From a press release:

Ride for Kids(r) events in Southern California and Kansas City, Missouri raise money for pediatric brain tumor research

Good buddies, Brandon and Trent, both young brain tumor survivors, enjoy the 2004 Southern California Dual Sport Ride for Kids(r)

Two Ride for Kids(r) events in very different parts of the country were held on Sunday, June 13th. While one ride was a dual-sport event in the high desert of California and the other was a road ride through the plains of the Midwest, they both had the same goal – to raise money for childhood brain tumor research. Since 1984, the Ride for Kids(r) program has raised funds to support the research and family support programs of the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation. Today, more children die from brain tumors than from any other childhood cancer.

The hearty dual-sporters of Southern California were out in full-force at the 12th Annual Southern California Dual Sport Ride for Kids(r). With bright sunny skies and warm summer weather as their backdrop, the dual-sporters enjoyed riding through 120 miles of the Los Padres and Angeles National Forests. At the end of the day, the 240 participants had raised $84,489 for pediatric brain tumor research.

Trent, a young brain tumor survivor, and his mother enjoyed their second Ride for Kids(r) event of the 2004 season. Hope, Trent’s mother, told those gathered, “After attending Ride for Kids event for several years, I am still amazed every time that all of these people care about us and want to help us. Thank you!”

Ten-year old Curtis Herrmann, whose younger sister died of a brain tumor, was the Top Individual Fundraiser with a total of $30,007. Curtis decided that he could do something to help kids with brain tumors and started the Laps 4 Love fundraiser in memory of his little sister Breeana. The Orange County Dualies captured the Top Club position with its members raising $18,185. The Top Dealer position went to Fineline Motorsports whose customers raised $17,710. Larry Langley of Fullerton, California had an exciting day. He was the winner of a brand new Honda motorcycle graciously donated by the American Honda Motor Company.

Special thanks to the Southern California Dual Sport Ride for Kids(r) Task Force, led by Task Force Leaders Jim Woods and Buddy Percin, for a great event.


Ben, a young brain tumor survivor, and his mom Kim enjoy a special ride with VIP escort Lou Harding at the 2004 Kansas City Ride for Kids(r)

The torrential rains and damaging storms of the weekend couldn’t keep 140 participants away from the 1st Annual Kansas City Ride for Kids(r). Many of the participating motorcyclist’s homes were either damaged in the storm the night before the Ride or were without power when they left home to ride for the kids early on Sunday morning. The unwavering spirit of those fundraisers, volunteers, and motorcyclists in the heartland of America is a true testament to the dedication of the motorcycling community’s willingness to help children with brain tumors.

While remnants of the “Big Top Tent” were strewn about the grounds, the riders regrouped and proved the old saying that the show must go on. Everyone’s mood lightened as the sun shone brightly above. The Ride, which started at Maple Woods Community College, raised $17,000 for childhood brain tumor research. The motorcyclists enjoyed a scenic ride along the perimeter of Smithville Lake north of Kansas City.

During the special Celebration of Life program, young brain tumor survivor Ben told the riders that he enjoyed his first ride in a sidecar, especially since his escort Lou Harding left the siren alarm on for the entire length of the ride. Another young brain tumor survivor, Zachary, told those in the audience that he enjoys swimming, but does not like the “big” roller coaster at a local amusement park.

Michael Helvey and Mary Helvey tied for Top Individual Fundraiser, both raising $1,050. The Top Club position went to GWRRA MO – Chapter K whose members raised $2,751. Dell’s Honda, of Blue Springs, Missouri, was the Top Dealer with its patrons raising $5,848. Stan and Judy Herbert of Kansas City, MO were the lucky winners of a brand new Honda motorcycle donated by the American Honda Motor Company.

Thanks to Kansas City Ride for Kids(r) Task Force Leaders Vicky Harding and Larry Morrison and their dedicated volunteer Task Force for such an organized and well-run event.

The next Ride for Kids(r) events will take place on Saturday, June 26th in Knoxville, Tennessee and Sunday, June 27th in Golden, Colorado. For more information, please call (800) 253-6530 or visit www.rideforkids.org

From a press release issued by FGSport Group:

HAGA WINS AS VERMEULEN MAKES HISTORY


400 Not Out: The increasing feel good factor of SBK racing went off the scale at Silverstone, with a number of landmarks being made in front of a magnificent 68,000 crowd of enthusiastic fans, all blessed with day long sunshine. The Silverstone meeting marked 400 SBK races in total, after Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati) had won his third race of the year. His rival in race two was the same as in race one, but second time around it was the yellow Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR of Chris Vermeulen that took the young Aussie to his maiden victory, since stepping up to Superbike. It was Honda’s first win in the category since the introduction of the CBR1000RR and the first 1000cc four-cylinder race win of all time in SBK. It was also the first win the for the upwardly mobile Ten Kate team in this category of racing.

Race One: Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati 999RS) continued his excellent run of recent form to push his Ducati Renegade machine to win in race one, only overcoming the virtual race long lead of Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda). Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati 998RS) went second after starting from the fourth row. James Toseland (Ducati Fila 999 F04) and his team-mate Regis Laconi both fell running somewhat unwise tyre choices.

Race Two: With Haga not quite able to push past Vermeulen in this running, it was history time for the 21-year-old Aussie, an early birthday present for his forthcoming celebrations next Saturday. Finishing third in the race, Regis Laconi took the championship lead, by three points over his team-mate Toseland. Haga goes third, with 139, Vermeulen fourth on 137.

Chili Another History Man: Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1) fought brilliantly through to third in race one, but fell once more in race two, dropping to fifth in the championship. He collided with Toseland in the second leg, as the local favourite ran off track, recovering to finish fifth. Chili, not so fortunate on track, is nonetheless now the rider with most SBK race starts, 229, as he overtook the previous record of Aaron Slight.

Private Dancer: Garry McCoy (Xerox Ducati 999RS) was one element of an entire freight train of battling riders fighting for the off-podium positions in race one. He was rewarded with fourth in race one, eighth in race two. He now sits sixth in the championship fight, having been overhauled by Vermeulen and Haga.

Petronas People: Leon Haslam (Renegade Ducati 999RS) had another excellent day of racing finishing fifth in race one and fourth in race two, but his efforts may have even been eclipsed by privateer James Ellison. Falling in race one he shot back to prominence with an excellent seventh in race two, proving that the modern generation of Japanese four-cylinder machines are potent SBK tools.

Petronas Plug Away: The Petronas triples of Troy Corser and Chris Walker had tough weekends on their team’s home soil. As team owner Carl Fogarty watched, the injured Walker fell in race one and despite some determined riding through the pain of three suspected broken ribs, he secured 12th in race two. For Corser it was little better, with a seventh and a ninth being hard earned.

Supersport: An outstanding ride from the leading trio of Fabien Foret (Yamaha Italia), Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda) and Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda) made it a day of blistering race action in front of SBK’s most vocal fans. With all three riders taking turns at the lead, the action was close and often epically exciting, as Muggeridge and Foret jousted throughout the entire final lap; Foret the conqueror on the very last section. With Parkes third, Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) capitalized on an excellent start and ran out fourth, while Yamaha riders Kevin Curtain and Jurgen van den Goorbergh completed the top six. Muggeridge leads the championship, with his total of 107 heading van den Goorbergh by 15 points. Parkes lies third on 69.

Superstock: – Round 5: It was a three-rider Yamaha fight from the outset, with Didier Vankeymeulen ahead of Gianluca Vizziello, after Vizziello had secured the lap record of 1:57.194 on the fourth circuit. Lorenzo Alfonsi closed in to lead and after Dionisi crashed out. Alfonsi fought off the attentions of Vizziello to take the win. Vizziello leads Alfonsi 115 to 99 in the championship table.

With only the World Superbike competitors off to Laguna Seca for the next round on July 11, Supersport and Superstock series do not reconvene until Brands Hatch on August 1.


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

MUGGERIDGE AND PARKES CHARGE TO SILVERSTONE PODIUM

WSS Report
Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) could not quite make it four wins in four starts but in finishing second behind Fabien Foret (Yamaha) at Silverstone he was a tantalising small 0.043 seconds from victory. He also advanced his lead in the Championship itself to 15 points, as his number one rival Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha) could only finish sixth. Pole position winner Muggeridge’s team-mate Broc Parkes was a close third in the race, and maintained his championship position of third in the process.

For other Honda riders Silverstone proved to be a tough test, the fast speeds and high track temperatures favouring the more experienced riders, who had opted for the correct tyre and set-up choices in the hot conditions.

Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) was eighth, disappointed at his race finish after some high points in qualifying. Some ten seconds behind Charpentier Alessio Corradi (Team Italia Megabike Honda CBR600RR) was ninth, winning a fight with another Honda rider, Max Neukirchner (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) who was enjoying his first taste of WSS action at the UK’s Formula One circuit. He finished 11th. Denis Sacchetti just missed out on securing a point, ending his Silverstone race 16th.

In the last race before a seven-week break in the Supersport calendar Muggeridge had many reasons to be cheerful. “I gave it my best shot but Fabien just rode a bit better than me today,” he stated. “It was a good solid race and I just might have got him at the end – but he was harder than me and seemed to be on a better line, so it wasn’t to be. I think we all had the similar experience of the rear spinning up because of the temperatures.”

Parkes was rewarded with yet another podium finish, his third in a row. “I bogged it down at the start, which is quite unusual as I normally get good starts,” said Parkes. “I was back in about tenth and it took me some time to get through. I felt today that I was faster than anyone, but the problem was passing. I wasn’t as fast through the back section onto the straight. At the end of the race it came down to whoever wanted to put their body on the line, but neither Karl nor Fabien tripped themselves up, so I couldn’t get past. I’m just happy to be here on the podium again.”

Charpentier could simply not get to his usual pace with the leading riders, which left him puzzled. “I’m not sure what happened but it just wasn’t my day,” he stated. “The bike and everything seems fine but I could not quite go at the pace of the leaders.”

Neukirchner, once more learning a new circuit and then racing on it said, “Silverstone has proved to be a very hard track for me. I think I rode quite well and was involved in a fight to the very end. It was difficult for me in qualifying but we made some good ground in the race and I am still well inside the top 15 in the race and top ten in the World Championship. In my first year I am quite happy with that.”

Corradi was unhappy with his weekend performance, and is still finding set-up issues on his machine. “I did not make a good start and I tried to cancel the gap in the first few laps. I think there are only two reasons why we are not in with the leaders. Either I am not a fast rider, or we cannot find a good set-up for the bike.”

Sacchetti was disappointed with his 16th place, “I had some traction problems with the tyres and the rear tyre was affected after four laps. I had the difficulty for the whole race but I tried hard.”

In the Championship itself, Muggeridge leads van den Goorbergh by an impressive 15 points, 107 to 92. Parkes follows on in third, on 69 points. Charpentier is seventh, on 48 points, while Neukirchner is still inside the top ten, with 36.

World Superbike Races
Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) enjoyed the win after a classic fight with Chris Vermeulen on the private Ten Kate Honda., the young Australian looking like the likely winner for the majority of the race. In third place Pierfrancesco Chili (Ducati) had to start from 16th on the grid, as both factory Ducati riders, Regis Laconi and James Toseland, fell from contention.

In the second 20-lap race another close fight between Vermeulen and Haga gave victory to Vermeulen and Honda for the first time this year, in what was the 400th running of a World Superbike race. In third place Regis Laconi pushed ahead to the championship lead.

Laconi now enjoys a total of 171, Toseland sits on 168 and Noriyuki Haga is now third on 139 points. Vermeulen jumped to fourth in the standings, with 137.

Round seven of the Supersport championship takes place in the UK again, at Brands Hatch on August 1st.


More, from a press release issued by Belgarda Yamaha:

FABULOUS FABIEN!

Yamaha Racing Italia rider Fabien Foret took a superb victory in a hotly-contested race at Silverstone today. In front of a huge sun-scorched crowd, Fabien had a race-long battle with Ten Kate riders Karl Muggeridge and Broc Parkes, but overcame their joint attack to record his first win with Yamaha. The pace was fast and frantic thoughout the 19-lapper, but Fabien held his nerve when it mattered and ran out the winner by just four tenths of a second. His team mate Jurgen van den Goorbergh put in a steady performance today to finish sixth and remain in close touch with series leader Muggeridge.

FABIEN FORET – 1st
Of course, I am very happy to win today – my first win for Yamaha, but hopefully not the last! Before I signed for Yamaha, I had the feeling that this would be a very satisfying season and although it didn’t go so well after Valencia, it has been getting better and better. We’re getting our own back on the Hondas now and that’s a good sensation. They were very strong today, but I was stronger! I’d like to thank all my team for all the work they’ve put in and I’m looking forward to next race and another top spot on the podium.

JURGEN VAN DEN GOORBERGH – 6th
This weekend I never found the same good feeling with the front end as I’ve had in the opening races of the season. During the race, I tried to stay in touch with the leading group, but I could not attack them with any more strength. I realised that I was not going to challenge for the podium, so I ride as best I could to get as many points as possible and keep my world title challenge in sight. I’d like to congratulate my team mate Fabien – he was really fast today and deserved the win.

Results
1 FORET (F-Yamaha Racing Italia), 2 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda), 3 Parkes (Aus-Honda), 4 Lanzi (I-Ducati), 5 Curtain (Aus-Yamaha), 6 VD GOORBERGH
(NL-Yamaha Racing Italia), 7 Riba (E-Kawasaki), 8 Charpentier (F-Honda), 9 Corradi (I-Honda), 10 Chambon (F-Suzuki).

Points
1 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda) 107, 2 VD GOORBERGH (NL-Yamaha Racing Italia) 92, 3 Parkes (Aus-Honda), 69, 4 Curtain (Aus-Yamaha) 58, 5 FORET (F-Yamaha Racing Italia) 55, 6 Lanzi (I-Ducati) 50, 7 Charpentier (F-Honda) 48, 8 Chambon (F-Suzuki) 45, 9 Fujiwara (J-Suzuki) 44, 10 Neukirchner (D-Honda) 36.


More, from a press release issued by Ten Kate Honda:

Vermeulen takes first Ten Kate Honda SBK race win

Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) secured his and his team’s first win in the World Superbike Championship after an epic and gruelling day of action around the sunny environs of Silverstone, the UK’s Formula One circuit. The 21-year-old Australian rode brilliantly in each race and finished the first race in second place. He had to wait until race two to take his first win since stepping up to the Superbike class this season, but took it with some style.

Fighting with Ducati rider Noriyuki Haga in each 20-lap race, Vermeulen lost out on the win in race one after a small mistake on the last lap, but in race two a forceful and swift last lap assured him the win, in what was the 400th running of a World Superbike race. It was also Ten Kate’s first win in SBK this year, having come close on a number of occasions.

In race one Pierfrancesco Chili was third, and in race two the new World Championship leader, Regis Laconi (Ducati) took the final podium place. Vermeulen is now fourth in the championship, with 137 points, only 34 points off the lead.

Said Vermeulen on this historic day for team, rider and CBR1000RR, “I made a small mistake in race one and that was enough to give Nori the chance to pass me and take the win. I wasn’t going to make the same mistake in race two. Whatever happened I wasn’t going to let this one go. On the last lap I just made sure I blocked on the corners and kept my pace high. I hope everybody enjoyed it as much as I did.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate stated. “This is quite an explosion of emotion for our team. We have worked pretty hard to this point and in race one we could see that Chris almost had it but made a small mistake. In the second race he was just perfect, even when Haga tried to take the lead from him. I was just so happy to be on the podium, covering him in champagne. Now we have the win we needed so now we can concentrate on making the job even better than this. It’s pure stimulation for the whole team.”


Muggeridge and Parkes crowd Silverstone podium

Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) and Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) ended up in a superb battle for the race win at Silverstone, each fighting for the victory right up to the exit of the final corner. Muggeridge could not quite re-pass the flying Frenchman Fabien Foret (Yamaha) and thus he took second, his closely-following younger team-mate Parkes third.

A magnificently fluid and closely contested race saw Muggeridge in contention for the win throughout, as most riders’ fortunes rose and fell as the laps ticked down. Parkes, experienced a less than perfect start, had to fight his way to the front, and led the race himself at one stage, threatening yet another Ten Kate 1-2 finish. All three podium finishers crossed the line with only 0.303 seconds between them.

The championship position for Muggeridge was further enhanced when Foret’s team-mate Jurgen van den Goorbergh could only finish sixth, and thus Muggeridge now leads him, 107 points to 92. Parkes pushed himself to a total of 69 points, remaining in a good third position.

In the last race before a seven week break in the Supersport calendar Muggeridge had many reasons to be cheerful. “I gave it my best shot but Fabien just rode a bit better than me today,” he stated. “It was a good solid race and I just have might got him at the end – but he was harder than me and seemed to be on a better line, so it wasn’t to be. I think we all had the similar experience of the rear spinning up because of the temperatures.”

Parkes rode hard in the early stages, and was rewarded with another podium finish. “I bogged it down at the start, which is quite unusual as I normally get good starts,” said Parkes. “I was back in about tenth and it took me some time to get through. I felt today that I was faster than anyone, but the problem was passing. I wasn’t as fast through the back section onto the straight. At the end of the race it came down to whoever wanted to put their body on the line but neither Karl nor Fabien tripped themselves up, do I couldn’t get past. I’m just happy to be here on the podium again.”

Team Boss Gerrit Ten Kate was in ebullient mood after another good day for his hard working team; “I think Karl used his brain to finish second. Fabien had nothing to lose and to go in the last corner race with him to take the win would have been very dangerous for the championship. Karl is leading the championship and it was impressive to see that he didn’t give up the win until the very end. This is maybe the best race of the championship so far, except that we didn’t win! For the spectators it has been a great weekend. We chose another type of tyre for Broc and I think it worked a little bit better for him.”


More, from a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

Troubled weekend for FPR at Silverstone

A traumatic weekend for Foggy PETRONAS Racing continued when Troy Corser was forced to start the second race at Silverstone from pitlane.

The Australian skilfully picked his way through the field to finish ninth but, with team-mate Chris Walker also coping with the handicap of three broken ribs to finish that race in 12th place, the sixth round of the Superbike World Championship was one to forget for Carl Fogarty’s team.

Troy had suffered the unusual problem of being held up by one of the factory Ducati bikes in race one, when he finished a creditable seventh place. But hopes of further progress in race two were dashed when a cam sensor in his number one bike failed on the grid.

Chris’s weekend had been blighted by misfortune from the start. Having survived a blazing bike in the first session his injuries were sustained the following morning in a high-side crash, resulting in a constant battle against pain. His misfortune continued in the first race when a low-side crash caused by an engine failure ruined a stunning start to the race, when he barged his way from 13th on the grid to seventh at the end of the first lap. Although he repeated his startling starting feats in the afternoon race, further technical difficulties compounded his physical struggle.

The results left Foggy looking forward to a second half of the season, with engine developments planned for the next round at Laguna Seca in July.

Carl said: “We have not done as well as we would have liked. Silverstone is one of the circuits where we are not fast enough at the moment but we have engine developments in hand for Laguna when, hopefully, both riders will be fully fit. We are hoping that the rest of the circuits, which are more technical, will suit our set-up. Troy rode well and Chris salvaged something from a difficult weekend. The team also worked their socks off during the kind of weekend we could well do without.”

Troy said: “It has ended up a weekend to forget, but it really shouldn’t have been. My lap times were up there with the group battling for fourth but I was surprised to get in the points after starting from pitlane. I could pass everyone on the brakes at the end of the back straight, but I was going in hot because that was the only place I could pass them. And I was probably riding a bit more angrily than normal – the first time I looked at the lap board there were only four laps to go!”

Chris said: “It’s fair to say I didn’t enjoy that race. I was knackered and the bike was cutting out when I was leaning over in the faster sections, which felt like someone was punching me in the ribs. But at least I didn’t scratch my new leathers or the bike this afternoon! I just couldn’t keep the pace, mainly through the injury but also because I had missed two whole sessions of set-up work in practice. When the two things were combined I was struggling – and now I just want to go home!”

Chris Vermeulen on and Noriyuki Haga shared the honours with a reverse one-two. Honda’s success resulted in PETRONAS slipping into third place in the manufacturer standings despite already eclipsing last year’s points total of 118.

Race two results, Superbike World Championship round six, Silverstone, Great Britain: 1 Vermeulen; 2 Haga +0.228; 3 Laconi +6.155; 4 Haslam +20.895; 5 Toseland +27.504; 6 Martin +28.491; 7 Ellison +32.668; 8 McCoy +33.518; 9 Corser +36.312; 10 Clementi +38.114; 11 Borciani +41.206; 12 Walker +41.536; 13 Sanchini +52.325; 14 Bontempi +1:04.719; 15 Pedercini +1:13.860

Race one results: 1 Haga (Renegade Ducati); 2 Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda) +0.150; 3 Chili (PSG-1) +6.583; 4 McCoy (Xerox Ducati) +27.263; 5 Haslam (Renegade Ducati) +27.580; 6 Martin (DFX) +27.606; 7 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) +32.321; 8 Borciani (DFX) +38.956; 9 Bontempi (Zongshen) +39.293; 10 Clementi (Kawasaki Bertocchi) +48.255; 11 Nowland (Zongshen) +1:16.875; 12 Mrkyvka (JM SBK) +1:29.690; 13 Fuertes (MIR Racing) +1:0.546; 14 Praia (Xerox Ducati) +2:00.074

Rider standings: 1 Laconi 171; 2 Toseland 168; 3 Haga 139; 4 Vermeulen 137; 5 Chili 129; 6 Mccoy 128; 7 Haslam 113; 8 Corser 95; 9 Martin 93; 10 Walker 82

Manufacturers: 1 Ducati 295; 2 Honda 144; 3 PETRONAS 128; 4 Kawasaki 76; 5 Suzuki 65; 6 Yamaha 35


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

A WEEKEND TO FORGET

The weekend that started full of optimism, ended with disappointment as Troy finished with a seventh place in race one and a ninth in race two. While that might have OK for some riders it was less then Troy had expected after two days of qualifying and Superpole. But ninth in the second race was a good result, because Troy was forced to start the race from the pit lane on his spare bike after his number one machine suffered an electrical problem on the grid.

Both 20 lap races featured epic battles. In race one, Haga (Ducati) and Vermeulen (Honda) slugged it out like prize-fighters, with Haga taking the win after the smallest of errors by Vermeulen.

Third went to Frankie Chili (Ducati), ahead of McCoy (Ducati), Haslam (Ducati), Martin (Ducati) and then Troy in seventh. Race two’s battle for the top spot on the podium was no less fierce, but this time it was a three-rider dice between Vermeulen, Haga and Laconi (Ducati). Vermeulen and Haga dropped Laconi in the latter part of the race, and then it was the turn of the young Australian Vermeulen to take the chequered flag – his first victory in Superbikes and the Honda Fireblade’s maiden win.

TROY – Race 1: 7th, Race 2: 9th

This has been a weekend to forget, but it should not have been like that at all – we should’ve done better. In the first race, I didn’t get a bad start, but then I got held up by James (Toseland) and I nearly went off the track trying to pass him on the outside. I couldn’t pass him in the slower corners and once we got on to the straights, he’d just pull away. That allowed Martin and McCoy to catch and pass me on the straights. After James crashed, I was running the same lap times as them, but couldn’t catch them. The second race started with disaster when my bike had a problem on the grid.

I had to leg it down to my garage in pit-lane and jump on to my spare bike, but that meant I had to start the race from the pit lane. I had to wait for the whole field to leave before I could start my race. After that I rode more angrily then usual and it was four laps from the end before I looked at my pit board. I managed to pass loads of riders on the brakes at the end of the back straight and I suppose ninth was pretty good considering how I had to start. Chris (Walker) had a hard weekend as well, so it hasn’t been the best time for the Petronas team at Silverstone.


More, from a press release issued by MSS Discovery Kawasaki:

MSS DISCOVERY’S RIBA SCOOPS SEVENTH PLACE IN WORLD SUPERSPORT ROUND

MSS Discovery Kawasaki’s Pere Riba took seventh place as the team made its World Supersport Championship debut in round six of the series at
Silverstone on Sunday.

Riba, starting from a front row third place, was involved in a battle with Frenchman Sebastien Charpentier in the closing stages, eventually pipping the Honda-mounted rider for seventh.

“I’m happy with the finish and the fact that I ran with the leading group for more than half of the race,” admitted Riba who finished less then 10 seconds behind winner Fabien Foret in the 19-lap race.

Riba continued: “I’m really pleased that the ZX-6RR is so close to challenging for a World Supersport Championship win and in only our first race, as a team, at this level.

“With about six or seven laps to go I began to struggle a little. The front tyre was worn and my riding style means I use the front tyre a lot more than most riders. But the rear tyre was great throughout the race and I’m really pleased that we’ve all gained a lot of experience in readiness for next week’s British Supersport round at Brands Hatch.”

Joint team owner Stuart Simmonds commented: “We have no complaints, a thoroughly professional job by all. We came here hoping to qualify on the second row and Pere put it on the front. We were then looking to sneak into the top 10 and ended up seventh, a solid performance throughout.”


More, from a press release issued by Xerox Ducati Nortel Networks – Scuderia Caracchi:

Few Satisfaction For Xerox Ducati Nortel Networks Team At Silverstone

It wasn’t a great day for the sixth World Superbike round today at Silverstone. The only good result has been the fourth place of Garry McCoy during the Race-1, in which Miguel Praia scored some points for the championship, and a great technical performance of 999RS Ducati ridden by the Australian rider, always at the top in the group of the fastest machines during the race. McCoy leaves Silverstone on the sixth ranking of the World Championship Standing, just a step behind his previous position before this week end, even though the gap is very close to the third position.

Garry McCoy made a great overtook over the last lap of Race-1 at the final chicane, when he overtook Martin entering in it and managed side by side with Haslam the outing corner to catch the fourth place under the chequered flag. Bat the Australian rider wasn’t actually satisfied at the end of the race day.

“The bike was terribly sliding on the rear over the first laps of both races, then during Race-1improved and began to be better, but, on the other hand the trouble continued till Race-2′ end.” – McCoy explained. “Unfortunately during Race-1 I had a poor start and I lost several positions, too many to get a better result.”

Miguel Praia clinched the goal of some World Championship points over Race-1. During Race-2 he made a stupid mistake, entering into the pit lane, when he felt something wrong with the gear just before the final lap, excluding himself from the race classification.

“During Race-1 I did a pretty good job, earning a couple of championship points. On the other side during Race-2 I felt some problem with the gear and I was too angry to go on. It was a shame because I even could have earned some position after that two riders fell at the final corner.”

David Garcia stopped after the first laps during both races because of a terrible arm-ache, which didn’t allowed him to go on.

“After few seconds my right arm started to ache, I had no more sensibility on my hand and I had to retire, despite all the medical treatments I made before the race.”


More, from a press release issued by Pirelli:

SUPERBIKE & SUPERSPORT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP EUROPEAN SUPERSTOCK CHAMPIONSHIP

ROUND 6 – Silverstone, Great Britain, 11 – 13 JUNE
Race Report

HAGA THEN VERMEULEN ON HISTORIC DAY Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati) held off the close attentions of Chris Vermeulen for the win in race one but the positions were reversed in race two as Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda) gave himself, his team and the CBR1000RR Honda maiden victories in the Superbike class. In the battle for the remaining podium steps Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) and new championship leader Regis Laconi secured third places.

RACE 1
TRACK CONDITIONDryAIR HUMIDITY48%
TRACK TEMPERATURE 41°CAIR TEMPERATURE20°C

Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila 999) and his team-mate James Toseland (Ducati Fila 999) both fell by the wayside in the Silverstone opener, but such was the pace of eventual winner Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati) and long term-leader Chris Vermeulen (Honda) that the race became a magnificent two-tier contest in any case, with Haga and Vermeulen six seconds clear of third. First it appeared that Vermeulen would be too strong, as each rider exploited their differing tyre choices and machine characteristics to swap the lead with some frequency. As the race wore on Chili, who was forced to start from 16th on the grid, was soon in a podium finishing place, after Laconi tripped himself up. In a fierce fight for fourth, Garry McCoy (Xerox Ducati 999RS) beat Leon Haslam (Renegade Ducati) and Steve Martin (DFX Ducati to fourth).

RACE 2
TRACK CONDITIONDryAIR HUMIDITY37%
TRACK TEMPERATURE 46°CAIR TEMPERATURE23°C

An even more closely contested second race saw Vermeulen and the Ten Kate Honda team grow in stature to reach the top step of the podium. Having made an error to allow Haga past in race one, Vermeulen was not to repeat it, despite Haga climbing all over his back tyre. In third place Laconi slowed to take a safe third, after his race one no score. He took the championship lead with the 16 points for third, as Chili and Toseland tangled, Chili fell and Toseland was demoted to an eventual fifth. In fourth place Haslam became the highest placed local rider of the weekend, but the top wildcard rider was the excellent James Ellison. A regular BSB runner and Pirelli user, Ellison’s very stock Yamaha R1 was fast enough for seventh in race two.

Giorgio Barbier (Pirelli Racing Manager): “There was a different solution on the rear of the two contenders for the race wins but the same choice on the front, after the first and the second leg. So they both changed choices in the same way. In the first leg Vermeulen went on the soft front Haga the hardest but they met in the middle for race two. They enabled them to play with their lines a lot more and that made the show more spectacular. Laconi chose the softest rear and at a certain point he was not able to get the rhythm of the other two. Ellison had a good ride on his private bike, so far the best for a private Yamaha, and on a very standard bike really. I would say that the hardest tyres worked best today, as expected, and all were dual compound, but with different carcasses.”

TRACK CONDITIONDryAIR HUMIDITY38%
TRACK TEMPERATURE 46°CAIR TEMPERATURE24°C

Fabien Foret scored his first win of the year on his Yamaha Italia R6, heading up a truly outstanding close quarters battle with Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda) and Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Honda). The final last chicane sort out went the way of Foret, by 0.043 seconds, with Parkes only 0.3 seconds behind the winner. An excellent ride for Breil Ducati rider Lorenzo Lanzi put him fourth, only 0.7 seconds from the win. Early potential winner Kevin Curtain had to settle for fifth place, as Jurgen van den Goorbergh, second in the championship took ten points for sixth place, falling further behind championship leader Karl Muggeridge.

Giorgio Barbier (Pirelli Racing Manager): “Supersport was fun because the second and the fourth placed riders, Muggeridge and Lanzi, used the softest rear, and Foret, the winner, used the new front to win the race. That is a very good development for us. In fact I would say that the front tyres were the determining factor today

From a press release issued by d’Antin Ducati:

Test day in Catalonia

The d´Antin MotoGP today completed a scheduled day of tests at the Catalunya circuit, working towards the upcoming Dutch TT.

Neil Hodgson used all of the available time, riding until six in the afternoon, and the effort was all worthwhile as the British rider completed 85 laps and set a best time of 1:44.89: “We worked a lot today but it’s all been worth it because I think we’ve made a great step forward. We changed the weight distribution around a little bit and we tried a few different tyres as well. I set a good time, but the most important thing is that I was very comfortable in my riding and I think we’ll be better off at the next race now.”

Rubén Xaus completed a total of 41 laps, with a best of 1:45.72, packing up at around two o’clock after a small crash, “We tested tyres and did ten lap stints with a full tank, to try to recreate race conditions. It’s the first laps of the race that I have most problems with, so that’s why I worked on this area. We were planning to stop anyway when I had a slight ‘off’ in the final set of laps. I lost the front and so we decided to call it a day. It’s been two weeks without a break really, and before we even know it we’ll be in Holland for the next race.”

From a press release issued by BrainBox Productions:

BRAINBOX PRODUCTIONS AND DISCOVERY CHANNEL REVEAL WHAT IT TAKES TO BE THE BEST

NEW ORIGINAL PREMIER – MOTORCYCLE GIRL

Silver Spring, MD – BrainBox Productions Inc., a Silver Spring based Production Company, explores one woman’s journey to the top in Motorcyle Girl premiering June 21, 2004 at 9PM on the Discovery Channel. Step into the world of Suzanne Fetting – a woman who defines her life, in part, by producing fashion shows and racing her 600 cc pink Sportbike motorcycle. This is a story of one person who has chosen to live life on her own terms, make up her own rules, and follow her own dreams.

Along the way we’ll meet British Columbia’s own outlaw custom bike painters, ride with some of the fastest women on two wheels, and experience the ups and downs of not following a set path, but instead blazing an unknown trail. Sometimes pretty, sometimes not, but love it or hate it, this is the true story of one person, told through her eyes.

With original footage, cutting edge graphics and unrestricted access our cameras follow Suzanne as she simultaneously produces her infamous fashion show, Feminine Adrenaline 3, and trains, sweats and fights for her first competitive sportbike race. Intimate interviews with Suzanne, her friends, and her enemies reveal the reality of pursuing your dreams. It’s a race against the clock to see if she can get to the starting line in time, and prove she deserves to be there.

AIR DATES (ET):

Jun 21 2004 @ 09:00 PM
Jun 22 2004 @ 12:00 AM
Jun 27 2004 @ 01:00 PM

From a press release issued by Hawk Kawasaki:

MCGUINNESS REPLACES INJURED RICHARDS AT HAWK

TT star John McGuinness makes his debut for British Superbike team Hawk Kawasaki at Brands Hatch this weekend as a stand-in for the injured Glen Richards.

McGuinness, who won both the F1 and Junior races at last week’s Isle of Man TT, will ride Richards’ Hawk ZX-10R in the BSB series until the Aussie’s broken arm, which he sustained in a spill at Thruxton two weeks ago, is fully healed. Richards is hoping to be back in the saddle for Croft, in August, so McGuinness also looks likely to deputise at Knockhill and Mallory Park in July.

“This is a great opportunity for me,” said John of the ride. “And I’m grateful to Stuart Hicken for offering me the opportunity to ride the Hawk Kawasaki. I’ve ridden in BSB before, so I know how competitive it is, but the Hawk ZX-10R looks strong and I’m really looking forward to the challenge.”

Hawk Kawasaki Team Principal Stuart Hicken explains why McGuinness is the man for the job. “I’ve watched John for a while and also rated him as a rider for quite some time. What I want him to do is get used to the bike and finish races. Whatever he achieves results-wise will be a bonus. I’m expecting John to be with us for a minimum of two meetings and a maximum of four, but I have said to him that if he gels with the team and I’m happy with the results I will look to run him until the end of the year, as well as Glen and Scott.”

The seventh round of the BSB championship starts at Brands Hatch on Friday June 18.

From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

POSITIVE DEBUT FOR NEW DESMOSEDICI GP4 ENGINE

Catalunya (Spain), Monday 14 June 2004 – The new Twin Pulse engine that was given its shakedown last week at Mugello by factory tester Vittoriano Guareschi, was used for the first time today by both Ducati Marlboro Team riders, who stayed behind at the Montmelò circuit the day after the Catalunya Grand Prix.

Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss backed up the positive view expressed by Vittoriano: that the new engine, with its irregular firing order, represents a step forward over the previous version. It improves ‘rideability’ and allows the riders to have better consistency in their performance.

Both Capirossi and Bayliss, who did not focus on setting quick times, used the day’s testing solely to gain confidence with the ‘Twin Pulse’ and its behaviour. Weather conditions today were good (25°C air/41°C track), mainly sunny with a few drops of rain that did not interfere with the testing.

After 72 laps out on the track and a best time of 1:44.5, Loris Capirossi was pleased with today’s work. The Italian rider also carried out back-to-back testing with the engine used during the weekend. ”

‘I am pleased with what we did today: I enjoyed myself on my bike again and we worked really well during this first test for the new engine”, declared Loris. “Compared with the previous version, the Twin Pulse has greater potential. Of course we have to get to know all about it and test it again, in particular to adapt the settings and the gear ratios to its characteristics, but I think that we can be satisfied with the first day. I can’t wait to get back to being one of the front-runners again!”

Despite yesterday’s spectacular crash, Troy Bayliss got back onto his Desmosedici GP4 late in the morning and completed 46 laps of the track, the best time being 1:45.0. His pace was also good, quicker than the times set during Sunday’s race. Despite still being in a bit of pain, the Australian was also satisfied with the new engine.

“I like the Twin Pulse, it’s a lot better than the engine we’ve used up to now”, commented Bayliss. “It makes the bike easier to ride and I feel a lot more comfortable on it: just look at my times, they are good today despite me not being in perfect shape. Tomorrow morning I’ll see how I feel and decide whether to continue testing or go back home for a rest’.

Tomorrow will see the second and final day of testing for the Ducati Marlboro Team, ahead of the next round of the championship at Assen in the Netherlands.


More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA RIDERS MAKE SIGNIFICANT PROGESS AT CATALUNYA ONE-DAY TEST

Fresh from its success at the Catalunya Grand Prix yesterday, the Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha Team stayed on at the Montmelo circuit in Catalunya today for a one-day test, alongside many of its competitor MotoGP teams. The Yamaha factory team’s riders Valentino Rossi and Carlos Checa, who finished yesterday’s race first and fourth respectively, spent the day testing a new rear swingarm on their Yamaha YZR-M1s.

“Today’s test went very well”, commented Team Director Davide Brivio. “Both riders tested the new swingarm, which we intended to enable them to find better stability. Both riders said they are happy with the new feature, and they will definitely use them at the next race in Assen. Michelin also gave them some new tyres to test, and the riders gave some good feedback to them.”

With Rossi and Checa currently holding respective second and fourth positions in the Championship standings, the team is looking forward to the next stage of its challenge; round six at the historic Assen circuit in the Netherlands on Saturday 26th June.

LAP TIMES:

VALENTINO ROSSI 1:44.1
CARLOS CHECA 1:44.2


More, from a press release issued by Telefonica Movistar Honda/Gresini Racing:

TEST SESSION AT CATALUNYA FOR THE TEAM TELEFONICA MOVISTAR HONDA

On a packed racetrack with 31 riders among motogp and 250 cc classes, the Team Telefonica Movistar Honda MotoGP carried out import tyre testing together with Michelin. Thanks to the good weather condition, riders tested until 6.00 p.m. The Texan Colin Edwards started testing at 11.00, he lapped in total 91 laps (430 km) whereas Sete Gibernau went on track around 13.00 an totally lapped 44 laps.


Colin Edwards – 91 laps, 1:44.1 the best time:
“Today we did tyre testing with Michelin, testing different solution especially for the rear tyre in order to solve the chattering that is disturbing the performance of the bike since the beginning of the season. Today I have a better feeling with the bike, but this is quite normal because for the weekend of the race we have a fixed number of tyres to choose whereas here we have a bigger selection of tyres. I’m confident for the next race that will be held at Assen next 28th of June. !


Sete Gibernau – 44 laps , 1:44.2 the best time:
“Today we focused mainly on tyre testing with Michelin. It was useful also for the team because We could undestand more about some problems occurred yesterday during the race.
We are satisfied of the small endurance test we did this afternoon. We are looking for the set up of the RC211V that suits the different tracks”.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

MotoGP Results From Catalunya:

1. Valentino ROSSI, Yamaha, 25 laps, 44:03.255
2. Sete GIBERNAU, Honda, -0.159 second
3. Marco MELANDRI, Yamaha, -13.923 seconds
4. Carlos CHECA, Yamaha, -19.213 seconds
5. Colin EDWARDS, Honda, -21.205 seconds
6. Ruben XAUS, Ducati, -22.847 seconds
7. Shinya NAKANO, Kawasaki, -24.014 seconds
8. Max BIAGGI, Honda, -24.104 seconds
9. Norick ABE, Yamaha, -35.676 seconds
10. Loris CAPIROSSI, Ducati, -40.775 seconds
11. Alex HOFMANN, Kawasaki, -40.862 seconds
12. Neil HODGSON, Ducati, -56.157 seconds
13. Shane BYRNE, Aprilia, -63.679 seconds
14. Andrew PITT, Moriwaki, -65.933 seconds
15. Nobuatsu AOKI, Proton, -78.199 seconds
16. Michel FABRIZIO, Harris WCM, -78.515 seconds
17. Kenny ROBERTS, Suzuki, -1 lap, pitted
18. Chris BURNS, Harris WCM, -5 laps, pitted (three times)
19. Gregorio LAVILLA, Suzuki, -1 lap, DNF, mechanical
20. Troy BAYLISS, Ducati, -4 laps, DNF, crash
21. John HOPKINS, Suzuki, -7 laps, DNF, mechanical
22. Nicky HAYDEN, Honda, -9 laps, DNF, mechanical
23. Makoto TAMADA, Honda, -13 laps, DNF, mechanical
24. Kurtis ROBERTS, Proton, -20 laps, DNF, mechanical
25. Alex BARROS, Honda, -21 laps, DNF, crash
26. Jeremy McWILLIAMS, Aprilia, -25 laps, DNS

MotoGP World Championship Standings:

1. GIBERNAU, 106 points
2. ROSSI, 101 points
3. BIAGGI, 80 points
4. CHECA, 49 points
5. BARROS, 48 points
6. EDWARDS, 44 points
7. MELANDRI, 38 points
8. CAPIROSSI, 34 points
9. ABE, 28 points
10. HAYDEN, 27 points
11. TIE, BAYLISS/XAUS, 23 points
13. NAKANO, 20 points
14. TAMADA, 15 points
15. ROBERTS, Kenny, 12 points
16. TIE, BYRNE/HOFMANN, 10 points
18. HODGSON, 9 points
19. FABRIZIO, 7 points
20. AOKI, 6 points
21. HOPKINS, 4 points
22. McWILLIAMS, 3 points
23. PITT, 2 points
24. ROBERTS, Kurtis, 1 point


More, from a press release issued by John Hopkins’ publicist:

HOPKINS SUFFERS DNF AT CATALUNYA

BARCELONA, Spain (June 13, 2004) – Suzuki’s John Hopkins had a plan for Sunday’s Grand Prix of Catalunya, but his strategy fell to the wayside 18 laps into the 25-lap final when his Suzuki GSV-R fell down to two cylinders and he was forced to pull off the circuit and park the bike. It ended a weekend that left Hopkins with mixed feelings of both hope and frustration.

“I knew with the tire situation being what it was that I was going to have a challenge this weekend,” Hopkins said. “I got off to a decent start and found myself in a good group of riders. I established a good rhythm out there, which is something I haven’t been able to do in some time.

“As the race shook out I was tucked in behind a good battle between my teammate Kenny Jr. and Nicky Hayden. About halfway through the race I decided to pick up the pace and try to close in on those two and that’s when Nicky’s bike blew up in front of me. Then I regrouped and was going to try to get up with Junior and I heard something a little strange in the motor. On the next lap as I powered down the front straight the bike went down to two cylinders and I just pulled off, leaned the bike on the wall and walked back to the pits.”

Hopkins said enjoyed his race while the race lasted.

“The tires we ran were so hard that I was spinning it up everywhere,” he explained. “That was really pretty fun. The computer showed that the rear wheel was spinning as much as 59 kph (37 mph) faster than the front exiting nearly every turn.”

Hopkins said adrenaline took care of the pain with his broken thumb. “I’m just now getting the throbbing sensation,” he said an hour after the race.

Hopkins now turns his attention to Assen, Holland, which will run on Saturday, June 26.

“Even though this weekend ended badly I feel we came away with some positives,” Hopkins said. “Qualifying proved Suzuki is really beginning to make positive strides. I think we had a top-10 finish in the works today before the engine problems. By Assen, Bridgestone will have some time to get the tire issues sorted out and I’ll have a few weeks to heal.”


More, from a press release issued by Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha:

ROSSI ON TOP AGAIN AS YAMAHA RULES IN CATALUNYA

Gauloises Fortuna Yamaha rider and reigning World Champion Valentino Rossi won his second consecutive Grand Prix in Catalunya today, leading a charge of three Yamahas into the top four places. Rossi’s team-mate Carlos Checa rode a fantastic home race to finish fourth after starting 12th on the grid, whilst Yamaha Tech 3 pilot Marco Melandri landed the first podium of his MotoGP career, finishing third behind Honda rider Sete Gibernau.

Starting from second on the grid, Rossi took a close lead from Gibernau for two laps before running wide and surrendering his place to the Spaniard. He then stuck close to Gibernau’s heels as the two quickly opened up a distance from the chasing pack. Checa meanwhile began to move up through the field with a series of bold passes, finding himself in fifth by lap 12 and fourth a few laps later. Rossi and Gibernau swapped the lead twice more, before Rossi passed his rival once again two laps from the end, hanging on to win by less than two tenths of a second ahead of Gibernau. His back-to-back victories are the first for Yamaha in the premier class since Garry McCoy scored two in a row in 2000. Rossi now sits five points behind Championship leader Gibernau in the standings, whilst Checa moves up to fourth.

VALENTINO ROSSI (1st)

“I’m really really happy to have won, first in Mugello and now here; they’re both very important races for me. We’ve done a lot of fast work this weekend and my team and Michelin have worked so hard to improve the bike; we’ve literally been working every second we’ve had. After warm-up today we made another change to the bike, which paid off. It was a really hard race at the top level, and we went at a very hard pace. Sete and I were more than ten seconds ahead of the others. At one point Sete was able to get away but then he started to spin and slide so I was able to get in front again. To have won three races at this stage of the Championship is fantastic. I’m really happy to see the other M1s up front as well. Today was less dramatic but more tactical than Mugello, but still a great race.”

CARLOS CHECA (4th)

“That was a good race as I started from 12th and finished fourth. I passed many riders during the race and for me this is proof that I could do well after what happened in Mugello. I had much more confidence in the front braking today so it was easier to pass people. By the time I caught up with Marco he was pushing hard but I couldn’t keep the same pace anymore because of the tyres. I am so pleased with this result after yesterday’s qualifying and my fall yesterday morning. This afternoon I recovered the feeling and pace. Tomorrow we have a test and I hope we can make some more improvements, especially on the softer tyres for qualifying.”

DAVIDE BRIVIO, GAULOISES FORTUNA YAMAHA TEAM DIRECTOR

“What a race! It’s been a very good day; unbelievable. We’ve had two victories at two circuits which we expected to find difficult. Yamaha and the team have worked so well and we’ve got a fantastic rider. Valentino rode a perfect race. This is a good day for Yamaha; Carlos had a brilliant race; it was very difficult for him starting from the fourth row but he didn’t stop fighting for the whole race and finished fourth. It’s good to see Marco doing well and Yamaha filling three out of the four top places. We are now really looking to enjoy the rest of the season! Thanks to everyone involved, today all their hard work and effort has paid off again.”

JEREMY BURGESS, VALENTINO ROSSI’S CREW CHIEF

“We made some changes this morning and maybe they worked! This is a terrific result. We’ve now won consecutively at Mugello and Catalunya, which are fast circuits where the opposition has the advantage on speed, so we are really pleased with the results.”


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

UNLUCKY DAY FOR HARD-CHARGING DUCATI MARLBORO MEN

Ducati Marlboro Team riders Loris Capirossi and Troy Bayliss had a luckless day at scorching-hot Catalunya today, Capirossi coming home in tenth after an off-track excursion in the first lap, Bayliss tumbling out of a frantic battle for fifth position. The results may not bear it out but the team believes that today’s race was one of its most promising outings of the season so far. Both Capirossi and Bayliss were very competitive on race tyres here, thanks to ongoing development work by the team, Ducati Corse and their technical partners Michelin and Shell Advance.

“I’m disappointed because today’s results could have been so much better,” said Ducati Marlboro Team technical director Corrado Cecchinelli. “Loris was unlucky to get pushed off the track on the first lap. Troy was also unlucky – he was running very strong when he fell. These things happen in racing but despite one DNF and one tenth place I still feel that this could have been one of our best races this year because rhythm was good enough to have put both our riders to the top five or six. Following our recent tests we now have a much better base set-up, so we can focus on making only small adjustments, which helps the riders get familiar with the bike and therefore more confident.”

The Ducati Marlboro Team stays at Catalunya tomorrow to test the latest version of its twin-pulse engine with both riders.

CAPIROSSI TENTH AFTER OFF-TRACK EXCURSION

Loris Capirossi had a tough Sunday at Catalunya. During morning warm-up the Ducati Marlboro Team man ran off the track at turn one and fell from his Desmosedici. Then he was an innocent victim of a collision on the first lap of the race, running off the track at turn four and rejoining in last position.

“The first-lap incident made my race very difficult,” said Capirossi. “Someone touched me at turn four, pushing me off the track. I got going again but I was last, so I just pushed as hard as I could, lapping faster and faster. But tenth was the best I could do. Without that first lap the race would’ve been much better for me.”

BAYLISS TUMBLES OUT OF FIFTH-PLACE BATTLE

Ducati Marlboro Team rider Troy Bayliss was enjoying a storming race on his Desmosedici when he crashed out with just 4 of the 25 laps to go. The Australian was in the thick of a hectic five-man skirmish for fifth place when he fell heavily at turn four. Bayliss has been checked over by the Clinica Mobile staff, and although the X-Rays show he has no broken bones he is badly battered and bruised. Nonetheless he plans to test the “Twin-Pulse” engine tomorrow.

“There was a bit of a battle going on,” said Bayliss after a being checked over at the Clinica Mobile. “I ended up touching the back end of Xaus’ bike and down I went. It had been a tough race from the start because I’d been getting chatter from the first lap, but that could’ve been a good result for us.”


More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki Racing Team:

SUPER SHINYA’S SHOW OF FAITH PAYS DIVIDENDS FOR KAWASAKI AT CATALUNYA

Shinya Nakano bounced back from his huge crash at Mugello with a vengeance this afternoon. The Fuchs Kawasaki rider brought his Ninja ZX-RR home in seventh place at the Circuit de Catalunya; the best result for Kawasaki since the factory returned to Grand Prix racing at the end of the 2002 season.

Nakano’s Fuchs Kawasaki teammate, Alex Hofmann, also had something to celebrate, as he finished an impressive eleventh; his best result of the season so far.

The race was a triumph for Nakano, the team and Kawasaki’s tyre partner, Bridgestone, just one week after the setback of Nakano’s terrifying crash in the Italian GP. But, the Mugello nightmare was a faded memory today, as Nakano rode a superb race on a modified rear tyre that had been constructed and delivered by Bridgestone in just three days.

Before a near capacity crowd of 102,000 both Fuchs Kawasaki riders comfortably completed the 25 lap race distance aboard their Ninja ZX-RR machines with no tyre problems at all.

Nakano was ecstatic with what he described as “a back from the dead” performance, which was highlighted by his brilliant last corner passing move on Max Biaggi’s factory Honda to secure seventh.

Hofmann missed a top tenth finish by just one tenth of second when he just failed to retake Loris Capirossi’s factory Ducati on the final lap, after a close battle over the closing five laps. Early in the race Hofmann lost some ground in a tight battle for track position in a packed field, dropping to 17th on the opening lap, but once the race settled he made consistent forward progress.

Nakano settled in 13th place early on, beginning his forward charge on lap seven and never looking back.

For two days of practice and qualifying both riders worked together with Kawasaki and Bridgestone engineers to compensate for the limited tyre choice for this race, and their hard work and dedication certainly paid dividends this afternoon. Hofmann and Nakano were the only two Bridgestone riders to finish today’s race in the points.

Shinya Nakano: 7th
“Last week I crashed at Mugello and thought I was dead, and then today I score my best result of the season. That’s racing, and that’s why I enjoy it so much. Towards the end of the race I could see Max Biaggi was spinning up the rear quite a lot, so I knew there was an opportunity to pass him into the last turn if I changed my line slightly. There were a lot of discussions about tyres in the paddock before today’s race, but I was never in any doubt that the rear that Bridgestone gave us today would last full race distance. Both Bridgestone and my crew did an amazing job this weekend, giving me a really good race set-up so that I was able to control the slides and stay with the factory Honda guys. In some corners I had something of an advantage, but then lost out again on the straights. I have to say, my team and the guys at Bridgestone deserve a big thank you for today’s result.”

Alex Hofmann: 11th
“Once again there was a problem getting the bike off the line and I dropped back quite a few places off the start. Then I was involved in a seven way battle and I got held up for too long by Neil Hodgson; I could pass him into the turns, only for him to retake the position on the straights. Towards the end I had a great battle with Loris. He would overtake on the straights and I’d pass him in the corners, but on the final lap he defended his line really well and I couldn’t quite manage to squeeze past him for tenth. Bridgestone did a fantastic job for us today. Like Shinya, I never had any doubt that the tyre would be good for race distance.”

Harald Eckl: Team Manager
“After what happened at Mugello, I am full of respect for Bridgestone and the job they did to make such a very competitive tyre in just three days. Our team never had any doubt that the race tyre was technically safe for race distance, and our riders and engineers worked perfectly to find a set-up that would deliver maximum performance. We did not get involved in trying to predict anything before the race, preferring instead to let the final result tell the story. Today Shinya was brilliant as he showed that nothing can slow him down. It was also a strong race by Alex, and in company with Bridgestone, we have a lot of confidence for the coming races.”


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

ROSSI PIPS GIBERNAU FOR WIN BUT SETE STILL HOLDS TITLE LEAD

Epic premier class races are becoming regular events now and this race was no exception. Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) got the verdict over Sete Gibernau (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) by a mere 0.159 seconds at the line after 25 gruelling laps of the 4.727km track in front of 102,000 roaring Spanish race fans. Marco Melandri (Yamaha) was third.

This was always likely to be a race which determined whether Rossi’s title challenge had real substance. Gibernau was racing at home and with two wins apiece going into the fifth race both riders were aware of the importance of levering an early season advantage.

Gibernau looked strong in qualifying and his times were not bettered over two days of wrestling for grid advantage. But the Spanish idol knew that grip was a major issue here and so it proved as Rossi seemed to get better drive in the closing stages of the race – when it really counted.

The race began at a frantic pace with Sete setting a fastest lap on lap two at 1m 44.641s. Rossi had nudged past him into turn one on the opening lap after Gibernau appeared to have the advantage, but Sete capitalised on a Rossi wobble into the La Caixa turn on lap two and took the lead.

By lap five Alex Barros (Repsol Honda RC211V) had crashed out and Max Biaggi (Camel Honda RC211V) was experiencing severe grip problems, eventually finishing eighth. Melandri was holding station in third and Makoto Tamada (Camel Honda RC211V) riding on Bridgestone tyres was as high as fifth before he dropped back on lap 12 and then pitted.

Gibernau and Rossi were in a class of their own and had stretched their advantage over Melandri to five seconds by mid-race distance. And at turn four Rossi swooped to lead Gibernau as both riders’ tyres started to feel the strain of a hot pace – the total race time was a full 18 seconds faster than last year.

Gibernau was looking slightly more ragged than Rossi in the closing stages and by lap 20 Rossi had a 0.6 second lead over Sete. But Gibernau was not done and on the next lap he was right on Rossi’s tail and on lap 22 he passed the reigning World Champion on the straight. But Rossi out-braked him into turn one on the penultimate lap and held on for the win.

“I said that tyre wear would be the big factor,” said Sete. “And we knew that the Yamaha had better traction so I used a slightly harder tyre. Yamaha has done a good job here – no other Hondas were close to me. There’s only one winner here and that’s Vale so congratulations to him.”

Colin Edwards (Telefonica Movistar Honda RC211V) was fifth after a bad start had dropped him to 15th from 11th on the grid. “I was actually doing well at the start until I hit fourth gear and then nothing happened. But then the bike got going again and I started to pass people. I got stuck behind Bayliss and his bike is so fast that he always stayed ahead on the straights. But I got a good pace going again at the end.”

Max was philosophical about his eighth place. “We’d used the type of tyre I chose before and had no problems with it, but something was not right today. The bike became unrideable and the data confirmed that. Sometimes you have bad days like this and you just have to forget about it and keep working hard. And that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Barros felt bad about his result. “The team did a great job and I let them down,” he said. “In the race I knew I had to push and I had no warning when the tyre just let go. Trying to look on the positive side I can see we are more competitive both here and at Mugello than we were earlier in the season.”

Tamada too is staying positive. “I had some bad vibration,” said the tough Japanese. “I couldn’t ride properly eventually and knew I had to come back to the garage. But we’re staying here to test some new rubber and I’ll be back at Assen fighting at the front again.”

Nicky Hayden (Repsol Honda RC211V) is looking forward too after attaining his second front row start of the season but retiring from the race. “The race was a disaster,” he said. “During the race the bike seemed to lose power and I must have lost water because when the bike eventually stopped we discovered the radiator had been holed. Onto the next race!”

The World Championhsip points table lead is still Gibernau’s territory. He has 106 points to Rossi’s 101. Max is right up there with 80 and now Carlos Checa, who finished fourth, has grabbed fourth place in the title race with 49, one ahead of Barros on 48.

The chance of a 250 home win went down to a pulsating last lap duel between homeboy Danny Pedrosa (Telefonica Movistar Junior Team RS250RW), the darling of Spanish crowd, and French interloper Randy de Puniet (Aprilia) with de Puniet getting the verdict by 0.108 seconds. Tony Elias (Fortuna Honda RS250RW) was a distant third, 9.5 seconds behind the demon duo.

The race pattern was set by the end of the first lap with the eventual rostrum finishers rampaging away from Roberto Rolfo (Fortuna Honda RS250RW), Fonsi Nieto, Sebastian Porto and reigning World Champion Manuel Poggiaili (all Aprilia). And by the end of the fourth lap the front runners had pulled out a five second gap over Rolfo.

Rolfo’s race was to end on lap 15 when Poggiali took out himself and the Italian Honda man with what appeared to be an ill-judged move. Rolfo was generous enough to put a consoling arm around the current Champion when other riders might have opted for a gravel trap confrontation.

After those two went out of the race, the fight at the front began to get serious. Pedrosa and de Puniet were riding so close, and so cleanly, that the two bikes were often only distinguishable by their colour schemes. They swapped the lead from lap to lap until the final tour of the 4.727km track.

Then it was a nail-biting final lap. They swapped the lead four times and just when it looked like there was no way back for either rider, the pair contrived to find a way through until World Championship points leader de Puniet kept Pedrosa at bay on the penultimate turn.

“I have to be happy with second,” said Pedrosa. “The race was really hard on tyres, especially the rear and we both rode at an absolute maximum. De Puniet was too good on the brakes in the final turns and I did all I could. That was a great race for the fans.”

Elias is getting back to form and said, “That was a good result from a difficult weekend. I tried to stay with Pedrosa and de Puniet and I had to ride at 120% to do that. I couldn’t, but third is okay and race by race I’ll get closer. The next race I should be able to stay with them.”

De Puniet now heads the points standings with 98 to Pedrosa’s 90 with Sebastian Porto, who finished fourth, now getting into the reckoning with 63.

If anyone was looking for early entertainment today, the 125cc class was where it was to be found with a six rider group fighting for every inch of track on the final lap. The winner was Spanish flyer Hector Barbera (Aprilia) who was down in 23rd place on lap two having badly fluffed his start from second on the grid. Andrea Dovizioso (Team Scot Honda RS125R) was second and Pablo Nieto (Aprilia) third.

Jorge Lorenzo (Aprilia), who eventually finished fifth, made much of the early running and was never out of the tightly packed leading group – a group that was covered by only 0.7 seconds at the flag. The 1km long straight was where much of the action took place – and it was just as frantic as last week’s epic at Mugello.

Barbera’s third win of his career was without doubt his hardest fought victory. Dovizioso shadowed him for the final half of the last lap and looked in prime position to draft past him on the long sprint to the line. But Barbera had enough speed to deny the Honda man what would have been his third win of what is turning out to be a gripping season.

“That was so hard,” said Dovizioso. “I was second by just 16 1000ths of a second but at least the last lap turned out better than last week for me. The tyres were right on the limit in the final few laps and when I got overtaken by a few of the group two laps from the end I really had to work to get back to the front.”

Julian Simon (Angaia Racing Honda RS125R), who qualified 11th, finished 14th and said, “My start wasn’t so bad,” he said. “But Barbera caused me problems when he ran into Corsi and knocked him into my path. I couldn’t get into a good race rhythm after that. But I passed four riders in the closing stages.”

The World Championship points after fifth round shows Dovizioso out front with 96 points, Barbera now in second overall with 73 and Roberto Locatelli (Aprilia), who crashed out of the race on lap 18 of the 22-lap contest while riding in the leading group, holding third with 73 points.



HONDA TEAM QUOTES:

MotoGP:
Sete Gibernau, Telefonica MoviStar Honda, 2nd : “I tried to play my cards well again today and we did the best we could with what we had. We knew we couldn’t use the same tyre as Yamaha and used a softer compound to try and have the same traction that they would have with the h! arder one. Obviously that meant that at the halfway stage their tyres would improve whilst mine deteriorated. I don’t want to give any excuses, I never have done, and I have to congratulate Valentino although I knew this could happen even though I gave 120%. I hope to keep going on the same path, have a chat with Honda about how we can improve the situation and do everything I can to make them understand that we have to face up to Valentino and Yamaha, who are improving a lot. I don’t feel as thoughI lost today – as far as I am concerned we have won because I am getting 100% out of what I have at every race”.

ColinEdwards , Telefonica MoviStar Honda : 5th : “I made a good start but I couldn’t stop them from coming past me and ended up fifteenth after the first lap. I kept my clam and started to pass riders but I lost a lot of time trying to get past Troy Bayliss. When he crashed I just concentrated on getting my rhythm together and in the end I was able to finish fift! h. Now we go to Assen – a circuit I know well after winning there several times in Superbikes – and I’m hoping to take a big step forward”.

Fausto Gresini: (Team Manager) : “Another exciting race in which Sete has given everything to try and win. It’s a good second place for him because he still leads the championship, even though the advantage over Valentino has been reduced a little. Sete was once again the first Honda rider and I am very happy because the only two Hondas in the top five were from our team”.

Max Biaggi, Camel Honda (Michelin Tyres),8th: “I’m very disappointed, after the practices I was ready to get a top result. In the warm-up I went out with a used tyre to prepare the second part of the race. I got a good start which took me into the top group. Then I began to get a problem in the rear tyre that just made everything impossible. In the analysis at the end of the race we realised that it was defective and that was the cause of the chattering that made the bike virtually impossible to ride. It’s a big disappointment and we need to put this result to one side and continue with our work in tomorrow’s tests at this track. I’m completely confident in Michelin and in the brilliant work they have always done. This is just a one off, a lucky one, but a one off.”

Sito Pons , Camel Honda (Team Principal) : “Max had a clear problem with his rear tyre and because of that was unable to fight for victory and above all to complete the fine work he had done in qualifying. The data analysis we did as soon as he got off the bike confirmed that Max was affected by a strange vibration that disturbed his control of the bike. Tomorrow we are staying on in Catalunya for another day to test and our objective is to resolve all the problems of this race.”

Gianluca Montiron, Camel Honda , (Makoto Tamada Team Manager): “Makoto Tamada suffered a serious deterioration in his rear tyre performance, which made the bike very difficult to ride. Despite having been up there for the first 12 laps of the race, he decided to retire, knowing that staying out there wouldn’t even have brought us any new data or information. We understand his decision and now we focus our attention on tomorrow’s test. As well as Makoto, tomorrow Bridgestone’s official test rider will come down to the track to help solve the problems quicker.”

Makoto Tamada, Camel Honda (Bridgestone Tyres) – Retired on lap thirteen: “I unexpectedly lost grip and then got these strong vibrations that made the bike difficult to control. To continue made no sense, not even to help with development. Tomorrow we will test some new material and we will try to find some solution to the difficulties we are currently having. I know Bridgestone will react and things will soon return to normal.”

Nicky Hayden, Repsol Honda Team: retired: “Just so disappointed. This morning I went out on used tyres to get a feel for the conditions and it all felt pretty positive. I seemed to have problems all weekend with practice starts and in the race it was a disaster. Just couldn’t get any power down right up to turn one by which time half the grid had got past. During the race the bike seemed to loose power and I noticed some fluid on the windscreen that I guess must have been water because when the bike eventually stopped we discovered the radiator had been holed a small stone I guess. I’m definitely disappointed not to get a result again. Onto the next race!”

Alex Barros, Repsol Honda Team: crash: “I made a reasonable start and in the early laps was battling with Tamada and Max. The bike felt okay and the package was not so bad. I managed to overtake them both and I believed I could close the gap on the leaders and wait for the end of the race to take advantage of the harder compound Michelins that would have been in better condition after 20 laps. This was the only tyre that seemed to work for me this weekend. I had had front problems all qualifying. Push, push. In the race I knew I had to ride the machine I had make the best of it. In the end I have no warning no push. It just let go. Trying to look on the positive side I can see we are more competitive both here and at Mugello than we were earlier this season. I now want to fight for the front row and a race result. I feel very bad for the team they did a great job and I let them down.”


250cc:

Dani Pedrosa, Telefonica MoviStar Honda: (2nd.): “It was a really nice race and I enjoyed it a lot. It was a real learning experience for me riding so hard on spent tyres. In the head-to-head with De Puniet he was passing me on top speed and on the brakes, whilst I was quicker through the corners and on acceleration with the worn tyre. On the last lap I tried everything I knew I had to get to the stadium section first if I wanted to win but it wasn’t to be. In any case I am happy because we have completed our objectives I had a good race, the bike was fantastic thanks to the hard work of my team and we are back on the podium. I have to thank the crowd for the incredible support they have given me all weekend”.

Toni Elías (3rd) “I have to be happy with this result after a problematic weekend for us. It’s been tough but at the end of the day I’ve been able to score some really important championship points”.
“I got a good start and tried to go with the lead group but it wasn’t possible. I’m getting closer to them with every race and I hope that in the next few rounds I can catch them”.
“I gave 120% to follow De Puniet and Pedrosa but it just wasn’t going to happen”.

Hirosi Aoyama, Telefonica MoviStar Honda: (6th.): “I was way back on the grid and was relying on a good start but it didn’t work out that way and I found myself havi