Kyalami (South Africa), Friday 14th May : Ducati Xerox rider Michel Fabrizio immediately demonstrated his pace when he closed first qualifying in pole position, thanks to a fastest lap time of 1m38.4. His team-mate Noriyuki Haga finished thirteenth.

The Superbike riders enjoyed great weather (air temperature 25°C, track 36°C) on this first day of the South African World Superbike race weekend, at the Kyalami circuit. In the first practice session that took place in the early afternoon factory riders Noriyuki and Michel were both immediately fast. Towards the end of the 60-minute session Michel ducked under 1m40 for the first time and then, in a final exit in the last minutes, he made his fastest lap of 1m39.081, three tenths faster than Jakub Smrz who, on his privateer Ducati, finished the session in second. Noriyuki improved throughout the session, but concluded in tenth citing problems regarding the absorption of the suspension.

Just over an hour later in the first qualifying session, Michel recorded a first lap of 1m38.7, a very fast time that remained the time to beat for the first half of the session until, on new tires, he improved further, registering a 1m38.4. In the final stages Cal Crutchlow and Jonathan Rea came close to Michel’s best time but no-one was able to better it and the Italian rider closed in first place. For Noriyuki the morning’s problems continued into the afternoon and the Japanese rider struggled to push hard on the bumpy track surface. At the end of the session Noriyuki was in thirteenth position.

Michel Fabrizio 1m38.4
“We made a good start today. We started from last year’s set-up but then made a variety of changes to both the front and rear of my bike. I have a good feeling and didn’t have any particular problems today. The only thing we need to work on is tire wear as I did a mini long-run today with the new tire that’s available to us but after nine laps the grip was already dropping off.”

Noriyuki Haga 1m39.6
“Today was difficult as I didn’t have enough absorption over this bumpy track surface. I tried the different tires available and they are not bad but without better absorption it’s hard to push. We need to work to resolve this issue tomorrow. I hope to improve tomorrow but Sunday will be difficult; there are a lot of us on a track that is not so fast.”

Yamaha Sterilgarda rider Cal Crutchlow got straight down to business in the first qualifying session of the Kyalami race weekend today. Crutchlow spent the session in the top two positions, only losing out to leader Fabrizio at the end by less than a tenth of a second. The British rider had been on a hot lap at the end on track to take the fastest time but was unfortunately held up and unable to complete.

Crutchlow’s team-mate James Toseland had a slower start to the South African weekend. Fresh off the back of a big crash last weekend and having not ridden the Kyalami circuit for a number of years, Toseland spent the qualifying renewing his knowledge of the track as he worked on his set-up.

Cal Crutchlow

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (2nd, 1′38.529)
“I think today went ok, I’m pretty pleased to be honest. I should have been fastest but I got held up on my last hot lap. I think it’s going to be difficult in race conditions; tire wear is a big issue as the track is very abrasive. Overall second fastest isn’t too bad on the first day, we’ll go away now and will look at more improvements for tomorrow with the team.”

James Toseland

James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (15th, 1′39.656)
“It’s my first day back on the bike since my crash last week and it’s also my first time back on this track for ten years, it’s very technical and I’d forgotten how bumpy it is. Unfortunately the base setting we started the session with wasn’t right so we had a lot of work to do to get the bike working well. At the end we found something that worked better and got down to good race times, so tomorrow we’ll improve on that some more and we will get down to the faster times they’re running at the front today. Given everything I’m only just over a second off after the first day so I’m not displeased with that and we’ve got a lot more to give tomorrow.”

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
“I was a little bit worried today, this is not traditionally a good track for us, but finally the results were good. Tomorrow I believe James will move up as he gets used to the track again and improves his set up. Last year the track was the most difficult for us, but after all our development the situation is completely different, to be second fastest with Cal and James only a second off after a big crash when hasn’t been here for ten years is pretty good, and taking into account our strong performance at Monza I am quite optimistic for tomorrow.”

Jonathan Rea set the third fastest time in today’s opening World Superbike qualifying session for Sunday’s two round six races at Kyalami in South Africa. Provisional pole position was taken by Italian Michel Fabrizio.

In perfect conditions, Rea spent most of today’s track time on race tires dialling in his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade to the unique characteristics of the 4.263km Kyalami circuit located just north of Johannesburg. However, fresh rubber towards the end of this afternoon’s hour-long session fired him up the leaderboard.

Rea’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, continued the adaptation of his riding style whilst re-familiarising himself with the undulating Kyalami circuit, finishing in 18th place today. The German rider tested here at the end of 2008 but missed last season’s event through injury.

Jonathan Rea – P3

We did a lot of wo rk on old tires today to set the bike up for the bumps and its demands for grip. We definitely found a good base to start with tomorrow morning and when we put new tires in at the end all that hard work made sense. So, it’s been a good and satisfying first day here without any major drama. We’ll look a little more at the front of the bike tomorrow and try to get it to deal with the bumps even better, but everything feels pretty good so far.

Max Neukirchner – P18

I did a long run this afternoon when the lap times were not so bad. When we put in new tires to improve the time, the front tire was too soft and I was not able to push hard enough. We’ll put in a harder one tomorrow morning and hope that improves things. I also need to work on my lines through one or two corners where I am spending too long with the bike leant over and not opening the throttle soon enough. I am still adapting my style and haven& rsquo;t ridden here since the test 18 months ago. So, although 18th looks quite bad, I am positive about improving the position tomorrow.

Ronald ten Kate – team-manager

We’ve had to work quite a bit today since Kyalami is really a very challenging circuit, where the bumps complicate the task even more. We’re not far off on Jonathan’s side of the garage and he’s spent a long time on used tires today. He achieved a good level of consistency, which will be a key factor on Sunday. After a good session with Max this morning, we kind of lost ourselves a little this afternoon, but we’ll work hard to move him up tomorrow.

Troy Corser spent most of the day learning the best line round the undulating and bumpy track, but still managed to find a reasonably good bike set-up. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) posted the day’s fastest lap, with Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) second and Jonathan Rea (Honda) third.

Troy – 4th, 1:38.896
Today was not so bad and I’m feeling pretty satisfied with the progress we made. I spent the morning session learning where all the bumps were and trying to find a good racing line and miss them! There are definitely more bumps here now then there was when I was here two years ago. In the afternoon we worked more on the set-up of the bike, traction control and clutch and I put in quite a lot of laps. The lap times were pretty consistent, even on an old tire, and I felt pretty comfortable. At the end, I put on a new tire and went half a second quicker.

You are never going to get a perfect bike set-up here, but it’s important to know the track and anticipate where the bumps are. The racing line is actually quite narrow and if you have to go wide to pass somebody that’s when you can run into a problem.

For me, the track is not clean enough and there is a also a particular problem going towards turn one. What looks like a red and white ripple strip is actually a rubber conveyor belt that has been painted red and white. And because it is not asphalt, it moves around a bit when you go across it. I went up to the FIM safety guy and spoke to him about it and about the track not being clean and he told me that he thought the track was clean enough and that he didn’t care what I thought! I wasn’t the only rider to talk to him about these two matters, but he didn’t seem to care what we thought. The least he should have done was to make another inspection (with a couple of riders), instead of just ignoring us. All we were asking was to be treated professionally – nothing more.

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 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.

Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport rider Troy Corser will not be travelling with the team and racing in Kyalami this coming weekend. The Aussie took a severe battering in two hard crashes in Monza last weekend and it was felt that it would be better for him to give the South African round a miss and get fully fit for the USA round at the end of the month.

Berti Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director)
After the races in Monza on Sunday, Troy and the team sat down together and jointly made the decision that it would be better for him to sit out Kyalami and get fit for USA. Troy suffered a horrific crash at the start of the first race in Monza and was hit in the back of the neck and head by another bike. He then had a high speed tumble in the restart and was probably a little dazed. He was already riding with a cracked bone in his left hand and had to have painkillers and special strapping in order just to compete in Monza.

Kyalami is a very physical track, very bumpy in places and this would’ve not have helped Troy’s hand get any better. So, with everything that happened in Monza, together with the condition of his hand, the decision was made that Troy would give Kyalami a miss.

However the team will still have two riders on track in Kyalami as Troy’s place will be taken by BMW Motorrad Motorsport test rider Steve Martin.

The Crocodile Chronicles – Building the Legend

Troy Corser – “I am happy that I survived two big crashes more or less OK, but sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don’t. I knew nothing about what started the crash on lap one of the first race. One minute I was going into the chicane and the next minute I was flying through the air. Then, while I was on my knees, I got hit by another bike. It banged into the top of my back, near my neck and the impact was strong enough to thump my helmet on to the floor. I managed to get off the track and fell down on the grass to rest while I got my breath back, but the marshals wanted me out of the way and tried to pull me on to a stretcher. I was lucky that I hadn’t damaged my neck, because they way they handled me would’ve caused further injury for sure. After I while, I got my breath back and walked back to the pits and prepared for the restart. The team didn’t put any pressure on me at all, in fact the opposite.”

“But, I felt OK and decided to give it a go. This time, I almost completed a lap! I got pulled along in a four or five rider draft and found myself going into the Parabolica a bit too quick. Muggeridge was alongside or came across a bit and I had to choose between hitting him or applying more pressure to the brakes. Of course, I put more pressure on the brakes and down I went. I slid feet first, then did a couple of flips and I was really lucky not to hurt myself any more. My left arm was sore and when I got back to the pits, we made the decision not to start race two. I was a bit dazed anyway, so it was the right choice. It’s a pity because I really felt that we’d get good results today and Ruben’s seventh in race one is proof of that. Now, I’ve got to recover and get fit for the next race, so wish me luck.”

The fifth round of this year’s Superbike World Championship takes place at the historic Autodromo di Monza and both BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus are looking forward to tackling the 5.793 kilometre circuit. It is one of the few circuits in this year’s calendar where the team have tested already and so, for once, they will be not be starting at a big disadvantage. Monza is renowned for its high speed straights and close finishes and last year’s first race saw the top four separated by just 0.771 at the flag. Race two’s top three were covered by 0.051, with the winner taking the chequered flag by only 0.009 of a second!

Troy
“At least we have tested at Monza this year, so we will not be trying to play catch-up as much as we have to do normally. Monza has some fast straights and is a track where slipstreaming can play an important part. It’s possible to be in fourth place exiting the Ascari chicane on the last lap and still win if you can take advantage of the draft. But, before we even get to that stage, we have to be in a good qualifying situation. Superpole has not worked out well for us so far and considering that, I think we’ve done well to get the top tens we have. I hope that we can qualify better at Monza and get even better results.”

Ruben
“Each time out we learn something new about the bike and get ideas about what to do to make it better. The other teams have a big history compared to us and so I feel we have done very well so far. But that doesn’t mean that we all don’t want more, because of course we do. Our top tens are very good, but Troy and I are racers and we are always want to higher finishes. If we can get a good set-up early on (and I can get rid of my ‘black Fridays’), and do well in Superpole, then we might have a better chance of good results.”

Berti Hauser (Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
“Monza will be interesting for sure, but at least we have been there before. Even so, the experience we gained in our two day test is relatively small compared to our competitors and so we need to do well in practice and qualifying. Superpole has been a problem for us so far and we haven’t been able to get the bike to perform consistently well enough on qualifying tires in Q1 and Q2. It would be good to get into Q1 and not have to start from the back of the grid for a change. If we could do that, it would be very interesting to see what would happen.”

Friday:

Troy- “I think we may have got into a bit of a confusion today and for a while it seemed that whatever we did made no effect whatsoever. We found a pretty good base set-up when we were here a month ago and that’s what we started with today. I don’t know if it’s because the grip level was so different then to now, but my bike just didn’t work the way we expected. My crew and I looked at all the info and had a long talk about what to do, so now it’s a case of trying out our ideas tomorrow and making progress. But, I’m pretty confident that we know what to do and that we will improve.”

Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders Ruben Xaus and Troy Corser ended the first day of qualifying with the 14th and 15th fastest times, but are only a second or so away from the provisional pole setter. Ruben and Troy tested at Monza a month ago and began today by using the set-ups they found then, but their bikes did not work as well or in same way. So once again today was all about working with different set-ups, trying different ideas and finding the right direction for tomorrow. Italian Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) led the charge today, with a lap of 1:45.447, three tenths of a second ahead of Tom Sykes (Yamaha). Third is Noriyuki Haga (Ducati), with Jonathan Rea (Honda) fourth.

Ruben – 14th, 1:46.545
“I have raced here many times and on many different bikes and I can tell you that this track has secrets. It is a track where you have to be good on the brakes and the bike has to be stable on braking as well. If you have that, then you can get a good drive exiting the turns and that can means you can make good lap times. At the moment, we haven’t got the bike working the best way and so to finish just a second slower then the fastest rider is pretty good I think.”

It wasn’t the easiest day for Troy on the first day of qualifying at Monza, but he and the team have looked at all the data and telemetry and have a good idea of what to change for tomorrow. Troy started with the set-up he and the team found when they tested at Monza a month ago, but the bike did not work the same way. Because of that, the team struggled a little to find the right direction and will now have to hope that their solutions for tomorrow will be the correct ones. Italian Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) posted the fastest time today, with a lap of 1:45.447, three tenths of a second ahead of Tom Sykes (Yamaha). Third is Noriyuki Haga (Ducati), with Jonathan Rea (Honda) fourth.

Troy – 15th, 1:46.565
“Maybe we got a little confused today because we started with the same set-up we found when we here a month or so ago, and the bike felt completely different. We made some fairly big changes to the bike from the first to the second sessions today, but the bike felt the same. For me, the track feels as if it has more grip then when we tested here. After qualifying, I sat with the team and we analysed all the data and I feel sure we know what we have to do for tomorrow and that we will definitely improve.”

Berti Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director)
“This was a tough day for Ruben and Troy and it seems that we couldn’t work with the set-up we found in the tests. Both riders experienced some problems, but both have given the team a lot of feedback and information to improve the bike tomorrow. I am hopeful that the ideas will work out to be in the right direction and Ruben and Troy can end the day ready for the race on Sunday.”

Saturday:

Troy- “I’m happy because it is our best result so far this year, but I’m not happy because of what happened at the end of Superpole Q2. I feel sure I was on course for qualifying for Q1 and was up on my lap time when I saw yellow flags and oil flags being waved up at the Parabolica. So, I had to ease off the gas a bit and was a bit surprised, to say the least, when I saw some marshals on the kerb stones. Obviously I wasn’t able to go as fast as I wanted and the time I lost meant that I didn’t get into

Q1. That was a shame, but we’re all a bit happy because the third row is our best performance in Superpole this year so far and that shows that we are improving. We are still working on quite a few things at the moment and one of them is to improve the consistency of the braking feel. Also this track is a bit bumpy in places and our bike is skipping about a bit, so we’ll make a few adjustments in the warm-up tomorrow and see if can make the bike a bit better. Third row is our best so far and I’ve already showed what I can do from even further back, so I am hoping to get two good starts and fight with the front group.”

BMW Motorrad Motorsport rider Troy Corser recorded his best Superpole qualifying of the year by taking the eleventh quickest time in Q2, to end up on row three. And it might have been even better, but for yellow flags and marshals on the kerbs when Troy was on a fast lap towards the end of the session. Troy’s team mate Ruben Xaus ended with the fourteenth fastest lap and will start from row four but was happy that he too had improved in Superpole. American Ben Spies (Yamaha) continued his perfect run of Superpole wins this season, with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) second, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) third and Max Neukirchner (Suzuki) fourth.

In Superpole qualifying at Monza today, Troy posted his best result of the season and will start tomorrow’s pair of 18-lap races from the third row of the grid. But it could have been even better. The second row of the grid was beckoning on Troy’s hot lap at the end of the session but then yellow flags came out. An earlier crash caused the flags to come out and Troy had no option but to roll off the gas a bit and that was enough to lose a fraction of a second when it mattered. Had it not been for the flags, Troy may well have qualified for Superpole 3 and a start from the second row at the very least. American Ben Spies (Yamaha) made it five out five Superpole wins this season, with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) second, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) third and Max Neukirchner (Suzuki) fourth.

Troy – 11th, 1:45.543
“Well that is our best result in Superpole this year, but I really think it could’ve been even better. I was on a fast lap towards the end of the session and as I approached the Parabolica I saw yellow flags and oil flags being waved. I had to roll off the throttle a little and when I got to the turn there were some marshals standing on the kerbs! Obviously there had been a crash or something, but it was a real shame because I knew I was going to beat my previous lap time. I feel pretty sure that I
would’ve qualified for Superpole 3 and that would have meant a start from at least row two. We solved some of yesterday’s problems, but I think we still need a more consistent braking feeling. There are quite a few bumps here and that makes our bike move and skip about a bit. We’re working on a lot on the electronics side of things and it’s an area which we have to sort out completely and then we’ll be able to lap faster and be more competitive. But I’m happy with out best Superpole result so far and if I can get two good starts, then I’ll be in with a chance of some good results.”

Ruben – 14th, 1:6.571
“Everything is coming better and although there’s still lots to do, we are all working together well and the bike is improving and improving. Maybe here today we had too much grip and that affected the feel of the bike. Also the bike didn’t feel as fast today as when we tested here a month ago and that might be to do with grip and it might be to do with electronics.Today we tried to set the bike up for consistent lap times and maybe lost a little power as a result. I had a little crash today, but I think five other riders crashed using the same tire, so I think it was because of the soft tire all of us had used. Tomorrow morning we’ll make some adjustments in the warm-up and hopefully we’ll improve some more.”

Berti Hauser (Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
“Congratulations to Troy for giving us our best Superpole result so far and I’m only sorry because it seems like it could’ve been even better. But that’s the way things are sometimes and we have to be happy that we are getting better every time we go out. Ruben also made an improvement and I think we are showing that we are going in the right direction. Troy and Ruben have both proved that they can fight from way down the grid and I’m sure we’ll see more of that from them tomorrow.”

Sunday:

Ruben Xaus gave Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport their best result so far with a superb seventh in the first race at Monza today. He then followed it up with a solid ninth in the second race to make it his best weekend in five rounds and shows that he and the bike are making progress every time out.

His team mate Troy Corser was involved in a horrific crash on the opening lap of race one, when he was hit in the neck and back of head by another rider’s fallen bike. Troy was winded and was stretchered off, but fortunately he was able to get back to the pits under his own steam. Despite being bruised and battered, Troy decided to take part in the restarted race, but suffered another crash on the approach to the Parabolica on lap one. Luckily he was not injured seriously but he and the team decided to err on the side of safety and therefore not take part in race two.

Italian Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) won the first race, much to the delight of the home fans, with team mate Noriyuki Haga second and Ryuichi Kiyonari third. American Ben Spies (Yamaha) won race two, to make up for the disappointment of running out of fuel in race one whilst contending the lead. Second was Michel Fabrizio , with Kiyonari third again.

Ruben – Race 1: 7th, Race 2: 9th
“I am happy to give the team our best result of the season so far and happy that I managed another top ten finish in he second race. My seventh place result is also for Troy and the whole team because everybody has worked so hard for this. My race two result could’ve been better, but I made a really bad start and then got nudged by somebody in the chicane. I recovered and was happy fighting for eighth with Smrz, Parkes and Laconi but I just couldn’t get past Smrz for eighth. But generally, my race pace was good today and I think our result is also very good considering how little time we have in practice and qualifying. If we continue to make this good progress, we will be fighting for places even further up.”

Troy – Race 1: DNF, Race 2: DNS
“I got hit by another bike on the first lap of the first race and was lucky not to get hurt. I was on my knees and a bike caught the back of my head and forced my helmet down on to the tarmac and gave it a big thump. I managed to get off the track and on to the grass, but I was winded so I just laid down on the grass. I could see that some straw bales were protecting some other riders and I thought that there would be a red flag. I just wanted to get my breath back, but the marshals insisted on putting me on a stretcher and taking me to the ambulance. As soon as I had got my breath back, I got up and walked back to the pits for the restart of the race. The team didn’t put any pressure on me to start the race, but I felt OK and decided to try. Unfortunately, I got sucked into a four or five rider draft going into the Parabolica and found myself going in a bit too hot. I tried to brake as normal and drift a bit wide but Muggeridge came across and I had to choose between hitting him or braking harder than normal and possibly crashing. I put more pressure on the brakes and I guess you know what happened then! Yep, a crash. I went along the tarmac and then the gravel feet first, flipped a couple of times and was very lucky not to hurt myself any more. I felt pretty bruised and battered and we decided not to risk anything by starting the second race. It was all a big shame because I thought we’d get some good results today. But anyway, congratulations to Ruben for getting seventh and showing everybody that we are improving all the time.”

Berti Hauser (Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
“This weekend was one of both shadows and sunshine, but I am happy that Troy survived the horror crash in race one and was able to take part in the restart. I’m also happy that he didn’t hurt himself when he had the second crash and the decision not to start race two was definitely the right one. He has been riding with an injured hand all weekend (a crack in the bone of his left hand) and there was no point risking any further injury. The sunshine was Ruben’s seventh in race one and a ninth in race two. He’s improving for sure and it shows that we are pushing hard, going forward and getting more and more competitive. I want to take this opportunity to send my best wishes to Max Neukirchner and hope he has a speedy recovery after that terrible crash.”

Troy Corser, BMW Motorrad – “Of course, I am not happy with 10th place but considering my grid position and my left hand, I think today’s results have been pretty good. I didn’t know that I had broken a bone in my left hand until recently, because it didn’t show up on the X-rays in Monza during the tests. But as the days went on, I sort of felt that something wasn’t quite right and that was proved to be so when I had some more X-rays recently. I decided not to have pain-killing injections today because when you have them, you can also lose feeling and sensation in the hand and that was the last thing I wanted when I was diving into a corner at high speed. So, I just had a couple of normal pills instead. Obviously they weren’t very strong and I certainly knew that I was in pain in the second race, but you just have to ignore it and keep going. ”

“Our bike is still being developed and there are some new parts to come very soon, so I am confident that there are improvements to come. We have only just started working on the traction and wheelie control, so you can see that’s there’s lots more we can do with the bike. The new schedule means that we have lost at least thirty minutes. If you are an experienced or established team it’s not so bad, but we are a new team and need as much track time as we can get. So, at the moment we are at a bit of a disadvantage, but everybody in the team is working hard and it’s not going to be too long before better results come.”

“Superpole was the usual lottery for me and I cannot explain why two qualifying tires that are the same should work so differently. I did a 1:38.339 in Superpole 1 and was second fastest overall. I used the same bike and the same type of qualifying tire in Superpole. The bike (or tire) felt completely different and I just couldn’t go so fast at all. I finished six tenths of a second slower on that lap! it’s a big shame because it means, once again, we are way down the grid and will have to try and get up to the sharp end as soon as we can if we are to have any sort of decent result. The good news is that I am feeling quite comfortable on a race pace and the other good news is that my hand feels a lot better today – probably because of some treatment from the Clinica Mobile and some painkillers.”

“That was one of our most consistent racedays this season and although I’m never happy with 10th place, I think that is about the best we could’ve done today. Maybe if we hadn’t started the races from the fourth row, I could’ve challenged for sixth or seventh place, but until we qualify better, it’s always going to be a case of playing ‘catch-up’. My hand wasn’t too bad in race one, but it was definitely more sore in race two. The crack is right where you put pressure on the handlebars, so it’s not something that I could avoid. So, all in all, I think it is pretty good to get two tenths today.”

Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport continued to make progress in practice and regular qualifying today, but once again saw their hopes of good grid positions dashed in Superpole qualifying. All the good work done by Troy, Ruben and the team was undone in Superpole thanks to problems with their qualifying tires in Superpole 1 and Superpole 2 and, as a result, Troy and Ruben will have to start tomorrow’s pair of 22-lap races from the fourth and fifth rows of the grid. American Ben Spies (Yamaha) continued his run of good form by taking pole position this afternoon, with Jakub Smrz (Ducati) second, Leon Haslam (Honda) third and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) fourth.

Troy enjoyed one of the most consistent racedays of the season so far, taking a superb pair of top ten finishes at Assen today. Despite problems in Superpole qualifying, a lowly grid position and a painful left hand, Troy battled his way throughout the two 22-lappers. He was in obvious discomfort changing direction and on heavy braking, due to a cracked bone in his left hand, but somehow he ignored the pain barrier and brought his S 1000 RR home twice, much to the delight of the whole team. He was well supported by his team mate Ruben Xaus, who had also been forced to start from way down the grid. Ruben began both races from the fifth row, but charged his way to 14th in race one and then followed that up with a 11th in race two.

American Ben Spies (Yamaha) won a thrilling race one, with Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) second and Leon Haslam (Honda) third. Spies looked as he was all set for a double, but crashed out of race two after just one lap. Haga took over the lead and was then never headed on the way to an emphatic victory. Second was Haslam, with Jakub Smrz (Ducati) third.

Ruben Xaus:

“Like Troy, I am finding it a bit hard to understand what is going on with the qualifying tires. I qualified OK for Superpole and started Superpole 1 with a qualifying tire. But I felt no grip and struggled to do a fast lap. When I pulled in, after two laps, the tire looked as if it was brand new and that is not normal for a qualifying tire. OK, the bike is quite sensitive to any changes we make, but we didn’t change the bike for Superpole, so I don’t understand what happened. I had two crashes today and do not know what happened in either of them, except that both happened with the same bike, so I didn’t use that one again afterwards. But, I am happy with my race pace on this bike and will be fighting for everything I can get in the races. Obviously, being so far down the grid is a problem, but hopefully I will be able to see the lights from way back there and get a good start.”

“I think we need some more help from the tire guys, because it is quite difficult getting a tire to work with our bike sometimes and that is affecting our progress. But I am happy to finish both races today and I am also happy because I know I did some good lap times, particularly in the second race. The bike was on the limit in race one, but I felt it was better in race two and that is reflected in the better lap times. Also, I know that there are further improvements to come and once we can put everything together I’m sure we will finish higher up.”

Berti Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director)

“It’s a bit difficult to know what to say, except that our riders and the whole team worked so hard for two days, made good progress and then had it all destroyed in Superpole qualifying. Troy went three tenths of a second faster in Superpole 1 than in normal qualifying, but then was six tenths of a second slower in Superpole 2 than Superpole 1 and I don’t think it is normal for such a rider as Troy. I am frustrated and I am sure that the whole team feel the same way, because none of us can understand how the same tires can work so differently. I don’t think this is down to our lack of experience, but it is a strange state of affairs and I hope that we can find some solutions to this kind of problem sooner, rather than later.”

“Sunday’s results have reduced the pain of yesterday’s Superpole qualifying and shows that we are capable of improving and getting good results. The ideas from our recent Monza tests are bearing fruit and I am happy because it means we are going in the right direction. I think both riders have done a brilliant job today. Troy was in some pain in both races but still fought hard and gave us top ten results. And Ruben took 11th after finishing 20th in Superpole and that shows that he is also a fighter. After four races we are more or less where we expected to be, but 10th position is from where we must now improve on. We are all happy because to be at this kind of level, in such a competitive championship, shows our strength and ability to run with the top guys, all of whom have much more experience then us.”

More from Troy Corser;

Friday: “It’s another new racetrack for us, so once again there’s lots to do and try out. Considering all the work we did, I am happy enough with 11th at the end of the day, especially when you think that I’m only half a second off third place! We have some ideas about what to do tomorrow and hopefully we can improve the bike. At the moment, it’s not the way I want it, so that’s something that we will have to work on tomorrow, but I’m sure we can make the bike better. ”

“My left hand is a bit sore after two sessions on the bike. I hurt it in the Monza tests recently and had it checked out afterwards to make sure nothing was broken. It was OK this morning, but it became quite a bit sore in the afternoon session and I found it hard changing direction. Also, it felt a bit painful when I braked hard for the turns. I’m hoping that it will improve overnight and I will be able to push as hard as I want tomorrow.”

Saturday: “It’s getting a bit hard to work out what’s happening to us in Superpole, with the qualifying tires. Same bike, same tires – different feeling. I did a 1:38.339 in Superpole 1 and was second fastest overall. I used the same bike and the same type of qualifying tire in Superpole 2. In Superpole 2, I finished six tenths of a second slower!”

“Tomorrow is going to be another tough day, starting from the fourth row, but at least I have proved in the past that I can start from way down the grid and still get up with the front guys after a lap or two. Fortunately my left hand feels better today and it only gives me a bit of a problem on left-handers and on heavy braking. I will continue to have treatment in the Clinica Mobile and decide whether or not to have any painkillers after the morning warm-up. Hopefully, it will be ok, I will make two good starts and get some decent finishes.”

Troy Corser survived a highside during the second day of the Monza tests, and was lucky to walk away with just a bruised finger. The fall happened in the morning and Troy was forced to miss the afternoon session as his left hand was too sore to control the handlebars properly. Troy’s absence in the afternoon meant that his team mate Ruben had to shoulder the burden of trying all the various things out, together with test rider Steve Martin.

Troy (best lap 1:46.3)
“That was a tough one and a half days because we had so many different things to try out and many ideas to consider. Because of that we weren’t chasing lap times at all, so to get so close to the top guys was really good. I’m not sure what happened when I highsided at the first chicane, but it happened so quickly that I didn’t have a chance.
I went a long way in the air and ended hands down first and that’s when I banged my hand. I went and saw the doctor and he advised me not to ride anymore that day and give the hand a chance to rest up. I don’ think anything is broken but I’ve had this kind of injury before and there’s a possibility that I might have cracked a bone. It’s no big deal though and I’m sure it’ll be fine for Assen.”

“I did try and get back on the bike back in the garage, but I found that I couldn’t really pull and push the bars properly and that’s when we decided not to go out again in the afternoon. It was a shame because we had lots to test and I couldn’t help the team get through it all. But fortunately Steve Martin helped out and Ruben of course.
The work carries on and there is a lot of it! Every time out, we learn a bit more and give our technicians something to think about and work on. Sometimes it is a bit frustrating, but we’re all happy to do the work because we haven’t seen the full potential of the bike yet and that’s what we’re all after. We’re getting closer for sure, but sometimes you run into new problems and have to get though them to progress. The team are great and everybody is working for each other, so I’m sure we’ll keep on improving.”