Superbike World Championship – Stiggy Racing Honda – Round 09, Donington – Friday, June 26th – Superbike QP1

In the first day of qualifying at Donington, the Stiggy Racing Honda pairing of Leon Haslam and John Hopkins opened the Superbike free practice in a great way, by setting the third and seventh fastest time respectively.

Leon Haslam was found in the top regions of the sheets throughout the session and closed the first practice in a third fastest time of 1′31.209s. John Hopkins made his re-appearance with the team after sitting out the last race at Misano and set the seventh fastest time of the free practice session in 1′31.894s.

Haslam and Hopkins both managed to keep their lap times fast and consistent in the afternoon’s first qualifying practice. Haslam squeezed out the day’s second fastest time of 131.191s in the last minutes of the session and finds himself just 0.4s off the pace set by provisional pole sitter Michel Fabrizio, while Hopkins is found in 14th position with a best time of 1′32.007s.

Leon Haslam, 1′31.191s:
“ I am pretty happy with my qualifying results today. It started off wet which was good to get a couple of wet laps in. It wasn’t a full wet session so we didn’t quite get the wet set-up sorted yet, but the dry set-up is good. We were doing well on an old tyre and able to go into the top three. Then we put a new tyre in towards the end and put the bike at second position. I am feeling really confident with what we have achieved so far. We still have a bit more to go and we’ll have to concentrate on doing some race runs tomorrow.”

John Hopkins, 1′32.007s:
“This morning it was all about losing up my hip and getting a good feeling with the bike again. I really enjoy riding the Donington track. The most important thing for me today was getting the feeling with the tyres and the bike again. I took it easy in the wet, but the lap times were still pretty good and pretty consistent. As soon as the track dried out, I stayed out and did over half a race distance. My last lap was my fastest lap, but I got hold up by Rea, otherwise I would have been even faster. But we are in the top 20 today and that’s the most important thing. We know that we can run a consistent pace on used tyres, that is one step forward for us. We’ll just have to see what the weather holds tomorrow.

Johan Stigefelt, Team Manager:
“It was a very good day here. Leon has gone as fast as we expected. He has found his way quickly and is not far off his ideal race setting. We still have a few things to improve and to test, but I am confident we can work on that tomorrow. I am very pleased with John’s results. He has shown he is capable of being up there and is felling much better. The whole team is happy with this, John can finally show what he is capable of and push himself forward. We still have some things we will have to work on tomorrow, but right now it looks quite promising.”

WSS:

West confident after first day of qualifying at Donington

Stiggy Racing Honda Supersport squad started the opening day of the ninth round at Donington with a messy Supersport session.?

Just three minutes into the session the red flag was raised following a crash by series leader Cal Crutchlow. The rain halted the restarted session halfway, and the remaining part of the 60-minute session was finished in wet conditions. Both riders continued to make progress with the set-up of their machines, with Anthony West setting his day in the ninth fastest time of 1′35.015s, followed by Gianluca Vizziello in 17th, with a best time of 1′35.507s.?

West still finds himself 1.6s off the pace run by fastest man Cal Crutchlow, but is confident of further improvement this weekend.?

Anthony West, 1′35.015s:
?The session went fine. We have made a big step forward with the set up, and might have found what the problem has been all year. I am happy with that, even though the position I am in at the moment is still not good. I feel like I can still go a lot faster now with what we just found, instead of feeling I am already at the limit. I hope our solution will work tomorrow, will either see if it does or not, we’ll have to put it into practice. I am confident we can make a step forward.”

Gianluca Vizziello, 1′35.507s:
?It went reasonably well today, but we will have to change some things for tomorrow. I am expecting more progression tomorrow, and hope I can keep my pace consistent. My 17th place is not satisfying and I will push myself further forward tomorrow. Hopefully I will be feeling fit again, as I have not been feeling well at all today.”?

Johan Stigefelt, Team Manager:
“The conditions in the Supersport session were not very good. It started to rain and we stayed in the garage for the last ten minutes of the session. The guys just need to find their confidence with the bikes here at this track. We are not there yet, but it is getting there step by step, even though I think it is a little too slow. But we are working on it and will try to push further in tomorrow’s sessions.”

The British round in the Superbike World Championship will be a home race for Stiggy Racing Honda’s Leon Haslam as the famous Donington circuit, with its unpredictable weather conditions, is literally located in his back yard.?

The only remaining British venue in the current World Superbike events list, is a favourite with many riders because of its combination of high speed straights and fast, flowing curves. The 4km long track – which dates back to 1931- has recently been surfaced and allows great grip in the dry, but could prove tricky if the damp British weather plays its tricks.?

The Stiggy Racing Honda pairing of Leon Haslam and Anthony West have already shown they are capable of mastering tricky wet conditions, as both riders placed themselves in the top ten of their respective championship races in the wet at Misano last weekend.

West’s performance was on the up again after struggling through the last rounds, in which the young australian was relegated to the back of the field in the qualifying sessions and struggled to make up for losses on race day. His seventh place at Misano shows West is back on form again and eager to re-claim a place at the front of the Supersport field this weekend.?

Leon Haslam will be racing on familiar soil this weekend, as the Donington track also hosts the Haslam family’s race school. Haslam will take advantage of his extended knowledge of the track to unleash the full potential of his Stiggy Racing Honda Superbike, and mount afresh charge at the Donington podium in front of the massive home audience that is expected to attend the British round this weekend.?

Anglo-American John Hopkins had to sit out the Misano races after struggling with the mobility in his legs in the first day of qualifying, and choose to nurse his injuries in order to make a full recovery for the Donington race. He will board his Stiggy Racing Honda once again this weekend, and aims to catch up with the front of the field after his six week absence.?

Italian Gianluza Vizziello has left Misano with an eleventh place under his belt in the Supersport race, and aims to deliver another fine performance for his team at Donington.?

Leon Haslam, WSBK:
?I know Donington well and I was running second there last year as a wild card before being taken out, so we know our pace is good there. The last four rounds have been tough for me because they have been held on some circuits that I have never been to before, and that just added to us not having been on top of a few issues as well. I?ve had three no finishes in those four rounds. There should be a big crowd at Donington and it will be their only chance to see us at a British race this year as well.?

John Hopkins, WSBK:
?I couldn?t race in Misano simply because me leg was so swollen. But now I have started to break the scar tissue inside the leg I will keep cycling and working it and hopefully we?ll be a lot stronger going into Donington, and make the full weekend there. That was the ultimate goal anyway, make the full return at Donington.?

Anthony West, WSS:
“I like Donington a lot and have been doing pretty good there. I just have to see how the bike performs there. I think for the first part of the track it should be good, but the other part I am a little worried with the package we have at the moment. I hope we can do well, and hope we can make some changes so I can be more happy with my racing and set some better results. ”

Gianluca Vizziello, WSS:
“I am looking forward to the next round in Donington. We have definitely set a step forward at Misano last weekend, but I want to make another step and finish within the top ten.?We still have to work on the issues we have with the front of our machine, and are looking for some more power. I am confident we can further develop our bikes in the qualifying sessions, and aim to set some good results this weekend.”

Johan Stigefelt, Team Manager:
“Donington is the home of Leon and a track John, and Anthony know very well from the past. Gianluca has only been here twice before so it might be a bit more difficult for him. As we all know the weather at Donington can be very unpredictable. I think we need to get our things together early in the weekend, and work hard towards finding the race set-up. We will be focused qualifying well, as it will be very important at the Donington track. I have pretty high hopes and we will see what will happen this weekend.

Just six weeks after an unfortunate turn of fate at Assen left John Hopkins seriously injured, the ex MotoGP rider made his return with the Stiggy Racing squad, and set his first laps in hot conditions at the Misano track today.?

John Hopkins, who has been performing successfully at the Italian track in recent years, struggled to find the flexibility in his left leg. Staggering off the bike after each painful session indicated the lack of muscle power build in his short period of recuperation, and proved the big absent in order to push the bike around the track. Hopkins focus in the opening day of qualifying was entirely aimed at getting back the feeling rather than pushing the lap times.

Leon Haslam opened the first day at Misano by posting the ninth fastest time on the sheets in the first qualifying. A newcomer to the track in its current direction, Haslam quickly glued with his bike at the Misano track and set his fastest time of the day at 1′37.490s, running only 0.47s off the pace set by provisional pole sitter Michel Fabrizio.

Leon Haslam, 1′37.490s:
” It has been a good day for me. We made some good progress here today and managed to find a good direction for tomorrow. We are not too far away from the front. I set my fastest lap on the fifteenth lap on the same tyre. All in all it is looking pretty good. I like the circuit a lot and have been racing here before, but that was before they changed the direction. We still have some areas we need to improve, but to ride within the top 10 at this stage is pretty good. I am happy with the results so far.

John Hopkins, 1′38.856s:
” I went to the clinic just before the start of the last session to relieve the pain a little. I only have limited movement on my bike as I still have to break away a lot of the scar tissue on the inside of the hip. Right now I am trying to get back my flexibility and work my way up again. Normally I like to hop all over the machine and be demanding over my bike. Unfortunately, right now it is hard for me to put any pressure on my left foot. In my last lap I lost nearly a second in the last two corners, it was impossible to put any weight onto my foot at all. I am continuing to work with the clinica and try and regain my flexibility. My main focus is to get healthy again and just make progress.”

Johan Stigefelt, Team Manager:
” Leon is here for the first time after they altered the direction of the track. He has been putting in a great performance and feels very confident. He set his fastest lap of the day on old tyres, and I am sure there will be more coming tomorrow. John is still in a lot of pain at the moment. It has only been six weeks since he had his injury, and we need to give him some more time to recover and come back. When he feels comfortable again, he can start pushing, but for now we will just take it step by step. There is absolutely no pressure from the team. We will give him the time to come back. ”

West aims for improvement in first Misano Practice

Anthony West opened the first day of practice at a hot Misano track, by finally showing the improvement the team had been anticipating for. After struggling through the qualifying sessions in the last three Supersport outings, the number three team in last year’s Supersport championship are eager to lift results to a higher level at Misano this weekend.

West received new parts for his Honda CBR600R machine and spent today’s 60-minute session putting testing new parts for his bike in back-to-back shifts. His best time of 1′41.401s is still almost two-seconds off the pace ran at the front of his field, but West has shown that the improvement is there, and anticipates to further climb the time sheets in tomorrow’s qualifying session.

Gianluca Vizziello–who took his maiden Superstock win at the track in 2002–gradually improved his performance throughout today’s session, and finished in a best time of 1′41.664s. Vizziello is still chasing his first top-ten finish for the team this season, and is eager to do so on his home track this weekend.

Anthony West, 1′41.401s:
” We are still not there, but have made some important improvement. There is still a lot of work to do, but I am sure we can be a lot faster tomorrow. I tried both bikes with different settings and tested the new parts the team has received for this race. One bike felt better than the other. We will be concentrating on finding the right setting on my number one bike in tomorrow’s practice. I aim to be a lot faster in qualifying tomorrow and hopefully get a good position on the grid ahead of the race on Sunday.”

Gianluca Vizziello, 1′41.664s:
” I am satisfied with today’s first session. There certainly is a lot more potential in the bike, and I aim to further improve in tomorrow’s qualifying. We still have some new parts to try in the next session, and I am confident they will bring the times further down. I will definitely be pushing it tomorrow. I am at my home track, so I will have to perform here in front of my friends and fans.”

Johan Stigefelt, Team Manager:
” We received some new parts for our Supersport machines here this weekend. Anthony is already showing some improvement and feels more comfortable on his bike. We just need to further improve tomorrow and work on some of the issues we still face. We need to fine tune some the set-up of the machines to bring down the lap times. I hope we can qualify well tomorrow, then I am confident on riding a good race on Sunday. ”

The 2009 season has kicked-off in a glorious way for the Stiggy Racing Superbike squad in their debut year of World Superbike racing, with Leon Haslam taking an incredible third place on the rostrum in his maiden faring for the team at Phillip Island four months ago.?

Fourteen races in, Haslam has achieved far more aboard his Stiggy Racing Honda than the team had anticipated at the start of the season, and established himself as the revelation of the series. Despite some high profile entrants on the Japanese manufacturer’s bike, the sympathetic Englishman is the one that has flied the flag for Honda so far this season, and has added no less than three podium finishes to the team’s debut World Superbike tally. He has been out competing for a top position at every round so far?despite unfortunate DNF’s at Monza, Kyalami and Miler?and has impressively pushed himself in the upper regions of the standings. With Haslam is eager to continue his progress in the remaining 14 races of the championship?starting at Misano this weekend?and reward the hard work with a much anticipated first race win for his team.

American John Hopkins will make his return to the series this weekend for a second chance to show how well he can fare on the Stiggy Racing Honda Superbike. The high profile entrant to the Superbike series made a promising start with his new team at Valencia, but had to back down only two weeks later, after a horrific crash in the opening practice at Assen sidelined the ex-MotoGP rider for four rounds. A tough and determined John Hopkins has recuperated from his injuries in just six weeks time though, and is eager to hunt down the front runners of the Superbike field once again at one of his favourite tracks this weekend.?

In the remaining seven rounds and 14 races of the championship there are another 350 points to divide, before the new World Superbike champion will be crowned. After his unfortunate retirement at the last race at Miller, Stiggy Racing’s Leon Haslam has slipped to sixth place overall in the standings led by Noriyuki Haga, and sits just 4 points short of the number five.

On the Supersport side of the garage, the mid-way mark of the series shows less optimistic results, with both Anthony West and Gianluca Vizziello struggling to find consistent form aboard their Stiggy Racing Supersport machines.?

Anthony West opened the Supersport season for his new team with a promising performance at his home round at Phillip Island, and showed another strong race at Valencia, where he headed the field for most of the race. But in the latest races he has been plagued by issues with the front of his bike, combined with a lack of horsepower, that forced him to languish at positions far beneath his capacities in the qualifying sessions. West managed to rekindle his form on race day at Miller three weeks ago, where he impressively climbed into the top ten, coming from a low 22nd place on the grid. The mid-season mark is expected to bring about a turning point in the results of the Stiggy Racing Supersport squad, with West more than eager to lift his results to a higher level at the upcoming Misano event.?

Teammate Gianluca Vizziello has shown increasing strength in every race weekend, but is yet to chase a finish within the top five. The sympathetic Italian reported his best performance this season at Valencia, where he took an eleventh place. Vizziello has shown some patchy results in qualifying and had to dig deep to salvage a good position in the races. But improved engine performance should also aid Vizziello, as he sets out to perform in front of his home audience at Misano this weekend.?

Leon Haslam, WSBK:
” I?am looking forward to the Misano event this weekend, for me it is another circuit I have not been to before. It looks like a great track to me, and it will be another challenge to quickly learn the track and get the bike competitive. After returning from the US, I have spent some time in Italy with my engine company Oral. They have made some further improvements to our engines and I am looking forward to testing the hard work on the track this weekend.”

John Hopkins, WSBK:
” Misano is a track I do like a lot. I had some decent results there in the past, and got on the podium in the 2007 MotoGP race. It is a circuit I enjoy well, and the audience is always great. People really take a liking towards the World Superbike series, and I expect the atmosphere to be similar to the one we received at the MotoGP races. It is going to be an exciting race and hopefully I can be out there from the start. Right now, I am not going to make any promises of running at the front of the field. I am just taking it step-by-step and focus on getting a good feeling with the bike again and set the best possible results for the team and myself.”?

Anthony West, WSS:
” I am looking forward to the Misano race this weekend. There’s always a good atmosphere out there. I have had a tough couple of races in which I struggled through the qualifying sessions. I did manage to come back inside the top ten at the last Miller race, which has lifted spirits a little, but we need to do a lot better than that, and I know I can and should be running at the front. We will have to work hard, but I hope to be joining the fight at the front of the field again this weekend.”?

Gialuca Vizziello, WSS:
“?I am looking forward to riding in front of my home audience at Misano this weekend. I like the track a lot, and hope to set a better result than I did in the last race at Miller. I have been struggling with the grip of my tires and the handling of my machine, but we have worked hard on finding a solution, which we can hopefully put into practice this weekend.”

Johan Stigefelt, Team Manager:
” We have done a lot of work after we came back from the US. Nobody is sitting still at the moment knowing that the second half of the season will be very tough. I am confident we can perform well in Misano and also Donington. Our riders know the tracks well, except for Leon, who will be riding at the Misano track for the first time. John will be joining us again this weekend, which is very good news to us. We will have to improve our results at the Supersport side of the garage and hope we can achieve it this weekend. It is going to hot and tough in Misano, but that should suit us fine. I look forward to racing in Europe again, and hope we can reward our partners and fans with some good races.”

West salvages low qualifying results with top ten finish

The seventh race in the Supersport World Championship started with a delay at the Miller Motorsports Park in Utah today, due to a red- flagged and re-started Superbike race earlier.

The Stiggy Racing Honda pairing of Anthony West and Gianluca Vizziello had been struggling throughout the weekend to get their bikes on competitive form for the 18-lap long Supersport race. West qualified a low 22nd on the grid in yesterday’s session, while team mate Vizziello came through just slightly better in 18th position.

West came through the first lap in 18th position, and determinedly set out to launch the attack for a connection with the front group. He swiftly graduated through the field, with his best overtaking actions in the latter half of the race.

Despite struggling to set competitive lap times in the qualifying sessions leading to race day, West posted his fastest lap of the weekend in the final minutes of the race while running on the last thread of his tyres. West managed to impressively salvage his performance over the weekend, and turned his low qualifying position into a top ten finish.

Team mate Vizziello followed West’s progression forward through the field, but deteriorating grip of his tyres prevented him to push further–as his lap times dropped down, he took 15th place at the flag.

Anthony West, 10th:
” I am still not very happy with my results, even though it is good to come back from 22nd to tenth. It’s a position on the grid I should not hold in the first place. I struggled to find my confidence on the bike. At the end of the race, on used tyres, I felt a lot more comfortable than I have been all weekend. We have been able to improve the front of the bike, and I hope that marks a step in the right direction. The team is working very hard to prepare my a good package, so I hope I can turn it around for the next race. ”

Gianluca Vizziello, 15th:
” I had a good start from my 18th place on the grid. Towards the end of the race I just lost all grip in my tyres, and my bike started to slide uncontrollably so I dropped back down to 17th position. It’s not what I had hoped for, and we will have to find some improvement.”

Strong race ends in Miller gravel for Haslam

The first Superbike race for the seventh round of the championship was red-flagged after just 5 laps into the 21-lap race at the Miller Motorsports Park today.

The re-started race left another 16 laps to tackle. Leon Haslam had qualified in 12th position, but struggled to find flow throughout the race. He launched a tough performance and managed to bring his bike back home in tenth position, while temporary teammate Jake Zemke took 18th place at the line. Ben Spies took the win in the aggregated race in front of his home audience.

The second Superbike race was saved from the red flag, but accounted for an even bigger number of crashes, including Leon Haslam.

Haslam started from a 12th position on the grid, but gained three positions on the first lap. He got handed another position after an unfortunate crash by last-year’s double Miller winner Carlos Checa, and gains another one as Shane Byrne runs wide and drops to the back of the field.

From then on it is hard work for Haslam, as he pushed his Stiggy Racing Honda forward through the field and finds himself in the middle of a seven rider group on the hunt for front runners Michel Fabrizio and Ben Spies. But Haslam was on the pace, and first moved himself past Haga before putting the pressure on Kiyonari. He set his fastest lap, and launched himself into the top five in the second half of the race, where he then battles for third place with the Honda pairing of Riyuchi Kiyonari and Jonathan Rea.

Haslam first puts the pressure on Kiyonari and decides the outcome of the battle by claiming fourth place in the first sector on the 15th lap. Rea is the next in line to lose his position to Haslam, but the latter then struggles to find enough acceleration in his bike on the long straight of the Miller track. Haslam out breaks Rea going into the first corner, but the fellow Honda rider quickly reclaims his ground. Haslam tails Rea into the final lap of the race and rides on the limits of his bike’s potential when tragedy hit and he undeservedly crashed out in one of his strongest performances to date, with just half a lap left to the flag.

American John Hopkins was a special guest in the Stiggy Racing box at the Miller Motorsports Park for the seventh round of the Superbike World Championship this weekend, where he closely followed the performances of his team mate Leon Haslam and substitute rider–and fellow countryman–Jake Zemke.
” It is a shame I’m not out here racing this weekend in front of my home fans, I am really upset by that. I have never been to the Miller circuit before, but I checked the layout of the track and did some laps on the scooter yesterday. It just looks like an awesome track to ride and I really wish I would be racing for the team here today.”

Hopkins is recuperating from the injuries he sustained in his horrific Assen crash where he dislocated his left hip and cracked the top of his femur. After having undergone successful surgery by specialist Dr.Ting three weeks ago, he is recovering beyond expectation, and has already started working towards a much anticipated comeback with the team.

“The aim right now is to get back in shape before the next race in Misano. I have been bed-ridden for two weeks straight, which was an absolute horror for me. Right now I am just obeying my doctor’s orders and take things step by step. I’m back on my feet walking again without sticks and I am going into the gym again on Monday. I need to rebuild the strength in my muscles and improve my fitness again.”

Hopkins first joined the team in the third round of the championship in Valencia, where he took the first points home for the team on his maiden faring aboard the Stiggy Racing Superbike. The sympathetic American aimed to make a big step forward in the following round at Assen, but found tragedy just four laps into the first practice session. Getting laps under his belt to familiarise himself with the Pirelli tyres, and unleash the potential of his machine will prove vital to meet the highly competitive standards of the championship series this year.

Carlos Checa set the third fastest time during a frantic and weather-affected Superpole session today to grab a front row start in tomorrow’s two seventh round World Superbike championship races at Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City, USA. American Ben Spies set the fastest time this afternoon, taking a record seventh consecutive WSBK pole position.

The Spanish ace, who started from pole position and won both races here last year, has been running at the front since the first free practice session yesterday and is confident enough in his CBR1000RR Fireblade to think of a repetition of last year’s results. His Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate Jonathan Rea, who is on his first visit to the 4.9km Miller circuit, will start from the third row of the grid for tomorrow’s two 21-lap races after setting the eleventh fastest Superpole time.

The 22-year-old from Northern Ireland, crashed his number one machine in free practice, just before the three-stage Superpole session began. Despite a sore head, Rea made it through to Superpole 2, but a mistake during his second stint and the threat of rain stopped him progressing to the final eight.

Carlos Checa – P2, 1’48.908s (Superpole 3)

It’s been a difficult first half of the season but we have been steadily improving and the team is now working really well together, so I am very happy to start from the front row here. I don’t know what it is about this place that makes me feel so comfortable on the bike but there is certainly more grip on the side of the tire and the bike has been steadily improving for the last few rounds. It certainly won’t be easy in the races tomorrow – Ben (Spies) and three or four other riders are very fast, so we’ll have to see what happens in the races. But, for sure, it feels very good to be at the front again and I hope to turn it into good results in the races tomorrow.

Jonat han Rea – P11, 1’49.591s (Superpole 2)

I had a pretty big crash right at the end of the free practice session and that kind of upset my rhythm for Superpole. It’s a shame because I was running in about sixth at the time after we found something in that first sector, where I was suffering yesterday. I made a mistake on my first qualifier in Superpole 2 and then I was distracted by the threat of rain and I ended up missing the cut by about three hundredths of a second. I’m pretty confident that we’ve got a good race set-up though, so I’ll try to get a couple of really good starts tomorrow and see what happens.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

I’d almost call it a perfect weekend so far, with Carlos and our other team rider, Ryuichi Kiyonari, on the front row for tomorrow. They have both been on the pace since their very first laps at Miller and it’s of course ideal to have them both at the front. Jonathan is picking up the pace quickly as well and I strongly believe that he showed the pace to deserve a place there as well. I think we’re more than ready to race and to give the local guy and good run for his money.

Ten Kate Honda Racing’s Ryuichi Kiyonari will start tomorrow’s two seventh round World Superbike championship races at Salt Lake City, USA from the front row of the grid after setting the third fastest time in today’s Superpole qualifying session.

Pole position was taken by American Ben Spies, who set a record with his seventh consecutive pole start, as Kiyonari’s Ten Kate team-mate Carlos Checa was second.

After running ninth fastest in yesterday’s opening qualifying session, Kiyonari revealed that some helpful advice from his team-mates improved his lap times around the 4.9km Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City.

For tomorrow’s two 21-lappers, the Japanese ace is looking to at least match the double podium result he scored two rounds back at Monza, Italy on 10 May.

Ryuichi Kiyonari – P3, 1’49.243s (Superpole 3)

I sat down with my Ten Kate Honda team-mates, Carlos and Kenan Sofuoglu, last night for some advice on riding Miller the right way. I was still not as consistent as I wanted to be today, but it was very useful advice and, I think, maybe allowed me to go three or four tenths quicker. I tried a slightly different riding style this morning, with different lines, different acceleration and different braking and it worked. We also played with the rear shock a lot and found another few tenths there. I think I can maintain a good race pace tomorrow as both the bike and the tires are working very well. I need to concentrate very hard and we will have to see how the weather is tomorrow, but I am looking forward to the races.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

I’d almost call it a perfect weekend so far, with Kiyo-san and our other team rider, Carlos Checa, on the front row for tomorrow. They have both been on the pace since their very first laps at Miller and it’s of course ideal to have them both at the fro! nt. I th ink we’re ready to race and give the local guy a run for his money.

Haslam takes third row start at Miller Motorsports Park

Despite showing consistent pace, Leon Haslam was struggling to find the connection with the pace setters in the Superbike field in his first qualifying at the Miller track yesterday, and found himself fading to the lower regions of the time sheets. Improvement to the set up of his bike was still not perfect, but Haslam managed to pick up his pace in the second qualifying session and secured a place in the Superpole by setting the 13th best time.

Haslam used a qualifier tire to further improve his fastest time in the first Superpole shoot out, and finished safely in a ninth place. Rain looked likely at the start of the seconds shoot out, as dark clouds moved in from the mountains surrounding the circuit. Leon Haslam set out for a flying lap that should see him launch into the top eight, but made a costly mistake. With another six minutes remaining, he returned to the garage to fit another qualifier tire in an attempt to qualify for the third and last shoot out, before the rain moved in and Haslam had to prematurely end his final chance to qualify on the first two rows. Haslam will now start tomorrow’s Milller round from the 12th position on the grid that is once again led by superpole superman Ben Spies.

Temporary Stiggy Racing Honda team mate Jake Zemke is still looking for ways to gain feeling with his Superbike, and unexpectedly failed to qualify for the Superpole sessions. He relegated to an unsatisfying 23rd position at the track that bares good memories for him from recent AMA races. Overnight work on the bike by his crew could improve his performance for tomorrow’s race and allow him to chase some points before his home audience.

Leon Haslam, 1′49.765s, P12:
” The first Superpole session went pretty well and I ended up in ninth position. I hoped to further improve it in the second session and went out on a qualifier. As I set out on my flying lap to place myself in the top eight, I made a mistake in the last sector as I ran wide, and finished the session in 12th place. I returned to the garage to pick up a new tire and set out to improve my lap, but it had already started to rain so I had to return to the garage again. Overall, I am pleased with the progression we have been able to make so far. We need to make some more improvements for the race, but we have been making progression with the set-up and the lap times are coming. If we can keep them consistent we should be able to ride a good race tomorrow.”

Jake Zemke, 1′51.072s, P23:
” It is definitely not the day we had hoped it would be. I set out to improve at least half a second, but instead have only lost seconds today. The changes we had in mind to improve from yesterday did not seem to work out. I am looking for some improvement to get the bike to turn a little better and get the bike to work a little better for the race tomorrow.”

Johan Stigefelt, Team Manager:
” We all expected to set better results here today, but this is how it is. At this level, half a second can make a difference of ten positions. We know it will not be easy, but we are working on getting the bike to work for the race tomorrow. Jake is still struggling to corner his machine, but I hope he can find the enjoyment of riding the machine and bring some points back home for us. Leon has also been struggling here. He managed to pick up his feeling with the bike a little bit this morning, but we are still a bit off the pace that is run at the front. But, the race is tomorrow and it could all change again for the better. ”

Kenan Sofuoglu will start from the second row of the grid for tomorrow’s seventh round World Supersport championship race at Miller Motorsports Park near Salt Lake City, USA after setting the sixth fastest time in today’s sole qualifying session.

The Turkish rider was among the fastest riders in this morning’s free practice but was unable to convert his speed into the front row start that he felt his CBR600RR merited.

Sofuoglu’s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Andrew Pitt, crashed early in this afternoon’s qualifying session and was unable to take any further part in proceedings. Although he did not set a qualifying time, the Australian will start from the back of the grid because his earlier time from free practice was within 107% of pole sitter Joan Lascorz’s fastest time.

Kenan Sofuoglu – P6, 1’52.755

I have to say that I am very disappointed by this qualifying result. I really felt that our CBR600RR package was enough to give us a front row start. For one reason or another, it didn’t work out. We made some changes to the bike which were in the right direction but it wasn’t enough. I’m finding it difficult to change direction in the chicane and the front is sliding in a lot of places. It didn’t show up in this morning’s free practice – only when I had to push a little harder this afternoon. We’ll look at all the data tonight and see what we can find to improve things tomorrow morning and then hope for a good result in the race.

Andrew Pitt – P30, 1’53.844s

I’m not really sure what happened in the crash. I went out for qualifying feeling pretty good after free practice and looking forward to trying a few improvements we made to the set-up. Through the first four corners they felt fine but then I just lost control going into turn five and had to jump off the bike. I whacked m! y head p retty hard and have a big bruise on my thigh, so I think I’ll probably feel pretty sore in the morning. We’ll give it a go in warm-up and see how I feel. Starting from the back of the grid is not good, but at least I’m on the grid.

Ronald ten Kate – team manager

I’m happy that Andrew came away without more serious injury after his big crash. We’re checking everything to see what the problem was but, at this stage, it doesn’t appear to be rider error. He’ll have to start from the back of the grid but hopefully he’ll feel fit enough to make up some lost ground. Despite Kenan’s starting position, we have definitely found a good way forward with his bike setting. We couldn’t quite get it perfect during qualifying but, hopefully, some overnight changes will give him a machine that’s competitive enough for a top result.

Miller proves hard nut to crack for Supersport squad

The second day of qualifying at the Miller Motorsports Park in Utah, was marked by red flags?no less then three times it waved in the free practice and qualifying sessions?delaying valuable time on-track.

Staying Racing Honda’s Anthony West is still struggling to regain the feeling with the bike, and found himself languishing at the back of the field in the qualifying session. He put in a last attempt to gain a position on the first rows of the grid in the ultimate minutes of the session. As he set out on his flying lap, he managed to improve on the first parts of the track and looked set to qualify within the top 15, but lost valuable seconds in the last sector. He ended the session in a best time of 1′55.179s, a result that must come as a disappointment for the Australian rider who will now start the race from a low sixth row on the grid.?

Gianluca Vizziello looked set to head for improvement this weekend as he improved to improve his performance throughout the sessions yesterday, but struggled to equal his results in the qualifying session. Lascorz topped the sheets and set his pole-position time at 1′53.350s, Vizziello set his best time of the day in 1′54.652s, a time that places him at an 18th place on the grid. ?

The Miller Motorsports Park Supersport race looks set to be staging another dog fight at the front of the field. If West manages to have a good start and quickly pull away from his low position on the grid?and he has shown before that he is capable of making ground on the first lap?he might be able to join the battle up front and take a good result home for his team.?

Gianluca Vizziello, 1′54.652s :
” We haven’t made any radical changes from this morning, but tried a couple of different things this session. I had a new clutch fitted, but came in to change it again after it didn’t give us the improvement we were looking for. I tried a harder front tire, which gave me a better feeling, but it didn’t improve the lap times. I don’t really understand why I have not been able to at least equal the position I had in the morning’s session. Starting from the fifth row is definitely not what we were hoping for, but I hope I can make some improvement in tomorrow’s race though.”

Anthony West, 1′55.179s:
” It looked like we had found a good way of how to work, but the results have not been shown here today. I am still feel that my bike is lacking the competitiveness to be up riding at the front of the field, and it influences my confidence in the bike. I am not satisfied with my starting position from the sixth row, but I hope I can gain some positions in the race tomorrow. ”

Johan Stigefelt, Team Manager:
” We find it hard to understand what is going on with our Supersport riders and why they cannot near the times they should be setting. We have brought a new suspension specialist in the team?who was working for us last year?and the feedback we got from the riders about the feeling and handling of the bike was good, but the results this afternoon were just a disaster. We did not change many things to the set up of the bikes today. We will have to sit down tonight and find out was is happening. We definitely have to pick up the pace and improve our positions. The results we achieved today are just far from good. ”

First day of Superbike qualifying at Miller Motorsports Park

High temperatures and moderate lap times opened the first day of qualifying for the Stiggy Honda squad in the seventh round of the Superbike World Championship at the Miller Motorsports Park in Utah today.?

Leon Haslam and Jake Zemke?who is wearing the Stiggy colours for the second time, substituting the injured John Hopkins?started their first laps around the 4.907 km long track in Utah in a moderate but positive way.

Haslam showed his pace and rhythm are not so bad, but is still looking for the adjustments to further improve his lap times and find the connection with the front of the field. The Miller Sports Park is a regular feature in the AMA championship, and Jake Zemke used his experience on the Utah track to find a good set up for his bike and aim for his first Superpole qualifying tomorrow.?

Max Biaggi topped the sheets on his Aprillia in 1′49.820s, while Jake Zemke finished the first day of qualifying in a best time of 1′51.072s, closely followed by Leon Haslam in 1′51.389s.?

Jake Zemke, 1′51.072s:
” It has been an encouraging day. We have definitely made a lot of progress with the bike from where we started at. We kept on moving forward, but it is a tough series. Just when you think you’ve improved half of a second, the rest of the field does the same. We are definitely working in the right direction and have some good ideas for tomorrow. I am a lot more comfortable riding the bike this time, than I did in Monza. The team is working hard to give me the settings I am more familiar with. We still have some time to improve, but we are getting closer to where we should be.”

Leon Haslam, 1′51.389s:
” I had a problem with one of my bikes in the first Free Practice session. We are not sure what it is yet, but will work on sorting that out tonight. For some reason, we seem to struggle a little with the set up of the bike on this track. I have done a lot of in-and-out laps, and towards the end I was able to put in consistently fast laps. We are still 1.5s off the time we should be riding, but to be able to ride consistently fast lap times is a good thing on this track. I hope we can make a leap forward tomorrow in the second qualifying. ”

Johan Stigefelt, Team Manager:
“Jake is doing a good job here on the track he knows well. We have some issues with the suspension of the bikes, specially with Leon’s machine. He is far off from where he should be at the moment. We will be working on that overnight and prepare a better machine for tomorrow’s session. It is Leon’s first outing on this track and with this team, but even though, we should be able to progress to the front of the field. We will consider this day as a learning day and use the data we have collected now to further improve and do better tomorrow.?

Quiet start at Miller for Supersport team

The Supersport riders set out to complete their maiden laps at the Miller Motorsports Park in the first World Supersport event which runs today through Sunday on the 4.907 km long track in Utah.

Anthony West and Gianluca Vizziello opened their first laps in a quiet mode, but gradually picked up the pace and improved their lap times. West is still anticipating to refresh his competitiveness though, and was slightly less satisfied with the lap times he set in today’s sessions than his team mate Vizziello.

For the seventh round of the championship the team has attracted a new suspension specialist to tackle the specific issues that have plagued the Supersport team in their last outings. Vizziello seems to have found confidence with the arrival of the new suspension specialist and managed to improve his fastest time set in the early afternoon qualifying by nearly two-seconds in the Second Practice.

West will be able to further improve his time in the third free practice and first qualifying session tomorrow, and is hoping to make a step forward to the front of the field.

Anthony West, 1′55.012s:
” It was a tough session for me today. I am still not confident with the set up of my machine. We have made some improvements to the suspension and solved some of the issues we had with the front, but I am still not as competitive as I need to be. We need to find some important seconds in tomorrow’s session.”

Gianluca Vizziello, 1′57.287s:
” Today’s sessions went alright, We managed to find a set up that works on this track and from which we can move forward. We have an extra specialist in the team and extra time and effort he has been putting in is already showing off. We have been able to find good solutions for some of the issues we had and I am convinced we can improve another second in tomorrow’s qualifying.”

Johan Stigefelt, Team Manager:
” We have a new specialist, who we have worked with in the past, and can already see a clear progress in the development of the chassis. We still have some issues to solve, but we have been improving throughout the sessions today. We will continue the work and progress in tomorrow’s sessions and will hopefully be able to become faster and improve our lap times.”