From a press release:

Motorcycle road racers and sport bike riders are invited to Roger Lyle’s Motorcycle Excitement Days at Summit Point Raceway in West Virginia. The first event will be held on Friday April 15th on the legendary Summit Point Main Circuit. Racers can test and tune their bikes with hours of quality track time complete with cornerworkers and a staffed ambulance. New for this year, sport bike riders will be instructed on safety and riding at high speeds on a closed (to the public) course. On the track, sport bikers will be able to sharpen their skills and enjoy the thrills that roadracers know. The other date for the Summit Point Main Circuit will be August 4.

Also new for this year will be the opening of the Shenandoah Circuit, a technical track with many twists and turns. The first Motorcycle Excitement Day on the Shenandoah will be Thursday, May 5. Other scheduled Motorcycle Excitement Days for the Shenandoah Circuit will be September 23 and October 10.

For more information on Motorcycle Excitement Days please contact Roger Lyle at 301-933-2599 or email to [email protected] or write to Roger Lyle, 16 Redwood Circle, Hagerstown, MD 21740.

Roger Lyle’s Motorcycle Excitement Days

April 15 – Summit Point Raceway, West Virginia

May 5 – Shenandoah Circuit at Summit Point

August 4 – Summit Point Main Circuit

September 23 – Shenandoah Circuit at Summit Point

October 10 – Shenandoah Circuit at Summit Point

From a press release issued by Suzuki Canada:

2005 Suzuki SV650 Cup

Suzuki Canada Inc. is pleased to announce the continuation of the SV650 Cup for 2005. We are also pleased to announce that the SV650 Cup will remain as an official support class for the Parts Canada Canadian Superbike Championship Series.

While the “support class” in the National Series will be a Pro/Am event, amateur racers will continue to enjoy the excitement of SV650 racing at CMRA, ASM, RACE, EMRA, AMCRA and WMCR regional events across Canada this coming season.

Suzuki Canada Inc. will be supporting the class with the following prize money based on finishing results as provided by the sanctioning body to Suzuki Canada.

REGIONAL RACES

1st = $200.00, 2nd = $150.00, 3rd = $100.00, 4th = $75.00, 5th = $50.00

Six series champions – Each series winner will receive a championship award of $500.00 at the end of the season and a SV Cup.

NATIONAL RACES (Regional payouts are not available at National events)

1st = $300.00, 2nd = $250.00, 3rd = $200.00, 4th = $150.00, 5th = $100.00

National SV Cup Champion will receive $1000.00 and a SV Cup.

The attached SV650 Cup rules will apply at all events. For further rule information, licensing requirements and other contingency awards for the SV650 Cup contact the racing organization in your region.

ASM (Quebec) 450-663-2431
CMRA (Calgary) 403-280-3144
RACE (Ontario) 613-966-7223
AMCRA (Nova Scotia) 506-472-0653
EMRA (Edmonton) 780-922-4666
WMRC(Vancouver) 604-619-2665

For Riders competing in the “National SV Cup Series” please review all related requirements at www.cdnsuperbike.com

Suzuki Canada Inc. is pleased to be part of this “grass-roots” racing class and looks forward to its continued growth.

See you at the track!

From a press release issued by Rizla Suzuki:

JR determined to race again – soon

RIZLA SUZUKI British Superbike Champion John Reynolds is determined to put his injuries behind him and get back to racing as soon as possible.

Speaking from his hospital bed at the Queens Medical Centre in Nottingham, JR was in high spirits and thinking only of getting back on his Rizla Suzuki GSX-R1000K5. He broke his right leg in a testing accident at Valencia in Spain last Friday and had a pin inserted as an internal splint on Monday.

JR said: “There is no question in my mind, I want to be racing again as soon as possible.

“I’ve had hard knocks before and I’ve come back stronger and more determined to race and win. If anything, this injury is motivating me more than ever to get back to racing.

“I have a title to defend and will do absolutely everything the doctors tell me to do to ensure I heal as fast as possible. Thanks again to everyone for their support and confidence in me, it really helps.”

Dr David Hahn, Consulting Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Queens Medical Centre, has been treating JR. He said: “An operation was carried out on John Reynolds on Monday afternoon following his return from the General Hospital in Valencia in Spain.

“John had a multiple fracture of the right tibia approximately five centimetres above the ankle, as well as a broken fibula. Given the nature of the injury, a pin was inserted into his leg to act as an internal splint. The surgery went well and he is in good spirits. The progress he makes over the next three to four weeks will be very important in determining his overall recovery time.

“Assuming there are no complications arising from the procedure, it is likely that John will be discharged from hospital within the end of this week. We hope to mobilise him on crutches as soon as possible and assist him not only in regaining use of the leg, but also his overall fitness to allow a successful return to racing at the earliest possible opportunity.”

Rizla Suzuki continues to develop the GSX-R1000K5 at its HQ at the Crescent Performance Centre in Verwood, Dorset. Racer Scott Smart is preparing to test the bike again at Donington Park on March 13th and Brands Hatch on March 15th. The British Superbike season starts at Brands Hatch on Bank Holiday Monday, March 28th.

Losail Circuit
Doha, Qatar
February 24
World Superbike
Provisional Qualifying:

1. Troy Corser, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:01.244
2. Jose Luis Cardoso, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:01.388
3. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F05, 2:01.980
4. Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:02.217
5. Max Neukirchner, Honda CBR1000RR, 2:02.236
6. Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 2:02.284
7. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, 2:02.469
8. Pierfrancesco Chili, Honda CBR1000RR, 2:02.507
9. Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:02.687
10. James Toseland, Ducati 999F05, 2:02.754
11. Ivan Silva, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:02.759
12. Andrew Pitt, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:02.769
13. Norick Abe, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:02.868
14. Chris Walker, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 2:02.921
15. Marco Borciani, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:03.178
16. Giovanni Bussei, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 2:03.268
17. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati 999RS, 2:03.314
18. Karl Muggeridge, Honda CBR1000RR, 2:03.532
19. Fonsi Nieto, Ducati 999RS, 2:03.956
20. Steve Martin, Foggy Petronas FP1, 2:04.045
21. Gianluca Vizziello, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:04.587
22. Miguel Praia, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:04.627
23. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 2:04.630
24. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 2:04.689
25. Garry McCoy, Foggy Petronas FP1, 2:04.991
26. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 999RS, 2:05.182
27. Alessio Velini, Ducati 999RS, 2:05.777
28. Ben Bostrom, Honda CBR1000RR, 2:08.199
29. Talal Al Nuami, Yamaha YZF-R1, 2:11.590

More, from a press release issued by FGSport Group:

CORSER TAKES PROVISIONAL POLE AT LOSAIL

Troy On Top: In the first timed qualifying session of the 2005 World Superbike season Troy Corser (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) secured provisional pole, with a new track Superbike best of 2:01.244. Setting his time in the final minutes of the one-hour session, Corser, like all his fellow competitors, found the track surface in good condition, it having dried out quickly after a morning of sustained rainfall. Second fastest rider was Yamaha SBK rookie Jose Luis Cardoso (DFX Extreme Sterilgarda Yamaha) only 0.144 seconds down on Corser, with factory Xerox Ducati rider Regis Laconi third; the only other rider in the 2:01 bracket.

New Kids Show Pace: Two riders facing their first full World Superbike season, Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) and Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda) had outstanding first qualifying displays. Gimbert took a brilliant fourth fastest time, but an unexpected fifth place for the 2004 World Supersport �Rookie of the Year,” was a tremendous reward for 21-year-old Neukirchner and his team, which has joined him in the step up to Superbike this year. His result put four different manufacturers’ machines in the top five positions, with Neukirchner top Honda rider on the day.

Four Cylinders To The Fore: Fastest man in Losail pre-season testing, Yukio Kagayama (Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki) could not quite reach the heady heights again, setting sixth best time, just over a second from his team-mate. Unlike Corser, he did not resort to qualifying tyres in this session. Winston Ten Kate rider Chris Vermeulen, embarking on his second season in the premier production class, had recovered from a serious bout of �flu to some degree. He took seventh, one ahead of new Klaffi Honda recruit and SBK senior member Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda).

Haga and Toseland Top Ten: Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) and reigning champion James Toseland (Xerox Ducati 999F05) completed the top ten, with Toseland recovering still from a big crash in testing, which left him battered and bruised.

Wild Card Heaven: Ivan Silva Alberola (La Glisse Yamaha) continued his good Qatar testing form with 11th fastest time in the first session, only some 1.5 seconds from provisional pole – during what is a wild card weekend before he embarks on a full Spanish Championship season. He is endeavouring to compete in more races as a wild card, and has shown he could do more than just add to an already heavily subscribed grid.

Top Sixteen: Should day two final regulation qualifying dawn wet then the top 16 riders who would qualify for the Superpole competition on Friday 25th (by which method the final four front rows of the grid are determined). Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia), Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France), Chris Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki), Marco Borciani (DFX Ducati) and finally Giovanni Bussei (Bertocchi Kawasaki) would be the 16 if times stay as they are now.

Runners and Riders: With such intense competition for the championship showing up at such an early stage, some big name riders were out with provisional Superpole qualification.

Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati SC Caracchi) and Karl Muggeridge (Winston ten Kate Honda) slipped to 17th and 18th, with Muggeridge another of those struck by pitlane flu. Fonsi Nieto (Ducati SC Caracchi) went 19th fastest, while a sterling effort from Steve Martin (Petronas FP-1) netting him a top 20 time on his outgunned 900cc triple.

His team-mate Garry McCoy was 25th fastest, but worse luck was to befall seven times SBK race winner and 2005 prodigal son Ben Bostrom (Renegade Honda Koji). He fell during his fifth lap of the hour-long session, and failed to rejoin the competition due to machinery damage.

Supersport: Winston Ten Kate Honda rider Sebastien Charpentier held off the attack of his team-mate Katsuaki Fujiwara, setting a stunning time of 2:03.841 in the process. This was 0.967 seconds better than Fujiwara, and over a second faster than third place rider Michel Fabrizio (Italia Megabike Honda).

The second Team Megabike runner, Fabien Foret, secured fourth place, for a provisional front row Honda whitewash.

Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany) was fifth fastest, 1.355 seconds down on Charpentier. Returning WSS veteran Christophe Cogan (Moto 1 Suzuki) was top Suzuki runner, 2.5 seconds off the pace. Fastest Ducati qualifier was Gianluca Nannelli on his SC Caracchi 749R.

Final qualifying in SBK and WSS, and Superpole in World Superbike, take place on Friday 25th; in the morning for Superbike competitors, the afternoon for Supersport. Superpole, the exciting discipline where the top 16 riders complete a single flying lap in which they earn their ultimate grid position, is at 16.00 hours Qatari time (GMT +3 Hours).

The 18 lap races, two for Superbike and one for Supersport, take place at the usual local times, with Qatar three hours ahead of GMT.

More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

2005 WORLD SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP KICKS OFF IN QATAR

Losail (Qatar), Thursday 24 February: Qualifying for the opening round of the 2005 World Superbike Championship got underway this afternoon at the brand-new Losail circuit in the Persian Gulf state of Qatar, with Ducati Xerox Team riders Régis Laconi and James Toseland setting third and tenth quickest times respectively.

After the morning’s free practice had turned into a washout due to heavy rain, this afternoon’s one-hour session saw non-stop action as the riders made the most of a dry track. Laconi, who remained at the top of the timesheets for the first half of the session, was one of only three riders to break through the 2:02 barrier. The 29 year-old Frenchman was pleased with his eventual time of 2:01.980, just over half-a-second behind front-runners Troy Corser (Suzuki) and new arrival José Luis Cardoso
(Yamaha).

“I am quite pleased with third fastest time, but the conditions on the track after this morning’s rain are not yet perfect”, declared Régis. “Today
we concentrated on the front forks with a different setting to try and improve the bike on a race tyre and then I put the soft tyre on at the finish. Tomorrow we will concentrate on going faster, in particular in the last sector where I am losing a bit of time. There is a lot of action at the top of the timesheets, this year will be an incredible championship for sure”.

Reigning champion Toseland eased his way back into the seat of his Ducati 999F05 as he was still feeling somewhat stiff after Sunday’s
come-off, in which he suffered several bruises. The 24-year-old British rider was not too concerned about his position in first qualifying and was confident there was more to come in tomorrow’s second and final session.

“I’m just getting back up to speed, I wasn’t that relaxed on the bike today because I didn’t realise just how big that crash was”, declared
Toseland. “I’m still a bit stiff but tomorrow morning I’ll be a lot better because I’m loosened up by riding. I was tenth but I feel my ideal position was seventh today and all I need is more laps to get back into the rhythm. The bike doesn’t have an ideal setting at the moment, but a little bit more from the bike and me riding as I did in the tests and I’m sure we’ll be fine. I should be doing the times of the top 3 and I will be doing them eventually”, he concluded.

More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

CORSER LEADS SUPERBIKE CHARGE

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Troy Corser led the charge in the first World Superbike Championship qualifying session at Losail, Qatar today.

His best lap of 2:01.244, was one tenth of a second ahead of his nearest rival Jose Louis Cardoso (Yamaha) with Regis Laconi (Ducati) some way behind in third place and team mate Yukio Kagayama sixth on the day that saw the morning un-timed session washed out. The rain started falling just before Supersport practice and got worse as the Superbike competitors were about to go out.

Troy, Yukio and the team decided that it would be pointless to go out in the slippery conditions and sat out the entire session instead. In the event, only nine riders went out in the wet and most only completed a few laps.

TROY CORSER – 1st, 2:01.244:

“The was absolutely no point going out this morning. All we’d have done is use up some tyres and maybe crash. This track is difficult in the dry because there is such a narrow usable line, but in the wet it is terrible. We carried on today where we left off after the tests at the weekend. We tried a different link and played about with the mapping and improved a little in all areas. I didn’t push hard at all today and I feel that today’s lap times could be fairly similar to what we may run in the race. I know I can go quicker if I have to, so we’ll see what happens tomorrow. This track is not an easy one for overtaking so a front row start is crucial.”

YUKIO KAGAYAMA – 6th, 2:02.284:

“I didn’t want to go this morning because I didn’t want to make any stupid mistakes and I don’t think I would’ve learned anything. This track is more slippery than any other track I’ve ever know. If this had been a track in the UK, I would’ve gone out. That’s how slippery it is here! This afternoon we tried a few different little adjustments on both bikes and now I think they are very similar to each other. Today the track felt like it did the first day we rode here last Saturday so I am hoping that it will improve tomorrow. I rode very steadily today and I am happy.”

More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:

PROVISIONAL SECOND ROW FOR VERMEULEN

Chris Vermeulen took provisional seventh place today’s first qualifying practice at Losail in Qatar today in preparation for the opening round of this year’s World Superbike championship on Saturday. The Australian rider’s compatriot and Winston Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Karl Muggeridge, set the 18th fastest time as the 2004 World Supersport champion continues to adapt to his new Honda CBR1000RR.

After a flu bug affected both riders and prevented any meaningful testing last weekend, rain effectively washed out this morning’s first free practice session at the 5.38km Losail circuit just outside Qatar’s capital, Doha, leaving the Winston Ten Kate Honda superbike pairing short of valuable track time. However, with a further qualifying session tomorrow morning, the team remains confident of competitive grid placings for Saturday’s two 18-lap races.

Ronald ten Kate � Winston Ten Kate Honda team manager
There is no denying that we have a lot of work to do to get the bike right for this new World Superbike circuit because we basically lost last weekend and this morning’s free practice session. We are therefore playing catch-up, but we’ll download the data and find out how the bike is behaving. Then we’ll make some decisions about what changes to make which could lead to a late night working for the crew. Chris is very nearly there and, for Karl, today was virtually his first time on the bike at this circuit. I’m pleased that he is taking a really sensible approach and not pushing too hard, too early. We know how fast he can go but, for now, he’s taking it carefully and learning to get a strong feel for the CBR1000RR.

Chris Vermeulen: position � 7th, lap time � 2:02.469
The test last weekend didn’t really give us anything and I could hardly remember the circuit when I went out this afternoon! I really didn’t get a chance to use my qualifying tyre properly because right at the end of the session there was some slower traffic out on the circuit. With a clear lap I could have gone quicker and I know that both the bike and the rider can improve. I think I have some areas where I can make up some time and so does the bike, so we’ll sit down tonight and decide where those areas are. But I’m really confident in the team because they’ll just do whatever it takes; then it’ll be down to me tomorrow morning.

Karl Muggeridge: position � 18th, lap time � 2:03.532
We’ve only just started really, what with the weather when we were testing in Spain, flu last weekend and then rain this morning � in the desert! So I’m not panicking. I’ve said from the beginning that I’m going to take each session as it comes and keep trying to make the right changes and keep going in the right direction. I haven’t set myself any other targets than that because then I’d just be putting myself under pressure. We’re a bit behind but I know there’s a lot more to come. I’m just not going to go looking for it all at once.

More, from a press release issued by Troy Corser’s publicist:

TROY ON TOP AFTER A WORD FROM NOT SO LITTLE A BIRD!

Troy ended the day exactly where wanted to be – at the top of the standings after the first day of qualifying at Losail today. He posted a lap of 2:01.244, a tenth of a second quicker then his nearest rival Jose Louis Cardoso (Yamaha), with Regis Laconi (Ducati) third and Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha) fourth. Troy and his team mate Yukio Kagayama only completed the afternoon timed session because the morning practice was hit by strong rain and neither wanted to go out on the slippery surface and make any mistakes. Only nine riders braved the morning practice and most only completed a few laps – such was the greasy nature of the track.

TROY – 1st, 2:01.244

“I knew it was going to be dry in the afternoon, because of a bird! Yesterday we did a bit of a photo-shoot with some camels and some falcons. I held this superb falcon on my hand (gloved of course!) and his owner took the hood off his head and eyes. The falcon was looking around, but didn’t seem at all concerned and was really quite calm. So I asked the owner if the bird was always so quiet and he said it is because the bird knows it is going to rain tomorrow! He said ‘the bird always goes quite just before it rains and don’t forget, it doesn’t rain that much here, so we take notice.’ So because of that I didn’t go out in the morning. It would’ve been a pointless exercise anyway, because we would not have learnt anything. In the afternoon we made a few little adjustments and also did a bit of work on the mapping and we made some improvements in all areas, so I am happy. I think today’s lap times are going to be similar to the race times and I know I can go quicker if I have to, so I feel pretty relaxed about it all so far. The only problem is that this is not an easy track for overtaking, so a front row start is pretty crucial. Of course, I’ll be hoping to start from pole position and leave the rest to sort themselves out behind me.”

More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

Yamaha’s superbike riders demonstrated the potential of the YZF-R1 at the opening qualifying session of the first round of the 2005 Superbike World Championship.

R1 riders occupy two places on the provisional front row of the grid with Spanish Formula Xtreme champion Jose Luis Cardoso second and Yamaha Motor France’s Sébastien Gimbert fourth. Cardoso’s time of 2:01.388 is just over one tenth of a second slower than provisional polesitter Troy Corser (Suzuki).

Yamaha Motor Italia’s Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt ended the day ninth and 12th in the standings, happy with the progress made during the day if not their provisional qualifying positions.

All but a few riders had ventured out for the morning’s free practice session, which was held in wet conditions. Because of this the track lacked grip in the qualifying session, causing the riders to spend much of their time adjusting their machines’ set-up.

Haga’s best time of 2:02.687 came on his final lap of the day and took him ahead of defending champion James Toseland (Ducati), while Pitt was unlucky to run into heavy traffic on his final run. The Australian had been lying sixth going into the final minutes of the session, but was shuffled back to 12th as the pace heated up.

Gimbert’s team-mate Norick Abe, like Pitt a class rookie despite his considerable experience, clocked up more laps than any other rider (24) as he adjusts to his R1 after spending over a decade in Grands Prix. The Japanese rider finished the day just behind Pitt, in 13th, with a best of 2:02.868.

Second qualifying takes place tomorrow morning, with the afternoon superpole session deciding the final grid positions.

Yamaha Motor Germany riders Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes got their 2005 Supersport World Championship underway by respectively setting the fifth and seventh fastest times in today’s first qualifying session at the Losail International Racetrack in Qatar.

Heavy rain meant that both riders completed just a handful of laps in the morning’s free practice session and although the track was dry for qualifying, conditions proved slippery as the sand and dirt washed onto the racing line. Curtain set a best lap time of 2:05.196 with Parkes just over a second behind on 2:06.436.

French rider Sébastien Charpentier (Honda) set the fastest time in today’s session with a best of 2:03.841.

S̩bastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) Рfourth, 2:02.217
“I feel positive about the rest of the weekend. The times are all very close but we have the bike working well and are able to do consistent lap times – at the end of the session I did three fast laps in a row.”

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) – ninth, 2:02.687
“Not so bad today. The bike is still very new so always we are finding new things to improve. Tomorrow I hope we can find some improvements through the suspension settings. The engine is very fast and has good torque, so if we can make the suspension a little better we can really fight on Saturday.”

Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia) – 12th, 2:02.769
“It was a shame we couldn’t ride in the morning session as we tried some different settings from the weekend’s test. Perhaps tomorrow we will go back to the engine mappings we used last week. Where I’m struggling is in the third sector. I’m losing over half a second there so we will have to look at the gear ratios and how we can make an improvement there tomorrow.”

Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France) – 13th, 2:02.868
“We did a lot of laps today and although I am in 13th place the gap to the leading riders is quite small. I am quite happy with how things went. Every session I am learning more about the bike and the championship. We decided not to use a qualifying tyre today so I know that I can find more time tomorrow.”

More, from a press release issued by Scuderia SC Caracchi Ducati:

BLACK AND WHITE IN THE FIRST PRACTICE DAY IN QATAR FOR SC’s RIDERS

The incredibility happened this morning on Losail circuit, when the rider which joined the track in the middle of desert found the rain and the wet asphalt. Placed in the desert, about 30 kms north far from Doha, the Qatar’s capital, Losail is a track 5,38kms long, with six corners turning right and ten turning left. On the border line of the asphalt there’s synthetic grass to devoid the sable could invade the racing surface.

The wet track ruined all the setting work made by the teams during the last week end and several riders preferred to remain in the garage, as Fonsi Nieto. Lorenzo Lanzi on the contrary rode some lap to control he validity of the wet set up made in Valencia. During the afternoon, for the first qualifying session, dry track, as well the air temperature was quite mild, just 21°C with an high humidity rate. At the end of the one hour-long practice Lanzi recorded the 17th fastest, followed of two positions by Nieto, just seven tenth of second behind his teammate.

“Our bikes are still in the faster group at the speed trap, as well today we didn’t record the top speed”. – has been the final comment by Caracchi. “The situation isn’t very different from last Sunday test: very fast machines, both the riders on the top at the first intermediate time, then in the following sectors we have setting problems. Of course we haven’t any reference about this circuit and every new situation force the team to start from zero. The sable too is a problem: it’s important to find the best riding line, to have an idea of the asphalt characteristics to understand where there’s a better grip or where is better to stay quiet, where we could overtook during the race. Now we must be focused on the final qualifying session tomorrow morning because both Lanzi and Nieto are out with the provisional Superpole qualifying, as well it happened to many expert riders. An hard fight is waiting for us tomorrow!”

More, from a Foggy Petronas Racing:

Opening day challenge for FPR riders

The opening day of the new Superbike World Championship season provided an immediate indication of the heightened level of competition facing Foggy PETRONAS Racing.

Australian pair Steve Martin and Garry McCoy were both able to improve their fastest times from last weekend’s test at the Losail circuit in Qatar by half a second.

But, with the rest of the field also reducing their lap times, the FPR riders already face a battle to qualify for tomorrow’s Superpole battle for the top 16 grid positions.

Valuable set-up time was lost when rain ruined the first morning’s free practice session, although Garry and Steve finished that session in first and second places respectively.

Troy Corser set the pace on a dry afternoon track with a time of 2:01.244, with Steve recording a fastest lap of 2:04.045 and Garry 2:04.991.

Steve said: “It was a good thing to improve another half a second on a race tyre but I didn’t make it into the 2:03s, which I thought I would do. I just hope tomorrow’s weather will allow me to have another crack at it. I am not having any rear grip problems with the race tyre when it is new, so the qualifier does not seem to be making too much difference. I have been working on anti-squat and I have found a better gearing. I’m going to try desperately to get into Superpole tomorrow, but it’s not going to be easy. It’s important to remember that this is the first meeting of 12 and I feel good about the way I am riding, that the bike is improving and the way the team is working.”

Garry said: “I am still where I don’t like to be, but the bike is definitely getting closer to what I am looking for. We still have a couple of bugs that we are looking to worm out. I am pretty close to the set-up I want but, when the clutch is not doing what I want it to, it leaves me a little bit confused with the set-up. But we are definitely going in the right direction and if I could get the clutch working in every one of the 16 corners then that would bring the time down significantly. It was a blow that it was raining this morning as it would have been nice to sort out these problems in time for the afternoon.”

Only nine riders ventured out onto the slippery surface in the morning rain. Garry set the example with a time of 2:41.775 before any other rider had left their pit garage. Steve followed his lead with a time of 2:46.327 completing three laps compared to Garry’s four.

With regulations permitting only three wet front and rear tyres per rider for the whole weekend, many riders chose to conserve their allocation with further wet weather forecast throughout the weekend.

From a press release issued by FGSport Group:

FGS IBERIA INCREASES WORLD SUPERBIKE COVERAGE IN SPAIN

FGSport Iberia has signed a one-year agreement with FORTA (Federation of Autonomous Radio and Television Organizations) for the delayed broadcast of the 2005 World Superbike Championship in Spain.

The agreement extends to Canal 9 and Canar Sur, both of which will continue broadcasting the races on their sports channels as they have done in recent years.

This season ETB (Euskal TV), TV Galicia and TV Canaria now include World Superbike among the principal sports properties in their broadcasting line-ups.

Additionally, another agreement has just been signed with Onda 6 for the LIVE broadcast of the entire World Superbike series for the Community of Madrid. Onda 6 belongs to the VOCENTO Group, and is making its first entry into the exciting world of Superbike racing.

And finally, Catalan fans will also be able to enjoy live World Superbike broadcasts via CITY TV, which belongs to the GODÓ editorial group, owners of the prestigious daily papers La Vanguardia and El Mundo Deportivo.

FGSPORT IBERIA continues its efforts to increase and improve the live coverage of World Superbike rounds in Spain and Portugal, and during the remainder of this month new stations will be joining the growing family of World Superbike broadcasters.

Paolo Flammini, CEO of FGSPORT, expressed his satisfaction with the new agreements: “We are convinced that this year the World Superbike Championship will enjoy great success in Spain, both for the exciting races themselves and for the presence of Spanish champions like José Luis Cardoso and Fonsi Nieto among the top contenders for the Championship”.

From a press release issued by Winston Ten Kate Honda:

THE LEARNING CURVES

Racing a highly-tuned, world championship motorcycle can be a complicated business. The myriad suspension permutations available, different tyre compounds and variable engine settings must all combine to create the perfect set-up on a wide variety of circuits around the world.

And that’s just the bike.

The rider, too, must be on top of his game, know the circuit like the back of his hand and have the ideal feel for his machine in order to find those extra tenths or even hundredths of a second that can make the difference between success and failure.

But when bike and rider arrive at a circuit that neither has been to before, how quickly can the two reach that perfect symbiotic state that gives them the best possible chance of victory?



When superbike ace Chris Vermeulen and his Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR arrived at the new Losail circuit in Qatar in February 2005, he and his crew chief, Kor Veldman, had to prepare for their first excursion on the track with none of the data that has become such a vital element of world championship motorsport.

Construction began on the Losail International Circuit in the summer of 2003 and the outstanding facility was completed, at a cost of 58 million US dollars, just over a year later in time for its inaugural MotoGP event in October 2004.

Located in the desert approximately 30km north of Qatar’s capital Doha, Losail is a flowing, 5.38km combination of six lefts and 10 rights, bordered by artificial grass to prevent the local sand from blowing across the track surface.

“The sand is definitely a problem,” says Vermeulen, 22, winner of four races in his debut World Superbike year in 2004. “Basically, it narrows the racing line here and one of the first things I do when I get to a new circuit is to walk the racing line.

“It’s important to know where you might go if you run wide,” he explains, “and what the level of grip is like when you do.”

And so begins the young Australian’s methodical build-up of new circuit knowledge – a drive round in a hire car to get a general feel, a ride on a scooter to get more of an idea on two wheels, and that detailed walk to examine the track’s surface and its rumble strips.

“The width of the racing line is important,” continues Vermeulen, “because, if it’s narrow, it will be difficult to pass in the race; so it’s important to know the surface everywhere, where there’s grip and where there isn’t.”

The 22-year-old, of course, has already displayed his skills at quickly learning a new superbike circuit, as demonstrated by his double victory at Laguna Seca in the 2004 World Superbike championship – his debut superbike season and his first ever visit to the Californian circuit.

“When I eventually take to a new track on the race bike,” he says, “it’s a real gentle ride – a couple of laps rolling around in third or fourth gear, trying not to use any brakes.”

Vermeulen then builds up to four- or five-lap stints, working on two, maybe three points on the circuit at a time, then returning to the pit box to relax and think about where he’s just been. He also concentrates on the particularly heavy braking areas.

“I don’t really worry about the middle parts of any corners,” he says, “because when you’re there, there’s not much you can do, apart from crank the bike over a little more. The really vital parts are going into and coming out of the corner.”

What is equally vital to the Winston Ten Kate Honda rider is to take it all in bite-sized chunks. “I find it’s really important not to do too much at once,” he adds. “I like to get away from the track and sleep to stay fresh. Otherwise I find I just keep making the same mistakes over and over.

“After 25 or 30 laps, we’re beginning to build it up,” continues Vermeulen, “and we start to make some changes to the bike. To be honest, the bike is at about 90-95% before we even start at a new circuit but those last few bits can take a lot of work!”

Kor Veldman is responsible for making those changes to get the Honda CBR1000RR as close to 100% as he can, but his approach to a new circuit starts in a similar way to that of his rider.

“Yes, the bike is maybe at around 90% before we start but I walk the track, too!” says Veldman, 30, from Staphorst in Holland, who has been with the Dutch Ten Kate outfit since joining as a 15-year-old apprentice. “I like to see what the rider sees when he’s out there.

“We use data that we have from other circuits and compare it with a new track like Losail,” he says. “It’s a smooth, flowing circuit here, with cambered corners – a bit like Silverstone or Assen, and those are places we know quite well.”

From a base setting, Veldman and his crew wait for feedback from Vermeulen, which he reckons usually starts coming from the second session on track. “Chris learns a new circuit very quickly,” says Veldman, “but he doesn’t push too hard, too fast. He showed this at Laguna Seca last year but it was very difficult when we first arrived at Losail, because he had flu so badly. This really limited the amount of new data we were able to gather.”

As well as the all-important tyre selection, it is ride height and suspension that are the keys to getting the CBR1000RR working at a new circuit and, as the laps are built up and further data gathered, so the minor changes start to be made.

Vermeulen admits that often he’ll end up with a set-up not too dissimilar to where he started but he says: “We have to try other settings to know that what we’re using is right.”

Veldman agrees, adding: “We do create a lot of data and most of the time it backs up what the rider is saying. But for all the technology we use these days, there really is no way you can replicate what a rider is feeling on the bike.”

It’s that feeling from a fine-handling machine prepared by a patient and professional crew that has already netted Vermeulen a World Supersport title in 2003 and four World Superbike wins in his debut season last year.

It’s a feeling that his Winston Ten Kate Honda crew knows must be right to improve on that record in 2005.

Copyright 2005, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Daytona International Speedway (DIS) has agreed to put safety and training policies in writing as part of a settlement with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), which cited and fined the facility after a track safety worker was killed there in 2004.

Roy H. Weaver, III, 44, of Ormond Beach, Florida, a supervisor and seven-year veteran of DIS’s track safety crew, was killed February 9, 2004, when he was struck and killed by a racecar. Weaver was cleaning debris from NASCAR Turn Two during a caution period of the I-POWERacing Dash Series 150 stock car race when he was struck and killed instantly by a racecar traveling at an estimated 100-plus mph, according to an article by the Daytona Beach News Journal.

After a six-month investigation, OSHA “found that the company failed to enforce industry-recognized safety protocols for entering the track during a race, as outlined in the National Fire Protection Association Handbook. The proposed penalty for this alleged violation is $6,300,” read an August 6, 2004 press release issued by OSHA.

DIS contested OSHA’s citation, however, and a settlement was announced today. In the settlement, OSHA has agreed to drop its citation, and in return DIS will put the safety policies, training practices and communications procedures it already had in place into writing, according to DIS spokesman David Talley.

“The bottom line is we had a safety policy in place. Unfortunately, it wasn’t on paper,” Talley told Roadracingworld.com Wednesday. “We have training throughout the year. We have meetings throughout the year. We have meetings prior to all of our events, but there really wasn’t anything on paper. We were told to put our safety policy on paper, so that is what we will do, if it hasn’t been done already.”

Asked what differences (other than a new paddock and infield road course) motorcycle road racers will notice coming to Daytona this spring, Talley said, “It will be status quo when you guys come to town. You won’t see anything different. Safety is our number one concern here for our fans, for our competitors, for everyone who comes on property. That will continue to be the case when you guys come here.”

A call to the Jacksonville, Florida OHSA office Wednesday, did not reach James Borders, who was listed as a contact on OHSA’s press release.

From its press release: OHSA’s role is to assure the safety and health of America’s workers by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

From a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

Superbike World Championship preview – round one: Qatar

23/2/2005

Round 1: Losail, Qatar
Track length: 5400m
Opened: 2004
Fastest Lap Ever: TBA
Lap record: TBA
Last year’s winner: NA

New championship, new challenge

Next weekend marks a new beginning for both Yamaha and the Superbike World Championship, as the 2005 season opens up with the opening race held at the Losail International Racetrack in Qatar on Saturday (26 February).

It will be the first time the series has travelled to the Middle East and represents Yamaha’s return to the series after a four season absence. The Yamaha Motor Europe-backed Yamaha Motor Italia squad, featuring riders Noriyuki Haga and Andrew Pitt, are looking forward to the challenge of moving up to the 1000cc class after concentrating their efforts on the supersport series for the past few seasons.

Despite the early start to the season, the team had already completed many kilometres of testing with their YZF-R1s: twice at Valencia in Spain, Phillip Island in Australia and Monza in Italy, before joining rivals at the official pre-season tests in Qatar last weekend.

And while the race R1 is still undergoing development work, the team remains cautiously optimistic about the year ahead – setting a target of solid points scoring performances in the opening two ‘fly-away’ rounds before returning to Europe where the next stage of development work can be implemented.

As Pitt comments: “I have absolutely no doubt that we have everything in place to turn the R1 into a race winning package. Perhaps it is too early to expect this in the opening races but we’ll go to Qatar trying to get the best possible results. Many of our rivals are also in the same situation, though I am very happy that I have been able to have such an extensive testing programme. This has given us a good knowledge of the new bike and should help us to produce consistent early results.”

Haga too is upbeat about the season, despite having completed less testing than his team-mate after joining the team in January: “It has been hard work for the team to get everything ready so early in the year, but I think there is big potential for the R1. The engine is already very powerful and with some more time I think we can have the chassis exactly how I like it too.”

Testing times
All the superbike and supersport teams have arrived early in the Qatar circuit for a two-day test last weekend with the Yamaha riders all showing early season potential. Significantly the top 12 superbike riders were covered by just over a second around the long Losail circuit, giving promise of close racing in the year ahead. Of those top 12 riders, seven were mounted on R1s.

The test also provided an opportunity for the teams to find a good base set-up for their machines at the circuit. Yamaha’s official riders spent most of their time chasing good race settings rather than going for ultimate laptimes, which they hope will benefit them this weekend. Certainly the circuit demands a set-up that offers easy changes in direction; supported by a high level of feel from both the front and rear, making tyre choice a critical factor this weekend.

Losail International Racetrack
Costing $58 million (USD) and taking less than one year to build, the 5.4km track displays Qatar’s quest to make motorsport a major industry on the Persian Gulf. The circuit hosted its first, and so far only, world championship event with a MotoGP round last October. Riders generally approved of the circuit layout, although all noted a lack of grip due to the ‘greenness’ of the circuit and its location in the middle of the desert. And while two days of testing last weekend has ‘cleaned’ the track, the superbike and superbike riders are also likely to find grip levels at a premium during this weekend’s race meeting, especially off the racing line. Despite this the teams and spectators should enjoy some competitive racing while enjoying the world class facilities at the new venue.

R1 proves popular
The Yamaha YZF-R1 is proving to be the machine of choice for riders in this year’s championship, confirming both the machine’s out of the crate performance and the ready availability of official Yamaha racing kit parts. Of the 31 riders listed in the provisional entry list for Qatar, 11 are entered on R1s. In addition to the officially-supported Yamaha Motor Italia team, other high profile entries come from Yamaha Motor France, who will enter former Grand Prix rider Norick Abe and 2004 endurance world champion Sébastien Gimbert; Lorenzini by Leoni’s Gianluca Vizziello and the privately entered DFXTreme squad, who field Spanish Formula Xtreme champ Jose Luis Cardoso, who set the third fastest time at last weekend’s pre-season tests.

Supersport World Championship
Qatar also marks the start of the 2005 Supersport World Championship, with Yamaha’s official entry coming from the Yamaha Motor Germany squad and their Australian riders Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes.

Both riders will be armed with the latest Yamaha YZF-R6 which has numerous improvements over its predecessor, especially in the suspension and braking departments. The Yamaha Motor Germany squad joined their Italian counterparts at last month’s three-day test in Phillip Island and joined the rest of the supersport riders in Qatar last weekend: Curtain setting the third fastest time with Parkes eighth despite a hand injury sustained in a training accident.

From a press release issued by Honda Racing Information:

HONDA RIDERS READY FOR FIRST HURDLES

With three consecutive Riders’ World Championships going to Honda-powered competitors in the Supersport class, the five officially supported Honda riders in the 2005 championship have good reasons to feel buoyed at their chances of ultimate success – especially after the final pre-season test sessions at the Losail International Circuit.

A new venue to the series, Losail has already shown that the leading Honda riders are on the pace in readiness for the 18-lap/97.2km race on Saturday 26th February. The Honda CBR600RR has been a phenomenal success in the past two years since its launch, and the revamped 2005 model, complete with USD front forks and a host of upgrades to the base road machine, has already posted positive results in testing.

For the past three years Ten Kate Honda riders have won the Riders’s Championship itself, and in this season’s 12-round competition Ten Kate has attracted sponsorship from Winston, plus two new riders. Sebastien Charpentier (31) is a well-known and respected figure in this class of racing, as is his team-mate for 2005 Katsuaki Fujiwara (29), a four-time WSS race winner.

Charpentier, a full-time rider in the Klaffi Honda team in 2004, has made a quick transition to the new CBR600RR in testing. He recently topped the Losail test results with a 2:04.259 laptime, after two days of extensive reparations at the 5.380km circuit in the Qatari desert.

Having secured the 2002 world title for Ten Kate on a CBR600FS, Honda’s econd factory Frenchman, 32-year-old Fabien Foret (Team Megabike CBR600RR) returns to the Honda fold in 2005, alongside 2004 WSS wildcard rider and 2003 European Superstock Champion Michel Fabrizio (Team Italia MegabikeHonda CBR600RR). Only 20 years of age, Fabrizio already has MotoGP experience, and a burning desire to succeed every time he gets on a racebike of any kind.

A lone Team Klaffi Honda CBR600RR competes in 2005, with the reigning European Champion Tatu Lauslehto on board. Having shown promise in pre-season testing the 20-year-old Finn is in no way overawed by the challenge in the year ahead.

After his remarkable Losail performance in testing, finishing over 0.8 seconds faster than second placed rider Foret, Charpentier is understandably upbeat about the forthcoming race and season.

“I’m more than happy with the recent test at Losail,” stated Charpentier, “not just with a good outright lap time, but we were also able to do some longer distance runs to simulate a race. I tried two potential race set-ups and I think that I can even improve on the testing times once race weekend begins.”

Katsuaki Fujiwara, new to Honda machinery this year, has made himself ready for the new challenge by concentrating on the first race in pre-season testing.

“What gives me the most confidence is that I was able to maintain similar lap times right the way through an extended 12-lap run ay Losail,” said Fujiwara. “I tried to put in a fast lap in the tests but made a small mistake. That shows me I still have things to learn about the bike and the track!”

Foret, the 2002 Supersport World Champion with Honda and a man with an enviable reputation on any form of Supersport machinery, brings his vast experience to bear in the Megabike team, and after hard work in set-up, was second quickest at the recently completed Losail tests.

“The final analysis of the test was very good for us,” said Foret in the run-up to the race. “I’m here in Qatar for the first time, with a new team and a new bike. Now, with the help of the technicians I have made good work on the set-up of the new bike. We can still do better on the front fork, but for now is all OK.”

After hard but enjoyable work at Losail, Fabrizio looks forward to the two qualifying days and then the race on the 26th.

I like the track very much, it is really fast,” said the determined Italian. “The circuit has many sections that we can to run at high speed on and also the grip is good in some places, after so many rider have now done so many laps on it. For Saturday’s race, I hope to fight for the podium – but there are five riders who can also finish in the top three.”

For rookie Lauslehto, the race will be another big step on a steep learning curve. “For the first time ever in a full world championship turnout, on a track with 16 corners, I suppose finishing 12th fastest in the tests was OK. I am very happy to be here and will do my very best.”

World Superbike Round 1 of 12

In the revamped World Superbike Championship, with a permanent field of 30-riders, a host of 1000cc four-cylinder machines will try to emulate the success enjoyed in the 2004 season by Ten Kate rider Chris Vermeulen, who took the then all-new CBR1000RR Honda to four wins, including an outstanding double at Laguna Seca.

Finishing overall fourth in the 2004 SBK series, 2003 World Supersport Champion Vermeulen has the most CBR1000RR saddle time of all his fellow 2005 supported riders, who will blaze a Honda trail five machines wide.

The 2004 World Supersport Champion, Karl Muggeridge is moving up to the join Vermeulen in the Winston Ten Kate Honda set-up, and has already shown class and pace on his CBR1000RR.

In the Klaffi Honda team, youth meets experience, as Max Neukirchner (21) joins SBK legend Pierfrancesco Chili (40) in a two-man assault on the championship. Chili’s career in SBK is over ten seasons long and 17 wins deep, thus 2003 World Supersport ‘Rookie of the Year’ Neukirchner is well placed in his debut SBK season.

SBK racing’s very own prodigal son, Ben Bostrom (30) has elected to return to the unfinished business he has on a global stage, and has teamed up with serial 2004 Superbike race winners, Renegade. The Anglo-Italian team has already won six SBK races in a single year of SBK competition, and in Bostrom they have a seven times WSB race winner and former AMA Superbike Champion.

Preparations have been unexpectedly handicapped for the Winston Ten Kate Superbike wing of Ten Kate’s impressive thrust, largely due to illness experienced by each of their riders, Vermeulen and Muggeridge.

“Some riders have done well over 100 laps at last week’s tests, but I’ve barely done 40,” affirmed Vermeulen, fighting off a severe bout of flu. “I’ve struggled to do even that many, to be frank. I know there’s more to come but only when I’m feeling better. The circuit’s good and the bike has had a lot more to offer than I could use at the Doha tests. It’ll be different when we’re back there on Thursday for first qualifying.”

Muggeridge, a new rider to the class, is especially conscious of losing valuable testing time, even if he has already shown great aptitude in his switch from 600cc to 1000cc machines.

“It’s frustrating because we lost a lot of testing time because I’ve been feeling so rough and that’s not what you need when you’re getting used to a new bike and a new circuit,” said Muggeridge. “But it’s race weekend that matters and that’s what we’ll be working towards – after I spend the next couple of days in bed.”

Chili, a man with enviable experience of every type of machine from 125GP bikes to full on factory Superbikes, intends to meet his latest new challenge head on.

“We were running only a first stage engine at the tests so I did not have the power to push hard,” stated Chili. “We spent time getting used to the bike and the track. We have higher spec race engines coming for the race itself, so I will be looking forward to that.”

Neukirchner, who finished his rookie WSS season in ninth place overall, finds himself ready for more power in more ways than one.

“The engine we used in the Losail test was completely standard but the team is good and worked very hard to help me,” said an appreciative Max. “We have a better engine for the race so maybe I’ll win my first points at the first attempt! This year will be harder than Supersport was last year, with so many good bikes and riders in Superbike.”

Bostrom, still at the early stages of getting used to his 2005 bike and team, nonetheless is looking to a restart in Superbike.

“It’s nice in this team, very personal. It feels good to be back, and I’ve been smiling the whole time I’ve been here. It’s been fun tuning the bike to a new team and the boys had to work through the night to get us here in time. The bike feels better every single hour that passes, so that’s the best thing of all.”

Two World Superbike races, and one Supersport race, each of 18-laps duration, will take place at Losail on Saturday 26th, and each championship comprises 12-rounds this year, sited from Europe to Australia and the middle east. The championship denouement takes place at Magny Cours, France, on 9th October, some nine months hence.

From a press release issued by FGSport Group:

ROUND ONE APPROACHES FOR REVITALISED SBK CHAMPIONSHIP.

Coming of Age: For seventeen years the World Superbike Championship has provided production-based machinery with a truly global racing series, making it an accurate reflection of trends and advances in high performance sportsbike technology. As the first qualifying sessions of the 2005 season begin at the Losail International Circuit in Qatar on Thursday 24th February, the eighteenth season of World Superbike promises to be a true coming of age for this category of racing. With machines from six manufacturers on the grid, and technical rules and regulations making it easier than ever for both manufacturers and private teams to compete at the highest level, World Superbike has effected a resurgence of impressive proportions.

World Tour: SBK now hosts a full-time grid of 30 riders, shortly to take part in a 12-round championship trail, from the new SBK venues like Losail and Brno to established favourites such as Monza, Phillip Island, Brands Hatch, Assen and Valencia.

Qatar, Australia, Italy, Great Britain, Spain, Germany, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands and France will feature on the SBK path this year, with the promise of more new venues in the near future.

New Beginnings: SBK’s new look entries, with Japanese produced four-cylinder machines in the forefront in terms of outright numbers, will line up for the first time at the magnificently appointed Losail International Circuit, already the scene of a pre-season test on 19 and 20 February. These sessions were a great success for most of the competitors there present, and some new names thrust themselves into the public consciousness after two hard days at the fast 5.380km track.

Old Versus New: The established order in World Superbike is headed by the 2004 champion James Toseland (Xerox Ducati 999F05), but his testing experience at Losail was an ultimately painful one, after suffering a huge highside crash on a fast right-hander on the second day. Largely uninjured and typically resilient, Toseland will face a seemingly endless list of potential race winners in the races at Losail, such is the even match between machines and riders in this year’s series.

Enter at Will: Toseland will find 2004 runner-up Regis Laconi a tough competitor as always, especially as he is the Englishman’s team-mate in the factory Ducati squad once more. Ranged against the big Bologna twins is an impressive phalanx of war machines from Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha, plus the technically fascinating three-cylinder, 900cc Petronas FP-1.

Leading Wing: Former WSS champion Chris Vermeulen (Winston Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) provided a true challenge to Ducati power in 2004, and this year he is joined by his old Supersport team-mate Karl Muggeridge, 2004’s WSS champion.

The biggest challenge this pre-season has nonetheless come from the Alstare Corona Extra Superbike duo of 1996 champion Troy Corser and fastest rider in pre-season testing at Losail, Yukio Kagayama. Only two in number, the Suzuki effort nonetheless formed the top two at the Losail test sessions.

Yamahammers: With more bikes on the grid than any other single manufacturer, Yamaha has won the numbers fight already. In pre-season, the supposed established order of Yamaha riders has been rearranged, with Jose Luis Cardoso (Yamaha DFX Extreme Sterilgarda) and Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France) putting in some sparkling performances, whatever the circuit or riding conditions.

Gimbert is one of four main supported Yamaha entries, with his team-mate, Norick Abe, a fellow SBK rookie, but a star all over the world. Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) is an SBK Superstar of long standing, while his team-mate Andrew Pitt is making a long-desired jump to the Superbike class, having been a World Supersport Champion in 2001. Another Yamaha rider to watch in the heat of battle is Cardoso’s team-mate, Marco Borciani, a seasoned SBK competitor, while wild card rider from Spain, Ivan Silva Alberola (La Glisse Yamaha) was a true sensation at the recent Losail tests.

Zed at the Beginning: Kawasaki’s main two man thrust in World Superbike, Chris Walker and Mauro Sanchini, come from the PSG-1 squad, and in Walker they have a proven podium finisher. The Bertocchi squad, represented by Giovanni Bussei and Ivan Clementi, is a long-standing fixture in SBK, with a year’s experience of the ZX-10 Superbike.

Honda Packs Them In: Pierfrancesco Chili (Klaffi Honda) has ripped up SBK tarmac for over ten years, and in his 239 races has scored 17 wins. A little behind some other teams in terms of race readiness for Qatar, the Klaffi Honda squad are first timers in SBK. Chili is nonetheless a serious player in this or any other year. Max Neukirchner joins him in the Klaffi Superbike squad from the Supersport class.

A strong one rider effort from the Renegade Honda team sees an old SBK favourite Ben Bostrom back into the fold, bringing previous experience of the CBR1000RR with him from his past two years in American racing.

Ducati Duo: Two fierce Ducati entries, each a rookie SBK rider, will help break up the wail of four-cylinder machines with their booming Ducati exhaust notes. Fonsi Nieto and Lorenzo Lanzi, each from the Scuderia Caracchi team, are proven competitors in other race classes, each with a major point to prove in 2005.

Three Into Two: The technically interesting and challenging Petronas three-cylinder 900cc SBK machine enjoyed podium success in 2004, as did its two new riders, Garry McCoy and Steve Martin. The latter is still looking for his first SBK race win, while McCoy’s triumph at home in Phillip Island was one of the most well-received result of 2004.


Supersport: After a virtual domination of the series last year, by Ten Kate Honda rider Karl Muggeridge, this year’s Supersport battle looks to be a very open and novel affair. The traditional top two powers of Honda and Yamaha are represented by five and two supported riders respectively, each morwe than capable of securing race wins. Honda’s five-rider push includes Winston Ten Kate Honda pairing Sebastien Charpentier and Katsuaki Fujiwara, Team Megabike runners Fabien Foret and Michel Fabrizio, plus WSS rookie Tatu Lauslehto, from the Klaffi Honda team. Aussie pairing Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes head up the Yamaha Motor Germany team. From Ducati, Gianluca Nannelli poses one of the biggest twin-cylinder threats on his SC Caracchi 749R, while Jurgen van den Goorbergh makes another change of machinery in his long racing career, on a Ducati Selmat 749.

With raceday at Losail breaking with usual SBK tradition, and taking place on a Saturday, the two days of qualifying and Superpole take place on Thursday 24 and Friday 25th. The 18 lap races, two for Superbike and one for Supersport, take place at the usual local times, with Qatar three hours ahead of GMT.