Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn LeSanto

Seven from Seven for Hodgson

Neil Hodgson maintained his perfect score in 2003 by dominating the first Superbike race at Monza. He kept out of the melee for second place as Regis Laconi, Gregorio Lavilla, James Toseland and Frankie Chili battled for the remaining honours.

Hodgson got the jump on his Fila Ducati and led the pack in the drag race to the first chicane. Laconi and the two Alstare Suzukis of Vittorio Iannuzzo and Lavilla followed him in.

James Toseland improved quickly on lap two from his fifth position in turn one, moving to third as Ruben Xaus missed his braking point and ran on at the Ascari curves.

Laconi and Lavilla had managed to overhaul Hodgson, but the Brit was in no mood to sit behind and wait. Instead he took Laconi on the brakes into the first chicane on lap three and started a duel which saw the pair swap the lead three times during the lap.

The leaders were four-wide into the first chicane on lap five, with Toseland passing Laconi and allowing Hodgson to make a break.

Hodgson’s lead increased over the next few laps as the battle behind intensified. Toseland and Lavilla passed each other five times in five laps going into the Parabolica.

Traffic came into play with two laps to go, with Hodgson slowed considerably as two backmarkers showed a distinct lack of professionalism in the sight of waving blue flags. The chasing pack continued to fight hard, running four-wide down the main straight and passing time after time through the Ascari curves and into the Parabolica.

A lapped rider, Lorenzo Mauri, held up Laconi, Lavilla, Toseland and Chili as they entered Variante della Roggia. The gap to Hodgson had closed to only 1.2 seconds.

Everything was set for the last lap challenge into the Parabolica. The pack closed on Hodsgon, who was completely unaware that his two-second lead had been reduced almost to nil. But he held out for his seventh win of the season by 0.352 second from Laconi. As he celebrated his win his team celebrated Ducati’s 200th WSB win.

Toseland lost out in a photo finish to Lavilla by less than half a bike length as they crossed the line, with both riders given the same time in the final standings.

“I am very fast in the first chicane but not so fast in the Parabolica,” commented Lavilla. “I was held up by a backmarker before Ascari and it made me angry and I messed it up.”

Frenchman, Laconi was pleased with second place, “I am very happy,” he said after the race. “My bike is very good but not as fast as the 999.”

Winner Hodgson had some harsh words for the back markers: “On the last lap I got held up by the backmarkers who were very unprofessional. They were looking at each other and even banging into each other. When I finally got past, I relaxed a little bit too much on the last lap.

“As I went over the line and closed the throttle, suddenly four bikes went past me, and I thought, shit, I nearly got caught with my pants down there!”

World Superbike Race One Results:

1. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 999F03, 18 laps, 32:38.264
2. Regis Laconi, Ducati 998RS, -0.352 second
3. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -0.389 second
4. James Toseland, Ducati 998F02, -0.396 second
5. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, -1.617 seconds
6. Chris Walker, Ducati 998F02, -4.138 seconds
7. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 999F03, -10.889 seconds
8. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS, -11.609 seconds
9. Steve Martin, Ducati 998RS, -12.877 seconds
10. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, -15.902 seconds
11. Alex Gramigni, Yamaha YZF-R1, -21.700 seconds
12. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -25.872 seconds
13. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, -34.204 seconds
14. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, -53.406 seconds
15. Serafino Foti, Ducati 998RS, -67.704 seconds
16. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki GSX-R1000, -71.924 seconds
17. Lorenzo Mauri, Ducati 996RS, -1 lap
18. Marco Masetti, Ducati 996RS, -1 lap
19. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, -2 laps, DNF
20. James Haydon, Foggy Petronas FP1, -4 laps, DNF
21. Giovanni Bussei, Yamaha YZF-R1, -6 laps, DNF
22. Walter Tortoroglio, Honda RC51, -16 laps, DNF

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

Corser 13th in first Monza race for Foggy PETRONAS racing

Foggy PETRONAS Racing rider Troy Corser finished in 13th place of the first race in round four of the World Superbike championship at Monza. The Australian, starting from 11th on the grid, recorded a best lap time of 1:50.849 in the seventh successive race won by championship leader, Neil Hodgson. Corser’s FPR team-mate, James Haydon, retired from the race after 14 laps, while lying 18th. Corser said: “I will be trying a softer tyre for the second and am hopeful of achieving our pre-race target of making the top ten.”

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Mystery School Yamaha’s Rich Oliver took his 64th career AMA 250cc Grand Prix win by a runaway margin of 60 seconds Sunday at Road Atlanta.

Priority Racing’s Simon Turner chased Oliver closely for one lap before crashing out of the race in turn two on the second lap.

Tom Colins Racing’s Colin Jensen came back from a poor start to catch and pass Ed Sorbo for second place – his first AMA podium finish.

Bridgestone’s Sorbo also collected his first AMA podium finish by holding onto third place in front of Chris Pyles, fourth by 0.4 second. Perry Melneciuc took fifth. Ed Marchini scored sixth after a race-long battle with Greg Esser and Darren Fulce. Canadian Sandy Noce and teenager Barret Long rounded out the top ten.

Defending AMA 250cc GP Champion Chuck Sorensen did not race due to an injury to his right hand suffered in a crash on Friday.

AMA 250cc Grand Prix Race Results:

1. Rich Oliver, Yamaha, 15 laps
2. Colin Jensen, Aprilia, -60.224 seconds
3. Ed Sorbo, Yamaha, -72.115 seconds
4. Chris Pyles, Honda, -72.583 seconds
5. Perry Melneciuc, Yamaha, -84.277 seconds
6. Ed Marchini, Yamaha, -93.531 seconds
7. Greg Esser, Honda, -94.037 seconds
8. Darren Fulce, Yamaha, -94.078 seconds
9. Sandy Noce, Yamaha, -1 lap
10. Barret Long, Yamaha, -1 lap

AMA 250cc GP Point Standings:

1. Oliver, 150
2. Melneciuc, 102
3. Pyles, 98
4. Sorensen, 96
5. Marchini, 95
6. Turner, 87
7. Jensen, 86
8. Sorbo, 82
9. Fulce, 70
10. Noce, 65

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn LeSanto

Heroic Vermeulen rides to Monza win

Chris Vermeulen rode with a badly broken thumb to a demonstrative victory on the Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR at Monza. Jurgen VD Goorbergh came through to second on the Belgarda Yamaha YZF-R6, while Iain MacPherson on the Van Zon Honda TKR returned to form with third.

Vermeulen lead from the start with Ten Kate team mate Karl Muggeridge in tow. The pair pulled out an incredible 1.6-second lead from the pack in the first half lap.

Muggeridge held second for a while but he had burnt out his clutch making his start for the warm up lap and he faded back through the field before being forced to retire. The data from the bike download after the race showed that he over revved it getting away for the warm up lap.

Newcomer Sebastien Charpentier brought the Klaffi Honda through to as high as second on lap three, but then fell back to sixth at the end of the race. VD Goorbergh emerged from the pack on his Belgarda Yamaha R6 to take second but couldn’t reel in the flying Australian. Vermeulen went on to win by 9.1 seconds.

“I don’t know how I did that,” said Vermeulen after the race. “But I got a good start and when I looked around nobody was there. I don’t know what happened to everybody but obviously I was happy to be leading,” said Vermeulen, before heading to the Clinica Mobile to have his injured thumb reset.

MacPherson received his first points for the season at Monza, and is looking forward to the next round in two weeks time. “It’s about time I got on to the podium,” said the plucky Scotsman. “I put in much more effort into this weekend but I’m not 100% there yet, maybe more like 80%. I’m trying so hard to want to race and hopefully I can keep on getting better.”

Vermeulen’s win saw him increase his championship lead to 29 points on a day when his nearest rival Katsuaki Fujiwara struggled and finished back in tenth. VD Goorbergh’s second place raises him from fourth to third in the championship, just a point behind Fujiwara.


World Supersport Race Results:

1. Chris Vermeulen, Honda, 16 laps, 30:16.092
2. Jurgen vd Goorbergh, Yamaha, -9.120 secondsBR>3. Iain MacPherson, Honda, -12.236 seconds
4. Stephane Chambon, Suzuki, -12.251 seconds
5. Fabien Foret, Kawasaki, -13.529 seconds
6. Sebastien Charpentier, Honda, -13.817 seconds
7. Christian Kellner, Yamaha, -14.249 seconds
8. Alessio Corradi, Yamaha, -14.562 seconds
9. Pere Riba, Kawasaki, -15.277 seconds
10. Katsuaki Fujiwara, Suzuki, -16.066 seconds
11. Robert Ulm, Honda, -16.962 seconds
12. Christophe Cogan, Honda, -22.577 seconds
13. Barry Veneman, Honda, -29.549 seconds
14. Simone Sanna, Yamaha, -30.447 seconds
15. Broc Parkes, Honda, -38.193 seconds
16. Alessandro Polita, Yamaha, -38.258 seconds
17. Werner Daemen, Honda, -38.336 seconds
18. Ivan Goi, Yamaha, -41.214 seconds
19. Matthieu Lagrive, Yamaha, -48.719 seconds
20. Didier Vankeymeulen, Kawasaki, -58.120 seconds

26. Thierry vd Bosch, Yamaha, 12 laps, DNF
27. Karl Muggeridge, Honda, -12 laps, DNF


More, from a press release issued on behalf of Ten Kate Honda:

Brave victory for battered Vermeulen at Monza

Despite going into the race with badly damaged ligaments in his right thumb from his Friday crash, Australian Chris Vermeulen won by a massive margin of 9.1 seconds on his Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR at Monza in the World Supersport championship.

“I don’t know how I did that,” said Vermeulen, obviously in a great deal of pain from his injury after a gruelling race. “I got a great start and when I saw my board a couple of laps later I couldn’t believe how far ahead I was. My team worked really hard all weekend to give me this victory – as did the guys in the Clinica Mobile! Pirelli came up with some brilliant tyres once again and the WP guys gave me a great raced set up. All I had to do was hang onto the bike for the race distance!”

Vermeulen didn’t realise at the time that his team mate Karl Muggeridge had been forced to retire. “I didn’t think I’d done anything differently at the start,” said Muggeridge after the race. “But when we looked at the data it seems I burnt the clutch out making my start for the warm up lap.”

Muggeridge can take heart from his performance this weekend having dominated qualifying and only missing out in the race because of a small mechanical problem.

Team manager Ronald ten Kate was full of praise for both his riders, “I’m delighted and I must admit somewhat amazed to see Chris win like that. There was a time this weekend when it looked like Chris wouldn’t even be fit to race. Not only did he ride but he took the victory in fantastic style and increased his championship lead to 29 points.

“I consider Karl as a winner also this weekend,” added ten Kate. “He may have had some bad luck in the race but he proved to everybody in qualifying that he is a real force in the World Supersport championship.”


More, from a press release issued on behalf of Van Zon Honda TKR:

Good and bad for Van Zon Honda TKR at Monza

It was a weekend of mixed fortunes for the Van Zon Honda TKR team in the Monza round of the World Supersport championship.

Iain MacPherson powered his way back to form on his Honda CBR600RR with a superb third place, after a race-long battle with Stephane Chambon. The fiery Scot out-rode the diminutive Frenchman to grab the final podium place by a margin of just 0.015 seconds.

“It’s about time I got a decent finish,” said MacPherson after the race. “I’ve put more effort into my racing this weekend, although I feel I’m still not going at 100%, maybe more like 80%. I’m trying really hard to want to race, I’m working on my motivation and hopefully I can keep on improving. I’ve been thinking about my racing, walking the circuit and even listening to Pink Floyd before the races to keep my heart rate down!”

His team mate Werner Daemen had a completely different race. After qualifying well his race started disastrously when his bike cut out on the warm up lap. He rushed back to the pits to collect his spare machine and was forced to start from the pit lane. Unfortunately he suffered similar problems on his number two Honda but soldiered on to finish a creditable seventeenth.

“I’m very, very disappointed,” said Daemen after the race. “I had such a good race set up, the WP suspension guys had worked hard with us to get the chassis working perfectly and the Pirelli tyres have been absolutely superb here all weekend. So to be beaten by a stupid electrical fault like this is terrible luck.”

Hopefully everything will be sorted by the next race in Oschersleben and both riders will be able to show their true potential on the German circuit for round five of the World Supersport championship.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

CHAMBON MISSES PODIUM BY A WHISKER

2003 Supersport World Championship ­ Round 4, Monza, Italy Sunday 18th May
There were no podium places today for Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Stephane Chambon and Katsuaki Fujiwara,­ though Chambon came very close. Aussie Chris Vermeuelen blasted his Honda into the lead right from the start and was headed on his way to a second win of the season. Van de Goorbergh (Yamaha) had a fairly lonely ride for second, but there was a tremendous multi-rider fight for third place which had the sun-blessed crowd jumping up and down with every lap. Fujiwara and Chambon were both involved in this dog-fight early in the race, but Fujiwara’s Suzuki began falling back through the field. Chambon managed to stay with the pack and was in third place until the last lap when Briton Iain MacPherson went past and held on by less then three hundredths of a second. Fujiwara eventually finished tenth.

STEPHANE CHAMBON ­ 4TH
Well today was the best day of the weekend because we had some problems in practice for sure. Today my Alstare Suzuki GSXR600 felt much better. The acceleration was good, the Showa suspension worked well and the Dunlops were good throughout the race. We knew that this would be a difficult track for us ­ because of the need for top end speed ­ but in the end fourth wasn’t too bad. Third would’ve been better of course!

KATSUAKI FUJIWARA ­ 10TH
I am disappointed today and my title challenge has slipped a little. My start was good, but as the race wore on, I could not stay with the leaders and I lost place after place. To finish tenth makes me unhappy, because I know I should’ve finished higher. I will try and make up for it in the next round at Oschersleben.


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

VERMEULEN TAKES OUTSTANDING WIN AT MONZA

Making a perfect start from the front row after qualifying second on the grid, World Championship leader Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) took an immediate and unchallenged advantage in the 16-lap Supersport race, outpacing the entire field to secure a record breaking victory at Monza.

His fastest lap of 1:52.635 was a new record by almost 1.5 seconds, and Vermeulen enjoyed a 9.120 second margin of victory over Yamaha rider Jurgen van den Goorbergh.

Pole position man Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) looked to be in position to score a Honda and Ten Kate 1-2 but he was forced to retire from the race on lap five, after dropping from second to last place with a burnt out clutch. Nonetheless, another Honda rider, Iain Macpherson (van Zon Honda CBR600RR) secured third place, his first podium of the season.

A strong ride at the head of the first tailing group could not be maintained by Sebastien Charpentier (Team Klaffi Honda CBR600RR) but the Frenchman picked up a useful ten points for his sixth place finish. Charpentier’s team-mate Robert Ulm scored 11th, with the distant Christophe Cogan (BKM Honda CBR600RR) overcoming the pain of a pre-race crash to finish one place behind in 12th.

Cogan’s fellow BKM rider Broc Parkes was 15th, Werner Daemen 17th after he could not get his engine to rev out on the straights.

Vermeulen now sits on 81 points in the championship standings, 29 clear of Katsuaki Fujiwara (Suzuki), with van den Goorbergh and Christian Kellner (Yamaha) on 51 and 46 points respectively.

For Vermeulen his second Supersport victory was as sweet as his first Phillip Island win, even if he did downplay his personal performance.

“My start was pretty good and I was expecting Karl to come past but I didn’t see anyone. I read my pit board after about four laps and I had plus six so I turned around and there was no one there. I wondered what had happened and if the whole field had been wiped out or something. The team have worked really well this weekend with my injury and Pirelli gave us the perfect tyre for the race. The Ten Kate Honda is always fast and it was really quick here so all I had to do was sit on it and ride it around.”

Macpherson’s weekend was easily his best of the year. “It was a very difficult race, right from the first lap to the last lap I had to keep fighting and fighting as much as I could,” said the rejuvenated Scotsman. “I only looked behind me once in the race and had a bit of gap over Foret and knew that I was going to finish third or fourth. Fortunately I was able to get on the podium and beat Chambon.”

For Charpentier in sixth only his physical conditioning came between him and a challenge for a podium slot. “At the start of the race everything was great and the work the team has put in really counted,” stated Charpentier after 16-laps of the 5.793km circuit. “My problem is basically seven months off a racing motorcycle, with the exception of Sugo. I could not keep the stamina in my arm muscles to move the bike around. But I am very pleased that we showed we can be competitive even on the fastest tracks.”

Austrian Robert Ulm survived a close call with another rider to earn his 11th place. “I had a bit of a problem with Sanna at one point and another problem with the bike set-up at the double rights at the Lesmo. Other than that the bike was very fast and I am happy with that.”

A quick day in the park for Christophe Cogan was also a painful one. “The crash I had in practice meant I was in a lot of pain and it affected my strength in the race and my concentration.”

Broc Parkes found Monza a particular challenge. “It was a very difficult race today because I had reduced power and it was impossible to make a pass,” stated the young Aussie rider. “We don’t know what the problem is but we have had four races like this and knew that if we came here like this it would be very hard. It seemed to be that whatever we changed it didn’t make a difference and if I was able to put in a pass on the brakes I was being out dragged down the straights.”

For Werner Daemen, who was often impressively quick in practice, the race was much less enjoyable. “I think my top speed was about 250kmph and it should be around 30kmph more. I don’t know what was wrong but the bike refused to rev properly on the straights.”

The cruellest luck of all was held by Karl Muggeridge, who set a new track Supersport best in qualifying, 1:51.480, yet lost all chance of his first race win of the 2003 season. “I burnt the clutch out on the start and I knew that it was pointless riding around so I retired. It’s a big disappointment when I knew I could have won.”

In the fourth round of the World Superbike Championship, the first race of the day was taken by Neil Hodgson (Ducati), his seventh straight race win this season. A close four way fight for the two remaining podium places went to Regis Laconi (Ducati) and Gregorio Lavilla (Suzuki). Hodgson’s three-second lead was whittled down to only 0.3 seconds at the flag, after the intervention of backmarkers. Hodgson’s win was Ducati’s 200th in SBK racing.

In the second 18-lap SBK event, a race-long, four-rider battle between Hodgson, Laconi, Lavilla and Pierfrancesco Chili (Ducati) went the way of Hodgson, holding off Lavilla by a mere 0.044 seconds. Pierfrancesco Chili sent the partisan crowds wild with his third place finish, running home right on the heels of Lavilla.

With Hodgson’s closest championship challenger Ruben Xaus (Ducati) only scoring nine points at Monza, Hodgson sits 85 points ahead, 200 to 115.

Lavilla closed in on Xaus with his new total of 111 and Regis Laconi moved to fourth overall on 96.

The next race for both Supersport and Superbike classes takes place at Oschersleben, Germany, on June 1.


More, from a press release issued by Yamaha Racing:

Jurgen van den Goorbergh moved up to third in the World Supersport championship after finishing second in round four at the Monza circuit in Italy today.

The Dutchman, riding a Yamaha YZF-R6 for Yamaha Belgarda Team, was forced to work hard for his second podium of the season after being held up in a tight first corner.

He fought his way quickly from eighth to second, but by that time eventual race winner Chris Vermeulen (Honda) had built up an unassailable lead.

Christian Kellner (Yamaha Motor Germany), overcame a fifth row start to finish in a strong seventh place, holding off Alessio Corradi (Yamaha Team Italia Spadaro). Kellner’s machine topped the speed trap figures at Monza, with 281.7kph down the main straight, continuing the R6’s record of being the fastest Supersport machine in each round this season.

Simone Sanna (Yamaha Belgarda) had an eventful ride to 14th after a slight clutch adjustment problem led to difficulties changing gear. Matthieu Lagrive (Yamaha Motor France IPONE) finished in 19th place.

Thierry van den Bosch (Yamaha Motor France IPONE) crashed out of a points scoring position on lap five while Jörg Teuchert (Yamaha Motor Germany) pulled in after experiencing problems on the final lap.

Vermeulen extended his championship lead. Van den Goorbergh and Kellner are in championship contention. They lie third and fourth in the championship, with 51 and 46 points respectively. The next round takes place at Oschersleben, Germany, on June 1.

Jurgen van den Goorbergh – Yamaha Belgarda – second
“It was very important for Belgarda Yamaha to get a good result here as they are based so close to the track. It’s probably the most pressure I’ve ever been under but I handled it. For me it is just another race and another part of my career but it’s good for the team to do well here. We were struggling a little bit in practice but we made a few more changes after warm-up and it has worked out quite well. We are improving every weekend and the Pirelli tyres were working great here at Monza. We basically had no problems.”

Christian Kellner – Yamaha Motor Germany – seventh
“There was no problem with the bike at all in the race, just our position from practice. Starting from the fifth row makes things very difficult. I was pushed off line badly at the first corner when another rider went over the kerbs. I am happy with my speed and the speed of the bike, even if this is not my favourite kind of racetrack. I prefer places like Sugo or Oschersleben, and this also makes things more difficult for me at Monza.”

Alessio Corradi – Yamaha Team Italia Spadaro – eighth
“I made a perfect start but at the first chicane I was passed by many riders who cut the corner and went over the other side of the kerb. As a result I was 16th on the first lap. I pushed hard but the gap was too big to the next group. I am disappointed with the result because we are in Italy and I wanted to do better at my home race.”

Simone Sanna – Yamaha Belgarda – 14th
“I had a clutch problem in the race and it made things very difficult under braking. I made two mistakes and was off the track twice, once when I was battling with Robert Ulm and the second time on my own at Ascari. I had some grip problems at the end of the race as well which made it very hard for me.”

Matthieu Lagrive – Yamaha Motor France IPONE – 19th
“I think it is the same story as Sugo. We are making the bike better and the team and I are working very hard. We have to take it step-by-step and at the moment it is not possible for us to qualify high enough and lap fast enough to score points. I hope in three or four races time it will be much better.”

Jörg Teuchert – Yamaha Motor Germany – DNF
“I was leading my group and went in at the same speed as usual but I had a rear wheel slide at the second Lesmo, maybe water on the rear tyre but I am not sure yet. On the exit the engine was getting slower and I had to stop. That’s racing, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.”

Thierry van den Bosch – Yamaha Motor France IPONE – DNF
“I didn’t have a perfect set-up and because of this I was having to do a lot of work on the brakes. I tangled with Broc Parkes under braking but I think it was just a racing accident.”

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn LeSanto

Hodgson wins in last lap thriller

Neil Hodgson’s winning streak looked like it might have come to an end as he entered turn one at Monza in race two in eighth place. But a charge through the pack and a last lap battle saw him edge out Gregorio Lavilla by just 0.044 second for his eighth straight win of the 2003 World Superbike championship.

Lapping a second faster on lap three than the then race leader Regis Laconi, it only took two more laps for Hodgson to blast his way into the front. The leading group of six riders then held each other up with some spectacular overtaking, with riders pulling passing moves in places that hadn’t been seen in race one.

Hodgson’s rear tyre began sliding mid-race, but it was Lavilla who was giving the best show, spinning his Alstare Suzuki completely sideways out of the Parabolica and smoking the rear tyre lap after lap.

The last lap saw a demonstration of the sheer power of the Fila Ducati 999 as Hodgson blasted into the lead from back in fourth place as the bikes motored up the main straight. The pace was furious around the back of the circuit but Hodgson held it together to take his eighth win and complete yet another perfect round in 2003.

The race marked Chili’s 201st World Superbike race, and the Italian star joked about giving up racing; “I was interviewed yesterday and I said that if I win tomorrow, then maybe I stop racing!”

While Chili is the veteran of the paddock it was Hodgson who claimed to be feeling the strain after the day’s racing. “I feel like an old man!” joked the Isle of Man based Hodgson before paying a compliment to his fellow combatant. “I’d like to say that it is not the Suzuki that’s very good, instead I think that Gregorio’s riding the wheels off the thing. He’s so good on the brakes, has got good corner speed and he was speedway sliding out of every corner. So total respect to anyone that pushes a bike that hard. At the moment Gregorio looks at one with the bike. I think he’s making the bike look fantastic.

“I don’t even want to think about the next round!” added the Ducati Fila rider. “I want to eat about four or five massive pizzas and drink loads of Peroni beer and just relax for two days and forget about motorcycle racing.”

The tyre-smoking Lavilla got agonisingly close to the first race win for the Suzuki GSXR1000 in World Superbike but couldn’t quite finish it off.

“I tried to catch Neil on the last lap,” explained Lavilla. “But there was some very hard braking going on and he closed the door, it wasn’t possible to pass.”

In sharp contrast to Hodgson’s performance, his team mate Ruben Xaus completed another weekend of mixed fortune, crashing out from fifth place with two laps to go at Ascari.

Hodgson now has a commanding 85-point lead in the championship with just four rounds gone.

World Superbike Race Two Results:

1. Neil Hodgson, Ducati, 18 laps, 32:41.366
2. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki, -0.044 second
3. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati, -0.613 second, 0.954 second
4. Regis Laconi, Ducati
5. James Toseland, Ducati
6. Chris Walker, Ducati
7. Steve Martin, Ducati
8. Marco Borciani, Ducati
9. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki
10. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati
11. Alex Gramigni, Yamaha
12. Mauro Sanchini
13. Giovanni Bussei, Yamaha
14. Serafino Foti, Ducati
15. Walter Tortoroglio, Honda
16. Marco Masetti, Ducati
17. Lorenzo Mauri, Ducati, -1 lap
18. Ruben Xaus, Ducati, -2 laps, DNF
19. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki, -3 laps, DNF
20. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas, -4 laps, DNF
21. Sergio Fuertes, Suzuki, -4 laps
22. James Haydon, Foggy Petronas, -6 laps


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

WEEKEND TO FORGET FOR TROY

Troy had his worst weekend and raceday of the year at Monza today. The fourth round of the 2003 Superbike World Championship should’ve been a weekend where the team continued its progress, but all Troy took home was a lowly three points.

In the first race, the tyre didn’t work as Michelin had expected and Troy rode round the 5.793 kilometre track for eighteen laps and managed to take three points. In race two, Troy was black-flagged after some flames were seen coming out under his seat. Troy pulled in to the side of the track, where a track marshal used a fire extinguisher on the bike as a safety measure.

Runaway series leader Neil Hodgson, still unbeaten after eight races, won both 18-lappers today and in so doing took Ducati’s win total to two hundred and one. In the first race he took the flag by a comfortable margin, ahead of Regis Laconi (Ducati) and Gregorio Lavilla (Suzuki). But the second race was a hotly contested affair, with five riders all in with a shout. Lavilla led the last lap, but Hodgson squeezed past to take his second win of the day. Lavilla took runner-up spot just forty-four thousandths of a second behind, with local favourite Frankie Chili (Ducati)third.

TROY
Not a lot to say really, except that it has been a bit frustrating this weekend and maybe it’s one that I should just forget. In the first race, we went for a tyre that was suggested to us and I ended up riding around just to get a finish and some points. The temperature was higher then the rest of the weekend, so maybe that’s why the tyre didn’t work as we expected. We used a softer tyre in the second race and the bike worked much better. As the race wore on, I could feel my backside getting a bit hot, so I was expecting something to happen. I saw the black flag with my number on it and pulled off the track on the back straight when I thought I could see a marshal with a fire extinguisher and that was the end of my race. It was a disappointing end to a disappointing weekend. I hope the next round at Oschersleben is better!


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

‘Black’ day for Foggy PETRONAS Racing at Monza

Foggy PETRONAS Racing had to settle for Troy Corser’s sole 13th placed finish in an unlucky fourth round of the World Superbike championship for Carl Fogarty’s team at Monza.

Both Corser and team-mate James Haydon were black-flagged in the second race when their silencers caught fire towards the end of the race. The extreme speeds of the long straights at the historic Italian circuit had been expected to pose the biggest challenge to date in the team’s debut season on the FP1, the Malaysian superbike. So new silencers featuring a type of carbon that was hoped to be resistant to the higher temperatures generated around this circuit were used, as an interim measure while new titanium versions are being developed. But deteriorating padding left the carbon exposed to the exhaust gases, causing the flames.

Team manager Nigel Bosworth explained: “This was not the flame-out that we have been trying to eradicate all season. We anticipated the silencer issue after Phillip Island, the other high-speed track we have raced on, but this stop-gap measure proved insufficient for Monza. These are the kind of things you learn during a development season and, while this has been a tough weekend for the team and the riders, we will be stronger and more knowledgeable for the next round at Oschersleben.”

Team owner Carl Fogarty said: “This season was never going to be all plain sailing and, after a promising start, we have identified a number of issues that are exposed at circuits like Monza. These will have to be solved straight away if we are to turn the potential of the FP1 into more positive results this season.”

Following on from a challenging first race when Troy finished 13th and James retired with four laps remaining, as well as two days of qualifying dogged by mechanical problems, both riders were glad to put the weekend behind them.

Troy said: “This round has shown we still have a lot of work to do yet. I changed my tyre for the second race to a softer compound, which worked better and I could run with my pack down the straights but I riding it as hard as I could. I felt my seat getting hotter and hotter but was just hoping to be able to bring it home when I saw the black flag. I’m pretty glad this weekend is over!”

James said: “In some ways it was quite apt that my weekend ended with my bike parked, in flames, while a heavy marshall struggled to reach it with an extinguisher. In hindsight I should have tried harder to work through the difficulties with my bike and finish the first race. I have never had a more painful weekend – and I guess frustration goes hand in hand with that. It has certainly been the most testing part of our season and we are now at a point where all parties in this project have to work that much harder in order to make sure we don’t get stuck in a rut. It was a weekend to forget but, at the same time, one to learn from.”


More, from Steve Martin’s publicist:

Great weekend for Steve Martin in Monza

Australian Steve Martin rode to two top ten finishes in the fourth round of the World Superbike championship in Monza this weekend.

He finished race one in ninth and then improved on that with a hard-fought seventh in race after a massive four-way fight that lasted all the way to the flag.

“It was a tough race,” admitted Martin. “I didn’t get the best start and so found myself with lots of traffic to deal with. Once I got past them I had to deal with four riders to claim seventh.”

Steve was lucky to finish both races after running out of fuel on the cool-down lap.

“At least it was consistent,” smiled Steve, “because I stopped in exactly the same spot after both races!”

Steve and the DFX Racing Team travel down to Misano for two days testing ahead of the next race at Oschersleben in two weeks time.

“I’m looking forward to Oschersleben, despite getting injured there last season, because it’s a track we can go well at.”

Martin is now eighth in the championship on 58 points after four rounds.


More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki:

DOUBLE PODIUM FOR GREGORIO!

2003 Superbike World Championship ­ Round 4, Monza, Italy Sunday 18th May

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Gregorio Lavilla crowned his best weekend of the season with two superb podiums at Monza today. Gregorio took third in the first race behind runaway winner Neil Hodgson (Ducati) and Regis Laconi (Ducati) after a tremendous five rider battle for runner-up spot. Gregorio led the second race for seven laps and was in contention right up to the flag, but was pipped by Hodgson at the chequered flag by just forty-four thousandths of a second.

Third went to local favourite Frankie Chili (Ducati), ahead of Laconi, Toseland and Walker.

Vittorio Iannuzzo, on his first ‘wild card’ ride of the year, on another Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra GSXR1000, rode superbly to take 12th in the first race and 9th in the second.

GREGORIO LAVILLA ­ Race 1: 3rd, Race 2: 2nd

That was our best weekend of the year and it was really good to be able to lead a race and fight with Hodgson for the lead. Neil (Hodgson) got away in race one and I was involved in a big fight for second for most of the race. A couple of times I banged fairings with somebody, but it wasn’t dangerous at all, ­ just racing! Towards the end, I thought I had a really good chance of winning, but a couple of slower riders got in the way before the Parabolica, Neil got the luck and went past them, whilst I was held up!

In the second race, Neil didn’t get a break like in race one and a group of us were able to stay with him. I led a few times, but I knew Neil’s Ducati was much faster and it would be hard to be in front at the end. But, I tried my hardest and was leading two laps from the end waiting for Neil to make his move. When he did I stayed with him and looked for a way to get out of his draught , but his bike’s acceleration was better then mine and I couldn’t get ahead before the flag. I think we’re improving all the time. Don’t forget we are on a new bike, with new suspension, so the very first day of practice is like a test for us. I like Oschersleben (the next round) and want to continue my podium successes.

VITTORIO IANNUZZO Race 1: 12th, Race 2: 9th

I am very happy today because I managed some good results and beat quite a few Superbike regulars. Considering this was only the third time I’ve ridden the bike, I think we’ve done really well. I enjoyed my battles on the track and I’m looking forward to more in the next round at Oschersleben.


More, from a press release issued by Ducati Corse:

Neil Hodgson (Team Ducati Fila) took Ducati’s World Superbike victory total over the 200 mark at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza today with another double win, his fourth of the year, in front of 72,000 spectators.

In glorious conditions, Neil clinched win #200 when he took the chequered flag from Laconi (NCR Ducati) and Lavilla (Suzuki). “I had a two second lead on the last lap,” he declared, “but then I got held up by the back-markers as we went through the chicane and I lost a lot of time. I then eased off towards the end to take the win but I didn’t realise everyone else was so close behind me. Now that I’ve got this 200th win and Troy’s record for six wins on the run at the start of the season out of the way, I feel a lot more relaxed for the second race.”

Neil then added another win to his total after a superb scrap in race 2 with Lavilla, which went down to the line. “It was fun out there battling elbow to elbow at 190 km/h,” declared Neil, “and hats off to Gregorio who rode a fantastic race. Frankie and Regis were also unbelievably aggressive but safe. I had no plan for race 2. I was just lucky, and ended up in the right place at the right time. All sorts of things happened to me out there: the bike wasn’t perfect at the front, I ran over the kerb at the chicane, and then after a flying start I lost touch for a few laps. But I managed to focus on the race, get back with the leading group and win. I’m really happy I could get the 200th win for Ducati today.”

A difficult day for team-mate Ruben Xaus after his dramatic crash yesterday. Ruben was declared fit to race but made contact with Walker during the first lap of race 1, recovering well to finish seventh. Race 2 went much better as the Spaniard battled for fifth with Toseland (HM Plant Ducati) for a number of laps before crashing out at the Ascari chicane on the penultimate lap.

“The whole weekend has been a nightmare,” commented Ruben. “I just got started in the first race before Walker touched me and I went into the gravel trap. Then in race 2 I lost the front end at Ascari – it was my mistake. I was having problems with the brakes the whole race and I just went down. I thought I could get some points from this weekend. I’m still second in the championship but now I just need to put this one behind me, concentrate on the next races, and score some points.”


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

A great Regis Laconi hero at Monza

Regis Laconi has been one of the great heroes on Monza circuit today, for the fourth round of World Superbike. The French rider on the 998RS Ducati Caracchi NCR Nortel Networks, who started from the front row with the fourth qualifying fastest, scored in race-1 a fantastic second place just 3/10 of second behind the winner Hodgson, while in race-2 has been a great hero once more, but a lack of power prevent him to play his cards until the chequered flag and finished however in fourth position less as a second behind the winner, leaving Monza in fourth place in the Championship standing.

“At some point in race-2 I was really thinking to be able to win!” – confessed with a half sweet smile Regis Laconi back at the garage after race-2 – “I feel myself perfectly, The tyres were performing well despite the high temperature, then suddenly the engine had a lack of power; during the final seven laps I wasn’t able to push and in the finish line I could use the sixth gear only 40 meters after my normal gear point. I tried to brake harder, but my rivals (Hodgson, Lavilla and Chili) weren’t of course free for presents and at the end I’ve lost the possibility to climb onto the winner rostrum too. For sure was shocking every time we were in a line 10 meters long to see how was easy for the Suzuki or the 999 to overtaken me, but in the corner I was more agile and pass them, so, I repeat, I really believed that I could win. In the first leg, when we found some doubled rider at Lesmo’s corners I’ve been able to pass and only Lavilla followed me, so we grabbed Hodgson who have been slowed during the overtaking, but the finish line was too far and he has been able to get once more some meter to win, maybe if we found the group later we could also try a big slam, but I’m very happy of this result also because at the end of the race the track was very slippery, for everybody of course, and it was difficult to push more. Above all I’m happy how the tyres worked today, I believe that the gap has been cancelled. All the team worked very hard during all the week end and the guys have been fantastic; it will happened another time, we merit it and I’m sure about it.”

Marco Masetti finished both the races, getting so his goal for this event here in Monza, finishing very close to the points in race-2, and he’s very satisfied for this absolute debut.

“My hands are wounded and I have pains in all my body, but I’m very happy because I finished both the legs and I’ve been able to ride close to rider with more experience on those bike so different for me. I thank all the people who gave me the possibility of this experience that has been really very fine.”

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

The start of Saturday morning AMA practice at Road Atlanta is on hold for fog, which has reduced corner-to-corner visibility at the racetrack. Practice was scheduled to start with the Pro Honda Oils Supersport class at 8:00 a.m. EDT, but the first calls for the Supersport practice group were being made at 8:30 a.m.

As a result of the fog delay, Saturday morning’s practice sessions have been reduced in length from 25 minutes to 15 minutes.

Saturday’s forecast for the Gainesville, Georgia area, according to www.weather.com, calls for scattered thunderstorms, a 40 percent chance for precipitation and a high temperature in the mid-70s.

Supersport bikes took to the track at approximately 8:35 a.m. local time.

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday Morning AMA Formula Xtreme Practice Times:

1. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha, 1:30.327
2. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda, 1:30.444
3. Ben Spies, Suzuki, 1:30.603
4. Josh Hayes, Suzuki, 1:31.291
5. Ty Howard, Honda, 1:31.408
6. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki, 1:32.192
7. Doug Chandler, Honda, 1:32.729
8. Jamie Hacking, Yamaha, 1:33.669
9. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki, 1:34.619
10. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 1:39.454
11. Mike Scruggs, Suzuki, 1:40.790
12. Mark Kittel, Honda, 1:41.853
13. Marcus McBain, Suzuki, 1:42.501
14. David Bell, Suzuki, 1:44.464
15. Michael Kosta, Suzuki, 1:45.460
16. Arash Hoshmandy, Suzuki, 1:46.100
17. Jason Knupp, Suzuki, 1:47.057
18. Chuck Allen, Suzuki, 1:51.654
19. Kevin Hanson, Suzuki, 10:20.719

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Yoshimura Suzuki’s Mat Mladin collected his 27th career AMA Superbike pole position Saturday when his time of 1:23.520 from Friday afternoon’s session held up as the fastest time overall.

“Things are going well at the moment,” said Mladin. “When the motorcycle is working well you need to take advantage of it and take the wins when you can because this is such a tough series.”

Mladin told reporters that he didn’t really try for a faster lap time during Saturday morning’s qualifying session because “there were still damp sections on the track” and he didn’t know “how much to trust the paint lines” and because he didn’t think anyone else was capable of doing a 1:23.5 lap time.

Eric Bostrom said he was just turning laps and only decided late in the sessions to go for a faster time. The result was that Bostrom improved on his Friday time of 1:24.416 with a 1:23.944 on his last flying lap.

In the post-qualifying press conference, Bostrom said the track surprisingly “came good” and he put on a tire that worked really well. In fact, Bostrom added that after his fast lap he felt he didn’t take full advantage of the tire.

Asked if he felt confident that he could race at the front in today’s Superbike race, Bostrom said he felt confident he could.

Anthony Gobert’s 1:24.304 from Friday kept him in the third spot on the front row for both Superbike races.

Mladin’s teammate Aaron Yates improved on his time from Friday with a 1:24.321 Saturday, good enough for the final spot on the front row of the 50-rider grid.

Larry Pegram and Steve Rapp crashed in separate incidents during Saturday morning’s AMA Superbike qualifying sessions. Both riders appeared to relatively uninjured after their crashes. Rapp rode his Suzuki GSX-R1000 back to the pits.


Saturday’s 25-lap Superbike race starts at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time.


Provisional AMA Superbike Qualifying Results:

1. Mat Mladin, Suzuki, 1:23.520*
2. Eric Bostrom, Kawasaki, 1:23.944
3. Anthony Gobert, Ducati, 1:24.304*
4. Aaron Yates, Suzuki, 1:24.321
5. Kurtis Roberts, Honda, 1:24.442
6. Ben Bostrom, Honda, 1:24.474*
7. Miguel Duhamel, Honda, 1:24.645*
8. Josh Hayes, Suzuki, 1:25.569
9. Larry Pegram, Ducati, 1:25.905*
10. Steve Rapp, Suzuki, 1:25.543*
11. Geoff May, Suzuki, 1:26.842
12. Jordan Szoke, Suzuki, 1:26.858*
13. Jason Pridmore, Suzuki, 1:26.962*
14. Chris Caylor, Suzuki, 1:27.098*
15. Michael Barnes, Suzuki, 1:27.412*
16. Chris Ulrich, Suzuki, 1:27.419
17. Eric Wood, Suzuki, 1:27.902
18. Mike Ciccotto, Suzuki, 1:27.932*
19. Adam Fergusson, Suzuki, 1:27.934
20. Jimmy Moore, Suzuki, 1:28.001
21. Shawn Higbee, Suzuki, 1:28.068*
22. Anthony Fania, Suzuki, 1:28.120
23. Jack Pfeifer, Suzuki, 1:28.161
24. Vincent Haskovec, Suzuki, 1:28.235*
25. Lee Acree, Suzuki, 1:28.507*
26. Brian Stokes, Suzuki, 1:28.555*
27. Matt Furtek, Suzuki, 1:28.565*
28. Andy Deatherage, Suzuki, 1:28.571*
29. John Dugan, Suzuki, 1:28.837*
30. Greg Moore, Suzuki, 1:28.948*
31. Rich Conicelli, Suzuki, 1:29.036*
32. John Haner, Suzuki, 1:29.198*
33. Brian Livengood, Suzuki, 1:29.608*
34. Scott Harwell, Suzuki, 1:29.696
35. Jake Holden, Suzuki, 1:30.013
36. Tom Wertman, Suzuki, 1:30.323
37. Scott Jensen, Suzuki, 1:30.582
38. J.J. Roetlin, Suzuki, 1:30.819*
39. Scott Carpenter, Suzuki, 1:30.822
40. Marco Martinez, Suuzki, 1:30.871
41. Chris Voelker, Ducati, 1:30.936
42. Doug Duane, Suzuki, 1:31.119*
43. Chuck Allen, Suzuki, 1:31.191*
44. Kevin Hanson, Suzuki, 1:31.625
45. Chuck Ivey, Suzuki, 1:31.643*
46. Jeff Muskopf, Suzuki, 1:31.791
47. Deam Mizdal, Suzuki, 1:31.890
48. Jason Knupp, Suzuki, 1:32.495*
49. Rick Narup, Suzuki, 1:32.999*
50. Mike Johnston, Suzuki, 1:33.321*
112 percent of fast time: 1:33.542
DNQ. Rick Shaw, Suzuki, 1:34.292*
DNQ. Michael Hanley, Suzuki, 1:36.146
DNQ. James Bonner, Yamaha, 1:37.344*
DNQ. R. Todd Keesee, Suzuki, 1:37.613*
* Time recorded Friday

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

By Glenn LeSanto

Chili goes pole at home

Frankie Chili blitzed to provisional pole with a last minute dash at Monza in final qualifying ahead of Superpole.

To the delight of the partisan Italian crowd, local hero Chili shaved 0.251 secs off Neil Hodgson’s best time to snatch the provisional pole away from the factory rider.

The session was interrupted in the early stages when Ivan Clementi crashed his Kawasaki on the first lap going into the Ascari chicane. The Kawasaki slid back onto the track dragging up a big cloud of dust. Blinded by the dust, Juan Borja and Ruben Xaus ploughed into the stricken bike. Xaus was knocked out and won’t ride again today although it is hoped he will pass a medical to race on Sunday.

Provisional pole sitter on Friday James Toseland was unable to improve on his time and slipped down to third in front of Regis Laconi, ensuring a 100% Ducati provisional front row. Gregorio Lavilla failed to improve on his Friday time as he struggled with set up and gearing, finishing just behind Xaus in sixth. Xaus didn’t complete a lap so his time comes from Friday.


World Superbike Championship
Round Four, Monza, Italy
16-17-18 May, 2003
Saturday Qualifying, best lap times:

1. Pierfrancesco Chili, Ducati 998RS, 1:47.247
2. Neil Hodgson, Ducati 999F03, 1:47.498
3. James Toseland, Ducati 998F02, 1:47.713
4. Regis Laconi, Ducati 998RS, 1:47.736
5. Ruben Xaus, Ducati 999F03, 1:48.101
6. Gregorio Lavilla, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:48.371
7. Chris Walker, Ducati 998F02, 1:48.557
8. Lucio Pedercini, Ducati 998RS, 1:48.624
9. Marco Borciani, Ducati 998RS, 1:48.691
10. Paolo Blora, Ducati 996RS, 1:49.534
11. Steve Martin, Ducati 998RS, 1:49.536
12. Giovanni Bussei, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:49.554
13. Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki GSX-R1000, 1:49.813
14. Alex Gramigni, Yamaha YZF-R1, 1:49.978
15. Mauro Sanchini, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:50.217
16. Troy Corser, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:50.320
17. Ivan Clementi, Kawasaki ZX-7RR, 1:50.579
18. Serafino Foti, Ducati 998RS, 1:50.990
19. Juan Borja, Ducati 998RS, 1:51.039
20. James Haydon, Foggy Petronas FP1, 1:51.399

Copyright 2003, Roadracing World Publishing, Inc.

Saturday Morning Supersport Practice Times:

1. Alex Gobert, Honda CBR600RR, 1:35.552
2. Aaron Gobert, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:35.578
3. Jamie Hackings, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:36.236
4. Ben Spies, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:36.345
5. Jason DiSalvo, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:36.502
6. Roger Lee Hayden, Honda CBR600RR, 1:36.554
7. Jake Zemke, Honda CBR600RR, 1:36.778
8. Ty Howard, Honda CBR600RR, 1:36.886
9. Jamie Stauffer, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:38.454
10. Tommy Hayden, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:38.483
11. Matt Wait, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:40.073
12. Tony Meiring, Kawasaki ZX-6RR, 1:40.264
13. Marty Craggill, Honda CBR600RR, 1:40.918
14. Doug Chandler, Honda CBR600RR, 1:42.910
15. Darrin Mitchell, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:43.364
16. Joseph Ford, Yamaha YZF-R6, 1:43.490
17. Steven Breckenridge, Triumph TT600, 1:43.836
18. Caesar Gonzales, Kawasaki, 1:46.451
19. Jason Curtis, Honda CBR600RR, 1:46.699
20. Darren Luck, Suzuki GSX-R600, 1:46.843

From a press release issued by the Parts Canada Superbike Championship:

CREVIER CLAIMS POLE

SHANNONVILLE, ON – Steve Crevier continued to set the pace at the opening round of the Parts Canada Superbike Championship at Shannonville Motorsport Park Saturday.

The Maple Ridge, BC rider took his Diablo Suzuki GSX-R1000 to pole position in qualifying with a lap time of 1:05.880 around the 1.5-mile ‘Pro’ track. He just failed to break his own course record of 1:05.746.

Pascal Picotte of St-Cecile de Milton, QC was second fastest on his Picotte Racing Yamaha YZF-R1 with a time of 1:06.081 and Chardon, OH’s Tom Kipp qualified third with a lap of 1:06.423 aboard the Canadian Kawasaki Motors Kawasaki ZX-7RR.

Calgary rider Clint McBain completes the front row for Sunday’s feature race after setting a best time of 1:06.428 on his Coors Light Racing/Blackfoot Suzuki GSX-R1000.

Crevier claimed the $500 MPM/Array Pole Award for his efforts and earned four points in his bid for a record seventh Canadian National Superbike title. Picotte picked up three championship points, Kipp earned two and McBain received one.

“I’m happy for the team. They’ve been working really hard,” Crevier said. “I got some experience in the States before the season started and that’s made a difference.”

Picotte took the lead of an extremely competitive 45-minute qualifying session with just under 10 minutes to go, only to have Crevier nip ahead for good a few minutes later.

“We keep improving and I’m getting more comfortable with the bike,” said Picotte, who is making his return to Canadian competition after spending over a decade racing in the U.S. “It seems like I’m riding well and I’m trying to use my experience to my advantage.”

This is the first race with new Superbike rules designed to even the playing field in Canada’s premier motorcycle road racing class and the top eight riders qualified within a second of each other Saturday.

Kleinburg, ON’s Frank Trombino, winner of this race last year will start sixth in Sunday’s race after setting a time of 1:06.482 on his Brooklin Cycle Yamaha YZF-R1.

In other action at Shannonville, Picotte waited until his final flying lap to unseat Trombino from pole in qualifying for the Hindle Exhaust Pro 600 Sport Bike category. Picotte recorded a class record 1:06.891 aboard his Yamaha YZF-R6. Trombino set a 1:06.936 on his similar machine.

Defending class champ McBain managed the third fastest time of 1:07.166 on his Suzuki GSX-R600.

Ottawa rider Dan Henri took his Yamaha to the fastest time in the International Motorcycle SUPERSHOW Amateur 600 Sport Bike qualifying session with a time of 1:10.566. Wellsley, ON’s Bill Card placed second with a 1:11.141 on his Honda and Marco Alessandrini of Bradford, ON had the third fastest time of 1:11.656 aboard a Yamaha.

Feature races in all three national classes will run Sunday. Practice begins at 8:30 a.m. with the first race slated to get underway at 1:00 p.m.

This weekend’s event will be televised on TSN on Sunday, June 15 at 11:00 am EDT and later this year on Quebec’s RDS and across Canada on the Outdoor Life Network.