WORLDSBK.COM - bis 15.03.2010

[WORLDSBK.COM]

Cloudy sky and dry truck today in Phillip Island for the first World Superbike races of the season. The Althea racing team riders worked on the last minute adjustments of their Ducati 1198 bikes during the morning warm up, in order to be ready for the two 22-laps Superbike races. Due to yesterday Superpole upshots, today Carlos Checa lined up from the first row and Shakey Byrne from the fifth.

In race one not a good start for Checa. The Spanish riders did not take advantage from his start from the first row of the grid. In the first few laps Checa was sixth and teammate Shakey, after quite a quick start, was seventeenth. Near to the middle of the race Checa was battling for fourth in a group of six riders while Byrne made up several places up to fourteenth. Checa ended the first race in seventh place and Byrne obtained the fourteenth position.

Also in race two Carlos did not start quickly from the first row, ending the first lap in eighth place. Fifteenth place for Byrne in the first few laps. As the race proceed Checa was able to recover some position and near to the middle of the race he reached the first group of riders in fifth place. Also Byrne recovered quickly and in a few laps he was up tenth position, but caught up in the third group of riders, he was unable to make much progress and concluded in twelfth place. With few laps to go Checa moved up to fourth position and with some incredible overtaking he worked his way up through the field to pass Guintoli, Fabrizio and Haslam to take the lead on the very last lap snatching an extraordinary first victory for Althea racing team.

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

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

Genesio Bevilacqua - General manager: "What can I say? An incredible day. It's the first round of the season and as a team we were well prepared but we didn't expect a Carlos Checa in such amazing form today. It's difficult to win a race at this level and we are extremely satisfied. We worked very hard over recent months to be ready for this weekend, during testing, and so this is an amazing result. Shakey was unfortunately not in perfect shape after the earlier crash but he made good pace in race two and we look forward to Portimao where we know he can be strong. Particular thanks goes to Ducati as it is due to their support that we are here today and celebrating this success. Thanks also to the whole team as their hard work over recent months had led to this incredible result today."

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

The Superbike World Championship always draws on a wide range of countries for its deep well of riding talent, and the 2010 season is another example of the world coming to SBK to compete on machinery which is available all over the world.

The permanent entry list is dominated - in impressive form - by a seven-strong contingent of British riders and a look at what they are riding in 2010 confirms that there is no reason at all why all of them cannot dream of podiums and more before the last race of the year, at Magny-Cours in October.

So who headlines this panoply of British entrants? So far Phillip Island race winner Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) but any one of them could join him on the podium this year.

The next most populous bunch of riders come from another traditional world power of racing in all forms, Italy. Six riders, from factory to fully private, hail from somewhere in Italy. The recent announcement of Lorenzo Lanzi in the DFX team and Luca Scassa in the Supersonic Ducati squad takes the Mediterranean country to much more than a full hand of aces.

Australia has given us some astounding WSB talent over the years, and this year there are four riders flying the Southern Cross, three of whom have won World Championship in one category or another - Troy Corser, Chris Vermeulen and Andrew Pitt.

Spain has two representatives in 2010, Carlos Checa and Ruben Xaus, and Carlos has already opened his account in 2010.

In some years the WSB paddock has had more than two top level riders from Japan, but in Noriyuki Haga and Makoto Tamada there are another two for whom top level wins have been taken. In Haga's case, he is one of the hot favourites for the title itself. They will be joined by Yoshimura Suzuki wild cards at some events in 2010 as well.

German as a language will also be spoken in the SBK paddock, as top rider Max Neukirchner represents Germany itself, while Austrian Roland Resch provides a different accent and level of experience, in his second SBK season.

The USA, France and the Czech Republic all field one SBK competitor each - which makes for a total of ten nations represented by at least one rider, from a permanent entry of 26. If you want cosmopolitan, you've got it with SBK.

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

Cal Crutchlow, the pocket rocket from the English Midlands, enters SBK for his first full-time season in 2010 as the reigning Supersport World Champion.

His career on two wheels has been glittering already, but he could have possibly gone for glory in another sport altogether - football. Or if you are North American, soccer... The American reference is very apt, as Cal Crutchlow was named after legendary American racer, Cal Rayborn.

Despite his relative lack of height, Crutchlow was a very keen and gifted football player as a kid, and was involved in the youth systems of Coventry, his home city, and Aston Villa, the latter being a giant of the English game even now.

As a young kid Cal was not interested in racing much, despite his father Derek being a racer himself. But when Cal finally caught the bug for racing, at around age 11, any thoughts of a career in football went by the wayside. With one World Championship in his pocket already, and the real prospect of more, he's never looked back.

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

Leon Haslam has been a force in the Superbike Championship for some time, but at Phillip Island the Suzuki Alstare rider make a career breakthrough by taking his first win at this level of racing.

Having been fast in testing over the winter months, Haslam has actually taken his debut win at the very first attempt as an official rider in an official team, have raced as a wildcard and privateer rider in the past. He followed up his win with a second place in Australia, only 0.307 seconds from his second win of the day.

Having started 62 races in this class, including those at Phillip Island last weekend, Haslam is actually something of a veteran at 26 years-old, simply because he started racing scooters at 14 years of age, winning the national championship in the UK in his first year. He went on to race everything from CB500 Honda twins to full MotoGP machinery in a wide-ranging career for such a young rider.

After moving back to BSBS racing full time in 2005 Leon enjoyed 16 wins in that class, and was second in the BSB championship in 2006 and 2008 - and never outside the top four in any year since 2005.

In 2009 Haslam was the top Honda in the WSBK series for a major part of the season, and was a top six finisher, in front of many official machines in the final rankings.

Leon's entire racing career has been run under the watchful eye of his father Ron, a successful rider in his own right in a large number of bike racing disciplines over the years.

Haslam - Leon that is - now has eight WSBK podium finishes, and has taken them on Ducati, Honda and now Suzuki machinery. His first was in Germany in 2004, his most recent as second place last Sunday. Given his form in 2010 already, we may not have to wait for too long before he adds to his already impressive haul of statistics.

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

The manner of Carlos Checa's win at Phillip Island last weekend may have been both thrilling and far from certain until the final two corners of the race, but we should not have been surprised by the fact that he was in contention for the race two win.

Fast in all Phillip Island sessions and the previous winter tests, Checa has been reborn in a season which some may have seen as a relative slow-down from being an official Honda rider in 2008 and 2009. He is after all, 37 years old! As he proved, however, there is plenty of racing left in the Catalan rider, as Carlos gave himself and his recently reorganised Althea Ducati team his third and their first ever WSBK race win.

Phillip Island was Checa's first race weekend on a twin cylinder four-stroke motorcycle, and his first meeting riding for his new team - two factors among several others that make his achievement highly noteworthy.

Carlos has now started 58 World Superbike races, but he spent the majority of his career in GP racing, winning two 500GPs, his first way back in 1996.

After his remarkable performance in Australia, Carlos put his win down to an immediate empathy with the nature of his latest bike. "I like the character of this machine", said Carlos. "It suits my riding style. This year, when I signed for this project it was because I wanted to have fun, to ride this bike, to ride a twin. At this stage of my career what more can I ask?"

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

After a new name, Leon Haslam, was added to the Superbike World Championship race winners' roll of honour last Sunday, the total number of riders who have now taken at least one race win in this class rose to an impressive 63.

Not bad at the very beginning of WSBK's 23rd season, and considering how many riders have multiple race wins to their credit. Giants of the class such as Carl Fogarty (59) and Troy Bayliss (52) are the class leaders in this field, but no fewer than 20 riders have at least ten wins to their credit.

With Haslam joining the winners' club, there are 15 full time 2010 WSBK riders who have won at least one race, from 'new boy' Haslam to Haga. The 'active' winners are, Noriyuki Haga (41), Troy Corser (33), James Toseland (16), Ruben Xaus (11), Chris Vermeulen (10), Max Biaggi (4), Makoto Tamada (3), Lorenzo Lanzi (3), Michel Fabrizio (3), Carlos Checa (3), Shane Byrne (2), Max Neukirchner (2), Jonathan Rea (2), Andrew Pitt (1), and Leon Haslam (1).

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

After racing as a WSBK wildcard three times in 2009, Leon Camier was not a rookie when he lined up for the first round of the championship in 2010. This is, however, his first full-time season in the Superbike Word Championship, after dominating the British Superbike series in 2009.

At Phillip Island he showed that he would be a real asset to WSBK and despite qualifying only 16th in Superpole, he was right in the leading group for much of the two 22-lap races. But it's safe to say he will be in no hurry to get back to the first hairpin at Phillip Island next year, as this section track was twice to be his undoing.

Said Leon - at 188cm tall the physical opposite of his diminutive team-mate Max Biaggi - "I'm very sorry about all of the mistakes I made. In race one I tried to pass the other riders at the first hairpin, but I overshot a bit while braking and in order to avoid hitting Max, I went off track. Then I really pushed to recover as many positions as possible."

He continued, "During the second race, I started off quite well and I was with the lead group, right behind Checa, who immediately passed Toseland. When I attempted to pass, we ended up a bit wide. Then I shifted into the wrong gear and overshot at the same corner as in race one."

Camier's ability to lap as quickly as the best on many occasions was a positive he can take away with him, but he feels there could have been much more. "I'm disappointed because I put in very good lap times and seeing how the race ended, I could have had an excellent result."

In finishing the PI races 11th each time, he is already inside the top ten of the championship, ninth. Leon will get his next points scoring chances at Portimao, Portugal, on 28 March.

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

It was a busy period in the winter for the BE1 Triumph effort in the Supersport World Championship. First of all it was split into two distinct team efforts and then expanded to include four riders of proven ability - 2009 recruit Chaz Davies and Sebastien Charpentier in the ParkinGO Triumph BE1 team and Jason Di Salvo and David Salom in the ParkinGO BE1 Triumph side of the garage.

The logistics involved in bringing eight machines and enough personnel to look after four riders - and still go for podium finishes - proved to be a big challenge, but one with a positive outcome for Salom.

The Spanish rider was a fine fourth in a race that was stopped and then restarted, making his return to the class a pleasing one after spending a tough year in the Superbike World Championship in 2009. But being a racer, Salom always wants more, as his post-race comments attested. "I knew I could score a good result but, given the race outcome, a podium result would've been possible," said the 25-year-old Spaniard. "However, I'm sure there'll be other opportunities but the important thing is that we kicked off the season with a good result, which puts me fourth in the standings. I'm sorry I couldn't get a better start in the re-run. I'm sure I could've battled with Lascorz and Sofuoglu for the podium." Salom actually missed the first day of practice after a mix-up with his racing licence prevented him from starting with the rest of his peer group.

The American interest in Supersport racing at this level resides in Jason Di Salvo, who was eighth in his first ever race in this class. "I started the race pretty far in the back, but I improved a lot," said Di Salvo. "I battled with riders who went faster than me in practice and I had a really nice duel with Miguel Praia in the end."

For Briton Chaz Davies (who had an oil line let go in race one and was relegated to his spare bike) and returnee Supersport World Championship legend Sebastien Charpentier, the race was less kind. Davies could only post 12th after finding some electronics issues, while Charpentier was 13th. Having retired from this level of racing for two years, Seb still has to get more track time in before he can get back to his very best. Sebastien has 13 career wins, making him the second most successful rider of all time.

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

As we all know now the 0.004 seconds which split winner Leon Haslam from second place Michel Fabrizio at the opening round of the new season was the closest finish in WSB history.

There is another underlying fact about close SBK finishes in general that is apparent only when we look at a list of the tightest finishes over the past few years.

The faster circuits on the championship calendar deliver the closest finishes.

The top four closest finishes took place at, in order, Phillip Island (average speed around 171kmph), Monza (196kmph), Phillip island again and Assen (164kmph) - all circuits with fast average speeds and several chances to slipstream other riders, keeping the leading pack together. They are also circuits that, despite their hairpins and chicanes, still feel fast.

If we look at the top ten fastest finishes of recent years, Imola also (163kmph) comes into play. In fact, it takes us to the 12th ranked close finish until we reach Misano (156kmph) a circuit with many twists and slower turns - but, crucially, three fast right hand corners as well - before we hit a circuit with what can be considered to have a middle ranked average speed.

Of the top 16 closest race finishes, only that Misano one took place outside of the ‘fast four' comprising Phillip Island, Monza, Assen and Imola.

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

Following Eurosport's in-depth coverage of the opening round of World Superbike at Philip Island, YAHOO! EUROSPORT will be hosting a very special live chat with Catalan rider Ruben Xaus on the popular PIROTECNICA SUPERBIKE blog, hosted by former Superbike champion Fabrizio Pirovano.

The chat will take place on Friday, March 12th at 15.00 CET on the following address:

http://it.eurosport.yahoo.com/altri-sport/diretta/

Bmw Motorrad Motosport rider, Ruben XAUS will be there live to answer questions from Superbike fans.

This is the first in a series of live chats during the 2010 season which will enable all fans to interact live with one of the competitors of World Superbike.

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

The historic and evocative venue of Silverstone is the host circuit for the British round of the Superbike World Championship this year, between July 30 and August 1.

A vast programme of modernization and upgrading is currently being carried out, with the majority of the work set for completion by the end of March. The final result will be a facility with many key improvements from the one last used by SBK racing in 2007, for spectators and participants alike.

Richard Phillips, Managing Director of Silverstone Circuits Limited, said in a recent press release, "Work on the circuit and venue is on schedule. The team has been working around the clock, through some pretty terrible weather conditions, to make sure the circuit is ready on time. The track works at Brooklands and Woodcote are now complete, including the new run-off area for the fast entry into Pits Straight, while the major new development - the new section of circuit from Abbey, up to the Arena Complex and round to the National Straight - is also coming along nicely. There is still a considerable amount of work going on at Silverstone, including the new elevated banks and spectator viewing areas, which will continue beyond March. Conference and hospitality buildings are also being built on the new Stowe Complex."

The whole SBK community is excited to be heading back to one of the great names in racing, particularly as the layout will feature some existing sections and some new parts which have been specifically designed to improve the spectacle for motorcycle events in general.

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

The first weekend of his return to SBK racing was a tough one for double champion James Toseland (Sterilgarda Yamaha). He picked up a fracture in his left hand after a crash in qualifying at Phillip Island and only scored points in the second leg, after falling hard in race one. "I damaged it a bit more than I thought I did, and with all the anaesthetic I had on it over the race weekend and in the race itself I couldn't really feel what I had done to it. Without the anaesthetic I would not have been able to ride," said James.

Toseland has shown on many occasions he is made of tough stuff, and is making a rapid recovery to be 100% fit at the next round, on March 28. "There was a fine crack in the third metacarpal bone of my hand, so it has taken a bit longer than I thought," said Toseland. "But it is getting better and it will be fine for Portugal anyway; no problem."

Toseland was SBK champion in 2004 and 2007, and has 16 career wins.

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

The official BMW Motorrad Motorsport team had some up and down experiences during the opening round of the season, but the team is now working on getting both riders and their machines ready for the first European-based round of the season, at Portimao.

Davide Tardozzi, team manager for the German-based squad, is currently in Spain with the test team, at Valencia, and met with factory rider Ruben Xaus recently.

Ruben was ruled out of the Australian races after the effects of four practice crashes on his mind and body, but Tardozzi confirmed that he is on course for a return at Portimao. "The main issue at this moment is to have Ruben on form in Portimao," confirmed Tardozzi, who has been Xaus's team manager in the past, as well as in the BMW set-up in 2010. "We are working on that, it is my priority so far. Ruben is not so bad so far. I am in Spain now and I spoke to him here. I think Ruben still thinks he can be fast and do well, and I have seen he is very well in these two days, so I think he will be ready for Portimao."

The BMW S1000RR will have more technical updates in Portugal but for Tardozzi improvements must still come gradually, to ensure a more consistent degree of competitiveness. "On the technical side we will have another step on the bike," said Tardozzi. "We are making progress step by step, not looking for a huge step. You can't pass from seventh to first immediately; you first have to be consistently close to the top guys. Houses are built stone-by-stone."

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

After winning the Supersport World Championship opener in such convincing fashion, Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) took his career victory total to five, and made himself the 13th most successful rider in the series - not bad for a rider with only 17 race starts to his credit.

After two years as the Supersport World Series from 1997 to 1998, the class became the even higher status Supersport World Championship in 1999. Since the start of it all, 33 individual riders have won at least one race in this hotly contested category.

Top win collector is Kenan Sofuoglu, with 14, while returnee rider Sebastien Charpentier has 13. Another former World Champion, Fabien Foret, has 12 - but all of these former champions will have many more opportunities to increase their scores, as they are all still active riders in 2010. There are, in fact, seven riders who have tasted victory in this class still competing for wins in Supersport 2010 style.

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

Motodays is one of the most awaited trade events in the Capital and has just opened its doors to the public.

The actress Martina Stella and the 2007 Superbike World Champion James Toseland cut the tape to get exhibition under way. The public will have the opportunity to visit numerous stands and displays where they can check out the latest machines for 2010 from the world's top manufacturers.

Also taking part in the opening ceremony was the deputy-mayor of Rome, Senator Mauro Cutrufo, exhibition commissioner Sergio Marchi and Superbike president Paolo Flammini.

In four pavilions, covering 4,000 square feet with an outside area of 25,000 square metres, MOTODAYS provides an ideal platform for companies to showcase their products to the viewing public who can also enjoy secure demo rides and driving tips amongst more than 260 exhibitors.

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

Remember this not to be missed engagement today!

The Catalan rider Ruben Xaus will be live to chat with Superbike fans! Exclusive on YAHOO EUROSPORT today, March 12 at 15 CET!

The Bmw Motorrad Motosport rider will be there live to answer all your questions! Connect with the chat at http://it.eurosport.yahoo.com/altri-sport/diretta/.

View the full article

[WORLDSBK.COM]

After suffering a heavy crash in the opening round of the Superbike World Championship a couple of weeks ago, BMW Reitwagen team rider Roland Resch went through an operation to repair his broken right collarbone.

He is currently making a steady recovery at the Dungl Medical-Vital Resort, just north of Vienna in his native Austria, keeping as physically fit as he can while the titanium plate and eight screws inserted during his surgery help his collarbone - broken in two places - knit back together again.

Resch's doctor, Andrea Dungl-Zauner, currently doubts if he could race again as early as Portimao on March 28, but has not entirely ruled it out yet. She will make a final decision on his condition on 17 March.

Said Roland, "Of course it hurts to hear that the doctor thinks I won't be on the bike in Portimao. But it doesn't make sense either to force an early comeback if I am not 100% fit. The collarbone is broken twice, with a titanium plate and eight screws inserted. That is a quite big deal for my body. This year the grid is too competitive to start too early with a handicap. I want to fully recover before jumping on a bike again. Believe me, it's not easy to pass on a race, but I am working hard to be back soon."

View the full article