Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday Afternoon World Superbike Practice Times:

1. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, 1:36.157
2. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 1:36.997
3. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.113
4. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.210
5. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:37.632
6. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.707
7. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:37.765
8. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:37.839
9. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:37.893
10. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 999RS, 1:38.008
11. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, 1:38.023
12. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, 1:38.176
13. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:38.185
14. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, 1:38.203
15. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:38.494
16. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:38.524
17. Alessio Velini, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:38.974
18. Horst Saiger, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:39.029
19. Warwick Nowland, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:39.958
20. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:40.423
21. Miguel Praia, Ducati 999RS, 1:41.277

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Final World Superbike Qualifying Results:

1. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, 1:36.323
2. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 1:36.489
3. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 1:36.759
4. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, 1:36.778
5. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:37.107
6. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.208
7. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.212
8. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:37.254
9. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.601
10. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.617
11. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:37.718
12. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:37.778
13. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:37.863
14. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, 1:37.897
15. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:38.117
16. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:38.246
17. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:38.510
18. Warwick Nowland, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:39.057
19. Horst Saiger, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:39.307
20. Alessio Velini, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:39.399
21. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 998RS, 1:41.302
22. Miguel Praia, Ducati 999RS, 1:42.074

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

World Superbike Superpole Results:

1. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, 1:35.935
2. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 1:36.973
3. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:36.977
4. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, 1:36.980
5. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.050
6. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.074
7. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.278
8. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.295
9. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:37.428
10. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:37.480
11. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:37.601
12. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:37.667
13. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.825
14. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, 1:38.272
15. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:38.781
16. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:39.496


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

McCOY WILL START FROM THE SECOND ROW TOMORROW AT VALENCIA

(Valencia 2004, February 28)

Tomorrow, in his debut race in Superbike arena, Garry McCoy will start from the second row at Valencia, for the Spanish round of 2004 World Superbike. The Australian rider of Scuderia Xerox Ducati Nortel Networks, after recording the sixth fastest in the qualifying sessions, clinched the seventh fastest in Superpole, good for the starting grid. McCoy confirmed to be satisfied at the end of the day:

“This morning has been the first time I rode the second bike which it felt different, because the clutch wasn’t working properly and we weren’t able to fix it. I rode this bike for a while expecting to ride my number one bike, which I did or the last ten minutes on the qualifying session, and I felt the bike had not enough power from the bottom, so it made me go back to the spare bike.

The Superpole was very new for me. It’s something else I have to get used to but my impression overall about today’s Superpole is that it was very cold and risky to get out there and push 110% as you would do in a usual hot lap. I have to add that my clutch wasn’t working very good so I decided not to push too much on the first split of the 4 km circuit and save it for the last bit to get a better time.

Tomorrow is going to be another day for me. I never did two races in one day, but I guess I just have to go out there and do my best as a rookie. I can’t really say what my expectations are because I just like to live day by day and get worried about what happens at the time. Anyway I will try to get out there and fight like one more of this guys.”

Marco Mozzone, McCoy’s chief mechanic, is satisfied of today’s result:

“I’m very happy about Garry’s result. I know everything is very new to Garry specially the Superpole, but I think he did a very good job today. Overall I think we are in the same position as Garry because we need know each other better that we do, but everything will come with the time. Garry is very relaxed, I’ve never worked with a rider like this which makes me feel really good and not stressed.”

Miguel Praia too, despite the pains for the fracture at his left foot, clinched the qualification for the race at his debut in world championship.

“Today I changed completely my approach to the track.” – said Miguel at the end of practices – “I must focus myself to understand the bike, the tyres, everything at all, because it’s everything pretty new for me. Today there was also a terrible wind on the track. So I preferred not to look only for a fast laptime, I do prefer to ride half second slower, but without any risk and be able to go on my learning.”


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

Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Chris Walker and Troy Corser will start tomorrow’s first races of the 2004 World Superbike championship at Valencia, Spain, from the third row of the grid after using race tyres throughout the second day’s qualifying sessions.

Having performed better on Pirelli race rubber than the qualifying tyre constructions available, the decision was made to use race tyres for the one-lap Superpole shoot-out for qualifying positions. Chris set his best time of the day of 1:37.480 and improved his qualifying position during Superpole to start in 10th on the grid. Troy qualified in 12th with a Superpole lap of 1:37.667, with Regis Laconi setting the pace at 1:35.935.

Chris said: “That’s one of the few times I have improved my position in Superpole and it was my best lap of the day so I was pretty pleased with that. The bike was working well and I did that lap on race tyres, whereas a lot of other riders were on qualifiers. With just one tyre working for us we did have to try a few things out and one of the things we attempted was to add some more weight to the back of the bike in order to give us more corner entry grip. But that resulted in loss of stability so I ended up putting the settings back to yesterday morning when I did my best lap of the weekend. It is going to be hard to pass people but if I can get dragged along down the straight and stay as wide as possible then there is no reason why I can’t have a good race. I just need a Stalker start tomorrow and we’ll be in the zone!”

The strong winds of yesterday returned to the Ricardo Tormo circuit, but a change in direction had an adverse effect on times throughout the day. Troy said: “Today the wind was blowing across the circuit and affecting us around the whole track. It was trying to blow you off the track at every corner. The bike is handling okay but we are still trying to make up as much time as possible through the corners. Starting from the third row is obviously a problem, as there are already ten bikes in front of us. I did my fastest laps of the day straight out of the gate this morning and feel as though I can stay in the mid-37s for the race.”

Afternoon free practice: 1 Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1:36.157; 2 Toseland (Ducati Fila) 1:36.997; 3 Haga (Renegade Ducati) 1:37.113; 4 Haslam (Renegade Ducati) 1:37.210; 5 Fuertes (MIR Racing) 1:37.632; 6 Borciani (DFX) 1:37.707; 7 Vermeulen (Ten Kate) 1:37.765; 8 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:37.839; 9 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:37.893; 10 Chili (PSG-1) 1:38.008

Superpole: 1 Laconi 1:35.935; 2 Toseland +1.038; 3 Vermeulen +1.042; 4 Haslam +1.045; 5 Martin +1.115; 6 Haga +1.139; 7 McCoy +1.343; 8 Borciani +1.360; 9 Fuertes +1.493; 10 Walker +1.545; 11 Pedercini +1.666; 12 Corser +1.732; 13 Chili +1.890; 14 Nannelli +2.337; 15 Sanchini +2.846; 16 Bontempi +3.561


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


Vermeulen Takes Spectacular Front Row Start at First Attempt

Having started well on the opening day of Superbike qualifying the combination of Superbike rookie Chris Vermeulen and the all-new Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR finished an epic third in Superpole, earning a third place start on the grid for Valencia’s 23-lap Superbike race.

His time of 1:36.977 was Chris’s best of the weekend, the young Aussie Supersport Champion revelling in his first ever Superpole outing. He could have gone even faster but was held back by the high winds, which have been a constant aspect of the first race of the 2004 season.

The competition at Valencia was keen, with the fastest rider proving to be the Ducati Fila competitor Regis Laconi. Second best was his team-mate James Toseland and the last front row qualifier will be Briton Leon Haslam.

“I am really pleased with that result, especially as it wasn’t a perfect lap,” said Vermeulen. “The wind was so high I had to hold back a little bit for safety. I had to finish the lap for the time to count. I’m happy with the set-up for the race and it’s perfect to start from the front row.”

Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate could hardly find the words to express his pleasure at such a positive result for a bike and rider combination new to the Superbike class. “I think I am really almost speechless,” he smiled. “We hoped for a result like that this weekend but we didn’t really expect it. The technicians have been working really hard to get the bike ready and as good as it can be and we want to get the same sort of result in the race now as well.” ENDS

World Superbike Championship
Round One – Valencia
27 – 29 February
Superpole Qualifying


1. R. Laconi, FRA, Ducati 999 F04, 1:35.935
2. J. Toseland, GBR, Ducati 999 F04, 1:36.973
3. C. Vermeulen, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR, 1:36.977
4. L. Haslam, GBR, Ducati 999 RS, 1:36.980
5. S. Martin, AUS, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.050
6. N. Haga, JPN, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.074
7. G. MCCoy, AUS, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.278
8. M. Borciani, ITA, Ducati 999 RS, 1:37.295
9. S. Fuertes, ITA, Suzuki GSX 1000R, 1:37.428
10. C. Walker, GBR, Petronas FP1, 1:37.480


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

DISAPPOINTMENT FOR TROY

A small problem cost Troy dearly in the 16-rider Superspole shoot-out and relegated him to place on the fourth row of the grid in tomorrow’s opening round of the championship at the Ricardo Tormo circuit, Valencia.

Throughout the weekend Troy and the team were continuing their understanding of their Pirelli tyres and trying to find a good set-up for the bike. At the moment, Troy can get good grip from the tyre, but at the expense of chattering. Or by choosing a different tyre he can get rid of the chatter, but then loses grip. So, at the moment, any solution will have to be a compromise – and that is understandably a bit frustrating for the former World Superbike Champion. In Superpole today, Troy went out on a bike, with an engine that was new and had only done a lap or two and going into turn one on his ‘hot lap’ the clutch didn’t work in the same way as the bike he had been riding before. The half a second or so that he lost then and there was enough to destroy any chance of a good time and he finished twelfth quickest instead.

Factory Ducati rider Regis Laconi took pole position today with a lap of 1:35.935, with his team mate James Toseland second. The surprise of the day was Chris Vermeulen third quickest on the new 2004 Honda CBR1000RR, ahead of Leon Haslam (Ducati).

TROY – 12th, 1:37.667

Well I guess you could say that Superpole was a bit frustrating and disappointing. I had to conserve the new engine, so that’s why I only did a couple of laps on it. But of course, a couple of laps isn’t really enough to feel what’s going on properly and when I went into turn one, the clutch on it felt different to my other bike and it was enough to cause me to lose a bit of time. That half second or so pushed me way down the order, because without that problem I feel I could’ve been on the second row for sure. At the moment we’re having to make a compromise between grip and chatter. If we go for good grip the bike chatters, if we get rid of the chatter by using a different tyre, we find that tyre doesn’t give as good grip! It’s just a bit frustrating for us at the moment, because I guess we feel that the twins have had more tyre development done then we have had. I hope the situation is going to improve soon, but Pirelli have a lot of work to do and not a lot of time in which to do it. Tomorrow I definitely need a pair of good starts if I am to have any chance of a good result – but I’ll be going for it for sure.

Wish me luck!



More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

DUCATI FILA TAKE 1-2 IN VALENCIA SUPERPOLE

Valencia (Spain), 28 February 2004: First race of the year for the Ducati Fila team and first pole position for Regis Laconi at Valencia in the opening round of the 2004 World Superbike Championship. After dominating the two qualifying sessions with his Ducati 999 Factory ’04, the 28 year-old Frenchman then amazed the entire field with a lap of 1:35.935, a full second ahead of the rest of his rivals. Second place for his 23-year-old team-mate James Toseland with a time of 1:36.973, ahead of Chris Vermeulen (Honda) and Leon Haslam (Renegade Ducati 999).

“Like yesterday the conditions were very difficult, the track was still cold and the wind changed direction all the time, but I am really pleased with my second ever Superbike pole position” declared Regis. “I wanted to get down into the 1:35s and I did, but only just!. Everything is going well, we did a good job with my team this weekend and I am very happy. The tyre I chose for my long-run wasn’t entirely satisfactory, but then we tried another tyre that I liked and so I feel confident for the races tomorrow.”

James Toseland declared: “Everything is OK, despite my crash in the last minute of the free practice session just before Superpole. It’s not easy going from a crash to a quick lap in one go however. We found a good base set-up for the race, I set my quickest time on my race tyre, so I’m sure we’ll be able to give it a go tomorrow. For the moment there’s a second gap between me and Regis, but I am sure that tomorrow there won’t be!. Regis is riding really well, he’s got more experience than me, but I’m getting there, I probably just need a bit more time to get up to his level but I’m sure I’ll be there pretty soon.”

TIMES: 1. Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1:35.935; 2. Toseland (Ducati Fila) 1:36.973; 3. Vermeulen (Honda) 1:36.977; 4. Haslam (Renegade Ducati) 1:36.980; 5. Martin (DFX Ducati) 1:37.050 ; 6. Haga (Renegade Ducati) 1:37.074 ; 7. McCoy (NCR Ducati) 1:37.278; 8. Borciani (DFX Ducati), etc.


ROW 4 START FOR LANZI (DUCATI BREIL) ON SUPERSPORT DEBUT

Valencia (Spain), 28 February 2004: Lorenzo Lanzi will start tomorrow’s opening round of the World Supersport Championship at Valencia from the fourth row of the grid after qualifying in sixteenth position with the Ducati 749R.

Ducati’s latest Supersport creation, which sports the colours of new title sponsor Breil, is making its international debut at Valencia, while Lanzi is also taking part in his first-ever World Supersport race.

“I hoped to improve a bit in the second qualifying and get into the top 10, but unfortunately I couldn’t do it” declared Lanzi. “Today we made a few changes to try and get the settings more to my liking for the race, but we are still in a development phase and three quarters of an hour is just not enough to find the best solution. I have to say I’m pleased with the engine, which is really powerful and our bike is one of the quickest overall. Tomorrow I think I can have a good race, if the tyres give me a hand, because I’ve got a good feeling with the 749, even though we still have to do a lot more work to make it more competitive.”

TIMES: 1. Muggeridge (Honda) 1:37.765; 2. Parkes (Honda) 1:37.910; 3. Foret (Yamaha) 1:38.314; 4. Charpentier (Honda) 1:38.383; 5. Curtain (Yamaha) 1:38.427 ; 6. Van der Goorbergh (Yamaha) 1:38.522; 7. Fujiwara (Suzuki) 1:38.676; 8. Kellner (Yamaha) 1:38.752 … 16. Lanzi (Ducati Breil) 1:39.694.


More, from a press release issued by FGSport:

World Superbike Championship 2004
Round One – Valencia – 27-29 February

Saturday 28 February

High Winds Can’t Halt Laconi’s Charge

Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila 999F04) proved his off-season and regulation qualifying prowess with an outstanding Superpole lap of 1:35.935, outdoing his own best previous effort in the high winds. Last away from the 16-rider Superpole session, Laconi was peerless, going over a second faster than his closest challenger, James Toseland, his own Ducati Fila team-mate.

The young Englishman rode hard to overcome the set-up problems he had encountered in qualifying, but his performance was arguably overshadowed by that of a class rookie Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR). Both rider and machine are new to the specialist discipline of Superpole – and the SBK championship itself – making Vermeulen’s third place time an even more remarkable feat.

In a good day for the British riders, Leon Haslam confounded many more experienced SBK pilots to finish fourth fastest, and earn himself a start on the front row on his Renegade Ducati. It was a fruitful Superpole all round for the new-to-SBK Renegade team, as Noriyuki Haga secured a sixth place on the grid, one place behind DFX Ducati rider Steve Martin.

Garry McCoy (Xerox Ducati NCR 999RS) went seventh fastest, the diminutive rider struggling particularly in the high winds, as he rode his first ever Superpole lap. He showed enough is Superpole, and enough improvement over the weekend in general, to be taken as a serious raceday threat.

Marco Borciani (DFX Ducati) continued his rich seam of form to take eighth place while the local interest was fuelled by the quick early time put in by Sergio Fuertes, who will start the race from the third row, after lapping ninth fastest. Chris Walker’s tenth place made him the quickest of the Foggy Petronas riders, his team-mate Troy Corser only finishing his day in 12th place.

Eleventh place rider Lucio Pedercini, on his 998 Ducati, was one of the few riders not on a 2004 private Duke, but Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) elected to use his older machine to go 13th fastest, a disappointing result for the experienced rider. If Chili finishes the two races on the weekend, he will tie with Carl Fogarty for numbers of race wins. He currently has 217 finishes, Fogarty has 219 – but the record holder remains Aaron Slight, with 229.


Muggeridge The Supersport Master
In the Supersport World Championship, Karl Muggeridge was the pre-eminent rider in his peer group, almost beating the track lap record with his best time of 1:37.765. In second place his new team-mate Broc Parkes continued his weekend in fine form, making it a Ten Kate 1-2. New boy in the Yamaha Italia team, Fabien Foret, secured a fine third place after a typically effusive ride. Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) was fourth fastest, the best Suzuki proving to be that of Katsuaki Fujiwara in seventh. Breil Ducati rider Lorenzo Lanzi was the fastest of the twin cylinder combatants, 16th.

The 23-lap races in Superbike and Supersport take place tomorrow Valencia.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

1. Karl Muggeridge, Honda CBR600RR, 1:37.765
2. Broc Parkes, Honda CBR600RR, 1:37.910
3. Fabien Foret, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:38.314
4. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda CBR600RR, 1:38.383
5. Kevin Curtain, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:38.427
6. Jurgen Van den Goorbergh, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:38.522
7. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:38.676
8. Christian Kellner, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:38.752
9. Werner Daemen, Honda CBR600RR, 1:39.007
10. Tobias Kirmeier, Honda CBR600RR, 1:39.044
11. Stephane Chambon, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:39.223
12. Stefano Cruciani, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:39.282
13. Max Neukirchner, Honda CBR600RR, 1:39.370
14. Matteo Baiocco, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:39.380
15. Alessio Corradi, Honda CBR600RR, 1:39.538
16. Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati 749R, 1:39.694
17. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:39.802
18. Giovanni Bussei, Ducati 749R, 1:39.968
19. Kai Borre Andersen, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:40.039
20. Craig Jones, Triumph Daytona 600, 1:40.140


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

FUJI JUST MISSES FRONT ROW

2004 Supersport World Championship. Round 1, Valencia, Spain February 27-29 Circuit Ricardo Tormo 4.005 kms. Weather: Dry, cold.
Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Katsuaki Fujiwara just missed out on a provisional front row grid position, despite taking things steadily on the opening day of the championship at Valencia.

Despite sunshine for most of the day, it was bitterly cold and then cold and windy in the afternoon timed session. Fujiwara ended the day with a lap of 1:39.457 – just a whisker outside the top four. Stephane Chambon struggled to control his new GSX-R600 in the strong winds in the timed qualifying session and finished with tenth quickest time and fellow Alstare Suzuki rider Vittorio Iannuzzo had problems with his bike’s set-up and ended thirteen fastest overall.

Provisional pole today was set by Frenchman Sebastien Charpentier (Honda) with a time of 1:39.065, followed by the Hondas of Karl Muggeridge and Broc Parkes, with Fabien Foret (Yamaha) completing the provisional front row of the grid.

Katsuaki Fujiwara – 5th, 1:39.457: “Today I spent some time trying two different types of rear suspension and generally trying to find a good bike set-up. At the moment my two bikes feel quite different and really I would like some more testing time. But, step by step, I think it’s getting better. Our bike is a brand new bike and so it would be impossible to have it absolutely perfect so soon. I think we are lacking a bit of top speed and the same level of engine power as our rivals here at Valencia, but this will improve. This afternoon, it was very windy and I had problems controlling the bike -especially into turn one where the wind wanted to push me further into the turn. I hope it is not so windy and cold tomorrow and I can get onto the front row of the grid.”

Stephane Chambon – 10th, 1:40.362: “In the morning I was steady and didn’t push too hard because I am still learning this bike and of course the tyres. In the afternoon timed session, I would’ve liked to have pushed harder, but the wind was too strong for me. Because I am quite small and do not weigh very much, I found it really hard to manoeuvre the bike and so I eased off a little. That was what dropped me down the order, but as long as the wind is not so strong tomorrow, I am sure I can go faster. At this stage of our bike’s development, I think that our bike feels as if it is little less powerful then our competitors. But, despite that I think we can still make a good result.”

Vittorio Iannuzzo – 13th, 1:40.684: “Thirteenth doesn’t look too good, but the times are pretty close so I am not worried yet. Also, I didn’t push very hard today because I was happy with my bike. It felt a bit tall and so we have a few changes to make before tomorrow’s qualifying. If I can get a better feeling with the bike, I’m sure I can go a lot quicker. I do hope that the wind is not so strong tomorrow, because that will not be good for any of us.”


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

Muggeridge and Parkes Dominate Final Qualifying

Ten Kate Honda riders Karl Muggeridge and Broc Parkes stamped their authority on a cold and windy final qualifying session, securing first and second places on the grid respectively. Each was close to the track lap record, despite the far from ideal track conditions, with Muggeridge quickest of all with his 1:37.765. Parkes was almost on the same par, with his 1:37.910.

The gusting winds around the 4.005km circuit had abated from their previous day high, but a stiff breeze was still a handicap to all 29 prospective qualifiers for the opening race of the year.

It was smiles all around in the Ten Kate garage, irrespective of the weather, as Muggeridge’s plan to take pole position paid off for the popular Aussie rider. “We’ve done a lot of laps around here in testing and the set-up of the bike is as good as we can get it,” said Muggeridge. “It stops, goes and turns really well and the wind was less of a factor today. That made it easier to judge the line around a whole lap. I feel we’re really ready for the race tomorrow.”

For his team-mate, Parkes, day one of his latest WSS adventure was a real success. “The wind was still strong but not so gusty today,” said Parkes, “I worked through most of the tyres I had kept back from yesterday and we’ve got a good race set-up, so we’re ready for the race. I think it’s pretty amazing that I’m on the front row in qualifying because I’m usually a much better racer than a qualifier.”

“We have gone very well here in the winter tests, but in a way that has just meant more pressure on the shoulders of the riders,” said Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate. “Today they proved that they could handle the pressure. We are very pleased that both riders got under the 1:38 barrier and so close to the absolute track record. We can’t wait for the race.”

The race itself, a 23-lap affair, takes place at 13.20 CET.
World Supersport Championship
Round One – Valencia
27 – 29 February

1. K. Muggeridge, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR, 1:37.765
2. B. Parkes, AUS, Ten Kat Honda CBR600RR, 1:37.910
3. F. Foret, FRA, Yamaha YZF R6, 1:38.314
4. S. Charpentier, FRA, Honda CBR600RR, 1:38.383
5. K. Curtain, AUS, Yamaha YZF R6, 1:38.427
6. J. vd Goorbergh, NED, Yamaha YZF R6, 1:38.522
7. K. Fujiwara, JPN, Suzuki GSX 600R, 1:38.676
8. C. Kellner, GER, Yamaha YZF R6, 1:38.752
9. W. Daemen, BEL, Honda CBR600RR, 1:39.007
10. T. Kirmeier, GER, Hoda CBR600RR, 1:39.044



More. from a press release issued by Yamaha Belgarda:

Yamaha Belgarda Racing
Yamaha Italia World Supersport Team Newsletter
Date: February 28th 2004
Circuit: Ricardo Tormo, Valencia (Spagna), m. 4.005
Final Qualifying
Weather: Dry, mostly sunny, cold
Crowd: 5.000

FRONT ROW FOR FABIEN! ROW TWO FOR JURGEN
Despite the bitter cold and strong winds, Yamaha Italia World Supersport team riders Fabien Foret and Jurgen van den Goorbergh mastered the conditions to end up on the first and second rows of the grid. Fabien qualified third quickest and Jurgen sixth in today’s timed session and both are now confident of good results in tomorrow’s 23-lap race. Aussie Karl Muggeridge (Honda) set the day’s fastest time, with a lap of 1:37.765, just ahead of his team mate Broc Parkes. Joining Fabien on the front row will be one of his fellow countrymen Sebastien Charpentier (Honda), with Kevin Curtain (Yamaha) on row two, alongside Jurgen, Katsuaki Fujiwara (Suzuki) and Christian Kellner (Yamaha).

FABIEN FORET – 3rd, 1:38.314
It was my goal to finish qualifying with a front row grid place and that’s what we achieved, so I’m happy. My other goal was to get my YZF-R6 Yamaha comfortable to race and we are nearly there. The rear still needs a bit of adjustment, but we’re close to what we are after, so I think we’ve had a productive couple of days. We’ll try just a few little changes – a click or two here or there – in the warm-up tomorrow morning and see if we can improve the bike, but we aren’t going to make any drastic changes. If the little clicks do not help, we’ll revert to today’s final set-up. The tyres may be a problem, because what we probably will run may not last the distance, so it’ll be important to ride smoothly and try and keep them in good shape. At Valencia, it’s important to make a good start because passing is not so easy. Today, the wind was once again a problem, so I hope tomorrow’s conditions will be a bit better.


JURGEN VAN DEN GOORBERGH – 6th, 138.522
Today went more or less as I expected, but I know I’ve got something more left for tomorrow. I don’t think I can expect too much so soon after three weeks off the bike, but my R6 Yamaha is working better and better. It’s only my third day on the the bike with the new (Ohlins) suspension, so I think we’re doing pretty good. My goal was to be on the first or second row and I succeeded. I know which tyres I will use tomorrow, but I need the suspension to be working well so that the tyres don’t wear out too soon. It’s the same for everybody, sop we’ll just have to see how it all works out in the race tomorrow.

MATTEO BAIOCCO – 14th, 1:39.380
Team Lorenzini by Leoni rider Matteo Baiocco ended final qualifying in 14th position and will start tomorrow’s 23-lap race from the fourth
row of the grid.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

F-USA officials have adjusted the horsepower limits for machines in the Formula Sportbike (750cc Superstock) and Sportbike (600cc Superstock) classes to suit the change from a Dynojet dyno to a Factory Pro Tuning dyno.

The Dynojet number for Formula Sportbike was 145 and the Factory Pro Tuning number is 122.

The Dynojet number for Sportbike was 115 and the Factory Pro Tuning number is 100.

The Thunderbike class pounds-per-horsepower limit has been revised from 3.8 to 4.0 horsepower per pound.

Factory Pro Tuning dynos read lower than Dynojet dynos. Factory Pro Tuning owner Marc Salvisberg maintains that his dynos produce “true horsepower” and that the readings given by Dynojet dynos are inaccurate and inflated.

Dynojet officials maintain that their dynos are accurate, and Dynojet has sold many times the number of dynos sold by Factory Pro Tuning.

The Factory Pro Tuning dyno at Daytona is being operated by Factory Pro Racing’s Leigh Thomas.

Factory Pro Racing’s Salvisberg claims that his dyno produces consistent readings without horsepower swings related to changing weather conditions.

From a press release issued by Foggy Petronas Racing:

FPR riders on the pace as WSBK season starts in Spain

Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Troy Corser and Chris Walker were straight on the pace when the World Superbike championship revved into action at Valencia in Spain today.

New signing Walker was fourth after the morning’s free practice session, with team-mate Corser just 0.3 seconds and one position back in fifth. On a chilly day, with gusting winds increasing and track temperatures dropping in the afternoon, the FPR boys finished the first day of qualifying in ninth and seventh respectively.

Their best times, however, were set on Pirelli race tyres whereas the rest of the field sliced substantial chunks off their fastest laps on qualifying rubber. Troy finished with a best lap of 1:37.254 while Chris, on his number two bike, posted a 1:37.718 in the morning session, just one tenth of a second behind his best lap on the FP1 at this circuit.

Troy said: “We have not really been trying race tyres today as we found the best one straight away for both front and rear. But the rest of the leading times in the afternoon session were set when people were taking about a second off on qualifiers. I wasn’t able to go any quicker on a qualifier as it produced more chatter. And it’s important to qualify well here because, with turn one so tight, if you are not up there with the first three or four by turn two, you are never going to catch them. So that is a worry. But, if you look at the times before the qualifiers were used, I was around third or fourth. I have been changing the pivot position in the rear and trying a different rear shock to try and get more grip from the rear, but that is always a balancing act between creating more
chatter.”

Chris said: “Today went relatively well and I was happy with my times this morning, especially to be within a tenth of my best time from the test so quickly. In the afternoon I had to swap bikes because of a technical problem and the second bike had different forks and a different set-up, which was not ideal. So I didn’t use a
qualifier because I wanted to save my tyre quote until tomorrow when the weather will hopefully be better. Sure, I’m used to being a little bit higher up the board but I hope to be up there tomorrow. My biggest problem has been with ground clearance, which is something we will have to work on for tomorrow.”

Friday qualifying times, round one, World Superbike championship, Valencia, Spain: 1 Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1:36.323; 2 Toseland
(Ducati Fila) 1:36.683; 3 Martin (DFX) 1:36.778; 4 Haga (Renegade) 1:36.901; 5 McCoy (NCR) 1:37.208; 6 Borciani (DFX) 1:37.212; 7
Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:37.254; 8 Vermeulen (Ten Kate) 1:37.713; 9 Walker (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:37.718; 10
Pedercini (Team Pedercini) 1:37.778

Free practice: 1 Toseland (Ducati Fila) 1:36.611; 2 Haga (Renegade) 1:37.233; 3 Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1:37.297; 4 Walker (Foggy
PETRONAS Racing) 1:37.347; 5 Corser (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:37.700; 6 McCoy (NCR) 1:38.005; 7 Martin (DFX) 1:38.015; 8
Haslam (Renegade) 1:38.063; 9 Borciani (DFX) 1:38.331; 10 Vermeulen (Ten Kate) 1:38.468


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

Muggeridge and Parkes Net Provisional Front Row Starts

The first timed qualifying session of the 2004 World Supersport season delivered the Ten Kate pairing of Karl Muggeridge and Broc Parkes provisional front row starts on their CBR600RR machines.

A close contest on a dry track was blighted for all competitors as the winds picked up in intensity, making it difficult to hold a line on the tortuous Valencia track layout. The relatively cool track temperatures also prevented any of the top riders from setting times close to those which saw the Ten Kate pairing dominate in the final official pre-season tests at this very circuit.

Second quickest despite the trying conditions was Karl Muggeridge, the first of Ten Kate’s Aussie riders on the timesheets, although he and Parkes set an identical time of 1:39.128, well down on his personal best from pre-season testing. His team-mate Parkes, classified third quickest after being fastest at one stage, preserved this tyre supply for the second day of qualifying. He was one of the first riders to break out of the 1:40 bracket, in his first full season for the team.

Muggeridge, the winner of the last three WSS races in the 2003 season for Ten Kate explained, “The wind was ten times worse than in the recent tests here. It’s not so much the intensity but the gusty nature of it. You can be committed to a corner and then the wind gusts and puts you off line. If the front end lifts exiting a corner the wind just whips the wheel out of line so it’s really difficult to put in consistent laps. The wind is also blowing sand across the track and that’s making it slippery as well. The bike feels perfect for perfect conditions but we need the impossible – a bike that also works perfectly in gusty wind conditions! If the wind drops we can go faster tomorrow.”

“I got a good start out there but I did the whole session on only one tyre,” said Parkes, explaining that day two should be more important than the first session. “I kept most of my tyres for the second day of qualifying, when I hope the conditions will be better. If the wind drops a bit we can go faster for sure, and I’m happy with the set-up of the bike.” Parkes, like his peer group, has one more qualifying session in which to improve his time and go for pole position.

“The wind conditions are what is holding us and everyone back, and we will make up the 1.5 or seconds we expected to have once the wind drops,” said Team Manager Ronald Ten Kate. “We are happy with our performance because the bikes are working well and it is still the same name at the top of the timesheets, even in these conditions.”

World Supersport Championship
Round One – Valencia
27 – 29 February
1. S. Charpentier, FRA, Honda CBR600RR 1:39.065
2. K. Muggeridge, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR 1:39.128
3. B. Parkes, AUS, Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR 1:39.128
4. F. Foret, FRA, Yamaha YZF R6 1:39.239
5. K. Fujiwara, JPN, Suzuki GSX 600R 1:39.457
6. K. Curtain, AUS, Yamaha YZF R6 1:39.467
7. W. Daemen, BEL, Honda CBR600RR 1:39.657
8. A. Corradi, ITA, Honda CBR600RR 1:39.670
9. C. Kellner, GER, Yamaha YZF R6 1:40.003
10. S. Chambon, FRA, Suzuki GSX 600R 1:40362



More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

LACONI AND TOSELAND (DUCATI FILA) HEAD THE FIELD IN FIRST WORLD SUPERBIKE QUALIFYING AT VALENCIA

Valencia (Spain), 27 February 2004: Regis Laconi and James Toseland (Ducati Fila) powered their 999s to the top of the timesheets in first qualifying for the opening round of the World Superbike Championship at the Valencia circuit in Spain.

In extremely cold but dry conditions, Laconi was quickest straight out of the box and the 28 year-old Frenchman ended up with a time of 1:36.323.

“The feeling with the bike was much better than this morning and we have put the same settings as I had in the tests” declared Laconi. “It was very hard to ride in the wind, but the weather is the same for everyone. I made my quick time with my race tyre after 10 laps and I feel good about that. I didn’t use a qualifying tyre today, we will see tomorrow. I had more problem with rear grip than in the tests because of the cold and the track is a bit dirty, but I’m not finding an excuse, I don’t have to, I just have to be fast!”.

James Toseland crashed early in the afternoon session but then moved comfortably into second place in the timesheets behind Laconi with a time of 1:36.683, which he set on his other machine.

“I crashed but had a bit of fun out there today, there was a hurricane blowing at turn 1 and no other rider had it, just me” joked James about his crash. “You’ve got to be careful out there, it’s very dusty and dirty.

“We tried something in the early part of the session but it didn’t work that well so when I crashed we went back to the settings on my no.1 bike, which was much better. I’m just a bit disappointed about scratching the bike!” Toseland added. “We’re in the ballpark, fastest this morning and second fastest this afternoon, we’re riding well and the bike’s good!”

TIMES: 1. Laconi (Ducati Fila) 1:36.323; 2. Toseland (Ducati Fila) 1:36.383; 3. Martin (Ducati DFX) 1’36.778; 4. Haga (Renegade Ducati) 1:36.901; 5. McCoy (Ducati NCR) 1:37.208; 6. Borciani (Ducati DFX) 1:37.212; 7. Corser (Petronas) 1:37.254; 8. Vermeulen (Honda) 1:37.713; etc.



LANZI (DUCATI BREIL) DEBUTS IN WORLD SUPERSPORT WITH PROVISIONAL TWELFTH PLACE

Valencia (Spain), 27 February 2004: Italian Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Breil) took the all-new 749R to a provisional twelfth place in today’s opening qualifying session for round 1 of the World Supersport Championship at Valencia.

Lanzi, who was European Superstock runner-up in 2003, had a difficult start to his Supersport career as icy temperatures and blustery winds prevented any record times being set, but the 22-year-old from Cesena, Italy said he was reasonably happy with twelfth quickest position.

“I am quite pleased with the way things went today on my debut” declared Lanzi. “Overall we had a better session than in testing here a couple of weeks ago even though our time was not as quick.

“We made a few changes but with the wind it was difficult to get a good idea. Tomorrow we’ll test them again and then hopefully we’ll be on the right path because in my opinion we can improve.

Lanzi added: “I had a bit of a problem with the clutch on my final lap and without that I’m sure I could have got my time down even further”.

TIMES: 1. Charpentier (Honda) 1:39.065; 2. Muggeridge (Honda) 1:39.128; 3. Parkes (Honda) 1:39.128; 4. Foret (Yamaha) 1:39.239; 5. Fujiwara (Suzuki) 1:39.457; 6. Curtain (Yamaha) 1:39.457; 7. Daemen (Honda) 1:39.657; 8. Corradi (Honda) 1:39.670 …… 12. Lanzi (Ducati Breil) 1:40.576.


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

McCOY FIFTH FASTEST IN THE DEBUT DAY AT VALENCIA

Garry McCoy recorded the fifth fastest in the qualifying session today on the 4005 meters of R.Tormo Circuit in Valencia, where next Sunday will start the 2004 Superbike World Championship.

The Australian rider of Team Xerox Ducati Nortel Networks, after a morning session focused in the setting of the bike, in the afternoon stopped the stopwatches on a laptime of 1’37.208, time recorded with race tyres and repeated a few laps later. His Ducati 999RS has been recorded as the fastest bike of the group, thanks the very good job made by the engineers of the team based in Bologna.

“We went on to set the bike,” – said McCoy at the end of practice – “but I’m getting experience on the twin cylinder, so I’m pretty satisfied. I reached easily my fastest lap, without pushing and while I was testing a race tyre. Later with qualifying tyres I wasn’t able to go any quicker because I preferred not to push. With soft tyres I don’t still have a good feeling. The bike is very fast, that means a good team’s job, so I’m satisfied because we are making a good job together. Tomorrow we’ll see if I’ll be able to improve my laptime, but the weather conditions will be very important.”

Black day for Miguel Praia: a couple of crashes ruined the debut day of the Portuguese rider, unable to get a good result like that got two weeks ago during the test session on this track.

“Those two crashes forced the team to work hardly on the bike,” – said Miguel after his second crash – “just while I need to practice for a better feeling on the bike. In the afternoon’s crash I had also a small fracture of the fifth finger of the left food, so tomorrow I’ll have to pass the medical control to be fit to race.”


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

TROY SEVENTH ON OPENING DAY AT VALENCIA

Troy didn’t push hard on the first day of qualifying, but still managed to end the day with a provisional second row grid position – and the first non-Ducati rider. Despite the sunshine in the morning session, the temperature only hovered round the two degree centigrade mark, but in the afternoon, the wind blew strongly and hindered any substantial improvement in the lap times. Factory Ducati rider Regis Laconi ended the day on provisional pole, with a time of 1:36.323, followed by his team mate James Toseland. Third was Steve Martin, with Noriyuki Haga fourth – both Ducati-mounted.

TROY 7th, 1:37.254

Today we didn’t actually spend too much time trying different tyres because we found what we thought were the best ones almost straightaway. So we then worked a lot with the rear pivot point and also on a variety of rear shocks. Basically we are trying ti improve rear grip at the moment, but at the moment we are having to make a compromise on the set up, so we can have good grip, but with less chatter. This afternoon everybody was on qualifiers and went more quickly, but I couldn’t get my qualifiers to work and go any quicker then on standard race rubber. When I tried the qualifiers, the bike suffered from more chatter then the race rubber! The wind was a bit of a problem in the afternoon and it was very, very cold. Hopefully, conditions will be better tomorrow and I’m sure we’ll go a lot quicker.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Dyno trouble: Formula USA’s deal with Dynojet to provide the official dyno for dyno-controlled classes fell apart immediately before Daytona, according to Kenny Abbott of Clear Channel Entertainment-Motor Sports. Officials have now done a deal with Factory Pro Tuning to provide the official dyno and dyno support services for the F-USA Series, starting this weekend. F-USA officials picked up a Factory Pro Tuning dyno last night and positioned it at the Speedway, which meant that no dyno was available to competitors for tuning purposes yesterday when official practice started.

Factory Pro Tuning dynos have historically read differently than Dynojet dynos, and it’s unknown at post time if or how officials will adjust official horsepower limits to suit the new dyno.

Factory Pro Tuning owner Marc Salvisberg has long criticized Dynojet dynos as being innaccurate and producing numbers that are not to actual bhp spec. Despite his assertions, Salvisberg has made little progress in his campaign to unseat Dynojet as the standard dyno in the motorcycle industry and aftermarket.

A Dynojet spokesman was not in at Dynojet headquarters in Las Vegas and could not be reached for comment at post time. Marc Salvisberg was not in at his office in San Rafael, California and could not be reached for comment at post time.



Wet and cold weather has been a concern at Daytona International Speedway this week.

Heavy rain fell in the general area during the day Wednesday but not on the Speedway itself. Team Hammer Track Day participants–divided into separate groups for School, Track Ride and Practice for licensed racers–enjoyed a dry track, with five sessions for each group, including two 40-minute practice sessions in the afternoon. A total of 53 licensed racers participated in the practice sessions on the 3.56-mile track, with 37 riders in track ride sessions and 32 in school sessions.

Thursday was overcast, cold and at times misty, with ambient temperatures only reaching the 50s.

Several riders used Thursday’s Team Challenge race to do endurance runs on tires. Valvoline EMGO Suzuki’s Vincent Haskovec and Steve Rapp both completed 16-lap endurance runs aboard their GSX-R1000 Superstock bikes, on Michelin tires.

Arclight Suzuki’s Scott Harwell and Chris Ulrich used the Team Challenge to work on bike set-up. The team faced the extra factor of having changed from Pirelli to Dunlop tires for the 2004 F-USA season. Late in the race, Ulrich left pit lane after a stop for adjustments and then lost the front and crashed his GSX-R600 in the chicane, breaking his right collarbone. Ulrich flew back to California this morning to see orthopedic surgeon Art Ting.

Friday morning, Daytona was cold and overcast with a light mist falling. The mist abated but it remained cold, in the 40s, with a light wind.

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Friday Morning Practice Times:

1. James Toseland, Ducati 999F04, 1:36.611
2. Noriyuki Haga, Ducati 999RS, 1:37.233
3. Regis Laconi, Ducati 999F04, 1:37.297
4. Chris Walker, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:37.347
5. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:37.700
6. Garry McCoy, Ducati 999RS, 1:38.005
7. Steve Martin, Ducati 999RS, 1:38.015
8. Leon Haslam, Ducati 999RS, 1:38.063
9. Marco Borciani, Ducati 999RS, 1:38.331
10. Chris Vermeulen, Honda CBR1000RR, 1:38.468
11. Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati 998RS, 1:38.517
12. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:38.619
13. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:38.993
14. Piergiorgio Bontempi, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:39.122
15. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-10R, 1:39.528
16. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:39.700
17. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 999RS, 1:39.725
18. Horst Saiger, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:40.661
19. Warwick Nowland, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:40.776
20. Alessio Velini, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:40.916
21. Miguel Praia, Ducati 999RS, 1:41.515
22. Jiri Mrkyvka, Ducati 998RS, 1:44.580

Copyright 2004, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin is adjusting to the resignation of Lead Mechanic Vic Fasola and is testing Michelin tires during the CCS/Formula USA weekend at Daytona.

“Unfortunately his wife is very sick, and (racing) would take too much time away from being able to take care of her,” Team Manager Tom Bondenbach told Roadracingworld.com regarding Fasola’s departure from the team. “He felt is was better to concentrate on her health and taking care of his family.”

Some published reports incorrectly identified Fasola as Crew Chief for the team, but according to Bodenbach, Fasola was the Lead Mechanic for Eric Bostrom, directing team mechanics Lance Baker and Jerry Daggett and serving as the team’s tire technician.

Crew Chief for Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin for 2004 has always been Luca Ferraccioli.

Asked how he would fill the significant gap left in his team, Bodenbach said, “For this race we have a couple of the factory mechanics coming in from Italy to help. And I’m flying in another guy we weren’t originally planning on having, Glenn Grenfell. He worked with me back at Gemini (on the factory Harley-Davidson Superbike team).”

Bodenbach and Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin spent Wednesday and Thursday, February 25-26, at Daytona testing tires for Michelin with former Ducati Superbike pilot Larry Pegram.

“It wasn’t really an official team deal,” clarified Bodenbach. “Michelin wanted to test some tires. Basically, Michelin and Ducati got together and picked Larry. They didn’t want to have Eric (Bostrom) involved in this and (let him) concentrate on the 200 week.”

Weather and track conditions on both days (early on Wednesday, late on Thursday) and traffic during Thursday’s 58-entry F-USA 200-mile Team Challenge race prevented the team from getting its full testing program completed, Bodenbach said.

“We didn’t get as much as we would’ve liked to have gotten accomplished,” continued Bodenbach. “With the light misting and all that, Larry wasn’t able to maintain full throttle on the banking. So it wasn’t as fruitful as we hoped, but we were able to get something out of it.”

When asked for his take on testing Michelins on Bostrom’s Ducati 999 Superbike, Pegram declined to make any comment, saying it was out of respect for his 2004 season tire sponsor, Pirelli.

Pegram plans to race privately-supported Yamaha’s full-time with Formula USA and at select AMA events.