Hopkins and Roberts Jr looking for better fortune at Motegi John Hopkins will be racing in this Sunday’s Grand Prix of Japan for the first time since announcing his decision to stay with Suzuki, and he and team mate Kenny Roberts Jr will be determined to get further than the first corner this year! Hopkins will be looking for better fortune at Motegi than in 2003 and 2004. A first corner accident last year, caused by another rider, saw him crash out of the race – along with Roberts Jr and four other riders. The crash was a huge anti-climax for Hopkins as he had started from second place on the grid his best qualifying position so far. The talented Anglo-American star will be looking to put his Motegi jinx behind him and perform well in front of many Suzuki fans and staff that will be at the circuit. Roberts Jr will become only the second Suzuki racer to reach 100 Grand Prix starts for the Factory when he takes to the track for Sunday’s race. The Former World Champion is second only to Kevin Schwantz in Suzuki appearances and looks likely to pass Schwantz’s record of 104 starts by the end on the season. Roberts Jr is also hoping for better luck from this year’s race. A victim of the first corner incident last year, he sustained multiple injuries that forced him to miss the rest of the season through injury. Motegi is situated approximately 60 miles north-east of Tokyo. It was originally an oval circuit but has developed over the years to become one of the safest, smoothest and most modern facilities on the calendar. With a series of fast ess bends, hairpins designed to catch out unwary riders and a downhill top-speed section into a 90 degree bend, Motegi has a bit of everything. Team SUZUKI MotoGP will have two free practice sessions on Friday followed by a further free session on Saturday morning. The real business of qualifying for round 12 of the MotoGP World Championship will be on Saturday afternoon and the riders will take to the track for the race at 14.00hrs local time (07.00hrs CET) on Sunday 18th September. Paul Denning Team Manager: “We go to Japan after a frustrating race but also some successful tests in Brno, where we ran a completely new set-up for the GSV-R on the Monday which worked very well, particularly over race distance. The latest generation Bridgestone race tyres also worked well, and we were able to sustain a better pace from lap 10 onwards. The bike and tyres seem to suit Motegi quite well, and both Kenny and John have run very well there in the past. They both need a positive change in their Motegi luck though! “This is a very busy time of the year for the team, with five ‘fly-away’ races over six weekends. The race in Japan is again another ‘home’ race for Team SUZUKI MotoGP and Kenny, John and all the crew will be pulling out all the stops to give a professional and positive performance. There will be a lot of fans, guests and employees of Suzuki at Motegi and we’ll be looking to send them home happy.”

DUCATI MARLBORO MEN BEGIN EASTERN ODYSSEY The MotoGP World Championship embarks on its longest-ever overseas odyssey with a run of five races outside Europe, commencing with the Japanese Grand Prix on September 18. After Japan, Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Carlos Checa travel to Malaysia, Qatar, Australia and Turkey before finally returning to Europe for the season-ending Valencia GP on November 6. This eastern tour begins with the Ducati Marlboro Team in optimistic mood following Capirossi’s impressive display at last month’s Czech GP where he finished second after starting from the front row of the grid. “We can’t wait to get to Motegi,” says Ducati MotoGP project manager Livio Suppo. “Loris had a great race at Brno and we are hoping for another good weekend at Motegi. We know the track suits the Desmosedici, we know that Bridgestone won last year’s race and we know that Loris is fast there. I believe both our riders will be able to do well in Japan.” Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli is also feeling good about the Japanese GP. “We have great expectations for this race,” he says. “Motegi is Bridgestone’s home race, they know the track well and they’ll be working very hard, like always. Their tyres worked even better than we’d expected in the Brno race – during the last five or ten laps we had an advantage over the other guys. Bridgestone’s latest tyres are now much better in warm-up performance and durability. The maximum potential of their tyres has always been good, now it looks like our riders can use that performance from the beginning of a race to the end.” The most important factors of machine performance at Motegi are braking and acceleration, so you have to find a settings compromise, because if you make the bike really good for braking, it will be worse during acceleration, and vice versa. Our riders are very happy with our current engine-braking management system. It’s different from last year’s – both in software and hardware. At Brno I think it gave us better corner entry than any of the other bikes, but we still need to work at improving straight-line braking performance, which is so important for overtaking.” Ensuring that the Ducati Marlboro Team has everything it needs at these five ‘flyaway’ races is obviously a major undertaking. Which is why the team carries an amazing 14,000 kilos of freight to these five events. CAPIROSSI ON A HIGH AND READY FOR MORE Loris Capirossi comes to Japan on a high – from his storming second-place finish at last month’s Czech GP. At Motegi the Ducati Marlboro Team man will be going for another podium finish, and he is confident of another great race, especially since this is Bridgestone’s home GP and because the Japanese tyre giant has made great strides forward at recent races. Bridgestone supplied an excellent new range of tyres for July’s German GP and improved them further for Brno. Development has continued prior to Motegi where, for their home Grand Prix, they will supply 3 specifications of the rear tyres, developed directly from those used in the German and Czech GPs. “Motegi’s character should work well for our tyres – the Bridgestones work really well in tighter, shorter turns where you’re mostly using medium lean angle,” says Capirossi. “They’ve done an amazing job recently and they have a lot of winning experience at Motegi, so I think we can have a good weekend. The track should be good for our bike too – it’s the kind of place where acceleration and braking are most important. The Ducati engine has always been very strong and I think its engine-braking system is the best there is. I like Motegi – even though it’s just full throttle, brake, full throttle, brake – so I’m looking forward to it. We didn’t have the best of starts to this season, so we really want to get some good results from the final few races.” CHECA DETERMINED TO FULFIL PROMISE Carlos Checa arrives in Japan determined to fulfil the promise he showed on Saturday at Brno, where he qualified on the second row of the grid after showing impressive race pace during practice. But race day didn’t go to plan for the Ducati Marlboro Team rider who didn’t choose the best rear tyre for the race. “It was frustrating but it’s part of racing – sometimes you don’t quite choose the best tyre,” says the Spaniard. “The main thing is that we are competitive now and I hope to turn that into good results during the remaining six races. Motegi is a stop-and-go track, with plenty of heavy braking, so you need good braking stability, so you’ve got the confidence in the front end to brake deep into the corners and turn quickly. Also there’s a lot of hard acceleration, which is good when you’ve got a lot of horsepower, and we have a lot of power. I also expect the Bridgestones to offer great grip because they know the track so well. With tyres it’s always a fight between performance and durability. Earlier this year we had performance at some races and durability at others, but Bridgestone have made big improvements, so now we have both, though it’ll take another few races to see if we have consistence performance from one track to another.” THE TRACK Twin Ring Motegi is stop-and-go in character with few high-speed corners. The track features plenty of slow turns linked by medium-length straights which puts the emphasis on braking and acceleration performance. Motegi hosted its inaugural Grand Prix, the Japanese GP, in 1999. From 2000 to 2003 the venue hosted the Pacific GP while the country’s older Suzuka track ran the Japanese GP until it was declared too dangerous following the 2003 event. Twin Ring Motegi is so called because it features both a Grand Prix track and an Indy oval. Constructed by Honda in 1998 to celebrate the company’s 50th anniversary, the venue is located in the hills to the north west of Tokyo, between the cities of Mito and Utsonomiya. Motegi’s construction entailed a massive civil engineering project that included the razing of seven hills and the filling of two valleys. Lap record: Makoto Tamada (Honda), 1m 48.524s, 159.261kmh/98.960mph Pole position 2004: Tamada, 1m 46.673s DUCATI MARLBORO TEAM RIDER DATA LOGS LORIS CAPIROSSI Age: 32 (born April 4, 1973) Lives: Monaco Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP5 GP victories: 23 (1xMotoGP, 2×500, 12×250, 8×125) First GP victory: Britain, 1990 (125) First GP: Japan, 1990 (125) GP starts: 227 (57xMotoGP, 59×500, 84×250, 27×125) Pole positions: 36 (3xMotoGP, 5×500, 23×250, 5×125) First pole: Australia, 1991 (125) World Championships: 3 (125: 1990, 1991, 250: 1998) Motegi 2004 results: Grid: 7th. Race: DNF CARLOS CHECA Age: 32 (born October 15, 1972) Lives: London, England Bike: Ducati Marlboro Team Desmosedici GP5 GP victories: 2 (500) First GP victory: Catalunya, 1996 (500) First GP: Europe, 1993 (125) GP starts: 179 (59xMotoGP, 92×500, 27×250, 1×125) Pole positions: 3 (2xMotoGP, 1×500) First pole: Spain, 1998 (500) Motegi 2004 results: Grid: 11th. Race: 7th

FOUR BROTHERS RACING The forthcoming Twin Ring Motegi meeting will be an important one as usual for every rider there present, but for regular GP competitors Hiroshi Aoyama and Yuki Takahashi, it will be extra special. Why? Because each of them will be racing against their brothers, and returning to one of the venues they used to fight each other at, in the days when they were the leading All Japan 250cc road racers just like their siblings are now. For any rider the advent of their home race is a special occasion. When you are a Japanese rider, travelling far from home and family for most of the year, with the pressure of a works contract to live up to, the advent of Motegi is a pleasure – but a mixed pleasure. The ability to race at home for a change is obvious, but that in itself brings more focus on the raceday performance, making it the single most important event of the season. For Hiroshi Aoyama (Telefonica Movistar Honda) and Yuki Takahashi (Kopron Team Scot Honda) this year’s Motegi will have an additional frisson of anticipation, as each will be racing against their own brother in GPs. Shuhei Aoyama and Kouki Takahashi are both regular All Japan 250 riders, getting the chance to race at Motegi as wild cards for their Team Harc-Pro Honda and DyDo MIU Racing Teams respectively. Shuhei was eighth last year, but for Kouki, it will be an even bigger weekend of unknowns. By an understandable quirk of fate, both Yuki and Hiroshi had their 250cc class debuts at Motegi, Hiroshi in 2000 and Yuki in 2002, and now they approach the race as almost seasoned veterans, even the rookie GP campaigner Yuki. Well, compared to their younger siblings at least. In their early careers both sets of brothers raced against each other regularly in Japan, with all four coming through the ranks to compete at full national level, scrapping it out all the way. Just as Shuhei and Kouki are fighting for the All Japan 250c crown now, Hiro and Yuki raced each other in that class in 2003, before first Hiro and then Yuki went off to the world of MotoGP racing. But not before each took the All Japan 250 title, Hiro in 2003 and Yuki last year. We caught up with the elder brother from each family to get their thoughts in the run up to their imminent home event. Hiroshi Aoyama Aoyama the elder is not exactly a westerner’s idea of a typical Japanese racing export. In the European season he is based in Barcelona, and makes full use of the Catalan capital’s cuisine, lifestyle and motorcycling obsession. He is so settled in Europe now that he even cut short his summer visit back to Japan to go back and train in Barcelona. The team-mate of 2004 Champion Dani Pedrosa, Hiro mixes in well with his peers, and has even learned some powers of Latin self-expression when things don’t go the way they should with his machine. His team has grown fond of his ability to take the job seriously, but not take himself too seriously, allowing them all to strengthen their immediate bonds, both on and off track. We probed him about his thoughts for the forthcoming TRM race, and about racing his little brother again. 1. Why is TRM so special to you? At TRM there are a lot of fans that support me, and the Japanese fans get to see us (the Japanese riders) racing in a GP. That is very special for us. Like all riders the Japanese want to win their home GP most, it’s the only time we race at home in the season. Really, it’s the only place each year that our families and friends can see us at a GP. 2. Which are your favourite sections of the track – and why? The last part – especially where the second part begins – because there is a lot of hard braking and it’s very technical. The other part of the circuit is not so complicated, it’s easy to ride, but on the other hand It’s also difficult to go fast. 3. What was your best race at TRM? Last year the 250 race was special for me as it was another podium, but also when I won the All Japan Championship, that was quite a moment. That day I won my race at TRM and the All Japan championship at the same time. So that was pretty special. 4. How his is the pressure at your home GP? There is extra pressure on you to race well at your home GP, family, friends your own expectations. But I like a little pressure; it helps motivate you and keeps you focussed. I can handle it – but not too much pressure! 5. You will race with Yuki (Takahashi) again at TRM. How do you feel about that? We have been racing against each other since we were boys, our brothers also. We are very good friends, and our families. Sometimes I would win sometimes Yuki, we had a lot of fun racing against each other in Japan. 6. You will also race against your brother Shuhei at TRM. What about that? My brother will race almost same machine as me, his RS250RW is just a little older than the one I race. Not so much different, the biggest difference being tyres. He will use Michelin I will use Dunlop. Of course I am the fastest (he says, laughing) but if it rains hard at TRM he will win. Naturally I feel some pressure from him because he is my younger brother and he has a good team round him. 6. How do you think the race will go? Who will win it? Of course I want to win at TRM and I know the track well but a lot of other GP riders are very fast there, plus some Japanese guys. Yuki Takahashi Moving to Europe was hard work at first for 21-year-old Yuki, but he quickly settled down into the Kopron Team Scot structure, and now adores his adopted country of Italy. Having been seduced by the obvious charms of a Mediterranean lifestyle, he has blossomed both as a GP rider and as a bilingual English and Japanese speaker. His competitive spirit with his close friend Hiro was sharpened to it’s finest edge in the 2003 season, when a crash by Yuki at a critical stage of the season helped Aoyama secure the title, a feat Yuki was to emulate in 2004. Again he finds himself in on-track conflict and off-track friendly proximity with his long-term sparring partner Hiro, and among other things, we asked him about his old friend and rival. 1. Why is TRM so special for you? It’s special only because we have the Japanese GP at Motegi. I like all the circuits in Japan, more or less. But Suzuka is my favourite because it’s much more interesting to race at. 2. Which are your favourite sections of the track and why? The section at the end of the downhill straight – the right hand corner there is great to ride. I don’t like the last part of the track it’s too slow and not very demanding. 3. Best race at TRM? The 2002 GP when I finished third. I also have good memories of Motegi last year. I won the last race of the year and won the All Japan Championship, exactly the same as Hiro (Aoyama). 4. How high is the pressure for you at your home GP? Pressure is no problem for me; I get extra energy from pressure. My family and friends will be at Motegi but it will not put me under any pressure to go faster I always want to win. 5. You will race with Hiro again at TRM. How do you feel about that? It will be good, we can both fight for the win at TRM and I must win. Hiro has one year more experience than me in the world championship but at Motegi we are equal in experience. If we are together it will be a good race for us. 6. You will also race against your brother Kouki at TRM. How do you feel about that prospect? He is very young, 17 years old and racing in All Japan Championship for the first time so it will be very difficult for him at TRM. Of course I will give him advice if he needs it we are very close. When I go back to Japan we go out riding together. Our other brother, the youngest, is into football not motorcycles. 7. What are your predictions for the race? I have a good feeling about the race I am riding much better since Donington and Sachsenring, I feel very good on the bike now, we are developing in a very good direction and I am very happy. The New Wave Another Aoyama and Takahashi battle is taking place in 2005, that between All Japan 250cc riders Shuhei and Kouki. In a spooky replay of their big brothers last joint championship battle in the Japanese series, Aoyama has won the most recent race, while Kouki crashed, giving Aoyama 77 points to Takahashi’s 48. Given the prowess of the local Japanese wildcards in recent TRM races, we cannot rule out that at least one of the pairing may join either one of the big brothers on the podium. What we can say for certain is that all four of them cannot get onto the three rider podium! But in Japan, the seemingly impossible can happen. All we have to do is look to the 1995 season, when Takuma Aoki (500cc), Nobuatsu Aoki (250cc) and Haruchika Aoki (125cc) all took podium finishes on their Hondas at Suzuka, an unprecedented happening, which may never be repeated ever again. Ten years on, are we set for another family affair by Honda riders, this time at Honda’s new home circuit of Twin Ring Motegi?

By Beth Dolgner Vesrah Suzuki’s Tray Batey set a new track record at Nelson Ledges Road Course in Ohio en route to three victories during Sunday’s WERA Michelin National Challenge Series ten-lap sprint races. Batey’s fast time of 1:06.267 came in Formula 1, the last race of the day, which he won on his Suzuki GSX-R750. Joe Gill, who like Batey was running a GSX-R750 with an engine built by Vesrah team owner Mark Junge, finished second. The two of them had a lead of five seconds over the rest of the field when a red flag came out on lap ten for Frank Trombino, who crashed out of third on his Yamaha YZF-R1. Trombino’s Dunlop slick came apart as he entered the sixth-gear kink on the back straight, sending him off the track. His injuries are thought to include a broken ankle and leg, and he was transported to the hospital. Earlier, Batey put in his usual dominating performance in Heavyweight Twins Superstock, leading from start to finish on his Suzuki SV1000. He had to work for the win in 750cc Superstock, though, and had a race-long battle with Gill. The two were again on their Suzuki GSX-R750s. Batey passed Gill for the lead at the end of the back straight on the final lap to take the win. Josh Herrin earned two wins on his Team Herrin Yamaha YZF-R6. His first was in 600cc Superstock, where he held off local rider Shawn Conrad, who was on a Kawasaki ZX-6R. Herrin also set a new 600cc track lap record at 1:07.382. Herrin’s second win came in the 600cc Superbike race, and he took off at the start and pulled a 5.3-second gap over Derek Keyes and Josh Smith-Moore, who were on a Yamaha YZF-R6 and a Suzuki GSX-R600, respectively. The Open Superstock race was red-flagged just four laps into the event for Ben Thompson and Reuben Frankenfield, who crashed coming onto the front straight. Frankenfield suffered a concussion, but Thompson was uninjured. Junge led again on the Vesrah Suzuki GSX-R1000 when the race restarted, but Canadian hot shoe Frank Trombino took the lead for good on lap four. Trombino crossed the finish line first on his Yamaha YZF-R1, but he was later disqualified for running slicks in a Superstock race. Junge got the win while Conrad moved up to second on a Suzuki GSX-R1000. Troy Meikle and Keith Reed traded the 750cc Superbike lead several times before they crossed the finish line side-by-side in the closest race of the day. Reed was awarded the win over Meikle, a decision that wasn’t made final until after the event. Meikle and Reed both rode Suzuki GSX-R750s. Peter Cline was the sole Expert entered in Formula 2, and he took the win on a KTM 640. Jimmy Wood won the Lightweight Superstock race on a Suzuki SV650. He pulled a one-lap lead over the other Experts, but had to hold off Novice Matt LaPham, who was also on a Suzuki SV650. LaPham stayed close to Wood for all 10 laps.

Well-earned double podium for JR at Oulton Park RIZLA SUZUKI’S John Reynolds battled for the top honours in both of today’s Superbike races at the 11th round of the British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park in Cheshire, eventually scoring two third place podium finishes. Three riders managed to breakaway from the pack in both races reigning Champion JR, Ducati’s Gregorio Lavilla and Honda’s Ryuichi Kiyonari. Clearly the class of the field, they set a blistering pace and enjoyed some of the closest racing of the season so far, with Kiyonari eventually prevailing to take two wins. Rizla Suzuki ace James Haydon started from ninth place on the grid and finished sixth in the opening event before retiring out of the second race after being hit by another rider in the first corner and having his brake lever broken, rendering his Rizla Suzuki unrideable. Young Suzuki privateer James Buckingham won the British Superbike Championship Cup today, wrapping the title up with two rounds to spare on his GSX-R1000. You can catch highlights of all of the action on Channel 4 next weekend. Rizla Suzuki will be racing again in the 12th round of the British Superbike Championship at Donington Park in Leicestershire on Sunday, September 25th. John Reynolds: “Those were two hard-fought races and I enjoyed them both immensely. It is the first time this year that we have been able to run at the front and I must say a big thank you to my team for providing me with such a fast race bike. “We have improved my Rizla Suzuki with virtually every lap this weekend and I have also raised my game and pushed harder than before. We now know we can run at the front and we are not far away from moving up the podium. I certainly want to make the two short steps to the top of the rostrum before the end of the season.” James Haydon: “I am absolutely gutted. After the first race we knew we had the pace to run at the front and I was focused on a good start. I got away okay but then in the first corner another rider ran into me and snapped my brake lever. I went on for another couple of laps trying to ride around the problem but there was no chance and I was forced to retire. “That’s pretty hard to swallow as we have been competitive all weekend. My Rizla Suzuki is sorted it’s doing what I want it to and my crew and team deserved a better result. Roll on the next round and a bit more luck with it”¦” Robert Wicks, Team Manager: “It’s been a great effort from the team today and another two podiums are a well-earned just reward for JR’s performances. He was able to run at the front with the two main Championship contenders and that gives us all great heart. He felt a bit weaker through the slow corners than his rivals but was able to catch them up through the faster sections. We’ll work on improving that for him in time for the next round. “James did a good job with a strong sixth place finish in race one. His lap times were quick and we were all convinced if he got a better start he could be in contention for the podium. Unfortunately we never got to find out as a broken brake lever meant he couldn’t use the front brake and he was forced to retire. He suffered the same problem during the team’s first visit to Oulton Park earlier this year and that’s just pure bad luck. “We need to direct more focus at our qualifying performances. If James had qualified on the front or second row of the grid then he may have avoided being struck by a slower rider and collected results more representative of his true race pace. “Momentum is building for Rizla Suzuki and with two rounds to go we are more competitive than ever this year. We are looking forward to Donington Park in a fortnight’s time.” Race One Result: 1: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 29:15.364, 2: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) +2.287, 3: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) +3.511, 4: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +4.295, 5: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +5.178, 6: JAMES HAYDON (RIZLA SUZUKI) +12.521, 7: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +13.954, 8: Karl Harris (Honda) +14.836, 9: Gary Mason (Honda) +14.893, 10: Michael Rutter (Honda) +15.122. Race Two Result: 1: Kiyonari 29:14.768, 2: Lavilla +0.004, 3: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) +2.365, 4: Haslam +4.613, 5: Harris +13.776, 6: Hill +13.860, 7: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +16.942, 8: Richards +17.846, 9: Mason +22.432, 10: Steve Plater (Honda) +30.739. Championship Points after 11 of 13 Rounds: 1: Kiyonari 367, 2: Lavilla 366, 3: Rutter 330, 4: Haslam 269, 5: Richards 218, 6: Harris 188, 7: Thomas 159, 8: Mason 141, 9: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) 128, 10: Michael Laverty (Honda) 113, 12: JAMES HAYDON (RIZLA SUZUKI) 99.

Lanzi Wins World Superbike Race Two In Germany 1. Lorenzo LANZI, Ducati 999F05 2. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda CBR1000RR, -0.840-second 3. Noriyuki HAGA, Yamaha YZF-R1, -4.598 seconds 4. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -5.291 5. Karl MUGGERIDGE, Honda CBR1000RR, -16.236 6. Andrew PITT, Yamaha YZF-R1, -18.362 7. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Honda CBR1000RR, -26.360 8. Norick ABE, Yamaha YZF-R1, -26.453 9. Steve MARTIN, Petronas FP1, -27.076 10. Pier francesco CHILI, Honda CBR1000RR, -37.303 11. James TOSELAND, Ducati 999F05, -40.997 12. Giovanni BUSSEI, Kawasaki Z-10R, -44.309 13. Troy CORSER, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -44.485 14. Sebastian GIMBERT, Yamaha YZF-R1, -48.459 15. Ben BOSTROM, Honda CBR1000RR, -53.264 16. Norino BRIGNOLA , Ducati 999RS, -1:04.546 17. Alessio VELINI, Ducati 999RS, -1:24.524 18. Miguel PRAIA ,Yamaha YZF-R1, -1:24.896 19. Garry MCCOY, Petronas FP1, -1 Laps 20. Michel NICKMANS, Yamaha YZF-R1, -3 Laps More from a press release issued by FGSport: 2005 CORONA EXTRA SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP 10TH ROUND – EUROSPEEDWAY LAUSITZ 9th , 10th, 11th SEPTEMBER Eurospeedway Lausitz, Sunday 11th September 2005 VERMEULEN AND NEW SENSATION LANZI SHARE GERMAN WIN – A STARTLING DAY IN SUPERBIKE PROVIDES DRAMA APLENTY An outstandingly unpredictable day of race action at EuroSpeedway Lausitz saw wins for championship challenger Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda) and factory debutant, Lorenzo Lanzi (Xerox Ducati). Two of the youngest riders in the top echelons of Superbike, Vermeulen and Lanzi, both 23, were fast in practice and fast off the line, with Lanzi too quick into the first corner in race one. Vermeulen took that win from Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) and Championship leader, Troy Corser (Alstare Suzuki). In the second race, Lanzi earned his first ever SBK race win; in his first ever race within a factory team, from Vermeulen and Haga. Championship leader Corser crashed out, but restarted to finish 13th. CHRIS CROSSES ANOTHER RUBICON For Vermeulen race one delivered him his third race win in a row, after a long fight with Noriyuki Haga, albeit in a race that was foreshortened artificially due the advent of a few spots of rain. Called a result at 20 of the 24 laps, Vermeulen won by 0.269 seconds from Haga, with Corser third. Lorenzo Lanzi, who had run on at the very first corner after his pole position start, rejoined the race 11th after a ride through penalty, yet worked his way up to eighth at the flag. LANZI DRIVES DUCATI WILD A Superpole winner at the first attempt in factory colours Lanzi became a race winner too, holding onto a long term lead despite intense pressure from behind – from first Noriyuki Haga (who was third) and eventual second place man Vermeulen, who had to make his way through the pack from a slow start. The end result of Corser’s lap two crash and eventual three points for 13th are that his championship lead has been slashed to a still impressive 60 points, with 100 up for grabs by Vermeulen if he wins all four remaining races. TOSELAND UP AND DOWN AS KAGAYAMA IMPROVES James Toseland (Ducati Xerox) was a solid fourth in race one, albeit seven seconds behind the winner, but in race two he had an off track excursion and finished 11th, earning only five points. A better day was enjoyed by Qatar race winner Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki) who took fifth in race one and improved it to fourth in the second race. Karl Muggeridge was a faller in race one and restarted only to retire in the pits, but in race two he slowly faded from a good start as grip decreased, his imperfect machine set-up dropping him to fifth. A brace of sixth places, his pace affected by chatter, were the reward for Yamaha Motor Italia rider Andrew Pitt, who also had tyre choice issues to deal with, largely because the track temperature in race one was considerably cooler than in qualifying. NEUKIRCHNER HAPPY WITH TWO SEVENTHS IN HIS HOME RACE Feeling the pressure from his home race commitments, local SBK rookie Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda) took two seventh places, results he was not disappointed with. He won a personal battle with Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) in race two, and was three seconds clear of Lanzi’s race one charge. Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda KOJI) took a tenth place in race one, but a malfunctioning clutch in race two dropped him to fifth. Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda) had an engine failure in race one, recovering on his spare bike in the second race to take tenth, one place ahead of a recovering Toseland. PETRONAS HOPEFULS EARN POINTS Once more the trend of Petronas riders having differing results in each race continued, as Steve Martin finished two laps down and 18th in race one but took an impressive ninth in race two. In the first race Garry McCoy had been the leading Petronas runner, taking 11th before he was forced to retire in the pits in race two. WORLD SUPERSPORT CHAMPIONSHIP Yamaha scored its first win in World Supersport since Silverstone in 2004, thanks to Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany). The icing on a two-part anniversary cake was piped on by Curtain’s team-mate Broc Parkes, who took an aggregate second in the two-parter, initially halted after ten laps when the rains slowly appeared. In third place Fabien Foret (Team Italia Megabike Honda) beat Katsuaki Fujiwara (Winston Ten Kate Honda) and his own team-mate Michel Fabrizio for the final podium spot. Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda) fell in the opening leg, but having won the title last weekend at Assen, his crash only injured his pride, not his championship prospects. In the championship standings, the battle for second has hotted up, with Curtain overtaking Fujiwara,147 to 140, while the battle for a top three finish is now firmly joined by Foret, on 126. SUPERSTOCK 1000 FIM CUP An off track excursion while leading the 14 lap Superstock race cost Kenan Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motor Germany) the win at the EuroSpeedway. Despite crossing the line first, he was penalised 20 seconds for a near collision with his team-mate Didier Vankeymeulen, as he rejoined the tarmac at high speed. Sofuoglu thus was classified sixth, behind Vankeymeulen, Luca Scassa (Ormeni Yamaha), Ricardo Chiarello (Alstare Suzuki), Alessio Polita (Celani Suzuki) fourth and Craig Coxhell (EMS Suzuki) fifth. In the championship Sofuoglu now leads Vankeymeulen by only ten points. SUPERSTOCK 600 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP Maxime Berger (MBE Honda) inherited the win at Lausitzring after long term leaders Yoann Tiberio (Junior Team Megabike) and Claudio Corti (Trasimeno Yamaha) collided at the penultimate corner, with Tiberio recovering to finish second, Xavier Simeon (Alstare Suzuki) third. Corti leads the championship chase, with 168 points More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse: LANZI COMPLETES DREAM WEEKEND FOR DUCATI XEROX TEAM WITH SENSATIONAL WIN IN RACE 2 Lausitz (Germany), Sunday 11 September: Lorenzo Lanzi completed a sensational weekend for the Ducati Xerox Team as he stormed to the win in race 2 after being penalized with a ride-through in the first race. The 23-year-old Italian rider, making his debut for the factory team in place of the injured Régis Laconi, might even had a double win today, but was given the penalty for a mistake on the opening lap. Poleman Lanzi missed a gear as the field went into Turn 1 just after the start and had to pass through the circuit banking, specially created by the organisers as the run-off area. The Italian rider re-joined the race in third position, thus not infringing any sporting regulation, but failed to negotiate the slow-down chicane in the run-off, judging it to be impossibly tight. For the penalty Lanzi had to go through the pit-lane at regulation 60 km/h speed limit and he re-joined the race at the required point, but this time in eleventh place. As Chris Vermeulen took the win, Lanzi eventually finished eighth. “Vermeulen went a bit wide and as I was trying to take the turn I missed a gear and selected first instead of second, got the bike a bit crossed and went straight on” explained Lanzi. “But I did what the regulations say for this track – I came back into the race in third place. The chicane should be made suitable for bikes, and it was impossible to get through due to its tight layout. I was also given the drive-through quite late after five or six laps, I wasn’t expecting it any more. I’m disappointed because my race pace was capable of taking me to the win”. Lanzi then made amends in the second race after a spectacular battle throughout the 24 laps, first with Haga (Yamaha) and then with a fast-closing Vermeulen (Honda) towards the end. Lanzi becomes the first Italian rider to win on a Ducati factory machine since Pierfrancesco Chili at Assen in 1998. “A dream race and a dream weekend” added Lorenzo. “I clearly tried to go at maximum pace throughout the race but also to have a race pace sufficient not to make any mistakes and keep the others behind. I saved my tyres until four laps from the end and then I pushed as hard as possible in the final laps to keep Vermeulen behind me. We showed in race 2 that we could win, and that we could even have won race 1 as well. I am so happy, it’s been a fantastic weekend. It’s the dream of every Italian rider to win a race on a Ducati and this weekend I was able to express all of my potential”. James Toseland started fourth and finished fourth in race 1 after taking several laps to get past Pitt (Yamaha) following a bad start. He was running well in the same position in race 2 when he lost the front and slipped down out of the top 10. “It was a difficult weekend, the second race was disappointing because I was catching them and then I lost the front at the first turn. I wasn’t doing anything particularly wrong and it was a pity because I felt I could have got closer to the guys at the front. We had a decent set-up but it wasn’t perfect and were unable to improve as much as we should have. We would have been racing at the front if I had stayed on but that’s racing. Congratulations for Lorenzo, it’s a dream come true. I feel sure we could have both been on the podium and it was certainly possible in that second race.” RACE 1: 1. Vermeulen (Honda); 2. Haga (Yamaha) ; 3. Corser (Suzuki; 4. Toseland (Ducati Xerox); 5. Kagayama (Suzuki); 6. Pitt (Yamaha); etc. RACE 2 : 1. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) ; 2. Vermeulen (Honda) ; 3. Haga (Yamaha) ; 4. Kagayama (Suzuki) ; 5. Muggeridge (Honda) ; 6. Pitt (Yamaha) … 11. Toseland (Ducati Xerox). POINTS (after 10 of 12 rounds) : Riders – 1. Corser 389; 2. Vermeulen 329; 3. Haga 239; 4. Toseland 215; 5. Laconi 214; 6. Kagayama 211. Manufacturers – 1. Suzuki 408; 2. Honda 345; 3. Ducati 331; 4. Yamaha 280; 5. Kawasaki 153; 6. Petronas 37. More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing: World Supersport and Superbike Championships 2005 Round 10, EuroSpeedway Lausitz ­ Germany Spectator attendance: 48,500 (weekend) Race Results 11 SEPTEMBER 2005 FORET TAKES THIRD AT RAIN AFFECTED EUROSPEEDWAY LAUSITZ The arrival of the fully expected rains midway through the World Supersport race at EuroSpeedway Lausitz made for an aggregate race result, making recent Assen race winner Fabien Foret (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) third overall, despite winning the second heat. The result of the first leg was called at ten laps, then after a 15 minute wet track acclimatisation session ­ albeit held on a largely dry track surface ­ a 13 lap ‘wet’ race was called. Recently crowned 2005 World Champion and Lausitz pole winner Sebastien Charpentier (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) was an early faller in the first part, while chasing eventual 1-2 duo Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes (both Yamaha). Such has been the recent performance of the CBR600RR in World Supersport trim that the last non-Honda victory in the class was at Silverstone in 2004. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) battled through both parts of the race to secure fourth place, one ahead of Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR). WSS rookie Tatu Lauslehto (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) went ninth overall, keeping up his 100% points scoring record and promoting him to ninth overall. Foret showed his battling qualities throughout, improving from fourth in the first heat to overall third, and scoring 16 valuable championship points. “At the first start I launched not so well and the other guys were too far from me,” said Foret. “I knew that I could run a good race and at the second start I was in front of the other bikes. Today my bike was the top Honda on show again, so thanks to the team for that. I have taken five podiums from the beginning of the season and in Imola and Magny Cours I’ll try to take other two podiums. Perhaps I can win another one.” Fujiwara’s off podium finish was the opposite of what he needed in the championship chase, losing overall second to Curtain, but only after a complicated two part race. “We made some changes between the two parts of the race because it was clear that the rain wouldn’t keep falling,” said Kats. “The balance of the bike was definitely better and the changes seemed to work in the second part. Unfortunately, I was too far back after the first part of the race and I made a small mistake at the end of the start-finish straight, which dropped me back from the leaders. I’ll fight hard in Imola to get second place back in the championship, for my mechanics and the whole team.” Fabrizio was no fan of Lausitz, but still finished with good points. “At the end I just saved the race weekend,” said Fabrizio. “Today I wasn’t able to run with them. The bike has gone very fast but I don’t like this track too much. It’s a pity because at the end of the practice I hoped that I could earn a podium and instead I have to return home with this fifth position. But to enter in the top five is a good result.” Lauslehto found himself in a battling group once again in the midfield, and worked long and well for his ninth place finish “Once again a hard fight,” said the Finn. “I had to work very hard to keep some riders behind me, to keep the door closed and still go fast, but it was worth it to finish in the points, and inside the top ten.” For Charpentier, his crash was a rude surprise, as was the change in emphasis of the opposition, especially after snatching pole from Curtain with his very last qualifying lap. It was Charpentier’s ninth pole of an amazing 2005 season. “It feels very strange, I have to admit,” said the new World Champion. “I don’t really understand what happened in the crash ­ it was exactly the same as the crash in qualifying yesterday and on exactly the same corner. I was feeling OK, although Curtain and Parkes were fast, which surprised me. We still have two more races, though, the last one in my own country; I am still hungry for wins and I will be riding as well as I can at Imola and at Magny-Cours.” Charpentier’s unchanged total of 210 made him champion at Assen but Curtain now moves to second on 147, with Fujiwara third, on 140. Foret is fourth on 126, with Fabrizio fifth and Lauslehto ninth. World Superbike Round 10 of 12 VERMEULEN WINS IN GERMANY AND REDUCES CHAMPIONSHIP GAP In the first EuroSpeedway Lausitz race Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda) led for almost the entire 20 laps, of what was supposed to be a 24 lap race, taking a close but eventually unchallenged win over Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha). The first spots of rain soon brought out a red flag and Chris was declared the winner for the third time in a row, after his recent Assen double. Championship leader Corser was third in the opener. In seventh place, Max Neukirchner was the next Honda rider home, with Ben Bostrom running out to the last spot in the top ten. Both Karl Muggeridge and Pierfrancesco Chili retired, Muggeridge after an earlier crash. In race two, which went for the full 24 laps, a poor start for Vermeulen contributed to second rather than another double win, but he nonetheless walked out of Lausitz with a victory and a second place, and a reduced margin to make up to championship leader Corser. He fell in race two, remounting to finish 13th. Vermeulen is now 60 points behind, with 100 up for grabs should he win the remaining four races of the season. In the second race, Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) won his first ever SBK race, with Haga third. In race two Muggeridge had a solid fifth, despite an imperfect set up for the reappearing dry and sunny conditions, while Neukirchner was again seventh. Chili scored his only points of the day for tenth, with Ben Bostrom fighting tech issues to take the last point on offer, in 15th. Vermeulen was relaxed about his first race win, and with a better start, he could have made a late challenge for his second win of the weekend. “We tested here in July and that’s maybe given us an advantage over the others,” said Chris of his race one win. “That said, conditions in the last few laps of race one were pretty dicey, so It was a good thing that they stopped the race. We did all our practice here in 35 °C track temperatures and now it’s at least 10 degrees cooler, so tyre choice was always a bit of a concern. In race two I got off OK but then it bogged down a bit. I pulled the clutch back in but then the bike’s front end came up and I ended up about eighth. It was a big job passing everyone, especially at this track. By the time I had to chase Lanzi down he had a big lead and my tyres were pretty shot.” Neukirchner was the other most effective Honda rider on display at Assen, and was glad to rack up two good points scores, after some recent bad luck. He sits 13th in the championship. “It was an OK raceday,” said Neukirchner, surrounded by his countrymen. “We had many fans and family with us here so there was a lot of pressure. To take seventh two times was good for me and I made a lot of points. That I am happy with; a nice way to head to Imola.” Karl Muggeridge was unhappy with his raceday luck, feeling that he could have had better results in different circumstances. He is currently 11th. “In race one I got baulked by Kagayama and had to readjust the bike, then we had to retire,” said Muggeridge from pitlane. “I could have done with the experience of the whole first race to get the set-up a little bit. I just rode my butt off in race two and that was all I could do. I wanted a pit stop so that I could adjust the setting on the bike!” Chili’s machine had a technical problem which put him out of race one, then a switch to his spare bike proved difficult in the second, putting him 9th in the championship battle. “Things were good on Friday but today was not good,” said a puzzled Chili. “In the first there was a problem with the bike and we had to change the engine for the second race. It was a completely different spec, with a different gearbox and the chassis settings didn’t work. It was too high at the front and every time I went wide in the corners. It was very strange.” Improved physical condition for Ben Bostrom, who nonetheless carried a back injury into Lausitz, proved to no help in the races, which he finished tenth and 15th. He sits 15th overall. “I expected to have a good weekend, hoping to finish in fifth and had a terrible weekend. The first race, when the tyre went bad, it really went south. In the second race when I went to the startline we had pretty much no clutch. So I had to ride the race with no clutch, which was quite upsetting. We changed the clutch between races as normal too. I almost jump started because of it and when the tyre went, it really went.” Both Supersport and Superbike classes head to Imola for the penultimate round of the championship, on October 2. Results SUPERSPORT: RACE : (Laps 23 = 98,095 Km Pos /Rider /Nat. /Team / Time /Gap 1 / CURTAIN / AUS / Yamaha Motor Germany / 39’39.394 / 2 / PARKES / AUS / Yamaha Motor Germany / 39’41.972 / 2.578 3 / FORET / FRA / Team Megabike / 39’51.427 / 12.033 4 / FUJIWARA / JPN / Winston Ten Kate Honda / 39’57.678 / 18.284 5 / FABRIZIO / ITA / Italia Megabike / 40’05.390 / 25.996 6 / CHAMBON / FRA / Gil Motor Sport / 40’05.410 / 26.016 7 / CORRADI / ITA / Ducati Selmat / 40’08.544 / 29.150 8 / STIGEFELT / SWE / Stiggy Motorsports / 40’11.720 / 32.326 9 / LAUSLEHTO / FIN / Klaffi Honda / 40’14.030 / 34.636 10 / DAEMEN / BEL / Van Zon Honda / 40’15.351 / 35.957 11 / TODE / GER / Van Zon Honda / 40’15.773 / 36.379 12 / ANDERSEN / NOR / Kawasaki DocShop Racing / 40’18.570 / 39.176 13 / HARMS / DEN / Stiggy Motorsports / 40’25.872 / 46.478 14 / FORES / ESP / Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra / 40’32.763 / 53.369 15 / JANSEN / NED / Suzuki Nederland / 40’49.646 / 1’10.252 Fastest Lap 5° Kevin Curtain 1’42.438 149,886 Km/h Lap Record: Kevin Curtain 1’42.438 149,890 Km/h 2005 Riders Championship Standings: 1 Charpentier 210, 2 Curtain 147, 3 Fujiwara 140, 4 Foret 126, 5 Fabrizio 109, 6 Parkes 89, 7 Chambon 86, 8 Fores 60, 9 Nannelli 56, 10 Lauslehto 56, 11 Stigefelt 40, 12 Harms 34, 13 Corradi 34, 14 Veneman 33, 15 Jones 18. SUPERBIKE Race 1: (Laps 20 = 85,300 Km) Pos /Rider /Nat. /Team / Time /Gap 1 / VERMEULEN / AUS / Winston Ten Kate Honda / 33’36.341 / 2 / HAGA / JPN / Yamaha Motor Italia WSB / 33’36.610 / 0.269 3 / CORSER / AUS / Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra / 33’38.640 / 2.299 4 / TOSELAND / GBR / Ducati Xerox / 33’43.399 / 7.058 5 / KAGAYAMA / JPN / Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra / 33’49.049 / 12.708 6 / PITT / AUS / Yamaha Motor Italia WSB / 33’50.394 / 14.053 7 / NEUKIRCHNER / GER / Klaffi Honda / 33’52.957 / 16.616 8 / LANZI / ITA / Ducati Xerox / 33’55.364 / 19.023 9 / ABE / JPN / Yamaha Motor France-Ipone / 34’00.992 / 24.651 10 / BOSTROM / USA / Renegade Koji / 34’10.695 / 34.354 11 / MCCOY / AUS / Foggy Petronas Racing / 34’20.726 / 44.385 12 / BUSSEI / ITA / Kawasaki Bertocchi / 34’21.361 / 45.020 13 / CARDOSO / ESP / D.F.X. Treme / 34’28.152 / 51.811 14 / BRIGNOLA / ITA / Ducati SC Caracchi / 34’28.284 / 51.943 15 / CRUCIANI / ITA / PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse / 34’40.452 / 1’04.111 Fastest Lap 7° Noriyuki Haga 1’39.828 153,805 Km/h Race 2 : (Laps 24 = 102,360 Km) Pos /Rider /Nat. /Team / Time / 1 / LANZI / ITA / Ducati Xerox / 40’20.947 / 2 / VERMEULEN / AUS / Winston Ten Kate Honda / 40’21.787 / 0.840 3 / HAGA / JPN / Yamaha Motor Italia WSB / 40’25.545 / 4.598 4 / KAGAYAMA / JPN / Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra / 40’26.238 / 5.291 5 / MUGGERIDGE / AUS / Winston Ten Kate Honda / 40’37.183 / 16.236 6 / PITT / AUS / Yamaha Motor Italia WSB / 40’39.309 / 18.362 7 / NEUKIRCHNER / GER / Klaffi Honda / 40’47.307 / 26.360 8 / ABE / JPN / Yamaha Motor France-Ipone / 40’47.400 / 26.453 9 / MARTIN / AUS / Foggy Petronas Racing / 40’48.023 / 27.076 10 / CHILI / ITA / Klaffi Honda / 40’58.250 / 37.303 11 / TOSELAND / GBR / Ducati Xerox / 41’01.944 / 40.997 12 / BUSSEI / ITA / Kawasaki Bertocchi / 41’05.256 / 44.309 13 / CORSER / AUS / Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra / 41’05.432 / 44.485 14 / GIMBERT / FRA / Yamaha Motor France-Ipone / 41’09.406 / 48.459 15 / BOSTROM / USA / Renegade Koji / 41’14.211 / 53.264 Fastest Lap 7° Noriyuki Haga 1’39.790 153,863 Km/h Lap Record: Ruben Xaus 1’39.679 154,030Km/h 2002 Riders Championship Standings: 1 CORSER 389, 2 VERMEULEN 329, 3 HAGA 239, 4 TOSELAND 215, 5 LACONI 214, 6 KAGAYAMA 211, 7 PITT 137, 8 WALKER 130, 9 CHILI 125, 10 LANZI 118, 11 MUGGERIDGE 111, 12 ABE 110, 13 NEUKIRCHNER 98, 14 BUSSEI 56, 15 BOSTROM 46. More, from a press release issued by Suzuki Racing: CORSER FIGHTS BACK AFTER CRASH Team Suzuki Press Office – September 11, 2005. World Superbike Championship leader Troy Corser heroically charged from the back of the pack to score points after crashing from the lead of today’s second World Superbike race at Lausitzring in Germany. The Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider had earlier finished on the podium in the opening 24-lapper, which was red-flagged due to rain four laps from the end. He then led the second race until the second lap when he crashed in turn one. He remounted, fired the bike up and carried on, dead last by a considerable margin. But he put his head down and managed to pick off 15 riders before finishing in 13th place. Team mate Yukio Kagayama scored fifth and fourth places and closed the points gap to fifth in the championship. Troy Corser: “I was happy to take third spot in the first race after the problems with chattering during the race. We had changed our rear tyre on the start line and were running the same as Chris and Nori, but the tyre affected the set-up and along came the chatter. I also ran in a bit hot going into turn one early on and then had to get my rhythm settled again. That little mistake allowed Chris and Nori to pull out a small gap and it was impossible to catch them again, so I settled for third and a podium. “I really believed another podium or a win was on the cards for race two because I had been enjoying the bike again this weekend. At Assen, we had some problems which were never fully resolved, but here at Lausitz I just felt more comfortable. “The crash in race two came as a big surprise as I felt I had not done anything different at that turn before. I lost the front and rear together and went down without warning. I cradled the bike as I went down and then picked it up again as soon as I could. The bike fired up first time but the gear lever was a bit bent so I spent some time finding a gear. I couldn’t use the clutch – the lever was bent upwards – and one of the bars was crooked. All in all, it handled pretty well really. I know I could’ve pulled in when I crashed but I just wanted to get back on the track and try and grab some points – and that’s what I did.” Yukio Kagayama: “I am much happier today with my fourth and fifth because I feel that I am getting back into it after a few average races. The results today have given me my confidence back and now I can think about the next two races very positively. My real problem today has been trying to find a good rhythm right from the start of the races. In both races it took me about four or five laps and by then the leaders had gone! If I can get that sorted out, I feel I can be in the leading group instead of chasing them from a distance. I have got four races left and I am determined to get more podiums and maybe some more race wins!” World Superbike Results: Race 1: 1 Vermeulen (Aus-Honda), 2 Haga (J-Yamaha), 3 Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 4 Toseland (GB-Ducati), 5 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 6 Pitt (Aus-Yamaha), 7 Neukirchner (D-Honda), 8 Lanzi (I-Ducati), 9 Abe (J-Yamaha), 10 Bostrom (USA-Honda), Race 2: 1 Lanzi, Vermeulen, 3 Haga, 4 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 5 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda), 6 Pitt, 7 Neukirchner, 8 Abe, 9 Martin (Aus-Petronas), 10 Chili (I-Honda). 13 Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). Championship Points: 1 Troy Corser 389, 2 Vermeulen 329, 3 Haga 239, 4 Toseland 215, 5 Laconi 214, 6 Yukio Kagayama 211, 7 Pitt 137, 8 Walker 130, 9 Chili 125, 10 Lanzi 118. WORLD SUPERSPORT: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Javi Fores finished 14thin the 10th round of the Supersport World Championship at the Eurospeedway Lausitzring today and was disappointed with the result. The race was a two-part affair after it was red-flagged due to rain when 11 laps had been completed. The riders were given a short ‘wet practice’ but inevitably no further rain fell and the second part of the race took place in dry conditions. Newly crowned champion Sebastien Charpentier (Honda) had crashed early on in the first race, so could not take in the following 13-lapper. The grid for part two was formed from the finishing order after 10 laps and once again it was the Yamaha duo of Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes who led the charge. Towards the end, Fabien Foret (Honda) stormed to the front and crossed the line first, but when the times of the two races were aggregated, Curtain was the winner with Parkes second and Foret third. Fores finished the first leg 14th and the second leg 13th. Javi Fores – 14th: “This was a bad weekend and I am not so sorry to leave this place. I didn’t make a bad start, but I felt I was pushing right to the limit all the time. Many times I felt that the front was tucking under and it was also not possible to open the gas hard exiting the turns. I used my spare bike in the second race but encountered the same problems. My tyres were finished well before the end of the 13-lap race and it was hard just to keep going at times. I hope for better things at Imola in the next round.” Aggregate Supersport Results: 1 Curtain (Aus-Yamaha), 2 Parkes (Aus-Yamaha), 3 Foret (F-Honda), 4 Fujiwara (J-Honda), 5 Fabrizio (I-Honda), 6 Chambon (F-Honda), 7 Corradi (I-Ducati), 8 Stigefelt (S-Honda), 9 Lauslehto (SF-Honda), 10 Daemen (B-Honda). 14 Javi Fores (E-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra). Championship Points: 1 Charpentier 210, 2 Curtain 147, 3 Fujiwara 140, 4 Foret 126, 5 Fabrizio 109, 6 Parkes 89, 7 Chambon 86, 8 Javi Fores (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 60. SUPERSTOCK 1000: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Riccardo Chiarello battled through the pain barrier at the Eurospeedway Lausitzring today and was rewarded with a place on the podium. Series leader Kenan Sofuoglu (Yamaha) had led the race until the last lap when he made a mistake and ran straight on across the grass instead of through the chicane before the back straight. By the time he recovered he had dropped to sixth place and his place at the front had been taken by team mate Didier Vankeymeulen. Second was Luca Scassa (Yamaha) with Chiarello third. Riccardo Chiarello – 3rd: “I am very happy to take a podium today and, although I was a bit lucky, I felt that I deserved it for all the effort I had put in. I was still in pain with my arm and shoulder today, but it wasn’t as bad as yesterday. Today the track conditions were very different than before and although I felt I had less grip; my bike seemed to work better. I had a little problem exiting the turns and getting the bike to change direction and also a problem with my face mask. Just before the start of the race I removed my mask because the weather seemed to be good. But in the race, my visor fogged up and I had to lift it a little so that I could see where I was going. But I carried on ok and in the end, luck was on my side.” Superstock 1000 Results: 1 Vankeymeulen (B-Yamaha), 2 Scassa (I-Yamaha), 3 Riccardo Chiarello (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 4 Polita (I-Suzuki), 5 Coxhell (Aus-Suzuki), 6 Sofuoglu (Tur-Yamaha). Championship Points: 1 Sofuoglu 137, 2 Vankeymeulen 127, 3 Coxhell 109, 4 Roccoli 103, 5 Polita 90, 6 Riccardo Chiarello 82. MORALES TAKES GSX-R CUP SERIES LEAD. Spaniard Carmelo Morales won the fourth round of the Suzuki GSX-R European Cup at the Eurospeedway Lausitzring today and now leads the series by five points. Previous series leader Hudson Kennaugh got the holeshot and led the 24-rider field off the line and into turn one, chased by Dominic Lammert, Morales, David Salom, Xavi Simeon and Ismael Ortega. On lap three, Morales took over the lead and from then on in, although he was under pressure for the rest of the nine laps, he was never headed taking the chequered flag by less then a tenth of a second ahead of his fellow countryman Salom. Third was Lammert, some four and a half seconds adrift with Kennaugh fourth, Ortega fifth and Weymann sixth. Said Morales: I am very, very happy for this victory but also because now I am leading the series! The Suzuki worked perfectly this weekend, the tyres were perfect and it has just been a perfect weekend for me. I made a good start and was fourth off the line I think and then I took my time to find my rhythm. The only problem I had was with a bit of front end bumping, but it wasn’t too bad. At the end, I found it hard to see the finish line because this place has so much concrete. But I did see the chequered flag and that made me very happy.” Salom said: “I was third at the end of the first lap but I made a little mistake afterwards and went straight on. Fortunately it wasn’t a problem and I didn’t lose any places. But then I put my head down and got back into the action. At one stage I was catching Carmelo, but in the end he was just about strong enough to hold me off. I have had great fun here. My bike and tyres worked perfectly and I am very happy with the result.” Suzuki GSX-R Cup Results: 1 Carmelo Morales (Spain), 2 David Salom (Spain), 3 Dominic Lammert (Germany), 4 Hudson Kennaugh (South Africa), 5 Ismael Ortega (Spain), 6 Max Weymann (Germany), 7 David Fouloi (France), 8 Thomas Metro (France), 9 Oliver Skatch (Germany), 10 Ron Van Steenbergen (Holland), 11 Mike Edwards (GB), 12 Danilo Dell’Omo (Italy), 13 Rene Mahr (Austria), 14 Joshua Noel Forster (Australia), 15 Xavier Simeon (Belgium). 17 Houston. DNF Barber. Championship Points (after 4 rounds): 1 Morales 83, 2 Kennaugh 78, 3 Salom 74, 4 Fouloi 41, 5 Ortega 36, 6 Lammert 36, 7 Forster 30, 8 Edwards 27, 9 Simeon 26, 10 Skatch 24. 14 Barber 13. 17 Houston 4. Full series information and photographs can be found on: www.gsxrcup.com.

Curtain Tops World Supersport From Euro Speedway 1. Kevin CURTAIN, Yamaha YZF-R6 2. Broc PARKES, Yamaha YZF-R6, -2.578 3. Fabien FORET, Honda CBR 600RR -12.033 4. Katsuaki FUJIWARA, Honda CBR600RR, -18.284 5. Michel FABRIZIO, Honda CBR600RR, – 25.996 6. Stephane CHAMBON, Honda CBR600RR, -26.016 7. Alessio CORRADI, Ducati 749R, – 29.150 8. Johan STIGEFELT, Honda CBR600RR, -32.326 9. Tatu LAUSLEHTO Honda CBR 600RR, -34.636 10. Werner DAEMEN, Honda CBR600RR, -35.975