WORLDSBK.COM - bis 15.08.2010

[WORLDSBK.COM]

Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia) took his third pole of the year today, ending up 0.252 seconds ahead of another BMW rider, Sylvain Barrier, from the Garnier Junior team.

Three Honda riders followed the leading duo with Michele Magnoni (SCI Garvie Image), Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Race Junior) and Andrea Antonelli (Team Lorini) completing the top five. Badovini set the new track best with his 1'46.092, as the sun shone on Monza once more.

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

1  86 Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1'46.092 

2  20 Barrier S. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 1'46.344 

3 119 Magnoni M. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'47.247 

4  21 Berger M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'47.464 

5   8 Antonelli A. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'47.603 

6  93 Lussiana M. (FRA) BMW S1000 RR 1'47.858 

7  29 Beretta D. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 1'47.888 

8   7 Mähr R. (AUT) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'47.914 

9 134 Lacalendola R. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'48.231 

10   9 Petrucci D. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'48.269 

11  47 La Marra E. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'48.270 

12  65 Baz L. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'48.306 

13  34 Giugliano D. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 1'48.334 

14   5 Bussolotti M. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'48.390 

15  14 Baroni L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'48.398 

16  30 Savary M. (SUI) BMW S1000 RR 1'48.562 

17  53 Lammert D. (GER) BMW S1000 RR 1'49.376 

18  11 Tutusaus P. (ESP) KTM 1190 RC8 R 1'49.960 

19  12 Vivarelli N. (ITA) KTM 1190 RC8 R 1'50.318 

20  69 Jezek O. (CZE) Aprilia RSV4 1000 1'50.352 

21  66 Stoklosa M. (POL) BMW S1000 RR 1'51.448 

22  55 Svitok T. (SVK) Honda CBR1000RR 1'51.677 

23  45 Sletten K. (NOR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'51.793 

24 191 Fusco R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'51.846 

25  36 Thiriet P. (BRA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'51.971 

26  64 Andric D. (BRA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'52.078 

27  89 Salac M. (CZE) Aprilia RSV4 1000 1'52.110 

28  99 Leeson C. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'52.910 

29 111 Rosini M. (ITA) KTM 1190 RC8 R 1'53.153 

NC  91 Walkowiak M. (POL) Honda CBR1000RR 1'54.040 

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

A thrilling race between riders on three different types of machinery finally went to Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing Yamaha) after an express train of leading speed was only broken on the final corner.

Florian Marino (Ten Kate Race Junior Honda) tried to pass leader Guarnoni but ran wide at the Parabolica, and Leandro Mercado (BWG Racing Kawasaki) was pushed wide and crashed. Marino would get going again to score third, with pole man Federico D'Annunzio (Yamaha Martini Corse) second.

In the championship, Guarnoni leads on 86 points, 20 ahead of Marino.

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

1  11 Guarnoni J. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 15'03.324 (184,184 kph) 

2 343 D'Annunzio F. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 5.508 

3  21 Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 9.972 

4  84 Russo R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 10.214 

5  77 Casalotti S. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 14.388 

6  28 Le Coquen S. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 14.414 

7  10 Calero Perez N. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R6 19.716 

8  99 Covena T. (NED) Yamaha YZF R6 19.977 

9  26 Vrajitoru M. (ROU) Yamaha YZF R6 24.131 

RET  36 Mercado L. (ARG) Kawasaki ZX-6R  

RET  22 Carrillo C. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6  

RET   6 Lanusse R. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6  

RET  13 Lombardi B. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6  

RET  72 Karlsen F. (NOR) Yamaha YZF R6  

RET  27 Fanelli D. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR  

RET   9 Elliott J. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-6R  

RET  52 Duwelz G. (BEL) Yamaha YZF R6 

RET  12 Cecchini R. (ITA) Triumph Daytona 675 

RET  19 Krajci T. (SVK) Yamaha YZF R6 

RET  69 Major N. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Remarkable as it sounds, six time Superbike World Championship race winner Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) scored his first career pole today at Monza, holding off a field packed with potential pole men at his home race. His best Superpole lap was a new track best 1'42.121, putting him on pole for the first time in his four year Superbike World Championship career. His average lap speed for his new record lap was 203.653 km/h. Biaggi also set the fastest top speed in WSB history today, hitting a recorded 330.2 km/h.

Max, cheered on by a vocal local support, was followed by Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda) on a 1'42.154, only 0.033 from topping the pre-race rankings. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) and Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) finished off the first row, with the second row headed by championship leader Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare). Ruben Xaus (BMW Motorrad), who fell late in the session, James Toseland (Yamaha Sterilgarda) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) completed the top eight riders. Sykes gave Kawasaki its best qualifying performance for some time and with slipstreaming ruling the races at Monza, the Englishman is keen to get to grips with tomorrow's races. Crutchlow had set a new best mark in Superpole 2 with a 1'42.255, until Biaggi improved it still further in Superpole 3.

Daisaku Sakai (Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team) was 21st in qualifying at a track that is new to him and his entire team. A fall in practice hurt his right shoulder, which also held him back when it came to final qualifying.

Max Biaggi: "It's been a great Saturday for us but it's not Sunday! So far it's the best qualifying we did ever, there are no points for Superpole but it's the emotion that counts! I want to dedicate it to all the team, because they are working very hard. This is a big step forward for us because at the last race we started on the third row. We are running a good pace compared to Yamaha and Honda and we're looking forward to tomorrow. A good tyre at the end of 18 laps is going to make all the difference, especially at the Parabolica."

Cal Crutchlow: "All credit to Max, he did a good lap. We seemed to do a very good lap in Superpole 2 - a 1'42.2 on a seven lap old race tyre, then we put two qualifiers in the last session and never had any grip so I think the race tyre is better than the qualifier around here. It was a good lap and the races are going to be close and tough tomorrow."

Michel Fabrizio: "It went very well and we are happy with this improvement, we really needed a result like this today. After three races in which we had been ‘missing' it was vitally important to be up there. I've got a good chance of winning tomorrow's races because my race pace is good, I feel like I'm down a few horsepower on the straight, I'll have to find a rope and tie it to the closest four-cylinder bike to pull me along!"

Jonathan Rea: "I am happy because my bike is working pretty good and I am excited for the races tomorrow and it looks like we can be in a position to fight for the front. In the qualifying the other guys did a very good job and I could not match their pace but there will be some exciting races and for anyone sitting in the grandstands watching it should be cool tomorrow."

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

The intensity of competition in World Superbike Racing in 2010 was continued in the first qualifying session today, with all seven participating manufacturers represented in the top 11 places, all within 0.859 seconds of each other.

Michel Fabrizio led the charge on the opening day at a warm and welcoming Kyalami, pushing his Ducati Xerox factory machine to the best time of 1'38.477 around the 4.246km circuit near Johannesburg. On race tyres he is already under his own lap record pace from the 2009 season at this round, with one more day of practice and Superpole to go before Sunday's two races.

A spread of machines ranged out behind Fabrizio, with the Yamaha Sterilgarda R1 of Cal Crutchlow second, Jonathan Rea's Hannspree Ten Kate Honda third and Troy Corser's BMW Motorrad Motorsport fourth fastest. Points leader Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) was fifth, with privateer Althea Ducati rider Carlos Checa sixth. All the top six set lap times under the 1'39 mark. Seventh was the Pata B&G Ducati of Jakub Smrz, with the top eight rounded out by recent Monza race winner, Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia). Privateers Shane Byrne (Althea Ducati) and Luca Scassa (Supersonic Ducati) were the final riders into the top ten places on the opening day.

Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) was 11th fastest, top Kawasaki rider in the 22-strong pack, one place ahead of Biaggi's team-mate Leon Camier. Some legendary Superbike names had a tough first day, with Noriyuki Haga only 13th, Ruben Xaus 14th and James Toseland still hurt from his big Monza crash, 15th.

Local wild card rider Sheridan Morais (EmTek Aprilia) was a creditable 16th, only 1.3 seconds from pole at his local track, while the top 18 riders were covered by only 1.547 seconds.

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

1 50 Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1'41.111

2 54 Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1'41.916

3 51 Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'42.220

4 14 Lagrive M. (FRA) Triumph Daytona 675 1'42.305

5 7 Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 1'42.578

6 4 Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1'42.594

7 37 Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'42.664

8 127 Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 1'42.693

9 55 Roccoli M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'42.716

10 26 Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'42.742

11 25 Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 1'42.811

12 38 Isaacs L. (RSA) Honda CBR600RR 1'42.902

13 40 DiSalvo J. (USA) Triumph Daytona 675 1'42.917

14 117 Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 1'43.216

15 99 Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'43.701

16 5 Lundh A. (SWE) Honda CBR600RR 1'43.978

17 19 Boscoscuro A. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'44.201

18 8 Chesaux B. (SUI) Honda CBR600RR 1'44.633

19 9 Dell'Omo D. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.099

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

1 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'38.292

2 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'38.477

3 35 Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'38.529

4 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'38.665

5 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'38.856

6 7 Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'38.878

7 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'38.896

8 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'38.904

9 50 Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'39.156

10 2 Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'39.228

11 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'39.249

12 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'39.281

13 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'39.306

14 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'39.336

15 32 Morais S. (RSA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'39.399

16 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'39.494

17 52 Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'39.656

18 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1'39.680

19 77 Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'40.006

20 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.555

21 95 Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'40.981

22 15 Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'41.526

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Pata B&G Ducati rider Jakub Smrz ripped up the established factory order, scoring the fastest time of the weekend so far with a 1'38.292 second lap in final qualifying to head into Superpole this afternoon as the first among equals.

Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) and Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda) had unchanged best times as they were unable to beat their Friday best, while the top four is filled by the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda of Jonathan Rea. Leon Haslam (Suzuki Alstare) and Althea Ducati rider Carlos Checa went fifth and sixth.

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Asia's biggest sports content provider ESPN STAR Sports and Infront Sports & Media has announced its new rights agreement to broadcast the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship across Asia for the remainder of the 2010 season.

The agreement will further strengthen the worldwide coverage of the Superbike World Championship as the television broadcast agreement includes live and delayed races as well as race highlights, which will bring all the excitement of the Superbike championship to fans across the region including China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore and Thailand.

Stephan Herth, Infront's Executive Director Summer Sports, said: "The agreement with ESPN STAR Sports further increases the outreach of the most exciting motorbike action available in Asia. It will benefit the manufacturers, teams and all commercial partners. We have worked hard to enhance the quality, range and servicing of our broadcast agreements for the Superbike World Championship step by step over the past three years and we will continue to do so."

The broadcast of the SBK Superbike World Championship will start with this weekend's Superbike round held in Kyalami, South Africa.

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

1  35 Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'38.525 

2  91 Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'38.571 

3  84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'38.780 

4   7 Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'38.840 

5  96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'39.006 

6  50 Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'39.017 

7   3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'39.021 

8  52 Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'39.023 

9  65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'39.056 

10  11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'39.142 

11   2 Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'39.380 

12  67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'39.381 

13  66 Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'39.407 

14 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'39.432 

15  41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'39.449 

16  99 Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'39.698 

17  76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1'39.993 

18  32 Morais S. (RSA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'40.284 

19  95 Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'40.710 

20  23 Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.899 

21  77 Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'40.973 

22  15 Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'41.730

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

1 35 Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'37.243

2 52 Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'37.260

3 7 Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'37.296

4 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'37.368

5 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'37.401

6 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'37.561

7 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'37.613

8 2 Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'38.148

9 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'37.756

10 50 Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'37.875

11 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'37.953

12 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'38.206

13 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'38.210

14 32 Morais S. (RSA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'38.404

15 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'38.471

16 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'38.496

17 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 1'38.917

18 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'39.037

19 77 Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'39.317

20 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.713

21 95 Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'40.981

22 15 Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'41.526

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

1 50 Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1'40.812

2 54 Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1'40.896

3 51 Pirro M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'41.415

4 37 Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'41.415

5 14 Lagrive M. (FRA) Triumph Daytona 675 1'41.418

6 7 Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 1'41.675

7 55 Roccoli M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'41.700

8 26 Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'41.856

9 25 Salom D. (ESP) Triumph Daytona 675 1'41.874

10 127 Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 1'42.060

11 38 Isaacs L. (RSA) Honda CBR600RR 1'42.335

12 4 Rea G. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1'42.358

13 99 Foret F. (FRA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'42.416

14 40 DiSalvo J. (USA) Triumph Daytona 675 1'42.839

15 117 Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 1'43.133

16 8 Chesaux B. (SUI) Honda CBR600RR 1'43.885

17 19 Boscoscuro A. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'44.146

18 5 Lundh A. (SWE) Honda CBR600RR 1'44.182

19 9 Dell'Omo D. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'44.944

20 43 Peskens J. (RSA) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.630

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) did a 1 minute 40.812 seconds lap in final qualifying to take pole in South Africa, heading off perennial challenger Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). Third on the grid, despite pain from Friday's crash, was Sofuoglu's team-mate, Michele Pirro.

With championship leader Joan Lascorz only eighth, the best Kawasaki Motocard.com machine belonged to Katsuaki Fujiwara in fourth and in a front row starting position. Matthieu Lagrive (ParkinGO Triumph BE1) used his Friday time to claim fifth place, one position up on his team-mate Chaz Davies.

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

In what was the closest ever period of Superpole qualifying in the Superbike World Championship, the top four riders, headed by Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha Sterilgarda), all finished with 0.125 seconds of each other. Crutchlow and second placed man James Toseland each beat Ben Spies' previous record best lap, with Crutchlow taking his third pole of the year with a 1 minute 37.243 second lap. Third fastest man when it mattered for grid positions was Carlos Checa from the Althea Ducati squad, and the front row was completed by Ducati Xerox rider, Michel Fabrizio.

Leon Haslam was fifth for Suzuki Alstare, while Ducati Pata B&G privateer Jakub Smrz (fastest in combined qualifying) was sixth in Superpole. The top eight was completed by Aprilia Alitalia duo, Max Biaggi and Leon Camier.

Superpole two was contested by the top 16 riders, but those to lose out on the chance to go for a front row start in Superpole 3 included privateer Luca Scassa (Supersonic Ducati), Sylvain Guintoli (Suzuki Alstare) plus other big names like Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Tom Sykes on his Kawasaki Racing Team machine, who was 12th.

Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) was 13th after a good period of early qualifying was not improved on today. Local rider Sheridan Morais (EmTek Aprilia) was cheered all the way in Superpole and qualified 14th, taking a fourth row start. Noriyuki Haga, winner of each race here last year, was 16th in Superpole, having a tough time again.

Cal Crutchlow: "It didn't look like we were going to be one and two on the grid this weekend. Coming to what was Yamaha's worst track last year results-wise, as a team we have done a fantastic job to get first and second. It will be interesting tomorrow but today is today and we are first and second. If we get away and make a good start then it will make for entertaining racing."

James Toseland: "I went wide twice in my fast lap, and felt there was a high 1'36 in there. But to go from high 1'39s at the start of the weekend to even thinking about a high 1'36, it just gives great credit to the team. I came out this afternoon thinking, ‘right this championship is still there and I am not prepared to just let it slip away.' To be second on the grid after being 17th this morning means I have to give thanks to everybody from the team and Clinica Mobile."

Carlos Checa: "Here again we are at track where the bike works quite well. We did the best qualifying job of the year because we did not know the track, but we knew that the Ducati was going to work. Finally it was very exciting in qualifying, one of the closest. I though these guys in front would maybe be in the 1'36s but we all did 1'37.2s. I think we will have exciting racing."

Michel Fabrizio: "I pushed very hard in Superpole and when I did a 37.3 I thought that was it, I would be second, but then I saw I was only fourth. But I have a lot of faith in myself and tomorrow I am going to do well in the races."

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Privateer Luca Scassa (Supersonic Ducati) continues to make waves in this year's Superbike World Championship, the Italian picking up more points in the weekend's two races. Scassa did not get the best of starts in race 1 but recovered well to hold off riders of the calibre of Sykes, Xaus and Haga to finish eleventh. His race 2 start was much better and once he had got past Byrne, Guintoli and Sykes, Scassa remained at an excellent race pace throughout, but unusual tyre wear dropped him down to twelfth at the flag. The nine points scored at Kyalami move him into 17th place in the overall standings.

"It was a good weekend that began well in first qualifying," declared the Italian youngster. "In both races my starts weren't the best, but I'm happy about making up places in both races and I could have finished in the top 10. I was lapping at less than a second from the circuit record, that proves we all did a good job in the team. In a couple of weeks we're off to the USA and I have high hopes there because I have already raced at Miller in 2007, when I took part in the AMA Superbike championship. It'll be useful to become more competitive."

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Jonathan Rea made up great ground in his championship charge at Kyalami, recovering from a troubled Superpole session that put him on the third row of each race last Sunday.

The Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider was in typically aggressive and determined form in each race, but had a slightly better set-up in the second 24-lap contest and made the most of it. Only an even more determined last lap push by eventual winner Leon Haslam stopped Rea from getting his third race win of 2010.

Despite his recent Monza no scores, Rea is third in the standings, sharing that place and a 141 points score with Carlos Checa, and has 14 races left in which to haul back the leading duo of Haslam (on 222 points) and Max Biaggi (on 207).

Said Jonathan after the races; "I got a good start in the first race but just couldn't hold the other guys as I didn't find any grip. But even when I dropped down to ninth with quite a gap in front, I didn't give up on a single corner or a single straight. I was able to maintain pretty consistent laps, which allowed me to catch and pass the others at the end. We made a small change for race two and then I got a blinding start. From there I found it easy to go to the front but it was really difficult to make a break. In the end, Haslam made a lunge and I had to settle for second. All in all, I would have taken your arm off if you'd offered me those results this morning and I'd like to thank the team for keeping my spirits up - it wasn't looking too clever after warm-up. I'm really looking forward to Salt Lake City now that we're back on the podium."

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

The newly-built MotorLand Aragón in Spain is set to host a round of the FIM Superbike World Championship for the next three years, following an agreement signed this morning. The circuit, which was designed by German architect Hermann Tilke, will now appear in the calendars of the two most important global motorcycling competitions; in spite of its short history, it will now be consolidated as one of the world's elite tracks, hosting the World Superbike round in 2011, 2012 and 2013 and following on from the MotoGP round in September of this year.

This morning an agreement was signed before the international press, in the Aragón regional government headquarters between MotorLand and Infront Motor Sports in the presence of MotorLand president and Aragón Government vice-president José Angel Biel, the regional minister of commerce, tourism and industry Arturo Aliaga, the CEO of MotorLand Antonio Gasión, the CEO of Infront Motor Sports Paolo Flammini, and the Ducati Superbike rider, Carlos Checa.

Paolo Flammini declared: "Motorland is a very new circuit and it's already at the top. To have MotoGP and Superbike in its first years of activity demonstrates that it is a top-level circuit. The Superbike World Championship requires requisites of maximum safety and top-class facilities to be in a position to guarantee the presence of high numbers of spectators and Motorland is able to offer all this."

Carlos Checa added: "Superbike races offer a well-balanced sporting spectacle and for this reason they are spectacular, also for everyone watching on TV. Motorland is a circuit that respects all the standards to host a world-class race. I am happy to be able to race Superbike here next year and I hope to win!"

The race in Alcañiz, close to Zaragoza in northern Spain, will take place in the spring of next year and also in 2012 and 2013.

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Two weekends ago at Monza Troy Corser scored a historic first podium for BMW with the S1000RR in the second race. The result was one to remember and all signs pointed to a continuation of his positive run in South Africa on Sunday. Unfortunately it wasn't to be but the Australian, who started thirteenth on the grid in Superpole and then had an opaque first race to finish seventh, reappeared in the front running group in the second encounter later in the afternoon.

Troy moved up to seventh place, after slicing his way past race 1 winner Michel Fabrizio and the talented Englishman Leon Camier. At the flag just four-tenths of a second separated him from sixth place, which went to James Toseland, but despite everything Corser was pleased again with his race 2 performance.

"In the first race I really had zero grip after only five laps. I had no confidence to attack any more, and I literally just rolled around the track till the end of the race. We changed the bike's set-up a little bit between the races, and we used the Diablo B rear tyre spec instead of the A spec as we had over the entire weekend. The consistency of this tyre was much better than in the first race. I am quite happy with the changes, in the second race I was able to ride the bike. Unfortunately I lost a little of the initial grip in the middle of the corner. I was really quick in the first sectors, but could not really follow the other bikes at the top of the hill. This was a little frustrating. I tried to adjust over the course of the race and rode the bike completely differently to how I had over the whole weekend."

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Twelve months ago Noriyuki Haga was a double winner at Kyalami. This time round he could only muster six points at the South African track. The last podium in fact for the Japanese ace came one month ago at Valencia, where he picked up his sole victory so far in this 2010 championship season. Unlike his team-mate Michel Fabrizio, who won race 1 at Kyalami, Haga has quite simply been unable to guarantee the top-level performances that we have been used to seeing in recent years.

"In Race 1 after about ten laps the performance of the rear tyre dropped dramatically. There wasn't much I could to improve" said Haga. "I'm disappointed of course because with no grip you don't really get anywhere. In the second race, having made some small changes to my bike but deciding to go with the same tyre, I had a better overall feeling and, from more or less mid-race, unlike race 1, I was able to push increasingly hard. The problem was that those ahead of me had already built a significant lead; I needed a few more laps to be able to catch some of them."

In just over one week's time, the 2009 championship runner-up will attempt to get back to the top at the Miller Motorsports Park circuit in Salt Lake City. It won't be easy however because the American track is not one of his favourites. Last year he finished eighth and ninth for Ducati, while the year before he raced for Yamaha with a broken collarbone. Nori has shown on numerous occasions that he can rise like a phoenix time and time again, it just remains to be seen if this resurgence will begin again next week in America.

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Joan Lascorz's podium-perfect weekends in the Supersport World Championship ended at Kyalami as he finished only fifth in the race, having never finished less than third in every previous round.

The official Kawasaki Motocard.com rider, winner of the Valencia race this year, lost the championship lead he had held since round three and is now third overall after the Kyalami race. Such is the nature of the Supersport championship this year, however, that he is only five points off the lead with seven rounds to go - almost nothing in it between Kenan Sofuoglu, Eugene Laverty and Lascorz at close to the halfway point of the year.

After simply not being able to find the chassis set-up he needed to compete in South Africa, Lascorz hopes he has got his worst weekend out of the way, and that the next race can get him back into podium contention. He stated, "I am not satisfied with this finish and we lost some points but we knew that this track would be one of the worst ones for us; we saw that last year was very hard. We have to keep working and we will be fighting with them next time in America."

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As well as being a rider of considerable talent, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) also has the head of a champion on his shoulders. His tactical acumen bore fruit once again in Kyalami, where following a terrific start, he settled for second place in the race after trying unsuccessfully to keep the pace of Eugene Laverty. That meant 20 points for the Turkish rider, who thanks to his results in South Africa, was able to stay at the top of the table, just one ahead of his Irish rival.

"It certainly wasn't an easy race and, in the beginning, it wasn't a problem to stay with Eugene. As the race progressed, I tried to push to close the gap but ended up nearly losing the front a few times, so I said to myself, "OK, let's take the podium and the points

This was a clear show of maturity by Kenan, one which is accompanied by a total confidence in his Honda machine and Ten Kate team for the second half of the season.

"I think we'll be stronger with the CBR in the last part of the season," he added. "I'll still try to take maximum points from every race, but I have to say big congratulations to Eugene, because he really did a very good job."

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Points leader Leon Haslam's demonstration of support for the England football team in South Africa came good on Sunday when the Suzuki Alstare rider won race 2 wearing a commemorative Arai helmet especially prepared for the sixth round of the World Superbike Championship at Kyalami.

The World Cup Finals get under way in four weeks time in South Africa, and the artwork on the helmet includes the English nation's three lions crest synonymous with King Richard "The Lionheart", as well as the St George's Cross, Leon's "91" logo, two large, golden lion's heads, as well as the FIFA World Cup Trophy.

"I love my football and really wanted to do something to recognise and support England, especially with us having this World Superbike round in South Africa right now, just before the World Cup all gets under way," said Haslam. "I'll wear the helmet for Sunday's races and maybe some races after that - I suppose a lot depends on how far England progress in the tournament!"

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Chaz Davies (ParkinGO Triumph BE-1) took his second podium of the 2010 season by securing third place at Kyalami last weekend, to add to his third place finish in Valencia.

The result was significant for Chaz and his team for a number of reasons, not least of which was that Chaz had never seen the circuit before.

Said Davies after the race, "I wasn't strong on Friday, it was my first time at the circuit and I kind of struggled with it a little bit. But then on Saturday we turned it all around by making a few small changes in the morning and I told the boys that there was loads left. The bike was very good on Saturday afternoon. I knew we would be strong in the race and I'm happy to get on the podium."

When asked about his chances of a finish even closer to the win at Miller, a circuit he has intimate knowledge of thanks to recent AMA campaigns, Davies said, modestly, "You never know. You can be confident about a racetrack and then you go there and find you do not have the pace. But I go to every weekend these days with an open mind; we do our best and see what happens. But that is a circuit I know quite well, I have been there a few times, so at least I won't be having to learn it."

Davies is now fourth overall, the best placed Triumph rider in the class and he has scored points in every race. As well as his two third places, he has had two fourths, a seventh and a 12th in the opening round in Australia.

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Being a privateer in the super-competitive Superbike World Championship is not an easy position for any rider to find himself in this season, but in terms of sheer pace few can match Czech star, Jakub Smrz.

The Pata B&G rider was fastest of all after combined qualifying in South Africa, only dropping to sixth in Superpole. In the races themselves Smrz was ninth on each occasion, and this tendency to be fast in qualifying but not replicate that form fully in races is now a frustration for the rider and team.

Said Smrz, "I made a good start in both races, but I lost a few positions in the first laps. I stayed with the leading pack, but I couldn't close the gap to the riders battling for the podium and lost ground. I'm nonetheless satisfied; we were among the fastest all weekend long. I just hope I'll be able to improve my results at Miller Park in the U.S."

Even team manager and former WSBK rider Marco Borciani tempered his post-race comments with awareness that his rider had taken two good results in a series with 14 official riders every single weekend. "Both races were wide open and the first few laps were very important," said Borciani. "The only issue I have about the race is the fact that the rider couldn't keep the door closed on his rivals. However, if we look who finished behind Smrz, I have to congratulate him."

In his WSBK career so far ‘Kuba' Smrz has taken six front row starts, including one pole, but only a single podium finish, last year at Assen.

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