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

Vermeulen Takes World Superbike Race One At Eurospeedway 1. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda CBR1000RR 2. Noriyuki HAGA, Yamaha YZF-R1, -0.269 3. Troy CORSER, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -2.299 4. James TOSELAND, Ducati 999F05, -7.058 5. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -12.708 6. Andrew PITT, Yamaha YZF-R1, -14.053 7. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Honda CBR1000RR, -16.616 8. Lorenzo LANZI, Ducati 999F05, -19.023 9. Norick ABE, Yamaha YZF-R1, -24.651 10. Ben BOSTROM, Honda CBR1000RR, – 34.354 11. Garry MCCOY, Petronas FP1, -44.385 12. Giovanni BUSSEI, Kawasaki Z-10R, -45.020 13. Jose Luis CARDOSO, Yamaha YZF-R1, -51.811 14. Norino BRIGNOLA , Ducati 999RS, -51.943 15. Stefano CRUCIANI, Kawasaki ZX-10R, -1:04.111 16. Miguel PRAIA ,Yamaha YZF-R1, -1:18.520 17. Michel NICKMANS, Yamaha YZF-R1, -1:37.408 18. Steve MARTIN, Petronas FP1, -2 Laps

ROW THREE START FOR MASON Stobart Honda rider Gary Mason ended up in tenth position following a hectic second qualifying session at an overcast Oulton Park today at round eleven of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship. The 26 year old from Lichfield held provisional pole position following a rain interrupted first session and was hopeful that the forecast afternoon showers materialised but sadly for him they didn’t. Mason bravely hung on for a front slow slot until late in the session before being bumped down to the third row in the dying throes. “I’m very happy with my race times. I’ve only gone a tenth of a second quicker on my qualifier than on the race tyre so I’m very confident for tomorrow and looking forward to it. The bike feels awesome and the good thing is that it feels great on race tyres” said Mason. Meanwhile team mate Michael Laverty struggled due to injury and ended up in 26th position aboard the VK, Vent Axia and The Mob backed Stobart Honda. The 24 year old from Toomebridge is still carrying the legacy of his huge Silverstone crash and is a doubt for tomorrow’s two races. “Its frustrating riding the bike knowing I can go a lot faster and my body won’t let me. It’s too much for the strength I’ve got. I’m talking to the team tonight to see if I’m going to race tomorrow or not. I can’t expect too much from my body too soon, but another two weeks rest should see me OK again for Donington” said Laverty. Team owner Paul Bird was away contesting round six of the MSA National Gravel Rally Championship and in his absence Crew Chief Phil Borley commented: “I think Gary was a bit disappointed with his time on the qualifier but he has got a good race set up so we’re hoping for a top five from him tomorrow. Michael is still struggling with injuries from Silverstone and can’t muscle the bike around so he might not ride tomorrow. We will be speaking with Paul later before making a decision.” Superbike Qualifying 1, Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 1m36.312s, 2, Tommy Hill (Yamaha) 1m36.397s, 3, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) 1m36.435s, 4, John Reynolds (Suzuki) 1m36.508s, 5, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 1m36.537s, 6, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 1m36.577s, 7, Karl Harris (Honda) 1m36.806s, 8, Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) 1m36.895s, 9, James Haydon (Suzuki) 1m36.904s, 10, Gary Mason (Stobart Honda) 1m37.014s. More, from a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki: JR on the front row at Oulton Park RIZLA SUZUKI’S John Reynolds will start from fourth on the front row of the grid for tomorrow’s 11th round of the British Superbike Championship at Oulton Park. Morning qualification was blighted by rain but the afternoon session was dry and decided the grid for both races. JR headed the timesheets for much of the 50-minutes as he tested tyres and new suspension settings. Traffic hampered his final qualifying lap but he ended the day happy with a front row start. Rizla Suzuki racer James Haydon was battling with JR for the fastest time throughout qualification. Like his team mate, James was baulked by slower riders on his final qualifying laps and finished 9th to head the third row of the grid. Less than one second separated the top 11 riders and Ducati’s Gregorio Lavilla took pole position. Superbike racing starts at 1325hrs on Sunday, September 11th, at Oulton Park in Cheshire. All the action will be covered live on Sky Sports and will be followed by a highlights package on Channel 4 the following weekend. JR: “Well done to my technicians for making big improvements with the handling of my Rizla Suzuki throughout the day. In the morning I wasn’t happy with the fork settings on my bike as it felt like I was pushing the front end through the corners. By the end of the day it felt much more confidence inspiring and that helped me get on to the front row. “While my Rizla Suzuki feels good, I still don’t think it is 100 per cent and there is more to come. I am pushing the team hard to make further improvements. We have a chance tomorrow to challenge for the podium.” James: “My final qualifying laps were spoiled by slower traffic out on circuit. On my last lap I was on a real flier, setting my fastest first sector split and going for it until I caught a slower rider who was holding the racing line mid-corner. That ended my challenge but I’m okay with ninth it’s the right side of the track for the first corner and I am confident of getting a good start off the line. “My Rizla Suzuki feels good and we made very few adjustments to it today as it is giving me the feedback and control I want. I feel I can run with anyone on race tyres and I’m optimistic.” Robert Wicks, Team Manager: “Qualification was exciting and it was great to see both our riders at the top of the time sheets during the session – that was firing up the whole team. “Traffic played its part towards the end of the session and James in particular was unlucky not to improve in the dying minutes. He is very happy with the handling and performance of his GSX-R1000 and if he can get a good start tomorrow he’ll be in the reckoning. JR is still pushing for more from his bike and that’s encouraging as he is focused on the podium and nothing else. “The weather report is mixed for race day. As long as it is either completely wet or completely dry we will be in good shape. If it is something in-between, then it’s a lottery as we will need to guess which tyres to pick. Either way it’s going to be exciting for the crowds and TV viewers.” Qualifying Times: 1: Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) 1:36.312, 2: Tommy Hill (Yamaha) +0.085, 3: Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) +0.123, 4: JOHN REYNOLDS (RIZLA SUZUKI) +0.196, 5: Glen Richards (Kawasaki) +0.225, 6: Leon Haslam (Ducati) +0.265, 7: Karl Harris (Honda) +0.494, 8: Dean Thomas (Kawasaki) +0.583, 9: JAMES HAYDON (RIZLA SUZUKI) +0.592, 10: Gary Mason (Honda) +0.702.

Charpentier Tops World Supersport Qualifying In Germany 1. Sebastian CHARPENTIER, Honda CBR600RR, 1:42.017 2. Kevin CURTAIN, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:42.157 3. Fabien FORET, Honda CBR600RR, 1:42.327 4. Broc PARKES, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:42.548 5. Michel FABRIZIO, Honda CBR600RR, 1:42.961 6. Stephane CHAMBON, Honda CBR600RR, 1:43.128 7. Katsuaki FUJIWARA, Honda CBR600RR, 1:43.214 8. Robbin HARMS, Honda CBR600RR, 1:43.337 9. Matthieu LAGRIVE, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:43.423 10. Alessio CORRADI, Ducati 749R, 1:43.433

Lanzi Takes Eurospeedway World Superbike Superpole 1. Lorenzo LANZI, Ducati 999F05, 1:39.019 2. Troy CORSER, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:39.092 3. Chris VERMEULEN, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:39.275 4. James TOSELAND, Ducati 999F05, 1:39.665 5. Andrew PITT, Yamaha YZF-R!, 1:39.899 6. Karl MUGGERIDGE, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:39.924 7. Noriyuki HAGA, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:40.109 8. Max NEUKIRCHNER, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:40.187 9. Yukio KAGAYAMA, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:40.191 10. Steve MARTIN, Petronas FP-1, 1:40.282 11. Pier Fancesco CHILI, Honda CBR1000RR,1:40.494 12. Ivan CLEMENTI, Ducati 999RS, 1:40.564 13. Ben BOSTROM, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:40.825 14. Michael SCHULTEN, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:40.875 15. Norick ABE, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:41.448 16. Marco BORCIANI, Ducati 999RS, 1:41.600 17. Garry MCCOY, Petronas FP-1, 1:41.127 18. Giovanni BUSSEI, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:41.128 19. Sebastian GIMBERT, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:41.224 20. Jose Luis CARDOSO, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:41.268 More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati: SENSATIONAL LANZI STORMS TO POLE POSITION FOR DUCATI XEROX TEAM – TOSELAND COMPLETES THE FRONT ROW Lausitz (Germany), Saturday 10 September: Italian Lorenzo Lanzi caused a major sensation in World Superbike this afternoon as he stormed to pole position on the Xerox-backed Ducati 999F05. 23-year-old Lanzi, who was called in this week by Ducati Corse from Scuderia Caracchi to sub for the injured Régis Laconi, has been in terrific form ever since he sat on the bike for the first time on Friday morning. Lanzi’s time of 1m39.019s was the quickest lap ever recorded around the 4.265 km Eurospeedway Lausitz circuit and his pole position was the first by an Italian in factory Ducati colours since Pierfrancesco Chili at Assen in 1998. “To be honest I really didn’t expect to set pole, but seeing as how well I began the weekend on Friday, I was really hoping to be able to do it. After all that’s what I’m here for and today I demonstrated that I can stay with the best of them” declared Lorenzo. “Getting on a new bike, one of the best in the world championship and immediately setting pole position with the riders that there are around today is not an easy task, but I succeeded, and in particular it gives me great pleasure to beat Corser, who is a real Superpole specialist. Today I couldn’t ask for more and I am so happy! This morning I crashed but it helped me to find the limits of this bike, I only slid off and it wasn’t serious. I’ve got a fantastic feeling with this bike, hopefully tomorrow I’ll get a good start and then we’ll see in the races!”. James Toseland was not far behind on the #1 Ducati 999 and the British rider lines up on the outside of the front row for tomorrow’s races, alongside Lanzi and the other two front row men, Troy Corser (Suzuki) and Chris Vermeulen (Honda). “I’m happy to be on the front row, it’s been a bit difficult this weekend. Friday morning was good but then we hit a bit of a brick wall and we just need to take that one little step further” commented James. “I had a tumble this morning and bruised my arm but it was only a slow crash and I’m all right. We’re going to try something tomorrow morning but I’m quietly confident for the races. We’re just losing a bit of time in one section but it’s mainly me really and we need to sort it out. I need to be on the front row here, it’s very important to get a good start and stay with these boys and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. But big congratulations to the other guy in the Ducati Xerox Team, Lorenzo Lanzi, who really deserved it today, first time in the team and first pole position!”. More, from a press release issued by Team Klaffi Honda: Frankie Chili finished 9th in qualifying but lost two places in Superpole. So Frankie starts from position 11 in the third row tomorrow. Team Max Neukirchner took position 8 in the second qualifying session. In the free practices before Superpole Max crashed cause there was dirt on the track. But only some minutes later Max proved his performance in Superpole again. He did a 1’40.187 lap time. So he will start from 8th position tomorrow. Max Neukirchner roguish as he is: “žIt was like popping down to the shops! ” Tatu Lauslehto/Supersport achieved starting position 14, guest rider Steve Mizera 28. More, from a press release issued by World Superbike Press Office: LANZI TAKES SUPERPOLE WIN IN XEROX DUCATI DEBUT – ESTABLISHED ORDER REARRANGED BY FASTEST LAP OF THE WEEKEND Lorenzo Lanzi’s first chance to ride factory equipment in his rookie SBK season may have only come due the absence through injury of Xerox Ducati regular Regis Laconi, but the talented privateer snatched at his opportunity with both hands and a cool head, backing up his great form in regular qualifying with his first ever Superpole win. His time of 1’39.019 was the fastest of the weekend, and a new track record in qualifying. It improved his personal best at this track by over half a second, and a total of six riders set their quickest laps of Lausitz in Superpole. The weather conditions proved to be every bit as favourable as those experienced on the first hot and dry day, and the track conditions appeared to improve all the more with use. Thanks to the continuing high pace of 2004 World Champion James Toseland, each of the Xerox Ducatis earned front row starts, after Toseland posted fourth fastest time, his personal best of the weekend at 1’40.053. CORSER MISSES OUT DESPITE FASTEST REGULATION QUALIFYING TIME Troy Corser (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) looked to be on course for yet another pole position place, but a slow middle sector and a small problem downshifting on two occasions stopped him from capitalising on his good early pace, and he had to settle for second on the grid. His team-mate Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) went ninth (only good enough for a third row start) experiencing two lurid rear wheel slides in Superpole as he exited the slowest corners on the track. VERMEULEN FRONT ROW AS MUGGERIDGE GOES SIXTH Assen double race winner Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda) earned himself a useful start from the front row with his third fastest Superpole time, relieved to have a good chance of being one of the leading riders into the tortuous first section of the circuit, where overtaking is almost impossible and rider-to-rider contact probable. His team-mate Karl Muggeridge was third last away, thanks to qualifying third in regulation, but ended up on the second row, battling to the sixth fastest time of the Superpole session. PITT THE LEADING YAMAHA RIDER ON THE GRID Yamaha Motor Italia rider Andrew Pitt joined the top five elite after Superpole, outdoing his team-mate Noriyuki Haga by two positions, even if each still starts from the second row. Both riders are now on the same riding packages they have used for most of the season, after a temporary new engine spec appeared at Assen for Haga, and testing of a new rear swingarm took place earlier in Lausitz qualifying. MAX ON SECOND ROW AT HIS HOME RACE IN GERMANY Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda) was the top placed German rider on show, taking his CBR to eighth place and a start from the second row for Sunday’s Superbike races. Looking fast and smooth, he has most of the hopes of an expectant home nation riding on his shoulders, after wild card entry Michael Schulten (Alpha Technik van Zon Honda) slipped down from his regulation qualifying eighth place to 14th. He thus starts from the fourth row. SBK regulars Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda Koji) and Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France IPONE) were 13th and 15th fastest, with Marco Borciani’s Ducati 16th and last in Superpole. Star of the privateer challengers in Superpole was Ivan Clementi (Pedercini Ducati) took a third row start in 12th, one place behind Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda). PETRONAS REPEATS FAMILIAR PATTER Not for the first time in 2005 the Petronas pairing of Steve Martin and Garry McCoy experienced different qualifying fortunes. After finishing 11th after the regulation session, Martin battered his way to an untidy but highly rewarding start from tenth on the grid. His team-mate McCoy missed out on Superpole by a place, and starts from the front of row five, in 17th place from 29 qualifiers. More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki: CORSER JUST MISSES SUPERBIKE POLE Team Suzuki Press Office – September 10, 2005. Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Troy Corser made a small mistake on his Superpole lap and missed out on pole position for tomorrow’s German World Superbike round at Lausitzring by just 73/100ths of a second. He had been up on his first split but then a small error on the back straight lost him time and another Superpole win. Team mate Yukio Kagayama finished with the ninth fastest lap and was disappointed because his time was very close to a second-row grid place. Lorenzo Lanzi – standing in for injured Regis Laconi – surprised everybody by taking Superpole on the factory Ducati. Third quickest is Chris Vermeulen (Honda), with James Toseland (Ducati) fourth. Troy Corser – 2nd, 1:39.092: “I could have had Superpole but I didn’t and it was my fault. My first sector was good, but on the back straight I went from fifth to third gear instead of going into second. I ran wide and lost some time and that was enough to push me down to second place. But I’m on the front row and that’s what counts. “I normally make good starts so I’m pretty confident of getting away pretty well. Today we ran a race distance as a test of the tyres and I’m very happy with how the front behaved. I hope the rear works as well, but the races are long tomorrow and a lot will depend on the last eight or so laps. Lausitzring is not a particularly good place for overtaking so I’ll want to be in the lead or the top three or so right from the start. There are a lot of bumps on the track, so 24 laps round here times two is going to be pretty physical. Tomorrow is going to be tough, for sure.” Yukio Kagayama – 9th 1:40.191: “I am disappointed to be on the third row because my times were so close to Haga and he’s on row two. It is going to make life difficult for sure but I usually make good starts so I am hoping to be in touch with the leaders straight from the start. A lot depends on the rhythm of the leaders in the early laps: If they go off very fast, they may open out a gap and then it will be very hard to catch them again. I want good starts, good fights and good results.” Final Superbike Qualifying: Lanzi (I-Ducati) 1:39.019, 2 Troy Corser (Aus-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:39.092, 3 Vermeulen (Aus-Honda) 1:39.275, 4 Toseland (GB-Ducati) 1:39.665, 5 Pitt (Aus-Yamaha) 1:39.899, 6 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda) 1:39.924, 7 Haga (J-Yamaha) 1:40.109, 8 Neukirchner (D-Honda) 1:40.187, 9 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:40.191, 10 Martin (Aus-Petronas) 1:40.282. SUPERSTOCK 600 RACE: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Xavi Simeon finished in a podium third position in the eight round of the Superstock 600 European Championship race at Lausitzring. He made a good start, then a small mistake on the brakes on the first lap let three riders pass him. He kept up a good rhythm and chased the leaders for the rest of the race. On the last lap, leader Corti (Yamaha) crashed in the final chicane and was hit by second place Tiberio (Honda) allowing third placed Berger (Honda) through to take the flag. Tiberio remounted immediately and managed to takes second with Xavi third. Xavi Simeon – 3rd: “I saw a cloud of dust on the last lap and thought it was the winner celebrating so it was a surprise to see Corti and his bike down in the gravel. But, I am very happy with my podium because my bike worked very well and I enjoyed my race a lot.” Superstock 600 Results: 1 Berger (F-Honda), 2 Tiberio (F-Honda), 3 Xavi Simeon (B-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra), 4 Antonelli (I-Kawasaki), 5 Jezek (CZ-Kawasaki), 6 Ten Napel (NL-Honda). Superstock Points: 1 Corti 168, 2 Tiberio 130, 3 Berger 85, 4 Canepa 85, 5 Xavi Simeon 69. SUPERSTOCK 1000 QUALIFYING: Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Riccardo Chiarello finished qualifying with the seventh fastest time and will start tomorrow’s 14-lap race from the second row. Chiarello was still in pain from his injuries sustained in the last round but managed to stay in touch with the leading group today. Sofuoglu (Yamaha) took pole position ahead of Vankeymeulen (Yamaha) and Scassa (Yamaha). Riccardo Chiarello – 7th: “My right arm and left shoulder still hurt so I don’t think row two is too bad. I had a little carburation problem and then ran into a lot of traffic when I was trying to make my quick laps so maybe I could have got onto the second row if I had been more lucky. This track is very physical so I need to find a good, comfortable rhythm and then maybe I can chase a good result.” Final Superstock 1000 Qualifying: 1 Sofuoglu 1:42.226, 2 Vankeymeulen 1:42.867, 3 Scassa 1:43.283, 4 Roccoli 1:43.365, 5 Coxhell 1:43.451, 6 Martinez 1:43.708, 7 Riccardo Chiarello (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:43.773. MORALES ON SUZUKI GSX-R CUP POLE Carmelo Morales left it until the dying minutes of qualifying for the Suzuki GSX-R European Cup to set pole position for tomorrow’s 12-lap race at Lausitzring in Germany. The young Spaniard beat fellow countryman David Salom by less than 200ths-of-a-second in this afternoon’s 40-minute session run in hot, dry conditions. Third overall went to Championship leader Hudson Kennaugh who changed his gearing, pitted for new tyres and shaved two seconds off his previous best time from yesterday. Said Morales: “It was very hard today and I had a good battle with David. This track is so physical and the many changes of direction make you work very hard. There are not many chances to rest at all so the race tomorrow is going to be a very big fight. I think any one of about three or four riders can win, but I hope it is going to be me!” Top British rider was Mike Edwards in 12th position with a time of 1.47’966 with Rob Barber 21st (1.50’542) and Magnus Houston 23rd (1.50’646). Said Edwards: “I had a pain-killing injection to my injured thumb but I couldn’t feel it as it was totally numb. I tried to get in a quick lap as soon as possible but I couldn’t push hard. I really want to try and finish tomorrow and get a good result.” Barber said: “I was faster today well off the pace. I’ve done more laps than anyone trying to learn the circuit and I’m confident I can go faster in the race.” Houston said: “I was feeling good before qualifying but as soon as I exited the pitlane, the front end didn’t feel right. Just as I got on my first flying lap I dropped it at the hairpin. I just couldn’t get it together after that. I’m disappointed and I just want to get on and race tomorrow.” GSX-R Cup Qualifying: 1 Carmelo Morales (Spain) 1.45’398, 2 David Salom (Spain) 1.45’543, 3 Hudson Kennaugh (South Africa) 1.46’432, 4 Dominic Lammert (Germany) 1.46’527, 5 Xavier Simeon (Belgium) 1.46’887, 6 Ismael Ortega (Spain) 1.46’897, 7 David Fouloi (France) 1.47’018, 8 Enrico Pasini (Italy) 1.47’090, 9 Max Weymann (Germany) 1.47’096, 10 Frank Heidger (Germany) 1.47’151. 12 Mike Edwards (GB) 1.47’966, 21 Rob Barber (GB) 1.50’542, 23 Magnus Houston (GB) 1.50’646.