Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Xaus Takes Race One At Imola

By Dennis Noyes

Fila Ducati’s Ruben Xaus took race one at Imola after a full-race duel with Neil Hodgson. Xaus is out to run the table over the final four races of the season and new Superbike World Champion Hodgson is determined to add a little sparkle to his crown with a few late-season wins.

The two riders on Michelin-shod factory 999s kept a comfortable lead over Frenchman Regis Laconi and his NCR Ducati 998, and it all went down to the final lap after the pair had exchanged the lead several times. Xaus made his move on the inside at the Piratella right-hander and pulled several bikelengths. The outcome was somewhat inconclusive because the two Ducati factory riders came up on a couple of backmarkers going into Rivazza 1. Xaus got through but Hodgson was balked. The Englishman bulled past at Rivazza 2 but was off line and ran wide, over the curb and into the dirt.

Xaus had no idea that Hodgson had dropped back and went very deep into the final chicane, only to realize after crossing the line that Hodgson was nearly three seconds back.

Alstare Suzuki’s Gregorio Lavilla was fourth after catching and dicing with HM Plant Ducati’s Chris Walker. Walker touched Lavilla and crashed at half distance. Lavilla complained of lack of lateral grip with his Dunlop rear tire.

Popular Pierfrancesco Chili had to start last–from pit lane–when his Ducati stalled on the grid. Chili came though to finish fifth just ahead of Steve Martin on another Ducati, the first of the Pirelli runners.

Results:

1. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 999F03, 21 laps, 38:30.586

2. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 999F03, 38:33.379

3. Regis Laconi, Ducati 998RS, 38:39.364

4. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 39:02.930

5. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 39:07.968

6. Steve Martin, Ducati 998RS, 39:10.162

7. Troy Corser, Petronas FP1, 39:21.426

8. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 39:31.202

9. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 39:31.892

10. Marco Borciani Marco, Ducati 998RS, 39:40.111

11. Juan Bautista Borja, Ducati 998RS, 39:41.430

12. David Garcia, Ducati 998RS, 39:51.601

13. Alex Gramigni, Yamaha YZF-R1, 40:00.561

14. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 40:04.470

15. Luca Pini, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 40:14.600


More, from a press release issued by HM Plant Ducati:

Tough first race for HM Plant Ducati at Imola

The first race at Imola didn’t go to plan for both HM Plant Ducati riders, who both failed to finish despite showing real promise throughout qualifying. In overcast conditions, it was Chris Walker who made a fantastic start to the first race. From the third row of the grid, the Nottingham rider burst through from tenth to fifth place by the first corner and slotted in behind his team mate, James Toseland.

Unfortunately for 22-year-old Toseland, his luck deserted him on the first lap as he was forced to pull out of the race with a broken gear lever, leaving it down to Walker to fly the flag for HM Plant Ducati. Walker then set off after the two factory Ducatis of Neil Hodgson and Ruben Xaus, with Regis Laconi in third place.

As pole sitter Ruben Xaus proceeded to set the early pace in his attempts to stay in front of newly-crowned Superbike World Champion, Neil Hodgson, Chris Walker was fighting off passing manoeuvres from Steve Martin and Gregorio Lavilla.

By half race distance, Walker was still running in fourth place and holding off all challenges but his race came to an abrupt end when he was taken off the track by Gregorio Lavilla on lap 12, putting an end to his hopes of progressing further up the championship leaderboard. The race was finally won by Ruben Xaus from Neil Hodgson, with Regis Laconi completing the podium.

“I was pushing really hard out there and couldn’t believe it when Lavilla tried to pass coming out of the chicane,” said Walker. “Our handlebars got tangled up and unfortunately I came out of it worse than he did. I’ll just have to put this incident behind me now and concentrate on making sure I stay well in front of him during race two.”

“To have to pull out of the first race when I had my sights set on closing the gap between myself and Ruben is desperately disappointing,” said Toseland. “However, these things happen from time to time and it was just bad luck that it happened to me here at Imola. I’ve nothing to lose now, so I’ll be going all out to win the second race for the team.”

Race one result: 1. R. Xaus (Ducati); 2. N. Hodgson (Ducati) + 2.793; 3. R. Laconi (Ducati) + 8.778; 4. G. Lavilla (Suzuki) + 32.344; 5. P. Chili (Ducati) + 37.382; 6. S. Martin (Ducati)+ 39.576; 7. T. Corser (Petronas) + 50.840; 8. M. Sanchini (Kawasaki) + 1:00.616; 9. I. Clementi (Kawasaki) + 1:01.306; 10. M. Borciani (Ducati) + 1:09.525; DNF Chris Walker and James Toseland


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

Corser seventh in Imola opener for Foggy PETRONAS Racing

Troy Corser maintained Foggy PETRONAS Racing’s recent consistent run with seventh place in the first World Superbike race at Imola today.

Starting from sixth on the grid, Troy made the most of a good start to achieve his third consecutive top ten finish in a race won by Spaniard Ruben Xaus. Team-mate James Haydon, however, suffered more misfortune with a retirement on the sixth lap with engine failure.

Troy said: “I got a great start so I tried to run at the front for as long as possible. I knew that Frankie Chili, who had to start from pit-lane after stalling on the line, was going to catch me. So I just made sure that nobody else did as other bikes were a little faster on the straights. My rear tyre was not spinning consistently, and that might have affected the consistency of my lap times.”

James said: “I was really struggling with my hand injury yesterday and I thought that this would be my biggest problem today. But I was having problems with my brake lever early on, which resulted in me running wide on lap four and left me in 25th. I just got my head down and the bike started to have a few ‘moments’ so I thought it best to save the engine and my hand for race two. It was only when I pulled in that I realised there was a problem with the engine and that oil was everywhere. I’m just thankful I pulled in because it could have been nasty. It is another big disappointment but there was nothing I could do about it.”

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Ruben Xaus and Neil Hodgson ran grooved 16.5-inch Michelin Pilot Race tires in the second World Superbike race today at Imola, which Xaus won.

According to Nicolas Goubert, head of motorcycle racing for Michelin Competition, “We wanted to prove that well-designed grooved Michelin tires can offer good performance. Grand Prix motorcycles, which are prototypes, must use slick tyres. But, and thanks to Ducati we could prove it today, grooved tires are well adapted to racing motorcycles close to production, like Superbikes.”

A Michelin spokesman said that the tires used by Xaus and Hodgson “were designed, made and tested for the 2004 Supersport World Championship. Unfortunately, with the one manufacturer rules, they will not be used for that purpose. So Imola was a good opportunity to test them during a real race.”

World Superbike Race Two
Imola, Italy
Results:
1. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 999F03, 21 laps, 38:29.867

2. Regis Laconi, Ducati 998RS, 38:41.905

3. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 38:45.608

4. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 999F03, 38:54.713

5. Chris Walker, Ducati 998F02, 38:55.819

6. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 39:21.645

7. Troy Corser, Petronas FP1, 39:25.449

8. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 39:30.726

9. Juan Bautista Borja, Ducati 998RS, 39:33.291

10. David Garcia, Ducati 998RS, 39:47.791

11. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS, 40:01.674

12. Alex Gramigni, Yamaha YZF-R1, 40:04.579

13. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 40:13.459

14. Horst Saiger, Yamaha YZF-R1, 20 laps

15. Luca Pini, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 20 laps


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

XAUS SCORES DOUBLE WIN FOR DUCATI FILA AT IMOLA–HODGSON TAKES SECOND AND FOURTH

Imola (Italy), 28 September ’03: Ruben Xaus (Ducati Fila) scored a superb double victory at Imola today to clinch second place in the championship and help Ducati Fila score a resounding 1-2 finish in the standings. Championship winner Neil Hodgson battled with his Spanish team-mate in race 1 to finish second but was relegated to fourth place in race 2 after a trip into the gravel at the Tosa.

“I wanted to win today. My plan was to start from pole, be first into the first corner and win, win because I know I had a good set-up and good pace” declared Ruben. “In the second race Neil was braking really hard and then I was second. He was fast in some places and I was faster in others, so it was not easy to be behind him. I wanted to pass but couldn’t so I said OK and wait. Then I was past but I didn’t see that Neil had gone off. The tyres were fine, Michelin wanted to show to everyone that they can win with a street tyre design and they did today. We did even better lap times than the slick tyres in race 1. These race wins today are dedicated to my crew, because we have become a fantastic team together in the second part of the season”.

Neil Hodgson gave 100% today but was not too disappointed with his results. “I always want to win and was frustrated not to. The back-markers were the same for everyone and it was really difficult to pass two side-by-side. No excuses, I rode well and Rubens won the race” declared Neil after race 1.

“That’s racing” he added about his trip into the gravel in the second race, “I just backed in really aggressive, the bike gripped and almost high-sided me. It was good racing today and in that second race the tyre gave a lot of feeling and grip. I know I could have got Ruben because I was riding well and I always go for the win but I’m not complaining about the result”.

MICHELIN: In collaboration with its French tyre supplier Michelin, Ducati Corse fitted the 999 Factory bikes of Hodgson and Xaus with grooved rear tyres in race 2, an experiment that proved to be successful, with Xaus’s win. Nicolas Goubert, Head of Michelin motorcycle racing competition declared: “We wanted to prove that well-designed grooved Michelin tyres can deliver good performance. Thanks to Ducati we have proved today that grooved tyres are well-adapted to racing motorcycles close to production like Superbikes.”

FILA: With one round left in the championship, Ducati and Fila can consider 2003 to have been a remarkably successful year, the all-Italian partnership picking up the Riders’ and Constructors’ titles in its first season. “The agreement signed in December 2002 appointing Fila as Title Sponsor for the official Ducati Superbike team, has been successfully carried out this year” said Jon Epstein, President and CEO of Sport Brands International, the new holding company that recently completed the purchase of Fila and all of its subsidiaries. “We are proud to be associated with the winning team of the 2003 World Superbike Championship and we look forward to another fantastic year in 2004.”

FINAL ROUND: The final round of the 2003 World Superbike Championship will take place on October 19th at the Magny-Cours Formula 1 circuit in France, which last hosted an Superbike race in 1991. Hodgson and Xaus’s Ducati 999 bikes have been running Magny-Cours WSBK promotion stickers on their swing-arms since the Assen round.

RACE 1: 1. Xaus (Ducati Fila); 2. Hodgson (Ducati Fila); 3. Laconi (NCR Ducati); 4. Lavilla (Suzuki); 5. Chili (PSG-1 Ducati); 6. Martin (DFX Ducati); 7. Corser (Petronas); 8. Sanchini (Kawasaki); etc.

RACE 2 : 1. Xaus; 2. Laconi; 3. Lavilla; 4. Hodgson; 5. Walker (HM Plant Ducati); 6.
Pedercini (Ducati); 7. Corser; 8. Sanchini; etc.



POINTS:
Riders – 1. Hodgson 464; 2. Xaus 341; 3. Laconi 257; 4. Toseland 240; 5. Lavilla 230; 6. Walker 202; etc.
Constructors – 1. Ducati 550 ; 2. Suzuki 280; 3. Kawasaki 117; 4. Petronas 110; 5. Yamaha 63; 6. Honda 25.


More, from a press release issued by series organizers:

FIM SUPERBIKE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP

Round 11
Imola 28 September 2003

XAUS IMMACULATE IN IMOLA DOUBLE

Neil Hodgson (Ducati Fila 999 F03) may have shared wins with his team-mate Ruben Xaus at the previous Assen round but this weekend the continuing growth of Xaus as a global force was demonstrated perfectly with two convincing race wins. The tall Catalan rider rode hard from green light to flag and forced Hodgson into two errors, which gave him a narrower win in race one and a clear margin of victory in race two.

Hodgson may have been held back by the presence of two backmarkers in race one but outbraked himself in race two, running off the track. Saving the situation with aplomb Hodgson did not crash, but rejoined in fifth, finishing his race in fourth after the chequered flag was shown.

Regis Laconi (Ducati NCR Nortel 998RS) did his championship challenge a world of good with a third and second place finish in the races at Imola, especially as his big championship rival James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati 998F02), retired in race one with a broken gear linkage and crashed in race two.

Gregorio Lavilla (Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000) was the first four-cylinder rider home in race two, in a fine third place after an early four-way fight between Laconi, Toseland, Lavilla and Chris Walker (HM Plant Ducati 998 F03). He took fourth in race one, during a lonely ride to the first non-podium placing.

Walker finished his weekend with a race one crash and a race two fifth place, the sensation of race one being Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) who stalled on the line and then rode though to fifth. He ended race two with a technical retirement.

The best private rider on show was different in each race, Steve Martin (DFX Ducati Pirelli) following in the tracks of Chili in race one, and Lucio Pedercini (Pedercini Ducati 998 RS) scoring a great sixth place.

The Foggy Petronas triple of Troy Corser was in good form in comparison to the early season races, delivering Corser a pair of seventh places. James Haydon, his team-mate, ran off the track and then had a technical failure in race one, and followed that up with another technical failure in race two.

Mauro Sanchini (Kawasaki Bertocchi ZX-7RR), Ivan Clementi (Kawasaki Bertocchi ZX-7RR) and Marco Borciani (DFX Ducati 998RS) took the last places in the top ten in race one, Sanchini, Juan Borja (DFX Ducati 998RS) and David Garcia scoring those finishes in the second 21-lapper.

In the championship Hodgson and Xaus are safe in first and second places, with 464 and 341 points respectively, while Laconi has leapfrogged his way to third place in the classification, with 257 points to Toseland’s 240. Lavilla is the top four-cylinder rider, in fifth with 230.

In the World Supersport Championship Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) and Honda took the Riders’ and Manufacturers’ crowns respectively after Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) won the race and Vermeulen finished second.

It was Muggeridge’s second straight win, following up on his devastating pole time, although another Aussie, wildcard rider Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany R6) took the new race lap record of 1:53.122 before retiring with a worn out gear linkage.

Vermeulen is now the youngest ever rider to win the championship, at the tender age of 21.

Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Belgarda R6) returned to third in the championship after scoring third in the Imola race but for the Alstare Suzuki pairing of Stephane Chambon (fourth) and Katsuaki Fujiwara (a retiree through crashing) Imola marked the end of their championship aspirations. Chambon now sits second overall, on 126, with van den Goorbergh third on 120 and Fujiwara static on 119.

The final 2003 round of both SBK and Supersport series takes place at Magny Cours in France, on October 19.



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

PAIR OF SEVENS FOR TROY.
Troy had a difficult couple of 21-lap races at Imola today, but emerged with a pair of gritty, hard fought for sevenths at the end. Whilst lesser riders might have pulled out of the second race, Troy just put his head, kept going and was rewarded with his second best points tally of the season. Afterwards he was generally happy and very positive about the improvements that the team had made and is now looking for even better results in the last race of the year at Magny-Cours in October. Spaniard Ruben Xaus (Ducati) won both races today, with team mate Neil Hodgson taking runner-up spot in the first race and Frenchman Regis Laconi (Ducati) third. Xaus and Hodgson had a tremendous battle in race two, but after Hodgson crashed on the penultimate lap, Xaus cruised to victory. Laconi took second, with Gregorio Lavilla (Suzuki) third.

TROY Race 1: 7th, Race 2: 7th
Generally, I’m happy with today, though I was a bit lucky to finish the second race. I made a great start in race one and tried to run at the front for as long as possible. I knew Chili was going to catch me, so I made sure that nobody else did. Some of the other bikes were faster on the straights and in trying to keep up my rear tyre started spinning a lot and that prevented me running consistent lap times.

In race two, the engine felt slower (it was the same bike and the same tyres) and I thought about pulling in after two thirds race distance because I could see some oil on the rear of the bike. Fortunately the rear hugger must have been deflecting the oil from the rear tyre so I decided the push hard and see if Sanchini would make a mistake sooner rather then later and that’s how it was. This weekend we got the bike running pretty well in the short time we had here and that is very encouraging.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:


PODIUM FOR GREGORIO

2003 Superbike World Championship . Round 11, Imola, Italy. Sunday 28th September.

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Gregorio Lavilla took a superb third place in the second Superbike World Championship race at Imola today. He had to fight hard for it though, but his gritty, determined riding saw him achieve his seventh podium place of the year. This followed fourth place in the race one, which was a result of once again sticking to his task and picking up places as he overtook others or staying calm when some fell by the wayside. Either way, Gregorio more then deserved his twenty-nine points tally for the weekend, though it would’ve probably have been more if he’d been able to start from a grid position higher then the third row. Spaniard Ruben Xaus (Ducati) won both races today; with team mate Neil Hodgson taking runner-up spot in the first race and Frenchman Regis Laconi (Ducati) third. Xaus and Hodgson had a tremendous battle in race two, but after Hodgson crashed on the penultimate lap, Xaus cruised to victory, with Laconi second, ahead of Gregorio.

GREGORIO LAVILLA Race 1:4th, Race 2: 3rd
I’m please with today because I knew how hard its was going to be after the first practice. It was always going to be two tough races ­ especially because I was starting from the third row of the grid. My start to the first race was OK and then I was involved in a group of riders ­ all trying hard. I was able to move up to fourth by lap 12, but Laconi was too far in front and unless he made a big mistake, there was no chance of improving. I kept an eye on my pitboards though just to make sure I wouldn’t lose fourth. I used a different tyre for the second race and it was much better! I could stay with the group and then pick them off one by one and I thought another fourth was my best possibility. Then Hodgson crashed and I was in third and that made everything much better. On this track the bike is really hard to control and I feel I am spending a lot of the time fighting it. But, I always fight as best I can and today, I think we did very well to get the results we did.

Result: Race 1: Xaus (E-Ducati), 2 Hodgson (GB-Ducati), 3 Laconi (F-Ducati), 4 GREGORIO LAVILLA (E-ALSTARE SUZUKI CORONA EXTRA), 5 Chili (I-Ducati), 6 Martin (AUS-Ducati),

Result Race 2: Xaus, 2 Laconi, 3, GREGORIO LAVILLA (E-ALSTARE SUZUKI CORONA EXTRA), 4 Hodgson, 5 Walker (GB-Ducati), 6 Pedercini (I-Ducati), Points: 1 Hodgson 464, 2 Xaus 341, 3 Laconi 257, 4 Toseland 240, 5 GREGORIO LAVILLA (E-ALSTARE SUZUKI CORONA EXTRA) 230, 6 Walker 202


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

Corser lights up weekend for Foggy PETRONAS Racing

Troy Corser survived the black-out in Italy to light up the weekend for Foggy PETRONAS Racing with two seventh places at the penultimate round of the World Superbike championship in Imola.
After much of the country had spent the night without electricity, the Australian powered the FP1 – the Malaysian superbike – to another double display which highlighted the progress made in the last two rounds.

And team owner Carl Fogarty was suitably impressed with his Australian rider. He said: “It was a fantastic weekend for Troy. I am really pleased with that as it was a race that I didn’t expect us to do too well in, as
the circuit has a few uphill sections and slow corners and it is well-documented that we are down on power at this stage of the engine development. But those results show how well he is riding, how good the chassis is and how hard the team has been working. We are going to be a serious force when we get a stronger engine next year.”

Troy said: “We have got the bike working pretty well in the short time we have been here, which is encouraging. I had a great start in race one but the other bikes were a little faster on the straights. In the second race the engine was slower from the start and I almost had to pull in with six laps remaining, as I could see oil on the bike. But the rear hugger must have been deflecting it from the tyre so I decided to
push hard and try to force Sanchini into a mistake, rather than wait until the last lap to make a move. “

Team-mate James Haydon suffered another frustrating weekend and was forced to retire on the fifth lap both races with engine failure. He said: “I came into the weekend feeling really positive but the outcome was still the same and there was nothing I could do about it. After the disappointment of the first race I had a great start and was up to 15th and thought ‘Yeah, this is more like it.’ Then I felt the engine tighten,
saw oil and had to come in.”


More, from a press release issued by HM Plant Ducati:

Walker bags fifth at Imola

Race two of the penultimate round of the 2003 Superbike World Championship didn’t go according to plan for the HM Plant Ducati team with James Toseland crashing out and failing to score any points. Team mate Chris Walker’s luck improved as he managed to finish race two in fifth place after his first race ended in the gravel trap.

In overcast conditions at the Italian circuit, Chris Walker made another fantastic start off the grid, moving up from tenth to fourth place by the first corner, just in front of his team mate. However, hungry for success after his retirement from race one with a broken gear lever, Toseland soon found a way past Walker and was challenging for a podium slot as early as lap four.

Knowing that Regis Laconi’s rostrum finish in race one had brought them to within a few points of each other with just one round of the championship remaining at Magny-Cours, Toseland continued his pursuit of the Frenchman, with Walker and Lavilla joining in the fun. This four-way battle for third continued for the majority of the race with Toseland trying all possibilities to find a gap to squeeze through. The Sheffield rider eventually managed this on the tenth lap by pushing Laconi wide and forcing his way through into third place.

However, on lap 15 Toseland’s nightmare weekend continued as he crashed out with just six laps remaining, losing his third place in the Superbike World Championship standings in the process. Walker went on to eventually finish the race in fifth place, just behind Neil Hodgson, who had rejoined the track after nearly crashing while battling with Ruben Xaus, who completed a double victory at Imola.

“That was my worst weekend of the year,” said Toseland. “After having gone so well throughout qualifying, it’s hard to believe that I have come away from Imola without a single point. I’ll just have to put this weekend behind me and concentrate on the final round of the championship at Magny-Cours where it will be my ambition to regain third place in the championship. While Ruben’s double victory has safeguarded his runner-up spot, third place in the 2003 Superbike World Championship is still up for grabs and that’s what I’ll be aiming for.”

“Although I would have liked to have finished higher than fifth, I was pleased with my performance in race two,” said Walker. “I made the start that I wanted to and once James passed me I was able to stay with him fairly comfortably. However, after Lavilla came past I started struggling for grip and when I saw James crash, I backed off slightly to make sure that I finished the race and got some points for the team.”


More, from a press release issued by Scuderia Caracchi NCR Nortel Networks:

Laconi gives Scuderia Caracchi NCR an unforgettable day as Garcia is heroic in Imola

On the Santerno’s circuit the Scuderia Caracchi NCR Nortel Networks lived today an enthusiastic day: Regis Laconi rode twice his 998RS Ducati onto the winner rostrum, grabbing moreover the third place in the WSBK Championship standing, preceded just by the full 2003 factory Ducati couple. At the eve of the final round in France, at Magny Cours circuit, Laconi is confident for the final championship result.

“Today has been an exceptional day.” – confessed Regis at the end, surrounded by his Italian fans which assault him at the end to congratulate him – “The bike was perfect and all the team, managed by Marco Mozzone, has done in this occasion too an excellent job. The top speed was very close to the speed of full factory bikes and I was able to keep under control my rivals; when Toseland overtook me I saw that I was taking a lot of risks as I was riding safe. Climbing twice onto the rostrum here in Imola, very close to team’s workshop, it has been fantastic and all our fans and supporters were very close to encourage us. Now I’m waiting for Magny Cours, and im my country I’m confident to make a good performance too. Now the situation for the Championship standing is actually positive, third 17 points before Toseland and 27 points before Lavilla; if everything will run normally I suppose we’ll be able to end the championship in third position, and that for a private team means a fantastic result that rewards all the team which has been very always very committed and showed his professionalism and bravery.”

David Garcia has been heroic: not only he finished both the races, a total of 42 laps on the very difficult circuit of Imola, but he finished also in very good position, earning ten points for the championship. David has been able to put up to the pain in his injured arm, reacting to finish the race.

“I’m actually destroyed. ” – said Garcia after race-2 – “At the end of both races I had the feeling to be no more able to control the bike, but I reacted hard because I want absolutely finish the race. For me this result is like a victory! In race-2 I god a perfect start, but I had a racing boot not perfectly closed and in the first laps I was feeling something wrong in the rear of the bike, I was thinking about an oil lack; so I rode slower to control and I’ve lost the contact with the group, maybe I could get a better result, but actually I’m very happy too. I want to thank the Clinica Mobile staff for the assistance they gave me during this week end, and now I’ll have three week of hard training to be ready for Magny Cours.”

From a press release issued by Mat Mladin Motorsports:

MAT MLADIN DONATES U.S. $5000 TO INJURED AUSTRALIAN RACER JAMIE BROCKMAN

Four-times American Superbike champion Mat Mladin will donate U.S. $5000 to the Jamie Brockman Foundation, which has been set up to aid injured Australian motocross racer Jamie Brockman.

Mladin placed a set of his race winning leathers on eBay with the auctioned items raising a total of U.S. $2551. In addition to the money raised by his leathers, Mladin will add to that figure personally to increase the amount to U.S. $5000.

“When I heard about Jamie’s accident and the condition that he was in, I couldn’t imagine at any time of my life what he and his family are going through,” said Mladin. “I understand that it must be very difficult for the family and just wanted to help out. Not everyone is lucky to pick up a factory ride like I have, but it’s always great to see someone putting in the effort to get a ride over here like he did. It’s people like him who help give Australians a good name as they want to have a good time and to win.”

Brockman, who hails from Western Australia and has been racing motocross in America for the past three seasons, suffered spinal injuries and remains in a serious condition after a race fall while competing at the Spring Creek (Millville, Minnesota) round of the American AMA Motocross Championship on August 17.

Mladin presented the top bidder with his leathers at the final round of the AMA Superbike Championship at Barber Motorsports Park, Alabama, before he returned to Australia for the off-season break.

From a press release issued by Honda Racing:

MUGGERIDGE GIVES CBR600RR IMOLA WIN AS VERMEULEN TAKES WORLD TITLE

Honda CBR600RR rider Karl Muggeridge won a sensational race with his team-mate Chris Vermeulen and second place was enough to clinch the world title for Vermeulen in Sunday’s 10th round of the World Supersport championship at Imola in Italy.

The two fought tooth and nail for victory in the 21-lap affair but it was Muggeridge who took his second successive win and the sixth win of the year for the Honda CBR600RR.

“It was a tough last lap,” admitted Muggeridge. “I didn’t expect Chris to pass me with half a lap to go and he gave me a fright. But I knew he was never going to stop in time for the corner! I’m pleased to win again and want to make it a hat-trick at Magny-Cours in three weeks.”

Vermeulen becomes the youngest ever World Supersport champion as the 21-year-old eventually settled for second place to confirm his new status.

He said: “I wasn’t that bothered about winning the race but Karl was a little slower out of the chicane and I managed to pass him. When I ran wide I knew it was time to worry about finishing the race.”

Jurgen van den Goorbergh bounced back from a heavy crash in the last round at Assen to take third with former world champion Stephane Chambon fourth.

Klaffi Honda’s Sebastien Charpentier was looking to challenge for third place in the early stages and give Honda a 1-2-3 but the Frenchman almost crashed on the fourth lap and was relegated to eighth. He fought back to an eventual fifth.

“I tried everything I knew to pass Chambon,” said Charpentier. “But he brakes really late and makes it difficult to make a move. After my highside I was determined to try and get back to Chambon but then Katsuaki Fujiwara crashed in front of me and I almost stopped just to avoid hitting him.”

Luckless Gianluca Nannelli finished sixth, dropping two places on the last lap as his machine ran short of fuel. Wild card Japanese rider Tekkyu Kayo took a lonely seventh place while Van Zon Honda’s Iain MacPherson battled into eighth place after starting from 18th on the grid.

“I can’t believe I finished eighth,” said MacPherson. “It really felt effortless but I was up against it. Jorg Teuchert put me on the grass on the first lap and I had to get my head down from that moment until the end. The machine and tyres felt as good as they have all year.”

Italian Yamaha pair Antonio Carlacci and Simone Sanna finished ninth and 10th respectively while Klaffi Honda’s Robert Ulm took 13th place. Ulm commented: “After two crashes this weekend I couldn’t relax. I’m disappointed that I haven’t found my top form, which I¹ve been searching for all year.”

Werner Daemen, on the second of the Van Zon Honda’s, was a third lap retirement, the diminutive Belgian explained: “The fault was intermittent so it must be something electrical. I’m very disappointed, especially as I was really looking forward to the race here.”

World Supersport championship race result:
1 Karl Muggeridge, Australia (Honda) 39m 48.471s, 2 Chris Vermeulen, Australia (Honda) +0.771s, 3 Jurgen van den Goorbergh, Holland (Yamaha) +7.380s, 4 Stephane Chambon, France (Suzuki) +10.035s, 5 Sebastien Charpentier, France (Honda) +10.766s, 6 Gianluca Nannelli, Italy (Yamaha) +13.884s, 7 Tekkyu Kayo, Japan (Yamaha) +15.870s, 8 Iain MacPherson, GB (Honda) +34.341s, 9 Antonio Carlacci, Italy (Yamaha) +35.085s, 10 Simone Sanna, Italy (Yamaha) +35.151s. 13 Robert Ulm, Austria (Honda) +44.370s.

World Supersport championship points after 10 of 11 rounds: 1 Vermeulen 181, 2 Chambon 126, 3 Van den Goorbergh 120, 4 Katsuaki Fujiwara, Japan (Suzuki) 119, 5 Muggeridge 109, 6 Christian Kellner, Germany (Yamaha) 82, 7 Alessio Corradi, Italy (Yamaha) 68, 8 Fabien Foret, France (Kawasaki) 64, 9 Jorg Teuchert, Germany (Yamaha) 60, 10 Charpentier 59.

Manufacturers’ points: 1 Honda 222, 2 Suzuki 176, 3 Yamaha 166, 4 Kawasaki 96.

Next round: Magny-Cours, France ­ October 19



More, from a press release issued by Chris Vermeulen’s publicist:

AUSTRALIAN WORLD CHAMPION

In the tradition of Mick Doohan and Troy Bayliss, 21 year old Australian Chris Vermeulen has etched his name on a motorcycle world championship trophy, following a thrilling 10th round of the World Supersport Championship at Imola in Italy tonight.

The Honda rider needed just a solid finish to stitch up his maiden world championship. A hard fought 2nd behind his team mate Karl Muggeridge was more than enough, after his nearest championship rival Katsuaki Fujiwara crashed out of contention.

“It’s unbelievable actually, it’s a completely different feeling than I expected but I am over the moon,” Vermeulen said after the race. “Obviously I was thinking more of the championship but I got a Two Out on my board, telling me Fujiwara was out of the race, so I thought now I can hang on.”

For the 2nd time in as many races Muggeridge and Vermeulen staged a stunning duel, with Chris attempting a last ditch passing move on one of the final corners, earning the wrath of his Dad, Peter who was on hand to witness his son crowned world champion.

Vermeulen’s rise to the top has been stunning. A former junior dirt bike champion, who was hand-picked by Barry Sheene at the tender age of 18 to race in the British Championship. Three short years later he’s the world champion and in an ironic and fateful twist his CBR600RR Honda carried the number 7, a number made famous by the late Sheene.

“There is no doubting without Barry’s influence I wouldn’t be standing here today. I wish he was here to see it,” The Queenslander said.

Vermeulen is tipped to be moving into World Superbikes next year, but before that there’s the final round of the series in France in 3 weeks. Vermeulen chasing one more record before the year ends.

“The all-time winning record in a year is five. I need one more to equal that.”


More, from another press release issued by Honda Racing:

CBR600RR GIVES VERMEULEN AND HONDA WORLD TITLES

Honda’s CBR600RR machine clinched the riders’ and manufacturers’ titles in the World Supersport championship in today’s 10th and penultimate round of the series here at Imola, Italy–in the machine’s debut season.

The CBR600RR has taken five pole positions and six race wins in its inaugural year. It has given 21-year-old Chris Vermeulen the world title and Honda its first manufacturers’ title in the middleweight sports production class.

“We knew right from the first test session that we had something special with the CBR600RR,” says Vermeulen. “Even just sitting on the machine felt good, you knew straight away that it was built to win races.”

He continues: “To be on the pace right from the start of the year and to be able to go to just about every circuit without machine data and then win says everything. We found a good base setting for the machine at Phillip Island in the second round and changed very little after that.”

A total of 14 podium finishes have been achieved during the 2003 campaign, most going the way of the Dutch-based Ten Kate Honda team.

Team owner Gerrit ten Kate explains: “I have worked with Honda for many years and the CBR600RR is one model that will be remembered for years to come as a machine which moved supersport racing to a new level.”

Ten Kate adds: “I know from the interest in my showroom during the year that the CBR600RR is a true winner ­ and I’m pleased to have been able to prove it with Chris (Vermeulen) in the world championship.”


More, from a press release issued by Team Yamaha Belgarda:

SUPERB PODIUM FOR JURGEN. SANNA AND KAYO IN TOP TEN.

Team Yamaha Belgarda rider Jurgen van den Goorbergh took a very hard fought for third place at Imola today and moved to within six points of second place in the championship, behind Stephane Chambon (Suzuki). Jurgen lost touch with the two leaders – Honda riders Karl Muggeridge and Chris Vermeulen, but then had a tremendous dogfight with Nannelli (Yamaha), Curtain (Yamaha) and Fujiwara (Suzuki) before consolidating third spot. Jurgen’s team mate Simone Sanna didn’t make a good start and was 18th at the end of the first lap, but he fought his way up though the field and ended tenth. Yamaha Belgarda’s guest rider Tekkyu Kayo also made a poor start and then found Imola a difficult track for overtaking. But he stuck to his task and – but for a small engine problem towards the end – and took a more then creditable seventh place. Muggeridge won the race, with Vermeulen second and scoring twenty points which was enough for him to be crowned 2003 Supersport World Champion. It was a tremendous feat for the Australian – at just twenty-one years of age.

JURGEN VD GOORBERGH – 3rd
I’m happy to get a podium, but in a way I felt that I could’ve done better then third. I would’ve liked to have fought with the two leaders, but I lost the gap and it was not really possible to catch them again. Also, I lost the front end a couple of times and so thought it’d be better ease the pace a bit. I was lucky to get third right at the end because I more or less ran out of petrol! Luckily it was ion the last lap at the top of the hill, so I could get the bike hone OK, but another lap wouldn’t have been possible! Now I’m just six points behind second in the championship, so the last round at Magny-Cours is going to be fun.

SIMONE SANNA – 10th
There’s not much to say really, except that I got a bad start and had a lot of work to do to make up for it. It was difficult to catch up and pass because there was a lot of traffic out there. When I got into tenth place, I lost my motivation because I could see that there was not much more possible. That was that.

TEKKYU KAYO – 7th
I’m happy-ish. I made a mistake at the start when I didn’t get away so well and then it was very hard to catch up again. Imola is not an easy place for overtaking, so it was very hard for me. The bike was very good. The tyres were good, the bike handled well and the only problem I had was in the last couple of laps when it lost a bit of power. The team have helped me a lot here and I’d very much like to race with them in World Supersport next year – if it is possible. Unfortunately, I will not be at the last round (Magny-Cours) because I will be racing in the All-Japan Championship on the same day.

RESULTS
1 Muggeridge (AUS-Honda), 2 Vermeulen (AUS-Honda), 3 Jurgen vd Goorbergh (NL-Yamaha Belgarda), 4 Chambon (F-Suzuki), 5 Charpentier (F-Honda), 6 Nannelli (I-Yamaha), 7 Tekkyu Kayo (J-Yamaha Belgarda), 10 Simone Sanna (I-Yamaha Belgarda)

Points: 1 Vermeulen 181, 2 Chambon 126, 3 VD GOORBERGH (YAMAHA BELGARDA) 120, 4 Fujiwara 119, 5 Muggeridge 109, 6 Kellner 82, 17 SANNA (YAMAHA BELGARDA) 24, 18 KAYO (YAMAHA BELGARDA) 22


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki News Service:

FOURTH FOR CHAMBON

2003 Supersport World Championship . Round 10, Imola, Italy. Sunday 28th September.

The overcast and cloudy conditions at Imola were a not a happy hunting ground for Team Alstare Suzuki Corona today, though Stephane Chambon did get fourth place after a very determined performance. Team mate Katsuaki Fujiwara was in contention in the early stages but crashed out of contention when he fell at the final chicane on the seventh lap. Karl Muggeridge and his Honda team mate Chris Vermeulen finished 1-2 today, with Vermeulen’s twenty points enough for him to be crowned 2003 Supersport World Champion. Chambon is now second, just six points ahead of van den Goorbergh, who is only one point ahead of Fujiwara, with one round of the championship remaining, so Magny-Cours is going to be very, very interesting indeed.

STEPHANE CHAMBON ­ 4th: I am not so happy to be fourth in some ways, because I could’ve done with something a bit better. A podium would’ve been nice and that would have made my charge for runner-up in the title a bit easier. But Imola was always going to be tough today and that’s how it was. There are not so many places to pass here and in the end, I had to be patient and see what I could pick up. Now there’s going to be a lot to do in the last round and I cannot afford any mistakes.

KATSUAKI FUJIWARA ­ DNF: I am very unhappy to crash today, because my chances of finishing second in the title race are now much harder. Of course there are only seven points between me and Stephane, but it’s a lot to catch up because he normally is quite consistent. But I am not going to give up until it is all over at Magny-Cours. I’m going to fight and fight and do my best to get a podium and leave the rest to fight each other. I think I touched a whiter line today, because the crash happened so quickly. There was no possibility of saving it at all – one minute I was OK, next minute I was on the floor.

Results: 1 Muggeridge (AUS-Honda), 2 Vermeulen (AUS-Honda), 3 Jurgen van den Goorbergh (NL-Yamaha), 4 CHAMBON (F-ALSTARE SUZUKI CORONA EXTRA) 5 Charpentier (F-Honda), 6 Nannelli (I-Yamaha), FUJIWARA (J-ALSTARE SUZUKI CORONA EXTRA) DNF,

Points: 1 Vermeulen 181, 2 CHAMBON (F-ALSTARE SUZUKI CORONA EXTRA) 126, 3 VD Goorbergh 120, 4 FUJIWARA (J-ALSTARE SUZUKI CORONA EXTRA) 119, 5 Muggeridge 109, 6 Kellner 82,


FABRIZIO’S SUPER WIN!

2003 European Superstock Championship. Round 8, Imola, 28th September 2003.

Team Alstare Suzuki Italia rider Michel Fabrizio took his GSX-R1000 to a dramatic victory at
Imola today and now has a fifteen point lead going into the final round at Magny-Cours on 19th October. He and Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati) had fought tooth and nail throughout the 13-lap race until the final lap when Lanzi tried an impossible move on Fabrizio in the final chicane. Lanzi went down, but somehow Fabrizio managed to avoid him and carry on to take the chequered flag. Lanzi picked up his Ducati and pushed it over the line, but finished outside the points in 16th place.

Results: 1 FABRIZIO (I-ALSTARE SUZUKI ITALIA CORONA EXTRA), 2 Chiarello (I-Ducati), 3 Laverty (GB-Suzuki),

Points: 1 FABRIZIO (I-ALSTARE SUZUKI ITALIA CORONA EXTRA) 127, 2 Lanzi (I-Ducati) 112, 3 Alfonsi (I-Yamaha) 93,

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Ruben’s Wild Ride To His First World Superbike Superpole

Rubén Xaus was the fastest rider in today’s final qualifying session, but his lap of 1:49.022 on his factory Fila Ducati 999F03 was not quite quick enough to better James Toseland’s 1:49.011 set yesterday on his HM Plant 998F02.

After two days of qualifying, Xaus’s teammate, new Superbike World Champion Neil Hodgson, was fourth with Chris Walker, Toseland’s teammate, fourth.

Superpole started in spectacular fashion when Spanish rookie Sergio Fuertes on the MIR GSX-R1000 Suzuki nearly highsided at the start of his lap. “Julian Miralles (former 125cc GP rider and the MIR team owner) told me to be sure and get
out of the final turn as fast as possible to start me lap. I think I overdid it,” Fuertes said.

Fuertes was spat up out of the seat and came down sitting sidesaddle on the tank, having broken the screen with his forearms. He managed to scramble back onto the seat, but was the slowest and luckiest of the 16 Superpole participants.

Though Xaus might argue that.

When Ruben came out, the 15th of the 16 taking part in inverse order, slowest-first/fastest-last, the quickest time had just been set by Regis Laconi at 1:49.042, a time un-bettered by Hodgson (1:49.051) who finished has flying lap just before Xaus started his.

The Spaniard was running 0.7-second under Laconi’s time through the second partial and on a pace to shatter Colin Edwards’ record of 1:48.336, but he was too fast into the left-hander at the first part of the final chicane.

“The rear stepped way out and I couldn’t brake or down-shift till I got it straight again–then I had to brake very hard and hammer down three gears just in time to make the final apex, but I had lost speed and tried to get back on the gas too soon and nearly highsided,” said Xaus. “I didn’t think I had taken the pole after that, but I did, my first, but almost not!”

With the title decided in favor of Hodgson, the battle for second place is still on between Xaus and Toseland, but Xaus, who has been told that he has no World Superbike ride next year and that the Fila Ducati team will enter Laconi and Toseland, says he is just out to enjoy himself and win races.

Former World Champion Troy Corser took the improved Petronas–which has a new cylinder head which relieves but does not cure overheating problems–to sixth in the Superpole while teammate James Haydon, who will not continue with the team in 2004, did not make the Superpole cut.

There seems to be a good chance that Haydon will be replaced on the Petronas team by Chris Walker, who, like Toseland, has been released by the GSE
team.


World Superbike Superpole Results:

1. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 999F03, 1:48.636
2. Regis Laconi, Ducati 998RS, 1:49.042
3. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 999F03, 1:49.051
4. James Toseland, Ducati 998F02, 1:49.228
5. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 1:49.245
6. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:49.880
7. Steve Martin, Ducati 998RS, 1:49.921
8. Juan Borja, Ducati 998RS, 1:50.188
9. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:50.318
10. Chris Walker, Ducati 998F02, 1:50.413
11. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:50.803
12. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:50.849
13. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS, 1:51.419
14. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:51.834
15. David Garcia, Ducati 998RS, 1:52.106
16. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:53.843


From a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

FIRST-EVER SUPERBIKE ‘SUPERPOLE’ FOR XAUS (DUCATI FILA) – HODGSON THIRD – DUCATI AWARDED CONSTRUCTORS’ TROPHY

Imola (Italy), 27 September ’03: Today saw an intense day of activity at the Autodromo Enzo & Dino Ferrari Circuit in Imola, the scene for the penultimate round of the World Superbike Championship. Ruben Xaus (Ducati Fila) clinched the battle for Superpole with a spectacular lap of 1:48.636 and will start from pole for the first time ever in three years of WSBK racing. Newly-crowned champion Neil Hodgson lines up in third, eight-thousandths of a second slower than Regis Laconi (NCR Ducati) and fellow Brit James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati), who completes the front row.

“It’s important to work well all weekend and I succeeded in getting a great set-up with my race tyre, so I’m really happy” declared Ruben. “In my head I have all the information I need for a good race; the braking points, changes in direction, passing places and in addition my 999 is perfect. It’s not true that I really like this track but probably my riding style suits it a lot because you are really loose over all the bumps. Tomorrow I want to win both races because Neil beat me at Assen, but above all I want to win for Ducati”.

“The Imola circuit is really tough, and at almost two minutes it’s quite a long lap so it’s easy to rush into a corner, hit the bumps a bit wrong and miss the apex. This place can really bite you” declared Neil. “You know you’re not going to get the perfect setting round here, you’ve just got to go out and ride round the problems. My Superpole performance was really average, I was mainly concentrating on getting the right race set-up in the qualifying sessions, but there’s always tomorrow and I’m going to attack in both races. I’m really motivated and want to come away with a couple more wins on Sunday”.

An extraordinary welcome from the thousands of fans in the SBK Ring in the Imola paddock was given to Claudio Domenicali, managing director of Ducati Corse. Domenicali, who received the constructors’ trophy, the twelfth won by the Bologna manufacturer in 16 years of World Superbike, from Paolo Flammini of championship organisers FGSport, declared: “Today Ducati is a reality throughout the world thanks to Superbike because Superbike has given a lot to the company. Ducati has believed in this championship right from the start, and it has become our ‘warhorse’ from 1988/89 and the first world title won in 1990 onwards. The World Superbike championship is important because it allows us to experiment with a massive amount of technical solutions which we then apply to our road-going motorcycle range. This year has been fundamental for us both thanks to the victories of Neil and Ruben and to the success of the 999 Factory bike”.

STARTING-GRID: 1. Xaus (Ducati Fila) 1:48.636; 2. Laconi (NCR Ducati) 1:49.042; 3. Hodgson (Ducati Fila) 1:49.051; 4. Toseland (HM Plant Ducati) 1:49.228; 5. Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) 1:49.245; 6. Corser (Petronas) 1:49.880; 7. Martin (DFX Ducati) 1:49.921; 8. Borja (DFX Ducati) 1:50.188; 9. Lavilla (Suzuki) 1:50.318; 10. Walker (HM Plant Ducati) 1:50.413.


More, from a press release issued by HM Plant Ducati:

Front row for Toseland at Imola

Today’s penultimate Superbike World Championship Superpole qualifying session took place at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit at Imola this afternoon. In near perfect conditions, HM Plant Ducati riders James Toseland and Chris Walker qualified in fourth and tenth respectively at the 4.93km Italian circuit.

Twenty-two-year-old Toseland has been the fastest rider throughout practice and official qualifying, posting a best lap of 1:49.011 yesterday afternoon. The final rider to go out during Superpole, a slight mistake on the final corner of his warm-up lap put too much pressure on the Yorkshire rider to match factory rider Ruben Xaus’s excellent lap time of 1:48.636 but Toseland’s time of 1:49.228 still put him on the front row for tomorrow’s race.

“It would have been nice to have been fastest but the most important thing is to be on the front row,” said Toseland. “I made a slight mistake coming on to the start finish straight but I’m not too concerned because I’ve been putting in the fast times since arriving here and have got a great set-up for tomorrow’s races, so as long as I get a good start I should be in with a shout of a decent result.”

Toseland’s team mate, Chris Walker has worked hard throughout qualifying and was fourth quickest after both official qualifying sessions, even though it is only his second visit to this circuit. Currently sixth in the championship, the Nottingham rider made a mistake during the mid-section of his Superpole lap and his time of 1:50.413 puts him tenth on the grid for tomorrow’s race.

“Superpole is all about taking chances and not making mistakes and unfortunately for me, I made a small mistake and paid the price. Having been one of the fastest riders so far this weekend it is disappointing to be on the third row, so I’ll be doing my best to make one of my demon starts tomorrow. If I can be up with the leading riders by the first corner I know I can run at the front.”


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

Corser sixth on Imola grid for Foggy PETRONAS Racing

Troy Corser equalled his second best grid position of Foggy PETRONAS Racing’s debut season by qualifying in sixth place for tomorrow’s two World Superbike races at Imola, Italy.

The Australian had finished seventh fastest as the highest-placed non-Ducati rider in the final morning qualifying session. But he went one better in the one-lap Superpole shoot-out for grid positions in setting his best lap time of the weekend, with 1:49.880. Troy, who qualified on the front row at the first round in Valencia and was sixth in the following round in Australia, was pleasantly surprised with the performance of the FP1, the Malaysian superbike, at the testing and bumpy Enzo and Dino Ferrari Circuit.

He said: “Sixth is better than I expected as I thought the bike would struggle through the uphill sections, but the engine is pulling fairly well. We altered the cam timing overnight to produce a bit more torque and acceleration. We have also been playing with the rear shock and have a pretty good set-up, especially over the bumpy sections.

Unfortunately we were unable to try another qualifying tyre before Superpole because of the restrictions on the number of rears. So that lap was my first lap on a new tyre and every time I came out of the corner I felt that I might have been able to turn the throttle harder. I could perhaps have done a 49.5 but we would still have been on the second row. I want to work a bit more on the throttle connection off the bottom, which would help in the three chicanes.”

Team-mate James Haydon, missed out on Superpole by two places, despite improving his best first day time by nearly a second in morning qualifying. A stop-start afternoon session, hampered by mechanical problems, prevented further progress. He said: “It’s frustrating not to be using engines with the cylinder head modifications. I wanted to try Troy’s set-up this afternoon but did not really get a chance. Troy’s doing a fantastic job but I still can’t slide the bike or push the front like I want to and I’m disappointed I haven’t been able to made progress.”


More, from a press release issued by Scuderia Caracchi NCR Nortel Networks:

Laconi will start once more from the front row in Imola, Garcia from the fourth

Regis Laconi on his 998RS Ducati Caracchi NCR Nortel Networks will start tomorrow in Imola from the front row for the two races of the penultimate round of 2004 Superbike World Championship. Regis rode an exceptional Superpole session, flying like a rope-dancer in the chicanes of the track beside the Santerno river, and only a fantastic Xaus on the factory Ducati has been able to be faster as the French rider.

“The bike is a bit heavy in the quick flip-flop.” – said Regis at the end – “During the free practice session before Superpole I asked to move to a softer set up, but the handling was worst, so we move back to the previous set up. For the Superpole everything run OK, as well in the Variante Alta chicane I landed between the two corners with the rear wheel up just in the changing of direction point. We worked a lot for the best set up in race configuration and the team has done a very good job, but from a group of old fox expert of Imola like the Caracchi NCR crew we couldn’t obtain less. Now we’ll concentrate totally on the race, I’m confident that we’ll be in the leading group.”

David Garcia, got a very good 13th fastest in qualifying, but he lost two positions in Superpole; the young Spanish rider is however satisfied of his result; his biggest problem remains the pain in the left arm, still heavy after a few lap in a engaging track like Imola.

“I’ve been quite fast in qualifying. ” – commented Garcia after Superpole – “In the Superpole lap I started a bit slow, but I got the fastest second split time, then in the last corner I found a track’s falling-in and the shot in my arm forced me to slacken my pace, so I lost some position in the grid. For the race I’ll made some medical control with Clinica Mobile staff to be able to finish the race.”

From a press release issued by series organizers:

STEINHAUSEN ROMPS TO IMOLA VICTORY

Jörg Steinhausen and passenger Trevor Hopkinson grabbed their second win of the season in round nine of the Superside World Championship at Imola, Italy.

“We felt the pressure but rode hard and very pleased to win the race. We will be looking for another win in the final round at Magny-Cours,” said Steinhausen, who had to make a mad dash to Imola from a qualifying session at Hockenheim in the German championship.

Webster and Woodhead battled hard to stay in touch but lost some time with backmarkers. “We had no chance of catching Jörg and Trevor today. The championship is not decided yet so we are not taking anything for granted,” said Webster.

Klaus Klaffenböck and Christian Parzer completed the podium positions and the Austrian pairing go into the final race knowing that they must win to stand any chance of spoiling the Webster-Woodhead party.

Klaffenböck said: “We have a slim chance but we have to sort out the problems we have had in the last two races. Anyway, we will try hard.”

Superside World championship race result
(16 laps – 78.93km/49.33miles):

1 Jörg Steinhausen, Germany (Suzuki) 31:33.153

2 Steve Webster, GB (Suzuki) +14.433

3 Klaus Klaffenböck, Austria (Yamaha) +31.953

4 Martien van Gils, Holland (Suzuki) +42.843

5 Bill Philp, GB (Yamaha) +1:31.343

6 Tim Reeves, GB (Yamaha) +1:31.927

7 Jock Skene, GB (Suzuki) +1:32.108

8 Tom Hanks, GB (Yamaha) +1:45.556

9 Richard Gatt, GB (Yamaha) +1:52.979

10 Renaud Dernoncourt, France (Suzuki) +1:55.143.

Championship points after nine of 10 rounds: 1 Webster 186, 2 Klaffenböck 162, 3 Steinhausen 136, 4 Abbott 91, 5 Hanks 89, 6 Van Gils 88, 7 Philp 70, 8 Roscher 68, 9 Skene 44, 10 Gatt 43.

Next round: Magny-Cours, France – October 18

From a press release issued by MonsterMob Ducati:

MONSTERMOB DUCATI BRITISH SUPERBIKE TEAM

Round 12 – 2003 British Superbike Championship powered by HALLS, Donington Park

Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th September 2003

SHAKEY GETS POLE IN FINAL ROUND

Newly crowned 2003 British Superbike Champion Shane ‘Shakey’ Byrne will start the last round of the championship from pole position on the grid.

The 26 year old MonsterMob Ducati rider posted the fastest lap of the weekend around the circuit in this morning’s qualifying session before bettering it with an even quicker time of 1:32.104 in the Dunlop Super 12 session to record his fourth pole position of the season.

“The bike is working fantastic here, fingers crossed for tomorrow. Every race I’m out there to win so hopefully I can do the business tomorrow,” said Shakey.

Team mate MonsterMob Ducati Supersport rider Stuart Easton will start from third position on the grid aboard the 748 MonsterMob Ducati.

The 20 year old rider from Hawick who has already secured runner up spot in the Supersport Championship is hoping to round off the season with a win in tomorrow’s race.

Superbike Qualifying

1, Shane Byrne (MonsterMob Ducati) 1:32.104

2, Sean Emmett (Ducati) 1:32.432

3, Michael Rutter (Ducati) 1:32.709

4, John Reynolds (Suzuki) 1:32.911

5, Leon Haslam (Ducati) 1:32.985

6, Glen Richards (Kawasaki) 1:33.271

7, Steve Plater (Honda) 1:33.574

8, Niall MacKenzie (Suzuki) 1:33.616

9, Jon Kirkham (Yamaha) 1:33.640

10, Dean Ellison (Ducati) 1:33.910

11, Scott Smart (Kawasaki) 1:34.044

12, Gary Mason (Yamaha) 1:34.309


Supersport Qualifying

1, Karl Harris (Honda) 1:36.683

2, Dean Thomas (Honda) 1:36.845

3, Stuart Easton (MonsterMob Ducati) 1:36.910

4, Tom Sykes (Yamaha) 1:36.962

5, Michael Laverty (Honda) 1:37.046

6, Simon Andrews (Yamaha) 1:37.053

7, Jamie Robinson (Yamaha) 1:37.093

8, Craig Jones (Triumph) 1:37.297

9, Kieran Murphy (Honda) 1:37.563

10, Adrian Coates (Honda) 1:37.572

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday’s World Superbike Qualifying Results:

1. James Toseland, Ducati 998F02, 1:49.011
2. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 999F03, 1:49.022
3. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 999F03, 1:49.074
4. Chris Walker, Ducati 998F02, 1:49.225
5. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 1:49.454
6. Regis Laconi, Ducati 998RS, 1:49.472
7. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:49.995
8. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:50.312
9. Steve Martin, Ducati 998RS, 1:50.557
10. Juan Borja, Ducati 998RS, 1:50.675
11. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:51.072
12. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:51.072
13. David Garcia, Ducati 998RS, 1:51.332
14. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:51.504
15. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS, 1:51.569
16. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:51.848
17. Alex Gramigni, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:52.649
18. James Haydon, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:53.134
19. Walter Tortoroglio, Honda RC51, 1:53.263
20. Luca Pini, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:53.379

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The President of Ducati says, “Rubén, Ducati America needs you.”

By Dennis Noyes

Imola, Italy: Spain’s fast and spectacular Rubén Xaus, arguably the brightest star at this year’s Laguna Seca World Superbike round, is negotiating a contract with Ducati Corse that could result in his riding the 2004 AMA Superbike Championship for the Ducati Austin team with full works Ducati Corse backing and, perhaps, top-of-the-line Michelin tires, but the deal is not done and the Spaniard has other options, including two possible MotoGP rides.

“This is a hard decision to make,” said Xaus on Friday at Imola. “Ducati President Federico Minoli has told me he that Ducati must have me ride for them in the AMA series. He says they need to win races there and he wants me to do it.”

During a chat with Xaus prior to Saturday’s Superpole (which he won, the first in his three year SBK stint), he said he had “made no effort” to renew his World Superbike agreement because he does not want to ride in a single-tire Championship. “As soon as I heard about the new rules I decided that I had to get out of here. This is a big step backwards for the Championship. Part of the challenge and the fun of racing at a high level is choosing the best tires and setting the bike up to suit your tire choice. Going to a single tire company and the same tire for everybody is like club racing and I am not interested in that. I have had talks with three MotoGP teams, one Ducati, one Yamaha and one Honda. Luis D’Antin wants me to ride in his Ducati team along with Neil but Ducati wants me in the USA. I also have an offer to ride a Yamaha in MotoGP, but I want a two-year deal and one with a future beyond that. I have also talked to Sito Pons. Right now my manager is looking at several offers and we are waiting for a better offer from Ducati for the USA. Their first offer was not good enough but they knew that. It is just their way of opening the negotiations. I know how they bargain. Remember last year I was hired at the very last minute when Edwards turned down the Ducati offer and went to Aprilia. I had an Aprilia offer at that time for SBK, but when Colin made his move that took all the money out of the Aprilia budget.”

Paolo Ciabatti, director of Ducati’s Superbike racing program explained, “Even though we know we could win the title with him next year, we think it is time for a change and for us to bring in new riders. We have decided not to bring Rubén back to World Superbike next year because feel he has had three years in the class and has won races but has not won the title. In each of his three years with us he has been inconsistent at first with many crashes and then fast and consistent at the end of the year. We think he needs a change of Championship now and we believe we need to introduce other riders and give them a chance. We know that Rubén eventually wants to go to MotoGP and that coming back here after all his rivals have gone to MotoGP would not be the best for him as a rider. He needs a new challenge. We feel Ruben, is a very talented rider and we know he is very popular with fans all over the world. He speaks five languages. We feel that he is the man we need in the United States now.”

Ducati, unlike most factory teams, rarely continues with the same rider beyond a two or three year period if that rider does not win Championships. Neil Hodgson was fired and later re-hired by Ducati and is now destined to ride for the D’Antin Ducati team in MotoGP.

Ciabatti went on to say that that Ducati would probably run a one-rider team in the USA, “although the AMA is encouraging us to run a two rider team. Right now it looks like a two-rider team would be too expensive, but first we need to sort out the question of the rider.” He added that Ducati is not sure yet whether they would continue with Michelin or turn to Dunlop. “We have worked with both manufacturers and could go either way.”

Asked about Ducati’s expectations in the USA, he replied, “Really our first priority is to win Daytona because we know what that means in the U.S. market. After that our objective is to win races. Whether we win the title or not is not as important as running consistently at the front and winning races. We are also considering the possibility of offering support to another team in order to run our 749 in the AMA’s new Formula Xtreme class. The United States is our second most important market behind Italy and our American dealers have told us that we need to have our 999 and 749 bikes winning races there.”

Although Ducati officials will not yet officially confirm it, their Fila Ducati riders in 2004 will be Frenchman Regis Laconi (one of a select group or riders to have won in both SBK and 500) and 22-year-old Englishman (and concert pianist) James Toseland.

On Friday Toseland was quickest with a time of 1:49.011, followed by Laconi, Xaus and newly-crowned SBK World Champion Neil Hodgson, the only four riders to dip under the 1:50 mark, but not yet threatening Colin Edwards’ record of 1:48.336, set last year. Then today Xaus bettered his time and was the quickest in the final session, but was still second behind Toseland, who did not improve his time.

That set the stage for the battle in the Superpole which was won in spectacular fashion by Xaus who arrived at the final chicane with the bike completely crossed up and then nearly high-sided on the exit.

Xaus leads the battle for runner-up in SBK by 51 points over Toseland and by 70 points over Laconi with 100 points still in play over the next two rounds and four races.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Record lap by Muggeridge in Final Supersport Session

Australian Karl Muggeridge took his third pole of the year and set a new World Supersport lap record of 1:49.592 at Imola, using his Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR to better Alstare Suzuki’s Stephane Chambon by nearly seven-tenths of a second.

Muggeridge’s teammate Chris Vermuelen will start third just ahead of Sebatien Charpentier and his Honda. Vermuelen needs to only finish eighth tomorrow to clinch the title if Suzuki’s Katsuaki Fujiwara, sixth on the grid, wins, while a mere 14th place will do it for the 21-year-old Australian if Chambon wins.

It was a grim day for Kawasaki’s reigning World Champion Fabien Foret and Pere Riba. Both bikes suffered major mechanical failures, twice with Riba’s machine. These problems came just two days after the decision by the factory Kawasaki team to withdraw from the Supersport World Championship until 2005, when the team plans to return in both the Supersport and Superbike classes.


More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:

MUGGERIDGE BLITZES IMOLA WITH CBR600RR FLYING LAP

Honda CBR600RR rider Karl Muggeridge blitzed the lap record by 2.5s in Saturday’s final qualifying session as he took pole position for Sunday’s 10th round of the World Supersport championship at Imola in Italy.

The Australian clinched his third pole position of the year as he looks to add to his race victory of the last round at Assen, Holland three weeks ago.

“I had a little bit of a think about what I was doing and decided to look at some new lines on the circuit, especially in the first part of the lap,” Muggeridge explained. “And it was that section where I improved the most.”

Muggeridge’s lap ­ in the final minute of the 45-minute session – on his Ten Kate CBR600RR machine stunned the opposition. He heads the grid, 0.7s faster than second-placed Stephane Chambon.

Third place on the grid belongs to Chris Vermeulen, the championship leader and champion-elect, providing he can secure at least an eighth place finish in Sunday¹s race.

“I’m ready to race, no question,” said a determined Vermeulen. “We’ve got a good rear race tyre, the machine feels great and I just want to get on with it.”

Sebastien Charpentier, a late season revelation on his Klaffi team CBR600RR Honda, completes the front row of the grid, in fourth place ­ all on his first visit to Imola.

“It’s a very difficult track and takes time to learn but I’ve really enjoyed riding around here,” said Charpentier. “To qualify on the front row is a bonus and I must say thank you to my friend Regis Laconi. I did 10 laps with him on scooters on Thursday and he showed me the fast lines.”

Jurgen van den Goorbergh heads the second row after the Dutchman took fifth place while Katsuaki Fujiwara ­ Vermeulen’s closest challenger in the title chase ­ starts from sixth.

Japanese wild card rider Tekkyu Kayo put on a credible display to scoop seventh with Gianluca Nannelli, the first of the “local” Italian riders, in eighth. Defending world champion Fabien Foret and Australian wild card rider Kevin Curtain finished ninth and 10th respectively.

Robert Ulm bounced back from a fast crash in the morning’s free practice session to qualify in 11th place. Ulm said: “That was a massive crash this morning and I was down to one machine for that session so I played it a little cautious. I’m OK though, no injuries, just looking forward to the race.”

Iain MacPherson was disappointed with 18th place on the grid but the Van Zon Honda star believes a podium finish is possible in Sunday’s race, he commented: “I was simply trying too hard and out-braking myself all over the place. I’ve got a good race pace so I reckon I can be right up there tomorrow.”

MacPherson¹s team-mate Werner Daemen will start from 20th place, the Belgian reported: “With about 20 minutes to go in the session I got rid of a front end chatter problem I’ve had all weekend but it changed the machine and I made three mistakes on what should have been my fast lap.”

Final World Supersport championship qualifying times:

1 Karl Muggeridge, Australia (Honda) 1:51.592

2 Stephane Chambon, France (Suzuki) 1:52.253

3 Chris Vermeulen, Australia (Honda) 1:52.353

4 Sebastien Charpentier, France (Honda) 1:52.751

5 Jurgen van den Goorbergh, Holland (Yamaha) 1:52.835

6 Katsuaki Fujiwara, Japan (Suzuki) 1:52.934

7 Tekkyu Kayo, Japan (Yamaha) 1:53.015

8 Gianluca Nannelli, Italy (Yamaha) 1:53.210

9 Fabien Foret, France (Kawasaki) 1:53.229

10 Kevin Curtain, Australia (Yamaha) 1″53.293

11 Robert Ulm, Austria (Honda) 1:53.302

18 Iain MacPherson, GB (Honda) 1:54.037

20 Werner Daemen, Belgium (Honda) 1:54.195


More, from a press release issued by Team Yamaha Belgarda:

JURGEN MISSES FRONT ROW BY A WHISKER. SANNA SICK. KAYO’S SURPRISE.

Team Yamaha Belgarda rider Jurgen van den Goorbergh just missed out on a front row grid position by less then a tenth of a second in final qualifying at Imola today. A couple of tiny errors on his quick laps cost him a tenth of second and that was just enough to push him off the front row of the grid. Jurgen’s left elbow was much better today and although it wasn’t 100%, once he was on the bike he just put his head down and tried attack the top four. His team mate Simone Sanna had other problems to contend with after spending a large part of last evening vomiting and feeling poorly. In the morning he was still feeling dizzy and had to go to the Clinica Mobile and get some medication before he felt well enough to get on the bike. At the end of the day, fifteenth quickest was probably about as much as expected and he now faces an uphill struggle tomorrow. Yamaha Belgarda guest rider Tekkyu Kayo surprised the Supersport paddock by posting the seventh quickest time of qualifying. It was a tremendous performance by the young Japanese rider – considering it is only his second Supersport ride of the season and this is his first time at Imola. Aussie Karl Muggeridge (Honda) set the day’s quickest time, with a lap of 1:51.592 ­ a time that would’ve put him in the top fourteen of the Superbike class! Second fastest today is Stephane Chambon (Suzuki), with series leader Chris Vermeulen (Honda) third and Sebastien Charpentier (Honda) fourth.

JURGEN VD GOORBERGH ­ 5th, 1:52.835
Once I am on the bike, I’m concentrating hard and I don’t notice it really – off the bike though is another matter. But, it hasn’t really hindered me much today and the only reason that I didn’t get a front row grid place was because I made a couple of little mistakes. Imola is the kind of place that if you do that, it messes up the whole lap and that’s that. I’m reasonably happy with set-up for the race and I know which tyres I’ll use tomorrow, but it will be important for me to stay in touch with the leaders once the race starts so that I can chase second place in the championship.

SIMONE SANNA ­ 15th, 1:53.779
This morning I felt pretty rough after spending a lot of time being sick yesterday evening. I felt drained and a bit dizzy, but after visiting the Clinica Mobile and getting some medication, at least I was able to ride. Understandably, I couldn’t push as hard as I would’ve liked and so I ended up on the fourth row of the grid. I’m hoping to get a good night’s sleep tonight and wake up feeling much fresher. Then, I need a really good start in the race. But I am hoping that I can still get a good result because I want to put on a good show for my fans.

TEKKYU KAYO ­ 7th, 1:53.015
I like this track. It is a technical circuit and difficult because there are so many ups and downs and very hard parts like the Piratello. I haven’t ridden a 600 since Sugo, so it took me a little time to get used to it again, but the Yamaha Belgarda team is fantastic and they have taught me a lot this weekend. The R6 is working really well and I’m enjoying this experience a lot, though I am a bit surprised how high the level is in World Supersports. Tomorrow it’ll be important to get a good start and keep in touch, but if I can manage that then maybe a podium is a possibility ­ that’s what I’d like!