10. Nick Scoggins, 1:20.777 Thunderbike: 1. Dan Bilanksy (Buell XB-12R), 1:18.865 2. Bryan Bemisderfer (Buell XB-12R), 1:19.274 3. Dave Estok (Buell XB-12R), 1:19.325 4. Nate Kern (BMW R1100S), 1:19.529 5. Sam Rozynski (Buell XB-12R), 1:21.053 6. Art Diaz (Buell XB-12R), 1:21.426 7. Walt Sipp (Buell XB-12R), 1:22.148 8. Joe Rozynski (Buell XB-12R), 1:22.832 9. Sean Marston (Suz SV650), 1:23.231 10. Arnold Hastings (Suz SV650), 1:23.676

FIM Superbike World Championship Silverstone, England May 28 Race Two Results: 1. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F06), 28 laps, 40’42.003 2. Noriyuki HAGA (Yamaha YZF-R1) -1.585 seconds 3. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), -12.058 seconds 4. Andrew PITT (Yam YZF-R1), -14.561 seconds 5. Alex BARROS (Hon CBR1000RR), -16.826 seconds 6. Troy CORSER (Suz GSX-R1000), -21.230 seconds 7. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F05), -22.056 seconds 8. Chris WALKER (Kaw ZX-10R), -22.549 seconds 9. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), -22.708 seconds 10. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), -34.025 seconds 11. Norick ABE (Yam YZF-R1), -34.739 seconds 12. Tommy HILL (Yam YZF-R1) -35.112 seconds 13. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000), -35.518 seconds 14. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), -36.322 seconds 15. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), -47.850 seconds 16. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F06), -50.101 seconds 17. Gianluca NANNELLI (Hon CBR1000RR), -51.089 seconds 18. J. BROOKES (Kaw ZX10R) -52.191 seconds 19. Roberto ROLFO (Duc 999F05), -52.255 seconds 20. Ivan CLEMENTI (Duc 999RS), -2 laps, DNF, mechanical 21. Sebastien GIMBERT (Yam YZF-R1) -11 laps, DNF, mechanical 22. Fabien FORET (Suz GSX-R1000), -13 laps, DNF, mechanical 23. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Duc 999RS), -14 laps, DNF, mechanical 24. Steve MARTIN (Foggy Petronas FP1), -18 laps, DNF, mechanical 25. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Suz GSX-R1000), -22 laps, DNF, crash 26. Craig JONES (Foggy Petronas FP1), DNS FIM Superbike World Championship Point Standings (after 10 of 26 races): 1. Bayliss, 225 points 2. Corser, 149 points 3. Haga, 133 points 4. Toseland, 129 points 5. Barros, 113 points 6. Pitt, 103 points 7. Lanzi, 62 points 8. Xaus, 56 points 9. Abe, 51 points 10. Walker, 51 points 11. Nieto, 48 points 12. Rolfo, 46 points 13. Muggeridge, 45 points 14. Laconi, 42 points 15. Fabrizio, 37 points 16. Kagayama, 29 points 17. Nakatomi, 18 points 18. TIE, Chili/Foret, 10 points 19. TIE, Borciani/Neukirchner, 9 points 20. Hill, 8 points 21. Gimbert, 7 points 22. Martin, 4 points 23. Alfonsi/ De Gea, 2 points 24. Nannelli/ Clementi, 1 point More, from a press release issued by Team Klaffi Honda: Superbike I A breath taking race day at Silverstone! Only a few seconds after the start of the first race Troy Corser had a high sider and caused a chain reaction for Foret, Nieto and Alex Barros. These riders crashed too. Alex was catapulted on the gravel. And immediately when he was to his feet again he had to realise that his own bike was also sliding on the gravel. Alex checked the dangerous threat and with an immense effort he jumped over his own burning bike. A lot of good luck for Alex but the Klaffi Honda Fireblade was so damaged that he had to continue with his other bike. Half an hour later the race was restarted. Alex was 6th in the grid but he didn’t do a perfect start. In the first lap he was riding on position 17. He did an excellent race, achieved speeds as the leading riders in front and finished 9th in the first heat. Bayliss took the win in front of Haga and Toseland. Superbike II In the second heat things worked out much better for Alex. Form 11th position in the first lap he had to fight again but Alex did it. He chased Xaus and Muggeridge, passed Corser and gave a lot of pressure on Chris Walker. In lap 19 Alex Barros was 5th just behind Andrew Pitt. But though he was some times nearly as fast as the leading roy Bayliss Alex finished 5th in the second race. Bayliss was winner in front of Haga, Toseland and Pitt. Alex Barros: “When I crashed I felt there was something behind me and when I was to my feet again my bike was coming. I jumped and nothing else.I had absolutely no time for thinking but I’m very happy that I had this reflex. – After the first race we changed a little bit the rear suspension. And things went better than in the first head. I was on 11th position first and finished 5th not so bad at all. Here it was rather difficult for me because everything was new and I only had one hour for testing under dry conditions. Next round is Misano where we already tested and I’m sure things will be much better there for me.” More, from a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda: TOSELAND TAKES SENSATIONAL DOUBLE PODIUM WITH MUGGERIDGE IN THE TOP TEN James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) made up for the disappointment of qualifying on the fourth row of the Silverstone grid with a sensational pair of race finishes, scoring third in each of the 28-lap Silverstone races. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) raced hard to secure eighth and ninth place finishes, with both riders suffering from a relative lack of dry pre-race practice. Fighting to seventh place on the first lap of each race Toseland chased home and identical pairing of Troy Bayliss and Noriyuki Haga in each outing, putting James fourth in the championship, behind Bayliss, Corser and Haga. Muggeridge is 13th overall, having now scored points in the last four races. In the first race Toseland rode his heart out to take an astonishing result of third and with another lap or two could well have made an even better result. Having started from 14th on the grid his recovery was an immense effort of will, as much as a display of riding and passing prowess. Muggeridge took a strong eighth place ride, half a second behind the rider in front. In the second race Toseland celebrated his double podium by throwing his riding gear into his home crowd, having held off the late challenge of Andrew Pitt. Muggeridge’s ninth in race two saw him finish within a second of the two other riders he was closing in on, Chris Walker and Ruben Xaus, after making set-up changes between races. Ronald Ten Kate Team Manager “With two podiums I almost feel relieved. My depression of yesterday has gone so much that this almost feels like winning, because we had to come from so far back with James. In the first race we could see him catching the leaders and at the end he was the quickest man on track. In race two he got stuck inside a group, and took longer to overtake. But big compliments to him for all his riding on the weekend and the best way to get a bad qualifying result out of the way is to have good race results. So I am happy with that. I am happy for Karl, especially in the second race, where we made some adjustments to his bike, from the first race, and he almost caught the group in front, which was battling for sixth. Even though he finished only ninth, it was a very good race, because it was the first time he has kept his lap times constant over a full race distance. He was also catching up so I think we are in good shape. I am even happier now because we are going testing now in Brno, and also with some new electronic systems on the machine, so we will see if we can carry them onwards to the next race at Misano. It went well for us there last year so we could be in good shape there again.” James Toseland Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (Race 1: 3rd Race 2: 3rd Championship Position: 4th with 129 points) “I was really disappointed with myself yesterday and I knew I had made it difficult for myself today. It was just a shame that Troy and Haga got into their rhythm so quickly, because it took me a bit of time to get through the field, and other riders were riding very well, which made it even harder. When Corser and Walker were battling it was the hardest part. From 14th to two podium places, I have to be happy. I wasn’t aware of the crowd on race one but in race two I knew I had earned a good podium place and good points, so thanks to everyone for the support. It was just a shame about the weather this weekend.” Karl Muggeridge Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (Race 1: 8th Race 2: 9th: Championship Position: 13th with 45 points) “I actually had a good ride but the settings were not so good in race one. I couldn’t hold the line in the faster corners, so we changed the bike between races and improved it. We gained about half a second a lap but we needed the next step up. We needed just another few tenths to let us run up there, certainly to run closer to my team-mate. I almost caught up with the riders in front in race two, I really thought I would get them, but I just ran out of laps.” More, from a press release issued by Ducati Xerox: TROY BAYLISS (DUCATI XEROX) MAKES IT SEVEN WINS ON THE RUN IN SILVERSTONE WORLD SUPERBIKE Silverstone (UK), Sunday 28 May: Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) made it seven wins on the run in the European Round of the World Superbike Championship at Silverstone with his third successive double victory this season. With his closest rival Troy Corser (Suzuki) picking up a DNF and a sixth place, the 37 year-old Australian now has a lead of 76 points in the championship with seven rounds still remaining. Japan’s Noriyuki Haga and Britain’s James Toseland both offered stiff opposition to today and the Yamaha and the Honda rider twice finished behind the Australian to make up identical podiums. “In 2002 I was lucky enough to win six in a row and I was thinking about that before this weekend but on Friday and Saturday I was throwing myself down the road getting sorer and sorer and I thought it was maybe a good time just to get some points, but racing changes your view of things,” commented Troy. “I saw Corser crash in the first race and so I decided to make the most of the situation and not give in to Nori today. I really fought hard for the wins and that makes a good difference in the points for me against Corser. After the first race we tried a softer tyre and changed the suspension a bit, my main man Ernesto Marinelli did a great job and I could ride the bike half-a-second faster in the race. I feel sure that if we had gone with the same tyre it would have been much harder so a big thanks to him and all the guys in the team. Now we go on to Misano, where my 999’s gone pretty well in testing, so I’m confident for that race as well.” Lorenzo Lanzi had a difficult weekend from Friday onwards and the young Italian was unable to do better than a thirteenth and a sixteenth place in the two races. “For race 2 we fitted a slightly softer rear tyre like Troy but I didn’t like it very much and I went slower than in race 1,” declared Lorenzo. “However unfortunately everything about my race performance was due to the start and the bumping and barging at the first corner. I even passed the line on lap 1 next to last. You can’t pretend to win races that way. In the first race I was lucky because I managed to stay upright after the incident at the first corner. At Misano Adriatico for sure we will work hard to start further up the grid because if you want to get good results you have to start up at the front. The most important thing is to try and get the first two rows in Superpole, which at least gives you the chance of getting good results.” RACE 1: 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox); 2. Haga (Yamaha); 3. Toseland (Honda); 4. Xaus (Ducati); 5. Pitt (Yamaha); 6. Walker (Kawasaki); 7. Laconi (Kawasaki); 8. Muggeridge (Honda). RACE 2: 1. Bayliss; 2. Haga; 3. Toseland; 4. Pitt; 5. Barros (Honda); 6. Corser (Suzuki); 7. Xaus; 8. Walker. POINTS (after 5 of 12 rounds): Riders – 1. Bayliss 225; 2. Corser 149; 3. Haga 133; 4. Toseland 129; 5. Barros 113; 6. Pitt 103; 7. Lanzi 62; 8. Xaus 56; etc. Manufacturers – 1. Ducati 226; 2. Suzuki 161; 3. Honda 156; 4. Yamaha 153; 5. Kawasaki 75; 6. Petronas 4. More, from a press release issued by FGSport: BAYLISS TAKES SILVERSTONE DOUBLE TO EXTEND CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD – BAYLISS AND HAGA FIGHT FOR SILVERSTONE SPOILS Two man-to-man battles from eventual double winner Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) provided huge entertainment for a 71,000-strong SBK crowd at Silverstone, and with James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) third in each race; the British crowd enjoyed its first taste of World Superbike 2006-style. Bayliss also set a new lap record, and the absolute best in SBK, with a 1’26.299, in race two. RACE ONE A dramatic start to race one saw four riders fall at the first corner, after a highside from Fabien Foret (Alstare Engineering Suzuki). Another crash later in the same lap, which put Craig Jones (Petronas) out of the race, caused the red flag to come out, and all but Jones made the re-start. A front-running ride from Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) was overturned after 19 laps by eventual winner Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox). James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) who started from row four, rode a Superhuman race to score third place, and with one more lap may have even improved on that. Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Berik Ducati) was fourth, his best race finish of the year so far. RACE TWO Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse) rode at the front of the second race for two determined laps, but was swamped by Bayliss, Haga, Toseland and co, finally finishing eighth. Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) scored fourth, with the slow-starting Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda) fifth. BAYLISS PUSHES AWAY AFTER CORSER’S BAD LUCK In the championship fight, Bayliss extended his lead over Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) to 76 points, 225 to 149, after Corser had one DNF and a sixth. Haga is now third on 133, with Toseland fourth on 129. PHYSICAL TRACK MAKES RACES HARD WORK Chris Walker’s sixth and eighth place finishes were the highlight of the day for the PSG-1 Kawasaki squad, with Regis Laconi seventh and 14th in race two, and Fonsi Nieto 11th and tenth. Barros had finished race one, on his replacement machine after the turn one crash, in ninth place. Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France Ipone) scored tenth and 11th place finishes, having just overtaken Superpole winner Tommy Hill (Virgin Mobile Yamaha) in race two. Hill was 12th in the opener, finding the world level tough, especially in the pressurised first few laps. Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France) failed to start after breaking his right radius. Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) who had not qualified for Superpole, scored 13th and 16th finishes. WORLD SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) fended off the early close attentions of his main championship rival Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) and then eventual second placed finisher Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany) to score his fourth victory of the year, and extend his championship lead. Curtain would finish third, with British based Spanish wild card rider, Pere Riba (MSS Kawasaki) a fine fourth. A fantastic fight behind the leading quartet gave fifth place to Stiggy Honda rider Robbin Harms, from Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia) sixth. Charpentier’s latest start to finish win puts him on 116 points, with Curtain second on 76 and Harms third on 63. Parkes’ 20 points for his Silverstone second put him fourth, on 58. SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP Claudio Corti (Yamaha Italia) scored his first win of the season – of his Superstock 1000 career, in fact – as he eventually overhauled early leader Alessio Polita (Celani Suzuki). Involved in a few desperate battles with Polita at mid-race distance, once he had made the break he cleared off to a record safe win by 1.251 seconds, with Polita second and Ayrton Badovini (Biassono Unionbike MV Agusta) third. In the championship, Polita still leads, on 70 points, from Badovini on 48 and Corti on 39. SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Niccolo Canepa (Ducati Xerox Junior) scored the win in an aggregate race at Silverstone, to go third in the standings. Winner of both previous 2006 races, Xavier Simeon (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) scored second at Silverstone, ahead of Davide Giugliano (Lightspeed Kawasaki). In the championship, Simeon is on 70 points, with Giugliano on 46 and Canepa only one point behind. MISANO NEXT UP Misano is the venue for the next round of all SBK series, from June 23 to 25. More, from a press release issued by Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone: Unlucky weekend With the weather changing very often and many crashes, the British event was not very positive for the Team Yamaha Motor France – Ipone. Norick Abe finished 10th and 11th. Sebastien Gimbert retired in both races. Shinichi Nakatomi, injured during the warm up, could not race. The day started badly with a crash for Shinichi Nakatomi during the first lap of the warm up session, when an other rider unexpectedly switched off his throttle and crossed his racing line, resulting in Nakatomi hitting his rear wheel. He broke his radius and could not race. During the first lap of race 1, the event was stopped with the red flag because of crashes for Corser, Barros, Foret, Jones and Iannuzzo. After the restart, Abe was 12th and Gimbert 15th. At half distance, Haga (Yamaha) was leading, while Abe was 9th and Gimbert 15th. Troy Corser had to retire after a small crash. Finally, Troy Bayliss won in front of Noriyuki Haga, and Norick Abe finished 10th. Sebastien Gimbert had to retire 8 laps before the end with an electrical loom trouble. Both riders started well the second race, Abe being 13th and Gimbert 14th. Then suddenly Sebastien was 25th on the 2nd lap when an other rider touched him. At half-distance, Haga was leading the race, with Abe 13th and Gimbert 21st. Then Gimbert had to retire with an electrical problem. Abe finished the race 11th. Norick Abe: “I finish 10th and 11th. I have done my best. In the first race, the feeling was not so bad. Then we changed the settings for the second race and my times were better. The results are not good, but I did my best.” Sebastien Gimbert: “Six races not finished, this is too much. I give my best at 100%, as you can see with my position on the third row during the Superpole. I was” Martial Garcia (team-manger): ” Abe did a good first race, especially with the first crash (race red flagged). Gimbert started well but had to retire because of some trouble following his accident yesterday. The electrical loom was damaged without us seen it. The air temperature is colder now, so we will change the settings for the second race. In race 2, Abe saved the face of the team. He fought with a local rider who was braking very late, so he could not stay with the guys in front. There were very few practices sessions on the dry, so the set up of his bike was not good enough. For Gimbert, we pay the consequences of the 3 crashes. The automatic switch off system in case of crash was damaged and the engine could not work well.” More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: TOSELAND TAKES STRONG DOUBLE PODIUM AT HIS HOME RACE After a disappointing wet Superpole session, in which he finished only 14th, James Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) rode to a brace of third places at his home circuit of Silverstone, in the dry conditions, which remained throughout raceday. Despite the lack of dry practice time, Toseland made up many places in the early laps, and finished within touching distance of the leaders in race one, but was held back for too long in the midfield in race two. Alex Barros (Klaffi Honda CBR1000RR) made bad starts in both races, and after being involved in a horrific-looking first lap pile up, shortly before a second crash finally brought out the red flags. He had to race the first 28-lapper on his spare machine, finishing eighth. In race two he had his machine set-up more like his number one bike, and he scored a battling fifth, having been 11th on lap one. Karl Muggeridge (Winston Honda Ten Kate CBR1000RR) suffered more than most from the lack of dry set-up time, but nonetheless took eighth and ninth place finishes. The DFX Honda squad had tough outings at the tight and twisty short Silverstone circuit, with Michel Fabrizio (DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR) retiring from race one and battling hard for a single point in the second leg, while Gianluca Nannelli (DFX Treme Honda CBR1000RR) scored his first point of the year in race one, but none for 17th place in race two. Both podiums were identical, with Troy Bayliss twice the winner and Noriyuki Haga twice runner up, ahead of Toseland. Bayliss now sits on 225 points, with Troy Corser on 149, Haga on 133 and Toseland 129. Barros is fifth, with 113, Muggeridge 13th on 45 and Fabrizio 15th, with 37. Toseland was understandably happy to have scored what looked like two unlikely podiums at the beginning of each race, and earned good championship points. “I was really disappointed with myself yesterday and I knew I had made it difficult for myself today,” said Toseland. “It was just a shame that Troy and Haga got into their rhythm so quickly, because it took me a bit of time to get through the field, and other riders were riding very well, which made it even harder. When Corser and Walker were battling, it was the hardest part. From 14th to two podium places, I have to be happy. I wasn’t aware of the crowd on race one but in race two I knew I had earned a good podium place and good points, so thanks to everyone for the support. It was just a shame about the weather this weekend.” Barros was made to pay for the race one crash, in which he was an innocent victim, but had a better outing in race two. “The first race was a disaster,” stated Barros, who had to leap over his own burning machine after the opening race multiple rider fall. “I had to use my second bike and the clutch is different on that bike. So my start was not so good. Between race one and two we changed the clutch and suspension settings and it was better, but not perfect. I lost positions because of my start. I thought I could catch Pitt in race two but it was not possible. We only had one hour of dry testing here so this was a difficult weekend for me.” Muggeridge made changes for the better between races and knows that he notched up points after missing several races this year through injury. “I actually had a good ride but the settings were not so good in race one,” said Muggeridge. “I couldn’t hold the line in the faster corners, so we changed the bike between races and improved it. We gained about half a second a lap but we needed the next step up. We needed just another few tenths to let us run up there, certainly to run closer to my team-mate. I almost caught up with the riders in front in race two, I really thought I would get them, but I just ran out of laps.” Fabrizio had great difficulties with chatter at Silverstone, and felt lucky to finish at all in race two. “The chatter was really incredible in the first race,” said Fabrizio. “It got so bad I pulled out of the race. In the second running we changed the rear spring and all that happened was the chatter went from the rear, to both front and rear. I just gritted my teeth and got a point.” Nannelli had two bad starts, and had to use up his tyre too much to be in contention for a top ten finish. “I had a bad start in the first and used up my tyre a lot to get back into appoints scoring position,” said Nannelli. “In race two my start was even worse and that finished my day off.” Misano is the venue for the sixth rounds of the WSS and SBK championships, and takes place between 23 and 25 June. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: Team Suzuki Press Office May 28, 2006. Reigning World Superbike World Champion Troy Corser and the Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra team suffered a disappointing day at the Silverstone fifth round today as the Australian was knocked off in race one then took sixth in race two. Corser was hit from behind at the first turn on the opening lap of race one and crashed, but fortunately the race was red-flagged and he was able to take part in the restart. He crashed in the final chicane on the second lap, but remounted and got going again in last place, then, after a series of lurid slides, he was forced to retire. His team mate Yukio Kagayama was riding in severe discomfort after crashing heavily yesterday, but grittily kept going to finish 14th in race one and 13th in race two. Team Alstare Engineering Corona Extra rider Fabien Foret also had a day to forget: A DNF after a heavy fall in race one when he hit his head hard detuned him for race two and, because he could not keep his concentration, he retired after 15 laps. After five rounds, Corser holds second place in the series with Kagayama 16th and Foret 19th. Troy Corser – Race 1: DNF, Race 2: 6th: “By our standards, that was a day to forget. It didn’t start well when I was hit from behind in the first turn on the opening lap of the first race! I was lucky because the race was red-flagged and I was able to get back to my garage and jump onto the spare bike for the restart. But we had only done about four laps in the dry on it and, although it should’ve been the same, it felt very different. The front tyre was too hard and I lost control in the final chicane after one lap. I got back on and tried to carry on but it was no use. “In race two I had problems with the throttle response and that made the bike very difficult to ride. I just could not get the power on when I wanted and every time I tried to do what I do normally, I nearly crashed. We had a similar problem last season, so now we’ll have to sit down and work out how to solve it. I suppose the only good news is that in my two falls today I never hurt myself.” Yukio Kagayama -Race 1: 14th, Race 2: 13th: “I am not so happy today, but my problems began when I crashed yesterday. This morning my back and right hand didn’t feel so good. In both races I found it hard moving around on the bike and because my right hand was injured I could not push hard exiting the fast turns. In race one, I lost touch with the group in front of me and once that happened I couldn’t catch them again. The second race was a little better, but not that much and I would honestly prefer to forget this weekend completely.” Fabien Foret – Race 1: DNF, Race 2: DNF: “It has been a very bad day – no, it has been a bad weekend. We didn’t have enough time to get a good dry set-up for the bike and we suffered as a result. Then I had a heavy crash in the first race and hurt my head and body. I wasn’t feeling too good and maybe I should not have started the second race, but I wanted to try. I just couldn’t concentrate and I didn’t want to do anything silly or cause a crash, so I pulled into the pits and stopped.” Race 1: 1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati), 2 Haga (J-Yamaha), 3 Toseland (GB-Honda), 4 Xaus (E-Ducati), 5 Pitt (Aus-Yamaha), 6 Walker (GB-Kawasaki), 7 Laconi (F-Kawasaki), 8 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda), 9 Barros (Bra-Honda), 10 Abe (J-Yamaha). 14 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) DNF. Fabien Foret (F-Alstare Engineering Corona Extra) DNF. Race 2: 1 Bayliss, 2 Haga, 3 Toseland, 4 Pitt, 5 Barros, 6 Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 7 Xaus, 8 Walker, 9 Muggeridge, 10 Nieto (E-Kawasaki). 13 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). Fabien Foret (F-Alstare Engineering Corona Extra) DNF. Championship Points: 1 Bayliss 200, 2 Troy Corser 139, 3 Toseland 113, 4 Haga 113, 5 Barros 102, 6 Pitt 90, 7 Lanzi 62, 8 Xaus 47, 9 Abe 46, 10 Rolfo 46. 16 Yukio Kagayama 26. 19 Fabien Foret 10. EUROPEAN SUPERSTOCK 600: Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Xavier Simeon lost out on victory of the Silverstone Superstock 600 European Championship by a whisker after the race was restarted. Italian Nicola Canepa (Ducati) won after the race was red-flagged after seven laps due to an accident and an oil spillage. Canepa had crossed the line in first place ahead of series leader Simeon and Davide Giugliano (Kawasaki). In the second part, it was Simeon who crossed the line first after breaking the lap record on the last lap, but when the times from the two races were aggregated, Canepa was the winner by 48,000ths of a second! Xavier Simeon – 2nd: “What a way to lose a race! I tried so hard in the second part and rode as hard as I could. I couldn’t believe it when I saw that I hadn’t won! In the first race, I took it a bit steadily in the early stages and was well-placed when the race was red-flagged. We changed a tyre for the second part and then charged for victory. On the last lap, I really opened the gas and went for it, so I was a bit disappointed not to win, but at least my lead in the championship is a healthy one. I’ll be going to the next round at Misano determined to extend my lead and put the pressure on my rivals.” Superstock 600 Results: 1 Canepa, 2 Xavier Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 3 Giugliano, 4 Colucci, 5 Antonelli, 6 Costantini. Championship Points: 1 Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 70, 2 Giugliano 46, 3 Canepa 45, 4 Colucci 28, 5 Savary 23, 6 Costantini 21.

FIM Supersport World Championship Silverstone, England May 28 Race Results: 1. Sebastien CHARPENTIER (Hon CBR600RR), 28 laps, 41:54.640 2. Broc PARKES (Yam YZF-R6), -2.802 seconds 3. Kevin CURTAIN (Yam YZF-R6), -6.767 seconds 4. Pere RIBA (Kaw ZX6RR) -17.116 seconds 5. Robbin HARMS (Hon CBR600RR), -26.102 seconds 6. Massimo ROCCOLI (Yam YZF-R6), -26.373 seconds 7. Javier FORES (Yam YZF-R6), -27.097 seconds 8. Matthieu LAGRIVE (Hon CBR600RR), -27.492 seconds 9. Johan STIGEFELT (Hon CBR600RR), -29.073 seconds 10. Katsuaki FUJIWARA (Hon CBR600RR), -41.265 seconds 11. David CHECA (Yamaha YZF R6), -41.615 seconds 12. Maxime BERGER (Kaw ZX-6RR), -43.602 seconds 13. Kai Borre ANDERSEN (Suz GSX-R600), -44.079 seconds 14. Yoann TIBERIO (Hon CBR600RR), -47.538 seconds 15. Staurt EASTON (Ducati 749 R), -49.619 seconds 16. Tatu LAUSLEHTO (Hon CBR600RR), -51.383 seconds 17. Sebastien CHAMBON (Kaw ZX-6RR), -52.544 seconds 18. Barry VENEMAN (Suz GSX-R600), -52.719 seconds 19. Mauro SANCHINI (Yam YZF-R6), -1:02.972 seconds 20. Kenan SOFUOGLU (Hon CBR600RR), -1:05.725 seconds 21. Bernat MARTINEZ (Yamaha YZF R6), -1:16.412 seconds 22. Tom TUNSTALL (Honda CBR 600RR), -1:17.059 seconds 23. Miguel PRAIA (Hon CBR600RR), -1:18.457 seconds 24. Sam OWENS (Yamaha YZF R6), -1:22.319 seconds 25. Vladimir IVANOV (YZF R6), -1:32.966 seconds 26. Greg LEBLANC (Hon CBR600RR), -1:32.975 seconds 27. Gianluca VIZZIELLO (Yamaha YZF R6), -10 Laps, DNF, mechanical 28. Alessio ALDROVANDI (Honda CBR 600RR) -11 Laps, DNF, mechanical 29. Julien ENJOLRAS (Yamaha YZF R6), -14 Laps, DNF, mechanical 30. Christian ZAISER (Ducati 749 R), -14 Laps, DNF, mechanical 31. Alessio VELINI (Yamaha YZF R6), -20 Laps, DNF, mechanical 32. Alessio CORRADI (Yamaha YZF R6), -21 Laps, DNF, mechanical 33. Steven NEATE (Honda CBR 600RR), -23 Laps, DNF, Crashed 34. Sebastien LE GRELLE (Hon CBR600RR), -26 laps, DNF, Crashed 35. Andrea BERTA (Yam YZF-R6), DNS More, from a press release issued by Winston Media: CHARPENTIER TAKES FOURTH WIN OF THE SEASON Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) won his fourth 2006 WSS race after a front-running display at the short and tight Silverstone circuit, holding off intense early attacks from Yamaha riders Parkes and Curtain, despite a lack of dry set-up time after a mostly wet practice. Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda) finished the race in a lowly 20th place, after qualifying 18th. With so little dry qualifying time, Charpentier just missed out on a new lap record, but led every single lap, and went equal on the list of all time WSS race winners, with 11 victories to his credit. In the championship battle, Charpentier is in an unrivalled 116 points, 40 points ahead of Curtain’s 76. Sofuoglu now sits ninth in the series, with 27, having scored no Silverstone points. Ronald Ten Kate – Team Manager “I am so happy that Sebastien won again, after his great, crazy ride to third at Monza. He showed that he can run at the front again and that he is back in control. It is also good for his championship position, and he has a forty-point lead now. He led very well and at one point the two guys following him got close to him, dicing with each other and pushing for quicker lap times. At that moment the counterattack from Sebastien was very good because he put in a couple of 1’29 lows, and got a four second gap. That gave him the eventual win, and another perfect weekend for us. We can consider with Kenan that the weekend was a disaster. To be honest, I see no reason why he is in the position he’s in. Lucky for him we are going to the Brno test now, before the Misano race, so that will give him three days to recover, and come back to his old riding level. Finishing in 20th position is not what we are aiming for with him; it’s far less than his skills as a rider. So I am sure we will fix this out at Misano.” Sébastien Charpentier Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (1st Championship Position: 1st with 116 points) “It was not an easy race for sure, even if it looked that way. It was hard because it is very bumpy, a short track, very physical. So I am happy because yesterday it was difficult to practice, because there was so much rain. The bike was not bad and for the championship I got more good points, so thanks to Ten Kate and Honda.” Kenan Sofuoglu Winston Ten Kate Honda Rider (20th Championship Position: 9th with 27 points) “Things were not so good all weekend luck was not with me and it was difficult. I started in 18th position and that was far less than what I wanted to do, normally I want to be in the top five. But in the race it did not work out, I couldn’t go away from the others, and I was overtaken. I tried the maximum I could do but I did not feel so strong. My physical condition was OK, but I thought I was going to crash. I don’t know what the problem was exactly so I am looking to the Brno test to get my feeling back for the Italian race at Misano.” CHAMPIONSHIP STANDING: 1. Charpentier 116 points 2. Curtain 76 points 3. Harms 63 4. Parkes 58 5. Tiberio 50 9. Sofuoglu 27 points More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: CHARPENTIER CONTINUES HONDA’S 100% WINNING RECORD Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) scored his fourth win in five races this season, to extend his championship lead to 40 points. His start-to-finish win came after a period of pressure from Yamaha riders Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes, but Charpentier was a clear winner by 2.8 seconds in the final analysis, having started from pole and led every single lap. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Megabike Honda CBR600RR) was the next best supported Honda rider home, in eighth place, despite re-breaking a bone in his already injured hand. His team-mate Yoann Tiberio (Megabike Honda CBR600RR), the Monza race winner, was down in 14th, after experiencing tyre choice problems mid-race, dropping from the top six position to the second last point scorer. Charpentier’s team-mate Kenan Sofuoglu (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) was only 20th overall, having started from a lowly 18th after a difficult first day in qualifying, which proved to be the only dry one. All the riders suffered from a lack of dry testing time, such was the pre-raceday weather. Raceday itself dawned dry, if windy. Charpentier knew that he had been in a tough race, but his will to win saw him overcome the lack of testing time, and some tough competition at periods in the race. “It was not an easy race for sure, even if it looked that way,” said Charpentier after his latest triumph. “It was hard because this is a very bumpy, short track, and very physical. So I am happy because yesterday it was difficult to practice, because there was so much rain. It turned out that the bike was not bad at all and for the championship I got more good points, so thanks to Ten Kate and Honda.” Fujiwara had to grin and bear the pain throughout the race, which was delayed due to a crash in the first Superbike event. “I have great pain in the hand that I broke in Qatar at the beginning of the season,” affirmed Fujiwara. “On Friday, during practice, I crashed and broke another little part of the same hand, and so Silverstone was a really difficult race for me. I made the best of it but the pain was very big. I hope to arrive in the best condition for the Misano race.” Tiberio, tenth in qualifying, gambled on tyre choice and it did not turn out the way he wanted, despite the cool ambient temperatures. “What a hard race,” said Tiberio simply. “I had a different choice of tyre from the other leading riders, too soft, and so I paid for it after five laps of the race. I’m not satisfied because I had no time to set the bike in the best way, because of the rain in practice.” Sofuoglu complained of a lack of feel from his machine at Silverstone, and suffered a crisis of confidence. “Things were not so good all weekend, luck was not with me and it was difficult,” said the young Turkish rider. “I started in 18th position and that was far less than what I wanted to do; normally I want to be in the top five. But in the race it did not work out, I couldn’t go away from the others, and I was overtaken. I don’t know what the problem was exactly, so I am looking to the Brno test to get my feeling back for the Italian race at Misano.” World Superbike Round 5 of 12

FIM Superbike World Championship Silverstone, England May 28 Race One Results: 1. Troy BAYLISS (Duc 999F06), 28 laps, 40:49.894 2. Noriyuki HAGA (Yamaha YZF-R1) -0.890 seconds 3. James TOSELAND (Hon CBR1000RR), -1.705 seconds 4. Ruben XAUS (Duc 999F05), -8.285 seconds 5. Andrew PITT (Yam YZF-R1), -12.303 seconds 6. Chris WALKER (Kaw ZX-10R), -23.716 seconds 7. Regis LACONI (Kaw ZX-10R), -25.483 seconds 8. Karl MUGGERIDGE (Hon CBR1000RR), -26.049 seconds 9. Alex BARROS (Hon CBR1000RR), -29.650 seconds 10. Norick ABE (Yam YZF-R1), -32.208 seconds 11. Fonsi NIETO (Kaw ZX-10R), -39.607 seconds 12. Tommy HILL (Yam YZF-R1) -41.550 seconds 13. Lorenzo LANZI (Duc 999F06), -41.935 seconds 14. Yukio KAGAYAMA (Suz GSX-R1000), -50.385 seconds 15. Gianluca NANNELLI (Hon CBR1000RR), -52.726 seconds 16. Max NEUKIRCHNER (Duc 999RS), -52.760 seconds 17. Roberto ROLFO (Duc 999F05), -53.214 seconds 18. Vittorio IANNUZZO (Suz GSX-R1000), -54.137 seconds, crashed 19. Ivan CLEMENTI (Duc 999RS), -8 laps, DNF, mechanical 20. Sebastien GIMBERT (Yam YZF-R1), -9 laps, DNF, mechanical 21. Steve MARTIN (Foggy Petronas FP1), -9 laps, DNF, mechanical 22. J. BROOKES (Kaw ZX10R), -9 Laps, DNF, mechanical 23. Michel FABRIZIO (Hon CBR1000RR), -12 Laps, DNF, mechanical 24. Fabien FORET (Suz GSX-R1000), -19 laps, DNF, mechanical 25. Troy CORSER (Suz GSX-R1000), -22 laps, DNF, mechanical 26. Craig JONES (Foggy Petronas FP1), DNS