Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike rider Cal Crutchlow made an impressive start to the Monza race weekend, fastest in both the first free practice session and then the first qualifying session of the weekend that followed. Team mate James Toseland made a slower start, finishing fifth in the free practice and then taking ninth in the first qualifying as he and the team tested a number of set up options.

The afternoon’s qualifying was complicated by weather, rain before the session meant the superbike riders had to contend with an initially wet but drying track, gradually changing from intermediate to slick tires as the session went on. The nature of the Monza circuit with its tree lined track meant some areas including chicanes remained greasy and damp throughout.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (1st, 1′43.758)
“It was nice to top the time sheets in both sessions today. We’re still looking for better grip a bit on the bike and also need to improve when pushing going into the corners, I think we can work on that. We tried a couple of things today which is good and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. It’s great that it’s the team’s home race and we’ll have lots of fans here and Yamaha guests so it’s nice to be on top today for them.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (9th, 1′46.019)
“It was one of those sessions today where it starts wet then just dries up continually over the heat. We were trying a few different suspension settings over the session but obviously the track was never fully dry, a couple of corners were still quite damp at the end and really quite greasy. With the trees around here in the park it doesn’t dry out too well. All in all we’ve tried some interesting things, and were pretty quick in the free practice, coming in fifth in the dry. We’ve got some work to do tonight, some big things to improve on which is encouraging so I’m optimistic that the changes we’re going to make later which were too long to do today will bring the next step. Fingers crossed again for the weather tomorrow.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“A good start for us today. The weather gave us some trouble but in the end we finished the day in good shape. Hopefully tomorrow will be dry to finalise the set up and tire choice ahead of Superpole and Sunday’s races.”

Jonathan Rea was second fastest in today’s opening qualifying session for round five of the 2010 World Superbike championship at Monza in Italy, just two tenths of a second behind provisional pole sitter, Cal Crutchlow.

Despite a dry opening free practice session earlier in the day, the revised 5.777km Monza circuit was damp following afternoon rain as Rea and his Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, began this afternoon’s hour-long qualifying period.

After his double win at Assen two weeks ago, Rea concentrated on further developing the revised chassis settings on his Honda CBR1000RR while Neukirchner continued to adapt his riding style to suit the bike’s handling characteristics.

Jonathan Rea – P2 1’44.789s

I’m having a lot of fun here, actually! The bike is really good and that’s allowing me to enjoy the circuit. I’m especially pleased with t he long run I did in this morning’s free practice. This afternoon’s session had mixed conditions and we’ve still got some work to do to get the final sector nailed. But luckily the Assen set-up is working well, although there’s still some fine-tuning to be done to get it right for Monza. We’ll study the data later and see what we can do to improve it for tomorrow.

Max Neukirchner – P13 1’46.402s

Everything’s OK at the moment, but the first sector stayed quite wet during the qualifying session and I was stuck behind Xaus for a while. The other sectors seem to be not too bad and my riding style is still improving. It’s quite good through most of the corners, but in others I’m probably concentrating on the exit a bit too much. The team’s working really well, though, and the bike is pretty good too. I probably need to wake myself up a bit for tomorrow, so maybe I&rsq uo;ll take an extra coffee in the morning!

Ronald ten Kate – team-manager

The changing conditions made today’s qualifying session very different from a normal Friday and we decided to go out early in the session to see how the intermediate front tire would behave. Towards the end we should have probably put in a new rear tire as well, but at least we now have an extra tire for tomorrow. Both riders are in a position to qualify for Superpole, so we’ll go through everything tonight, improve where we can for tomorrow’s sessions and look forward to the rest of the weekend.

A mixed first day at the Autodromo Nazionale of Monza, with meteorological conditions conditioning performances to a certain extent. Ducati Xerox rider Michel Fabrizio nonetheless put in a very strong performance and concluded first qualifying in third position, reserving a provisional spot on the front row of Sunday’s grid. Noriyuki Haga, still losing time in the last sections of the track, closed this first day fifteenth.

Earlier today, in the weekend’s first free practice session, the Ducati Xerox riders got straight to work and it was Michel who made an immediate impression, lapping consistently fast and placing in the top five for almost the duration of the hour-long session. Light rain fell intermittently throughout but this didn’t stop Michel from setting a 1′43.8, in the latter stages of the session, which projected him to the top of the timesheets where he remained right up until the final seconds, when Crutchlow managed to shave a tenth of a second off the Italian rider’s best time. Michel thus closed in a solid second position, while team-mate Noriyuki closed the opening session in twelfth place.

Later in the afternoon, after further rainfall, the first qualifying session was declared wet. The track quickly began to dry out however and during the second half of the session times started to tumble. With around twenty minutes to go, both Michel and Noriyuki exchanged their intermediate tires for slicks and Michel’s lap times in particular continued to drop his until he achieved his final, and best, time of the session in the very last minutes, a 1’45.1, to reserve a provisional third position on Sunday’s grid. Noriyuki meanwhile had a few problems, losing valuable time particularly through the last section of the track and, with more work to do tomorrow, finished in fifteenth position today.

Michel Fabrizio

“At the start of the session I was not wanting to take too many risks as some of the corners were pretty slippery so I stayed calm and then began to push as the track dried out. It’s a shame the conditions were so mixed because there were a few things we wanted to work on today but this wet weather didn’t give us the chance. Anyway, it’s been a positive first day. I think the testing at Misano last week helped us to get back on the right track and I’m feeling confident.”

Noriyuki Haga

“Although the lap times were not so great, I’ve actually got quite a good feeling with my 1198. I’m losing time in the last part of the track, from the Ascari corners to the Parabolica, and I need to concentrate on that section tomorrow. We’ll be making a few changes before tomorrow’s sessions and we’ll see how we go, the weather will surely make the difference too.”

Troy ended a day of mixed conditions with the fourth fastest lap in qualifying at Monza and was happy with the way his BMW S 1000 RR is progressing. Monza has a much revised first chicane, which has cut the lap times and although the new design is theoretically safer (according to Troy) there is still the possibility of a pile-up on the exit.

This afternoon’s qualifying session started with a damp track and the first half saw the lead change hands several times and unfamiliar names often at the top of the leaderboard. As the track dried, more or less normal service was resumed.
At the end, there was virtually a dry line round the whole of the 5.777 kilometre circuit and it was Briton Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) who posted the fastest lap. Second was fellow countryman Jonathan Rea (Honda), with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) third and Troy fourth.

Troy Corser – 4th, 1:45.134
I’m happy with how things went today and once again I can just go out and ride the bike instead of testing, like we’ve had to do in the past. It was good for the team that we had some damp and some dry conditions here today and they were able to collect a lot of useful data as a result. The bike feels good and I haven’t had to ride beyond myself today at all. The top speed is pretty good and the acceleration also feels strong.

The new chicane is not too bad and it’s safer when you are by yourself. But it’s maybe not so safe in a race situation because if somebody outbrakes himself and goes straight on then there is a chance that they will T-bone you when they come back on to the track. To me, it looks like it has been designed for F1 and us bikes just have to put up with it.

Monza is a track where slipstreaming is all important. In the old days, when the finish line was further up the track, you could be fifth going into the Parabolica on the last lap and still win the race. Now, because the flag is closer to the Parabolica, if you are fifth going in you will not win the race. Now it’s better to be fifth or so exiting the Ascari and then be leading going into the Parabolica. Normally, if you do that, then you will not be beaten.

Expectations are high for the two Althea Racing riders, who will do their utmost to consolidate the solid results already attained in the first part of the season. This afternoon the Ducati riders were out on track for the first official qualifying session, conditioned in the initial stages by the wet asphalt. A provisional seventeenth position for Carlos Checa; the Spaniard is fourth in the championship standings and on Sunday will aim to take a first ever podium place at Monza.

“We need to improve in two sections mainly, at the first chicane and through the long corner – said Carlos – Tomorrow we’re continue to work, concentrating on the gear box set-up, which is one of the tricky issues. Even though it won’t be easy, we know that we must, and can, improve. I’m ready and will do my best to close the gap that separates me from the leaders.”

Fifth row too for Shane Byrne, who closed this first session in eighteenth position and who will be looking for an improvement on his unlucky outing at this track in 2009.

“This morning we had a problem with bike one and so, this afternoon, on a dry track, I went out on the second bike that was set-up for the wet – said Shakey – I’m confident however and am sure that tomorrow, with both my Ducatis and both set-ups available, we will able to improve. I’m ready to make a great race at my team’s home racetrack.”

Genesio Bevilacqua, team owner, declared. “I don’t think we have any particular technical problems and so I’d say that today’s performances were conditioned more by the uncertain track conditions and the riders’ caution; perhaps the situation distracted them slightly. Tomorrow we’ll be back on track, focused from the word go, with the goal being to work hard, to get into the Superpole and to find the ideal set-up ready for race day.”

Tomorrow’s programme at Monza begins at 10:45 with the second qualifying session; then at 15.00, straight after free practice, the Superpole.

QUALIFYING 2 REPORT 27/03/2010

Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike rider Cal Crutchlow set himself apart from the class this afternoon, storming through the Superpole heats to take pole and breaking the Best Lap record in the process. Crutchlow unleashed the full potential of the Yamaha R1’s power in ideal track conditions, leaving a gap of over four tenths of a second to second placed Aprilia rider Max Biaggi. Team-mate James Toseland had also been progressing well through the sessions with fast consistent speed until an unfortunate high-side on the last corner of the circuit in heat two relegated him to 15th on the grid for tomorrow’s two Superbike races. Although bruised Toseland was luckily uninjured in the high speed crash.

The second qualifying session of the race weekend earlier in the day saw both riders focussing on the set up for race day whilst ensuring they remained within the times for the subsequent Superpole sessions. Incredibly the first 14 riders of the session were within 0.7 of a second of each other. Crutchlow’s time, just 0.6 off the front man was particularly impressive considering the entire session was run on just one set of tires.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (1st, 1′42.092)
“The Superpole lap wasn’t really a surprise to me to be honest, we had a good session beforehand and I knew we could go really well in the qualifying session this morning. We left a lot in reserve, so down in 14th place I wasn’t panicking. I knew we had a good pace for the pole session, I only used one qualifying tire and we only needed one lap to do it. Yamaha’s done a fantastic job in the last month, it was hard work but we’ve got there in the end, all working together. I’m quietly confident we’ll do a good job tomorrow as well.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (15th, 1′49.401)
“What a disappointing end to what has been a great qualifying so far this weekend. The Sterilgarda Yamaha Team have been brilliant in how they’ve transformed the bike from where we were in Phillip Island and I want to thank them for that. The mistake for me was that I was on the second lap on the qualifier tire and I was trying to make it work hard on the last turn as if it had been the first lap on it. Unfortunately it was a mistake, I suffered a lack of grip and the consequence is I’m now 15th on the grid.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“first of all I think a big thanks to the guys to have done such a good job since our not so great performance in Australia. I have to say Cal did a fantastic lap, we are confident that we will be in there tomorrow. The pace Cal had in practice was really good so I’m expecting good things. Unfortunately James had a big high-side during the second Superpole session which was unfortunate, but he has a good race pace which will help. For sure it will be harder for him to start from the back but I think he knows how to fight his way through. Let’s see what happens tomorrow.
Second day of qualifying for the Althea Racing team on the Portuguese track of Portimao. After the results of yesterday, Carlos Checa and Shakey Byrne continued with the work on track today and both easily qualified for the afternoon’s Superpole. A great lap time for Checa (1m43.115) who closed in seventh position while Byrne (1m43.588) closed in eleventh. Towards the middle of the session the English rider was victim of a crash but fortunately he was unhurt. In the free practice preceding the Superpole the Althea Racing riders worked to refine the set up of their 1198s. Third place for Byrne (1m43.367) who improved on his time set morning and fourth for Checa (1m43.565), so great results for both riders who subsequently got through to the second and then the third phases of the Superpole. By the end of the session Checa had recorded the third fastest time and Byrne the seventh, meaning a positive first and second row start for the riders in tomorrow’s 22-lap races.

Carlos Checa : “This result was achieved thanks to the team’s hard work. The bike has improved a lot with regard to top speed and I am also happy with the set-up which we have found that allows me to be fast even in the more technical sections of this track. There are some places where I can make further improvement but overall I’d say we’re ready and confident for the two races. This is Superbike and so it’s impossible to make any predictions, but we’ve done the ground work and will give 100% as ever.”

Shane Byrne : “The second round of the Superbike world championship and a second high side for me. I cannot explain what happened this morning because my team has done a really great job during these two days and during the qualifying session I was really comfortable on my Ducati and suddenly I crashed. Fortunately my physical condition is good and I was able to enter all three sessions of the Superpole. I’m pretty happy because of my seventh position, even though my target was to reach the first row in tomorrow’s races starting grid. Second row is not so bad and I’m very happy because we found the right set up for the races. I’m happy also for Carlos’ third place, that’s a fantastic result for all our team. We are  both ready for tomorrow’s two races”.

Genesio Bevilacqua – General Manager : “A great result for both riders. I’m of course happy for Carlos but also for Shakey’s Superpole performance. Fortunately his crash this morning did not affect him this afternoon, as it did at Phillip Island. His seventh place finish in a hard-fought Superpole such as today’s augers well for the races. Carlos has once again demonstrated his ability. He’s worked hard with his team and we hope that tomorrow he is able to be a front-runner, and to fight for the podium that’s a  reachable target  for him”.

Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow’s two second-round World Superbike championship races at Portimao in Portugal from the second row of the grid after setting the fifth fastest time in today’s qualifying sessions.

As Britain’s Cal Crutchlow took pole position, Rea’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, qualified 13th fastest for the two 22-lap races around the undulating 4.592km Autodromo do Algarve tomorrow afternoon.

Rea has been making steady progress after his unsettling crash yesterday morning and improvements to his machine allowed the 23-year-old to set the fastest time in the second Superpole session. However, he was forced to use the second of his allocated qualifying tyres in that session, after failing to improve his time with the first.

Neukirchner, meanwhile, was pleased with some late improvements to his set-up,
despite a spectacular crash that destroyed his Honda CBR1000RR and left the 26-year-old German with a deep wound in his right forearm.

Jonathan Rea – P5 1’42.428s (Superpole 2)

I didn’t time that very well, did I? My first qualifier in Superpole 2 just didn’t work so I had to go out on the second and did my best time then, which would’ve put me second fastest. Grip levels have been down a bit since the test here and the track seems a little bumpier, especially in turns seven and fifteen, which is where I crashed yesterday. But I’ll say that I’m satisfied, because I’m still rebuilding myself after the crash, the bike is not so bad and we’re getting better at the one-lap wonders. The race is my thing though, and I’m really looking forward to tomorrow because we have a package that’ll work for the duration. Our longer runs have shown that we should still have speed towards the end of the races. I’ll have to work hard in the first few laps tomorrow and get away with the leading group. I’ll then try to relax into a rhythm and, if we’re still there by lap 10, we’ll be in the hunt.

Max Neukirchner – P13 1’43.380s (Superpole 2)

At the end we found a way forward and then I had some bad luck in Superpole. But the important thing is that we were able to improve the bike, even by a little bit. I had a qualifier in when I crashed and I was nearly upright, but maybe the shock unloaded a bit too fast. I know it was big and the bike is destroyed and I have a big hole in my arm. I’ve got some painkillers now, but I know it’ll be sore later and, I hope, not too bad in the morning. We’ll try then to improve the bike more with the direction we found at the rear today. Then I’ll do my best to get good starts in the races and get the best results that I can.

Ronald ten Kate – team-manager

It’s been an up and down couple of days for both riders, but thankfully both are OK and ready to start tomorrow’s races. Jonathan’s confidence has returned after his crash yesterday and we made some progress with the bike to give him a good opportunity tomorrow. We still have some work to do with Max to find something that he’s comfortable with, and there’s lots of work to do tonight, but we’ll keep at it and look for more forward steps in the morning.

Troy Corser was forced to sprint the length of the pit-lane after his BMW suffered an engine problem in Superpole 1 today. He managed to get the bike to the entrance to pit-lane, but then had to run back to his garage and jump onto his second bike. The mechanics had changed the tires when they saw the bike grind to a halt and Troy was just about able to get out on the track in time to put in a tremendous lap and get into Superpole 2. He also managed to get into Superpole 3 and finished with the eighth fastest lap and so will start on the second row of the grid.

Troy Corser – 8th, 1’43.152
I wasn’t happy when I had a problem with the bike in Superpole 1 and if I had stopped straightway I would never had got back to the pits in time to jump onto my second bike. I managed to get close to the entrance of pit-lane and then had to run all the way to my garage and onto the other bike, but luckily I was able to get back on track in time and put ina good lap. It is fortunate that my second bike has a very similar set-up to to my number one bike and I had done some laps on it, so I felt pretty comfortable on it. The bike was working good today and I was able to put in a string of consistent race pace laps. Row two is OK and as long as I get my usual good starts, I’ll be in there with the leaders. The first three or four laps will be crucial and it’ll be important for me to be in contention at that stage and get into a good rhythm.

There was a bit of drama in Superpole 2, when Lanzi got in my way just as we both were going along the start straight. We would’ve collided if it hadn’t been for the fact that I used my left knee to push his bike away! I don’t think I lost any time, but it was just one of those occasions when two bikes meet in the wrong place. Fortunately we both stayed on OK and I’m not even sure if he was aware how close I was. See ya, Troy

Today did not go at all as planned for the Ducati Xerox riders Michel Fabrizio and Noriyuki Haga when they failed to reach the final phases of Portimao’s Superpole, meaning that they will line up in seventeenth and eighteenth position respectively on tomorrow’s race grid.
In second qualifying this morning the top fourteen riders closed the session within six tenths of a second of each other and all fourteen registered times under 1m44. Michel made constant improvement, recording a series of fast laps. He saved his fastest lap for the final minutes of the session, thus finishing third on the combined qualifying timesheets. From mid-session Nori too recorded several fast laps, the best of which left him in eighth position overall, with both riders therefore qualifying very easily for the afternoon’s Superpole.
In the first phase of the Superpole the two Ducati Xerox rider exited on race tires. After just one lap, Michel unfortunately  had a fall and although he was unhurt he inevitably lost precious time, returning to the track in the final minutes of the session on board his second bike. Fabrizio, unlike some of the other riders, did not use a qualifier and unfortunately he could not do enough to be able to pass to the next stage, finishing in seventeenth position, well below his usual standards. Haga, also ill at ease during the session, was unable to reach his normal levels of performance and finished in eighteenth place, citing grip problems. He was therefore out of the top sixteen and did not proceed to the subsequent Superpole stages.
Michel Fabrizio
“It’s been two days that I haven’t had good enough feeling at the front – and this lack of grip was the reason for my crash. We haven’t yet understood why but it’s evident that I don’t have grip at the front. We’ve really work hard over the two days, changing many things in the process, but we haven’t yet managed to resolve the issue. We hope to solve things somehow in tomorrow morning’s warm-up but the races will obviously be extremely difficult as I’m starting from the fifth row. We will, as always however, give all we’ve got to try to score the best possible results.”
Noriyuki Haga
“As I’ve said several times in the past, I don’t really like this track and today I’m definitely not about to change that opinion. What can I say? In Superpole, we understood straight away that after my first exit we needed to go back out and improve. I thought I’d be able to make up at least a few tenths and so I preferred not to use a qualifier, saving them for the following two sessions. This was not the right decision to make evidently as I wasn’t able to improve on my time. We just have to wait and see tomorrow; it will of course not be easy to make a good start from 18th position on the grid.”

Supersport:

Kenan Sofuoglu and Michele Pirro will both start tomorrow’s World Supersport race at Portimao in Portugal from the front row of the grid after setting the second and third fastest times in this afternoon’s final qualifying session, just behind pole sitter, Eugene Laverty.

Sofuoglu crashed unhurt at Portimao’s first corner on his final outing, just two minutes from the end of the 45-minute session, which saw grip levels lower than in this morning’s second free practice, when the Turkish rider was fastest.

However, the 25-year-old’s ideal time from the qualifying session would have put him fastest, some half a second quicker than his recorded best lap.

Pirro, his Italian team-mate, continues his rapid integration into the well-oiled Hannspree Ten Kate Honda set-up and impressed once more with another front row start to add to that in the opening round at Phillip Island, Australia. The 23-year-old, however, believes there is more improvement to be found from his Honda CBR600RR.

Kenan Sofuoglu – P2 1’45.313s

There was not so much grip when I went out for my last run and maybe the tyres were still a little cold, so I crashed at the end of the straight. I had some problems getting one clear lap together and, when I look at my ideal time, which is half a second faster, I can see this! But the front row is OK for a starting position and we are quite ready for the race. I think Eugene [Laverty] and me have a similar pace and I made a good race distance this morning after I had a problem with my first bike. I am very comfortable with the bike for tomorrow’s race and confident that we can get another good result.

Michele Pirro – P3 1’45.828s

Actually I am a little bit disappointed that we were not able to find a way to improve the bike more today. Track conditions this afternoon were very different to earlier, and grip levels were down. I didn’t want to push too hard and end up crashing but we need to find something more to stay with Eugene and Kenan tomorrow in the race. We’re looking for a better balance with the bike, but we will work tonight and try to find something for warm-up tomorrow.

Ronald ten Kate – team-manager

We’ve got to be happy again with both riders on the front row. We’re not so far off the pace and I believe that both riders are in a position to challenge for place on the podium, with Kenan particularly able to fight Eugene for the victory. It will be a fascinating race between them tomorrow.

2010 World Supersport championship – round 2
Portimao, Portugal (4.592km) – final qualifying results:
1. Eugene Laverty (IRL) Honda 1’45.169s
2. Kenan Sofuoglu (TUR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1’45.313s
3. Michele Pirro (ITA) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1’45.828s
4. Joan Lascorz (ESP) Kawasaki 1’45.903s
5. Fabien Foret (FRA) Kawasaki 1’46.082s
6. Chaz Davies (GBR) Triumph 1’46.161s

The second of thirteen World Superbike rounds (and the first European appointment) got underway this afternoon at the Autódromo Internacional de Algarve, and Ducati Xerox’s Michel Fabrizio immediately made his mark, when he concluded the first qualifying session of the weekend in second position, sandwiched between Suzuki’s Haslam and Checa on Althea Racing’s privateer Ducati 1198.

Conditions at the Portuguese track were, as expected, significantly better than those faced here by the team during January’s testing sessions and with an air temperature of around 22°C, both Ducati Xerox riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio were able to get straight to work in the early afternoon’s first free practice session. Neither rider experienced problems and by the end of the 60-minute practice Michel was in eighth position and Noriyuki in eleventh, with many of the top ten riders having projected themselves to the top half of the timesheets by making a single flying lap in the final minutes of the session.

Later in the afternoon, and in similar conditions, the Superbikes were back on track for first qualifying and again positive progress was made by the Ducati Xerox squad. Michel improved his lap times throughout the session before making his fastest lap in the closing minutes, concluding today with a provisional place on the front row of the grid. Noriyuki meanwhile worked with his technicians to refine the set-up of his 1198, and he also completed a mini long-run of eleven laps in which durability of the chosen tire solution was confirmed as being fairly good.

Michel Fabrizio 1m43.5s
“So today it’s Haslam, me and Checa at the top but the Yamahas of Toseland and Crutchlow seem very strong too, as I’ve said before we have a long season ahead of us! Anyway, I’m fairly happy and haven’t had any real problems today even though I only really made that one fast lap right at the end. We need to continue with the work tomorrow, the important thing is to find good race pace but I’m confident and after today we’re feeling positive I would say.”

Noriyuki Haga 1m44.0s
“We’ve got a lot done today and have found a good rear tire solution, though tomorrow we’ll try a different front tire and suspension setting. I think if we find better front feeling, that should provide me with better turning, which was the thing that was lacking today; a few of the tighter corners were giving me problems. I also tried a mini long-run and the tire didn’t seem bad but I need to improve the lap-times, so we’ll be working towards that tomorrow.”

Results: 1. Haslam (Suzuki)1m43.4s; 2. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 1m43.5s 3. Checa (Ducati) 1m43.6s; 4. Biaggi (Aprilia) 1m43.6s; 5. Toseland (Yamaha) 1m43.7s; 6. Crutchlow(Yamaha) 1m43.7s; 7. Byrne (Ducati) 1m43.8s; 8. Smrz (Ducati) 1m43.9s…. 11. Haga (Ducati Xerox) 1m44.0s

The hard work of the Yamaha Sterilgarda Team following the opening round last month in Phillip Island was clearly seen in today’s first Superbike sessions at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. Both James Toseland and Cal Crutchlow made the most of the ongoing set up developments to put in highly competitive times, improving on their Phillip Island performances.

The first free practice session of the day gave the riders the opportunity to test out new electronic settings on their R1s. As the session progressed the improvements were clear as Toseland moved steadily up the times, taking the top spot with a 1′44.3 as the clock hit zero. Team mate Crutchlow was just over half a second behind in ninth having tested out some different tires to Toseland during the session.

The first qualifying session of the weekend saw both riders take turns at the top of the time sheet finding ever more speed as the grip levels increased. Intelligent tire choices and a more effective electronics package saw both delivering consistently fast, competitive laps with the potential for more improvement in tomorrow’s second session and subsequent Superpole. The session drew to a close with Toseland in fifth, less than three tenths off provisional pole and team mate Crutchlow less than one tenth of a second behind in sixth.

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (5th, 1′43.735)
“We’ve made some really good progress with our testing last week in Misano, we’ve gone in the direction we wanted to with the engine and electronics. We had a lot to try today, and we’ve gone in a really positive direction for the race set up with tire life and things like that. We’ve got a little bit more to do but I’m really pleased with the work Frankie and the team have done since Australia to here so a massive thank you to the team and hopefully we can keep it going in the top five now.”

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (6th, 1′43.769)
“I’m a lot happier today. We have definitely made improvements from Australia and we’ve also come back to a track with lots of grip. As the grip levels of the track improved over the sessions so have we. We still need to work on our bike to improve on really slippery track conditions and optimize our settings and performance. tire life is looking better, and there was no chatter here so that’s that problem cured. We intend to keep working on our electronics and progress even further tomorrow.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“it seems that the work we’ve done since Australia is working well. To see where both riders are is very encouraging. This gives us real satisfaction. I think we’ve worked very well with our tire choice and we’re pretty happy with how they are working. Tomorrow we’ll work again on the set up to see which will tires we’ll choose for the distance. For today we are satisfied.”

Hannspree Ten Kate Honda’s Jonathan Rea and Max Neukirchner found it tough going in today’s opening qualifying session for round two of the 2010 World Superbike championship at Portimao in Portugal.

For Rea, in particular, the day brought its own ups and downs in the form of a fast crash at Portimao’s final turn during the morning’s opening free practice session. Rea, 23, was seventh fastest at the end of that session but slipped to tenth in this afternoon’s timed practice.

After disappointing results from the opening round in Australia a month ago, Max Neukirchner was happy to finish free practice with the third fastest time. However, changes to his rear shock did not result in fast enough times this afternoon, and the 26-year-old German slipped to a provisional 13th fastest.

Jonathan Rea – P10 1′44.042s

We’ve been through the data in a lot of detail and I now know why the crash happened this morning. It was unusual, but I was probably riding within my own comfort zone this afternoon as a result. I need to get back on the top of that wave I was riding here in the test in January so I’ll come back tomorrow morning more aggressive and ready to go again. I’m only 0.5s off and I’m back in tenth and I know that our pace is OK on the race tyre. I just need to work on that one lap to get a good qualifying position.

Max Neukirchner – P13 1′44.272s

We used a tyre for a long time this afternoon to try to understand the changes that we’ve made to the bike since the test here. Towards the end of the session, we changed the rear shock for one with a softer spring and some different internal settings but I wasn’t able to hold a line through the corners. We need to look at the data later on to find out exactly what was the problem, but generally, I’m feeling good on the bike and quite comfortable. I’m confident that better times will come tomorrow.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

While today’s provisional qualifying results don’t look so good on the timing screens or on paper, Jonathan is not so far off and we are confident that he will bounce back tomorrow with his characteristic aggression and self-confidence. With Max we are also definitely moving in the right direction so we’ll work hard tonight to make sure that both riders are in a position to close the relatively small gap to the front.

Troy ended the first day of practice and qualifying at Portimao with the 14th quickest time, but is confident of improvement tomorrow. The grip level of the track was not so good today, because of all the rain over winter, but as the day wore on and and more rubber was put down, it improved and all the signs are that it will get even better tomorrow.

Troy Corser -12th, 1:44.203
My right shoulder was a bit painful today and that affected my riding on the bike, but the BMW doctor has done a lot of physiotherapy on it and I’m sure it’ll not be a problem come raceday. All the recent rain has cleaned the track and so the grip level was not so good today. But, as more rubber was laid down, the grip level began to improve and I’m sure it will get better tomorrow.

The balance of the bike didn’t feel right this morning, so we made some changes and the afternoon session was definitely better. The engine this afternoon had a lot more push (more than last year), so we had to alter the gearing to suit the extra torque. We also had to alter the engine braking, but I think we are going in the right direction and we’ve got plenty of ideas for tomorrow. I was able to ride more consistently in the afternoon and would’ve gone faster if the grip level had been better. But, at the end of the day, I felt strong and fit and I’m looking forward to tomorrow. See ya, – Troy

Having recently re-joined the International stage, German manufacturer BMW has wasted no time in tackling the biggest test of all with the announcement that an official manufacturer supported team will be contesting the Superbike and Senior Isle of Man TT Races in 2010, further increasing the number of manufacturers participating in this year’s event.

It was only 12 months ago that the Bavarian giant entered the World Superbike Championship for the first time but now, fresh from a stunning fifth place at last year’s Macau Grand Prix, German ace Rico Penzkofer will have a full Superbike-spec machine at his disposal for the two six-lap TT races. An official test rider for BMW, 34-year old Penzkofer has been part of the major development team of the S1000RR, a bike that has created headlines all over the world both for its design and performance.

It will be the first time since the late 70s that an official BMW team has contested the TT, when Helmut Dahne and Hans Otto Butenuth, both iconic riders from that era, raced on the Isle of Man. BMW has recorded 30 TT wins since their debut in 1937, with the majority of those coming in the sidecar class that they once dominated.

Penzkofer, meanwhile, made a strong debut at the TT last year when he contested the two Supersport races. He achieved a personal best lap of just under 120mph and left the Island with two bronze replicas. With a year’s experience around the Mountain Course, the Borna rider is sure to feature more prominently this year and the former World Endurance Championship race winner is relishing his return to the TT. He commented:

“To be representing BMW on their return to the TT is a tremendous honor for me and after my debut last year I can’t wait to return to the Mountain Course. Riding the Superbike will obviously present a new challenge but the bike is superb and that, combined with my own improved knowledge of the course, should see us able to make a good impression. Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus have proved in World Superbikes that the bike is competitive and we hope to do the same at the TT.”

Hon Martyn Quayle, MHK, Minister for Tourism and Leisure, Isle of Man Government, commented: “It’s really exciting to see the return of such a prestigious marque to the Isle of Man TT and their involvement in the 2010 races is a great boost to an already strong list of manufacturers – more evidence that the TT is going from strength to strength.”

2010 World Superbike Championship – Round 1

Phillip Island (Australia)
Circuit: 4,445 kms., Crowd: 65,500 (3-day)
Weather conditions: Dry, sunny/cloudy 18- 20 C.
Track temperature: 25 – 31 C.

Team Suzuki Alstare

Rider Leon Haslam recorded his first ever WSBK win in the first race of this year’s Superbike World Championship at Phillip Island today. He led the race from start to finish and took the flag, just four thousandths of a second ahead of Michel Fabrizio (Ducati). Leon has been very strong in the preseason tests and today’s results showed that his performances in testing have been no fluke and well deserved.

He and his Suzuki Alstare team mate Sylvain Guintoli then disputed the lead for most of the second race, but Leon’s dreams of a superb double were dashed right at the death by Spaniard Carlos Checa (Ducati). Nevertheless, Leon’s tremendous win in race one and runner-up spot in the second puts on the very top of the Superbike World Championship, nine points ahead of his nearest rival. Leon’s performances today, followed his Superpole victory yesterday showed that he and the Suzuki Alstare GSX-R1000 will be a potent combination this season.

Also very encouraging, from the team’s point of view, is Sylvain’s ability to run at the front and be in contention – especially in race two. The Frenchman led his team mate eight laps out of twenty-two and did not look out of place at all. This was his first race of the year, on a new (2010) bike, with a new team, but Sylvain has also showed that he too will be a force to be reckoned with this year. Although he missed out on the podium, he did receive a trophy – for the fastest lap of race two, so he did not leave Phillip Island empty handed.

Leon – Race 1: 1st, Race 2: 2nd
I am so happy to get my first WSBK win and it feels great! I want to thank the team and all the staff back at the workshop for all their support and hard work and I’d also like to thank Francis and Patricia Batta for having faith in me.

The first race was such hard work and it was impossible to relax for a second. I knew that I had Michel and Nori breathing down my neck, but I just kept concentrating on my lines and my braking points and tried to hold them off. I realised that Michel was in my wheeltracks going into the last turn and would try and use the draft to get past me, but I kept my head down and charged to the flag. At the end, I didn’t know if I’d won or not, but when I realised that I had, I was so unbelievably happy and it was such a fantastic feeling. All weekend I knew that a win was possible, but thinking about and it happening are two different things.

In race two, I had some problems with rear traction but I still thought I could win. I had a great fight with Sylvain and when I finally got ahead of him and made it stick, I thought he might act as a buffer between me and the rest. Then suddenly, Carlos was there. He dived under me just three corners from the end, on the last lap. I tried to get it back, but he managed to hold me off and take the flag. But, it feels good to take a win and a second in my first race with the team and it feels fantastic to be leading the Superbike World Championship.

Sylvain – Race 1: 6th, Race 2: 4th
I have really enjoyed today and it’s been great fun. I can’t remember the last time I was leading a world champion ship race, so to lead quite a lot of race two was a great feeling and now I want to do it again. When I was in front, I felt comfortable and I knew I could keep up a good pace. Everything felt very smooth and it was all going to plan until I made a small mistake and Leon and then Carlos went through. Carlos and I touched in turn 8 when my elbow was in contact with his front wheel and then I tried a bit too hard to get back straightaway when perhaps I should’ve been a bit more patient and that;s where I lost ground.

I could’ve made a better result in the first race if I hadn’t had such a bad start. My pace was good, but I was too far off the leaders, but I am learning about WSBK race pace and also the fact that the races are longer than what I have been used to. I am very happy with all the work we’ve done and am enjoying riding this bike so much.

It was nice to get a trophy (for the fastest lap in race two) and I hope that it will just be the start of many to come. I am looking forward to Portimao and my next trophy.

Althea – Ducati

Cloudy sky and dry truck today in Phillip Island for the first World Superbike races of the season. The Althea racing team riders worked on the last minute adjustments of their Ducati 1198 bikes during the morning warm up, in order to be ready for the two 22-laps Superbike races. Due to yesterday Superpole upshots, today Carlos Checa lined up from the first row and Shakey Byrne from the fifth. In race one not a good start for Checa. The Spanish riders did not take advantage from his start from the first row of the grid. In the first few laps Checa was sixth and teammate Shakey, after quite a quick start, was seventeenth. Near to the middle of the race Checa was battling for fourth in a group of six riders while Byrne made up several places up to fourteenth. Checa ended the first race in seventh place and Byrne obtained the fourteenth position. Also in race two Carlos did not start quickly from the first row, ending the first lap in eighth place. Fifteenth place for Byrne in the first few laps. As the race proceed Checa was able to recover some position and near to the middle of the race he reached the first group of riders in fifth place. Also Byrne recovered quickly and in a few laps he was up tenth position, but caught up in the third group of riders, he was unable to make much progress and concluded in twelfth place. With few laps to go Checa moved up to fourth position and with some incredible overtaking he worked his way up through the field to pass Guintoli, Fabrizio and Haslam to take the lead on the very last lap snatching an extraordinary first victory for Althea racing team.

Carlos Checa :”The second race was perfect. In race one we chose a tire that was perhaps too hard for the conditions and I found it hard to brake. In race two we selected a better tire and I could brake much more strongly, I also had a very good pace and was able to pass riders fairly easily. My style of riding actually seemed to mean that tire wear was less of a problem for me than for some other riders. By the last lap I was up in second and I could finally get pass Haslam. I wanted to pass him earlier but it was impossible and he didn’t leave me space to pass until the very end. I am of course extremely happy with the result, it is my first race with the Althea team and on the Ducati 1198 and we have a good package with which to fight this season. My thanks go to the entire team for their hard work and dedication.”

Shane Byrne :” The first race I made it was very difficult for myself, I knew I had to make as many passes as possible to get near the front. I pushed to pass Guintoli and Sykes and couldn’t make it, so had to go straight. A small problem with the rear brake and it was hard to turn, but anyway I recovered and had good rhythm so I was happy with it, though not so happy with the result. The first thing to say about race two is congratulations to Carlos and to the whole team for the win. Genesio and the team have put together a very competitive machine. There are too many fast riders to be able to start from 18th and expect a good finish, but I got up as far as about tenth place which wasn’t so bad, having been caught up in battles with several riders. Today we have seen that there are many riders that can fight for

Xerox – Ducati

The crowds at Phillip Island were today treated to two spectacular Superbike races, the first of which resulted in the closest ever finish in Superbike history, with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) crossing the line just 0.004 of a second behind Leon Haslam on the Suzuki. Less than a second behind Michel, in third place, was his team-mate Noriyuki Haga. Race 2 was also extremely hard fought and some very close racing which made for great viewing saw Michel battle his way to a third place finish with Nori just behind him in fifth.

This morning’s warm-up passed without incident for Michel, who registered the fourth fastest lap time but unfortunately the same couldn’t be said for his team-mate Noriyuki, victim of a 250 km/hour crash on entering in the first corner after being knocked from his 1198 by Xaus. The doctors of the circuit’s medical centre declared him fit to ride, although the Japanese rider had suffered some bruising to his back, as well as a severe blow to the right forearm which swelled to such an extent as to require an pain-relief injection before the race.

Despite the difficulties in warm-up, race 1 began very well for both Ducati Xerox riders, Michel holding second position and Noriyuki, fast as lightning in his start, making up several position, to rocket from tenth to third position through the first corners. Right from the second lap the gap between the leaders, Haslam, Fabrizio and Haga, and the chasing pack, led by Jonathan Rea, began to increase and by mid-race the top three had built a five second advantage over fourth placed Rea. In the final four laps Michel tried to find a way past the young Briton but it was not to be and a final charge to the finish line led to a photofinish, with the result being declared the closest ever finish in a Superbike race. Michel crossed the line a mere four thousandths of a second after Haslam, with Haga following less than a second behind to snatch the third spot on the podium.

Race 2 began in exactly the same way as the first, with Haslam, Fabrizio and Haga again off the line quickest to take an immediate lead. Haslam’s team-mate Sylvain Guintoli soon joined the fray, as did Carlos Checa mid-race, and a five-way battle for supremacy ensued. Nori, still suffering after the earlier crash, could not keep pace with the other four but held fifth position, taking home important points in the process. Checa, on board Althea Racing’s Ducati 1198, waited until the last lap before passing both Fabrizio and Haslam to take the lead, leaving the Italian and the Briton to battle it out for second.

A very strong start for the Ducati Xerox Team as far as the championship standings are concerned, Michel in second position with 36 points, Nori fourth with 27 and their combined performances today putting Ducati in joint first place with Suzuki in the manufacturers classification.

Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 – 2nd , Race 2 -3rd)
“I had a great battle with Leon in Race 1. In the last four laps I tried to understand where I could attempt to get past him but it wasn’t easy so I pushed on right to the finish line and, to tell the truth, I thought I’d done enough! Leon and I were right there together as we crossed the line, and on the big screen I could see my wife celebrating in the box – but the result was decided by the photofinish and I had to settle for 20 points this time. The great thing about the Superbike championship however is that there are two races…. My team did not make any changes to the bike before the second race and I was again able to make a good start but it was a very difficult race. I stayed there with the leading pack but I realized it would be very hard to win, and in the last four laps it became more difficult to fight. I am very happy with today’s results, which put me in second place on the leaderboard after round 1. It will be a very long and challenging season but we’ve made a good start today.”

Noriyuki Haga (Race 1 – 3rd , Race 2 – 5th)
“My result in Race 1 was really good as far as I’m concerned as I had had a crash during the warm-up and suffered from a bit of arm-pump during the race. I was confident that I could make a good start from 10th position and I did so and then I tried to keep up with Michel and Leon but my arm led me to make a few small mistakes. Anyway I really enjoyed the race and the points I made in the race are definitely a good start for the championship. In the second race my arm played up more and it became harder to brake, I felt very tired physically. But all in all, with regard to the classification and bearing in mind this morning’s accident, it didn’t go too badly; I finished third and fifth and we take home some good points.”

Aprilia

Race 1 of the first SBK round of the 2010 season took place against the splendid backdrop of the Australian track at Philip Island. The weather was a bit dubious, with cloudy skies and strong winds – quite different from what the drivers encountered in recent days. And it was Leon Haslam, on his Suzuki, who won this first race in a photo-finish just ahead of Fabrizio and Haga, both on Ducati Factories.

It was also a good race for Max Biaggi, who, after a slow start, moved into tenth position during the first lap. The Roman driver then set an excellent pace and caught up to Rea and Checa who were fighting it out for fourth place. The duel with the Brit continued until the end of the race, with the two drivers passing each other nonstop at the end of the straightaway and at the entrance to the final curve during the last six laps. In the end Max lost out to Rea and had to settle for fifth place.

Leon Camier also had a good run at his debut here at Philip Island. The young English driver started off well, already recovering four positions by the end of the first lap. Leon set a good pace and during the tenth lap managed to catch up with Biaggi, Rea and Checa in the little group battling it out for fourth place. Unfortunately, an error just six laps from the end of the race which caused him to overshoot the first curve left him out of the running and set him back to fourteenth position. Nevertheless, Camier managed to stay focused and kept pushing forward, crossing the finish line in eleventh place.

Something quite similar also occurred in Race 2. This time both Biaggi and Camier paid their dues for running of the track (during the fourth lap for Max and during the ninth for Leon). Despite the severe handicap, both re-entered the tight group that was following the five leaders and battling it out the sixth to twelfth positions, and managed to race once again after setting excellent paces. The race ended with Biaggi in eighth position and the young Brit finishing eleventh.

The results left somewhat of a bitter taste, but they also provide some important points in a world championship that even this early on is proving to be extraordinarily balanced.

“It didn’t go very well,” stated Biaggi. “In Race 2, I went straight for the little curve, where Camier went off the track twice, because I was at my limit, and in these situations, a mistake is right around the bend. There’s still a lot of work to be done, but I’m not going away disheartened or discouraged because we are aware of our own potential and we know we can surely do better when once we have eliminated these problems.”

“I’m very sorry about all of the mistakes I made,” said Camier. “In Race 1 I tried to pass the other drivers at the little curve, but I overshot a bit while braking and in order to avoid hitting Max, I went off track. Then I really pushed to recover as many positions as possible. During the second race, I started off quite well and I was with the lead group right behind Checa, who immediately passed Toseland. When I attempted to pass, we ended up a bit wide. Then I shifted into the wrong gear and overshot at the same curve as in Race 1. I’m disappointed because I ran with very good times and seeing how the race ended, I could have had an excellent result. We’ve improved a lot, but I wasted a good opportunity. Now we’re headed to Portimao, a track that I know well and where I intend to keep up with the leaders. But, there’s still a lot of work to do and I especially have to improve during the Superpole.”

Ten Kate – Honda

Jonathan Rea took fourth and sixth place finishes in today’s two World Superbike championship races at Phillip Island in Australia, as Leon Haslam and Carlos Checa took the wins.

After struggling to find the right set-up for the fast 4.445km circuit, Rea started both 22-lappers from the second row, moving up to fourth place in race one. The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland fought off the advances of Max Biaggi to cross the line in fourth.

Rea began race two in similar vein after his crew made some changes to the front of his CBR1000RR Fireblade. However, a mistake at turn four on the opening lap left him on the grass and Rea rejoined in last place before fighting his way back through the field.

His Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, was relatively satisfied with 12th place in race one, having experienced problems during qualifying which resulted in 17th place on the starting grid.

The German also ran on at turn four in the second outing but was unable to make up enough places to get back into the points, eventually finishing in 16th place.

Jonathan Rea – 4th and 6th

We’ve had problems all week, really, from the test last weekend, right through this one. We knew it would be hard, so, if fourth and sixth is a bad weekend, I’ll take it. I was pretty happy with fourth, because I had to fight for it all the way. We changed the front a bit for the second race and I think it caught me out as I braked for the hairpin on the first lap. I had to let off the brake and by the time I got back on track I was last. It gave me a pretty strong motivation actually, and I really enjoyed riding through the field and passing I think maybe 16 other riders, which was a lot of fun. Now we’re looking forward to getting back to some tracks where we know the bike works and to fighting for some podiums again.

Max Neukirchner – 12th and 16th

Well, it hasn’t been a fantastic weekend and we struggled to find the right direction from the very start. We made some more progress during warm-up this morning and in race one I was able to make up some places from my grid position. We made a big change to the rear of the bike for race two and it felt pretty good for the early part of the race. I was following Biaggi quite closely in his slipstream and ended up braking a bit late for turn four and losing maybe 20 seconds. I had a bit of a lonely ride after that and it was a disappointing finish to the weekend. We came here to do a better job than this and we’ve got some more work to do to get back on course at the next round.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

I think Jonathan probably got the maximum out of the weekend that was possible. He rode very well in race one but the bike was a little bit off and his crew did a great job for race two when it was very competitive. A little mistake at Honda corner gave Jonathan some work to do but to come back from last to sixth was a marvellous job. However, only wins and podiums count so we’ll be chasing them once again when we return to Europe. Max has had a tough first weekend and its probably one to forget. The only positive is that the changes made for race two got him up to speed but, once he had run off the track, it was a difficult race.

BMW

A dramatic opening round of the 2010 World Superbike Championship in Australia resulted in a day of mixed fortunes for BMW Motorrad Motorsport. During the final warm-up at Phillip Island circuit, team rider Ruben Xaus collided with Ducati Xerox’s Noriyuki Haga. Neither of the riders suffered any serious injuries but Ruben felt disoriented after the collision, so after consultation with team doctor Vincenzo Tota and team management, he decided not to participate in today’s races.

This left Troy Corser to fly the flag for BMW Motorrad Motorsport at his home circuit, and he did so in style, finishing both 22-lap races in the top ten, with a great seventh place finish in race two.

At the same track where he has enjoyed seven victories, Corser made an excellent start to race one on his BMW S 1000 RR, moving up to seventh place from the fourth row of the grid. However, the likeable Aussie was forced to take avoiding action on lap three, when James Toseland crashed right in front of him. This allowed several riders past and left Troy with a lot of work to do.

By half race distance, Troy was in 10th position and was only 10 seconds behind leading rider Leon Haslam. Consistently posting quick laps, Corser moved up into ninth when Leon Camier went off the track on lap 15. The BMW factory rider managed to hold this position until the end of the race, eventually finishing just 20.291 seconds behind winner Haslam, who scored his maiden victory in probably the closest finish in WSBK history, beating Michel Fabrizio by just four thousandths of a second.

Race two was equally entertaining, with Troy up to 11th place after another good start on his BMW S 1000 RR. Before long he had caught a group of seven riders and proceeded to move through the pack. He passed Cal Crutchlow on lap 6, and then gained several places in quick succession when Jacob Smrz, Leon Camier and Chris Vermeulen all made mistakes. Before long, he had James Toseland in his sights, and passed the double WSBK champion to move into sixth place, with just eight laps remaining.

With a five-way battle for the lead up front, Troy’s terrific ride on the S 1000 RR continued and he succeeded in pulling a small gap on Yamaha riders Toseland and Crutchlow. However, with just three laps remaining he was surprised by a challenge from Jonathan Rea, who slipped by and held a lead until the chequered flag. Nevertheless, Corser finished this dramatic race in seventh place – just 12.026 seconds behind winner Carlos Checa – moving himself up to eighth in the points table.

Troy Corser: “I had a good start in the first race and gained a couple of positions but unfortunately the tire dropped quite quickly and I was unable to push as much as I wanted but I was still a good result. We changed the settings on the bike before the start of the second race and things were a lot better. The grip was a lot better immediately, and it was easier to do consistent lap times. I was able to push and fight in the second race like I wanted to in race one. I had to work really hard to pass James Toseland towards the end of race two but I did and managed to pull away slightly. Overall, we can be happy with what we achieved here today at Phillip Island.”

Berthold Hauser: “The weekend was like a rollercoaster and we had a lot of difficulties to overcome. We had to manage the pressure on the team, deal with some technical issues and of course I feel sorry for Ruben who decided not to race due to his crash in today’s warm-up session. However, the team kept focussed and did a fantastic job. We are definitely closer to the top teams than last year. Thanks to everybody in the team, and thanks to Troy who had a great second race. We can now travel back to Europe with our heads held high. Also congratulations to Reitwagen Racing who did a really good job this weekend.”

Sterilgarda – Yamaha

It wasn’t an easy start for Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland today at the season opening race in Phillip Island Australia. Race one saw both riders crash out, Crutchlow losing the front having run wide on onto a dirty section of track on lap two and Toseland highsiding on the fifth lap.

Race two saw a fiercely contested battle for points with both riders fighting off riders including Biaggi, Corser and others to stay within the top ten. Combined with a less than perfect set up on both bikes and struggling for grip the riders put in an incredible ride to bring their bikes home in the points, Crutchlow in ninth and Toseland tenth.

Crutchlow moves on to round two in Portimao in 12th position in the championship on seven points, team-mate Toseland sits just behind in 13th with six points.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (DNF, 9th)
“Race one was unfortunate, I felt we had good pace and were running up in the top five quite comfortably, I just made a little mistake. I was a bit better than Rea into the hairpin so had to run wide to avoid him and lost the front on the dirt. The second race was hard, I felt like I had no grip from the start and still some chattering. If we had better grip we could have pulled more out of it. We need to go back to the drawing board and work some stuff out.”

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (DNF, 10th)
“I really needed to finish the second race after the crash in the first. To only finish 14 seconds from the front with the issues we’ve had this weekend is not so bad. I was really disappointed with the first race, with my injury on Friday I wanted to have two good finishes today. Full credit to the team they’ve tried so hard but unfortunately we haven’t had the software here to solve the issue. We know what the problem is and I’ve given enough feedback and input to give the guys a direction to go in. We’ve got a lot of work to do, no doubt, but even with all the problems we’re not actually that far away. The package, the power, the balance and the suspension have come on leaps and bounds. On to Portimao now, it’s a long season so we can do it.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“It was definitely a really tough weekend for us. We solved some problems, and some we still have to work on. As we spent the two day test and the first day of the race weekend resolving the chatter issue, qualifying and race day was our first opportunity to really test the 2010 bike set up. We’ve seen that we have the potential to do well so we will go home and start working on the solutions to be ready to fight for the Portimao races. The team have worked really hard over the last few days to try and solve the issues and both Cal and James have given 100% to meet the challenges.”

Kawasaki

Kawasaki Racing Team riders Tom Sykes and Chris Vermeulen found the opening race weekend a challenging one, but Sykes got into the points in the first leg after qualifying on row three.

Sykes was a fighting 13th in the 22-lap race, but Vermeulen fell while trying to move forward from seventh, crashing out on lap four. Tom was forced out of the second race when a small technical issue caused him to enter the pits, restart, and finally retire.

Chris fell in race two after being in fourth for a period of time, sliding off at high speed at the Hayshed corner on lap eight.

Chris was checked over by the track medics, and was found to have suffered heavy bruising to his right leg and had also damaged a finger.

The team now goes to Portimao for the next round knowing that it has made great progress in real terms on track, and hoping for a change in raceday fortunes. The team has previously tested at Portimao, which will help their pre-race preparations greatly.

Tom Sykes: “In race one we made some changes to the set-up and but it didn’t suit the tire we used. In race two we got a good launch, but got boxed in and pushed out on to the dirty stuff, along with another couple of riders. So I went from thinking I would be sixth to being 15th. The bike was feeling good but when I went into the final two corners it felt like someone was pushing me from behind. I came back in and checked the bike, then went back out again before retiring. It was just a ten cent o-ring for the steering damper, causing the steering to feel strange sometimes. Otherwise, the bike was very good and giving me a strong race pace in race two. This whole Australian experience has been a good test period for us and I know that we go to Portimao having learned a lot. I would like to thank Kawasaki and the team for the amount of effort they have put in.”

Chris Vermeulen: “I was feeling positive for the race after our two-day test and qualifying sessions. In both races I had really good starts but in the first race I lost the front early on when lying 7th and in race two I had a problem that resulted in a high-speed crash. I’m bruised and battered but am feeling OK, considering the speed of the crash. I had heavy impact on my lower right leg and my finger is pretty smashed up. The preliminary X-rays have shown no breaks but for a precaution I am heading to Melbourne for a more detailed MRI scan. I’m glad we have a month before Portimao, so I can ensure that I am back to full fitness.”

Troy continued working on developing the bike and finding a good race set-up in today’s free practice and qualifying sessions, instead of going for lap times and ended the day 16th quickest overall.

Spaniard Carlos Checa (Ducati) topped the standings in this afternoon’s first qualifying, with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) second and Leon Haslam (Suzuki) third.

Troy – 16th, 1:33.512
At the moment, there is a lot of work to do and we are trying our best to get the bike working the way we want and get the most out of it at the same time. We are sorting out what we need to do to improve grip and this morning we decided to use a different clutch and I preferred the change, though we then had some new problems to solve because the bike turned quicker and so I had to adjust the bike to suit.

Obviously a different clutch affects how the bike feels and I was only really happy with the bike in the afternoon qualifying when there was fifteen or so minutes left. Then I felt more confident in pushing, but before that I didn’t.

I am definitely feeling more confident with our new brake system, though once again, it is a matter of learning and understanding how it works and this is not a quick process. I feel that the new system is better, but we just need more time with it. I had a little get-off this afternoon, when I lost the rear at the bottom of Lukey Heights. It was on a new tire and I guess that was part of the reason why I fell. No big drama, though I did bang two of the knuckles of my right hand. I’ll get some ice on it, but I don’t see it being a problem tomorrow, where the first goal will be to make sure we get into Superpole. The track felt more slippery and greasy today, but that’s quite normal when the temperature goes up a lot. I think a lot of people got caught out when they pushed a bit too hard and I just happened to be one of them.
See ya,
Troy

The tenth round of this year’s Superbike World Championship takes place at the Autodromo Brno circuit on 26th July and both Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders Ruben Xaus and Troy Corser are eager to find out if the results of the recent Imola tests are going to bear fruit. As expected, the season has not been an easy for the new team but the whole crew are looking forward to Brno and hopeful of a return to their early season form. The sweeping nature of the 5.403 kilometre track should be better suited to the S 1000 RR and Ruben and Troy would like to finish the last race before the summer break with good results.

Ruben
Our recent tests have gone well and the bike is definitely working better now. It is more rideable and I am much more happy about the prospect of racing it in Brno. The track is a good track and I think that all riders enjoy it a lot. Although there are some slow corners, it is a flowing track and I think that our bike will go well there. It has been a long, hard season so far, but I feel positive that Troy and I can do well in Brno. Afterwards we have five weeks or so before the next race, so it would be great to leave Brno with some good results.

Troy
After the Imola tests, I feel that the bike is more easy to ride and the things we tried are definitely in the right direction. So I am looking forward to Brno because the track should suit us and we should be able to get something positive out of the races. It’s not been an easy season so far and my injuries have not helped, but my hand is no problem now and my right shoulder is nearly fully OK. I like Brno and am hoping that we can leave there with two good results and then enjoy our summer break.

Berti Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director)
We saw some positive signs in our recent tests and are very hopeful that Brno will be a good event for us. Certainly, Ruben and Troy have given us very positive and encouraging feedback about what we tried in the recent tests and now we have to see what will happen in Brno. The track should be good for us and we are all looking forward to a positive weekend before the summer break. The team have worked hard and long all year and I think we all need a bit of break, some time to rest and consider all the things that have happened since we began this great adventure. This is the hardest year in WSBK history and the challenge is very tough, but all of us are happy to be in this big fight and be sure we will do the very best we can.

The new spec engine from BMW in Imola was a significant improvement straightaway and Troy was looking forward to two full days working with it and making good progress. But the new engine blew a head gasket yesterday and Troy had to revert to the older engine which was not so easy to ride.

In his brief spell with the new engine, Troy found the bike easier to ride and control and a very positive improvement all round. But after the problem, Troy was forced to soldier on with the older engine and just do the best he could.

Troy – 17th, 1:50.486
That was a big shame, because I found that the new engine much better at once and I wanted to put in the laps and make progress. It has been a bit of a tough time for us all recently, but the signs are now looking positive again. What the new engine is giving us is rideability and making everything a bit easier. Going back to the older engine has made us all realise that the new engine is the way to go and this is what the mechanics will be working on so that we can approach Brno in much better shape.
It’s frustrating having a nice engine and then not having it and I can’t tell how much better it feels then the old one. But you can see what affect the new engine is having on Ruben and his lap times are much closer to the top guys then ever before. I can’t wait for the next time out with the new engines and being able to fight with the fast guys again.

2009 Superbike World Championship Preview: Round 9, Donington, GB

“A bit of a problem today (Friday) a bit frustrating because I can get to a certain level without too much of a problem, but then it is difficult to go faster. At the moment, I feel that pushing the bike is harder work than it should be and it’s difficult to get comfortable and go faster. The bike’s rear is spinning a lot and that means we can’t get good grip. If we could solve that problem, we’d be able to go a lot faster for sure. The bike has good power and it’s just a case of finding a way of using it the way we want. The potential is there, we just have to unlock it and that takes time and experience.”

“It’s funny to think that I broke the lap record, lapped faster here than ever before, but still ended up in 15th place! So once again it’s row four of the grid and two good starts required tomorrow.”

“We had some new stuff to try today and I think the early signs are quite positive. Certainly it feels more easy to use the throttle and some of the hesitation has gone. The bike is a bit easier to control and I think we will be able to get a better set-up more quickly. Of course, there’s a lot of work to do, but it’s encouraging and good that we are moving in a positive direction.”

“I am getting a bit disappointed and frustrated because I am unable to get back to the kind of form we showed earlier in the season. OK, I am not yet 100% fit, but I expected more this weekend, even allowing for the condition of my shoulder. Today was terrible for me and most, if not all, of it was down to the fact that I had no grip. It is difficult to ride fast when you have no grip, but at the moment, the bike is not so easy to ride and you have to concentrate every second of the race and that is exhausting – physically and mentally.”

“Although we changed a few things in this morning’s warm-up, the bike didn’t feel comfortable then, or in the races and it’s difficult to push hard when you don’t know where the limits of the bike are. Fortunately we have some tests coming up and I am hoping that we will be able to sort out what’s going on and make some good improvements.”  – Troy Corser
Round nine of this year’s Superbike World Championship took place at Donington Park, GB The 4.023 kilometre circuit hosted the first ever WSBK race back in 1988 and is currently undergoing several modifications for the F1 race in 2010.

At the moment, Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport are not having a good run of luck, though Ruben Xaus leading in the damp at Misano last weekend provided the team with a ray of sunshine, in what became a difficult weekend. But, with Misano just a memory, it’s time for Ruben and Troy to think ahead, get back to business and battle for the top ten once more this weekend.

Ruben

It was a great feeling leading a race last weekend, even though the final result was not the best. Last Friday’s practice in Misano was definitely a positive day for us and it is a pity that the weather did not allow us to continue our progression on Saturday and Sunday.  But we learned a lot more about the bike and have some ideas about what has to be done. Unfortunately, having another race so soon does not give our team enough time to prepare some solutions and new ideas and we will have to use Friday afternoon to try out many things. But that’s the way it is at the moment and it is up to me and Troy to do the best we can and think positively about the way ahead.

Troy
The best thing I can do is forget Misano and concentrate on Donington and that’s what I am doing. Crashing out before the first race in Misano was very unfortunate because I think I would’ve managed OK in the wet on the bike. Donington is a tough track and it’s certainly going to give us something to think about, especially in the first two sessions. We have a lot of work to do, as usual, but if we can get a good set-up early on and qualify better in Superpole, then we can chase a far more positive result.

TOUGH START FOR RUBEN AND TROY

Friday qualifying, June 26th, conditions: dry, then damp 21C.

Ruben and Troy finished 17th and 20th in a tough qualifying at Donington today, but the lap times are close and a fraction of a second less would’ve placed Ruben in the top ten. The untimed first session took place in the dry, but the second (timed) session started with a damp track, causing many riders to wait and see if conditions improved. The track did dry out and Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) took provisional pole, with Leon Haslam (Honda) second, Ben Spies (Yamaha) third and Gregorio Lavilla (Ducati) fourth.

Ruben – 17th, 1:32.186
Before we weren’t able to go fast in the wet, but today I was leading the standings for quite a long time. Then, when the track dried I was overtaken, but the lap times are close and I am happy because I went one second a lap faster here today than I did last year. At the moment, I can get down to quite a good lap time without too much of a problem, but when I want to faster, it is hard to do so. Troy, I and the team are working our hardest and we just need to find that next step up to be more competitive. I am convinced that this bike has potential and it will be great once we can show it.

Troy – 20th, 1:32.476
You cannot just ride this bike, you have to think it and work at it. I can get to a point fairly easily, but then it is a struggle to go just that bit faster. It’s not a new problem, but it’s just something that we have to work on and improve if we want to be challenging more easily for the top ten. It’s kind of frustrating, because we are not that far off and if we can just make that small leap, we’ll be able to fight for the top ten again.

TROY AND RUBEN TOGETHER ON ROW FOUR

final qualifying, Saturday June 27th, conditions: mostly overcast, some rain, 17-19C

Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus finished Superpole with the 15th and 16th fastest laps and will start alongside each other on the fourth row of the grid at Donington tomorrow.  The team had some new parts from Munich to evaluate, so most of the day was used working with these instead of chasing lap times.  At the end of the day, both Troy and Ruben were happy with the new material and are looking forward to more time on the bike and further improvement.  American Ben Spies (Yamaha) took his eighth Superpole of the season in a rain-affected Q3, with Max Biaggi (Aprilia) second, Shane Byrne (Ducati) third and Shinya Nakano (Aprilia) fourth.

Troy – 15th, 1:30.916
We had some new stuff to try today and the first signs are encouraging. It was a bit more easy to use the throttle and a bit of an improvement in set-up. Everything feels a bit more fluid and, although there’s still a lot of work to do, I am looking forward to further progress.  This series is the hardest and most competitive it has ever been and there are so many strong teams out there all fighting for positions. Considering the level of competition this year, I think we’re doing pretty well at this stage of our development.

Ruben – 16th, 1:31.120
I am going two seconds or so a lap faster than last year and that makes me happy. The new parts have had an impact on me straightaway and I think we can improve the bike quite a bit as we carry on the good work. This series is tough for sure, and it’s interesting to realise that today’s lap times are so much faster than last year. I had a bit of a problem with the brakes on one of my bikes today, otherwise I think I could’ve pushed harder in Superpole. But the important thing is that we are all working hard. Today has given us all something to work towards because we can see the possibilities better.

TOP TEN FOR RUBEN.

Sunday June 28th, Crowd: 61,000 (3-day). Conditions: Dry, overcast first, then sunny, 20-23C

Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport rider Ruben Xaus took a superb ninth place in the second Superbike World Championship race at Donington Park this afternoon. In sunny conditions, Ruben fought his way up through the field from the fourth row of the grid to take his third top ten finish of the season. This followed his 15th place in race one and showed that he and the team have recovered from their recent poor results. Ruben’s team mate Troy did not enjoy such a good day. A crash in race one, when he found a false neutral, and general lack of grip meant a real struggle in race two. But despite the grip problems, Troy kept going and managed to finish the race, albeit outside the points. American Ben Spies (Yamaha) won both 23-lap races today and closed the gap on series leader Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) to just fourteen points. And with Haga injured in race two, and facing a possible lengthy layoff due to a back injury, Spies should be able to take advantage of the situation in the next few races. Max Biaggi (Aprilia) took runner-up spot in race one, with Haga third and and Leon Haslam (Honda) fourth. Second to Spies in a race two was Haslam, with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) third and Shane Byrne (Ducati) fourth.

Ruben – Race 1: 15th, Race 2: 9th
That was a tough weekend and I really know that I have done two hard races today. At the moment, the bike is very demanding physically and mentally and it requires a lot of concentration. I am happy to get a top ten finish, but I would be more happy if Troy and I would be getting top six finishes for sure. Today our bike was good in the fast corners, but we lost out on the slow ones. My riding style is more aggressive than Troy and for that you have to be 100% fit. Troy is not 100% fit yet, so he is having a harder time getting the bike round the track at the speeds he would like to do. I see positive signs ahead and I am looking forward to the next two tests.

Troy – Race 1: DNF, Race 2: 20th
For me, it was a terrible day and not such a good weekend. All weekend, I have being having a problem because of the lack of grip and today it was as bad as it has ever been. The bike felt hard to ride today and I got a lot of wheelspin and found it hard to stop it wheelieing. In race one, the bike just jumped out of gear when I tried to backshift from third to second and I was forced into the gravel and had to lay the bike down. Fortunately, I didn’t hurt myself at all, but it was an unnecessary crash. Race two was all about grip, or lack of it. But I kept going, even though I was losing places, because I wanted to give the team as much telemetry info as possible.

Berti Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director)
This weekend has given us a lot of surprises. We were surprised that the weather was not as expected, or forecasted. Happily the conditions were dry for both races, which means that we have a huge package of information and data to take back to our workshops. Regarding the results: we know where we are in the rankings. We know what technical issues we have to improve and we will address them for the next tests.  I am happy that Ruben managed a top ten and would like to compliment Troy on bringing the bike home in race two despite difficult crcumstances. We don’t have any deep disappointment this weekend. We realise that we have a lot of work to do and we need to keep improving every time Ruben and Troy go out on the bike.

Berti Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport, Director)
The new parts seem to give the bike better rideability and now we need to do more work and analyse the results. Our bike works normally on race rubber, but it seems quite sensitive when it is on very soft tires and then it requires different settings. We decided to use this weekend more as a test, then look at the data and go for further improvements at the next two tests. Our positions today are not wonderful, but consider that both our riders are quicker than last year’s lap record. That shows how competitive and hard this series is this year. I don’t think this championship has ever been so tough, but we’re ready for the fight and feel positive about the future.