SETUP REPORT - 28/08/2006

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SETUP REPORT - 28/08/2006

Superbike World Championship preview: round nine - Assen

Circuit: Assen

Country: Netherlands

Track length: 4550m

Opened: 1925

Lap record: To be established

Last year's winner: Chris Vermeulen (Honda)

After a break of almost a month the Superbike World Championship enters
its hectic final leg with round nine of the series at Assen in the
Netherlands this weekend.

With four rounds over the next six weekends it promises to be a busy
time for the teams and riders in what has been a thrilling championship
so far. One man who can surely be expected to be in the thick of the
action is Yamaha Motor Italia's Noriyuki Haga, who is the closest rival to
series leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati). The Japanese star gave his best
form of the season last time out in Brands Hatch, winning the day's
second race, and consolidating his second place in the championship.

Haga rates Assen as one of his favourite circuits although, like his
rivals, he has yet to experience the shortened circuit that awaits him
this season. Previously boasting the longest lap time on the superbike
calendar, the entire northern loop section has been removed to make way
for a new car park and improved spectator facilities. The circuit now
measures 4.55km, compared to 6km of the previous incarnation. Many riders
have expressed their disappointment at the emancipated layout but the
real winners will be the trackside spectators, who will experience 22
laps of superbike action, rather than the 16 laps of previous years.

"Assen has always been one of my favourite circuits and I have had some
good results there before," explains Haga. "I know that they have
changed the track quite a bit but it does not bother me at all - the track
is the same for all the riders and we must just go out and ride it. At
Brands Hatch everything was good. Only a small problem with the bike
stopped me from pushing as hard as I would have liked in the last laps of
the first race, but otherwise the bike was perfect.

"I'm not thinking about the championship and I just want to go out and
win as many races as possible. It was a great feeling to win again in
Brands Hatch and since then I have had a holiday back home in Japan. It
was good to relax and spend some time with my family and I'm feeling in
good shape for the last part of the season."

Haga's team-mate Andrew Pitt was the rider of the day at Brands Hatch
for many people. The Australian recovered from two bad starts to charge
through the field and finish fourth and third in the races. If the
former supersport world champion can get off the line better in Assen then
there is little doubt he will be in contention at the Dutch round. Pitt
currently lies sixth in the championship but, with former MotoGP winner
Alex Barros (Honda) just nine points ahead of him in fifth place, his
target for Assen is to add to his three podium finishes this year and
move up the leaderboard.

While Haga faces an uphill struggle to claw back the early-season
advantage of Bayliss, the 2006 Supersport World Championship looks like
going right down to the wire. Kevin Curtain heads to the Netherlands on
equal points to defending world champion Sebastien Charpentier (Honda)
with his Yamaha Motor Germany team-mate Broc Parkes also well in
contention for the championship.

Yamaha's third-generation YZF-R6 has flourished over the second part of
the season, taking pole position and the win at each of the last three
races, in the hands of Curtain, Parkes and Yamaha Team Italia's Massimo
Roccoli, the winner in Misano. "It's back in our own hands now," says
Curtain. "We were working on developing the bike at the beginning of the
season and then had a few races where we ran into a bit of bad luck.
We're working together much better as a team and our understanding the
bike improves at every race. I've always maintained that the championship
wouldn't be decided over the first half of the season and here we are
going into the last four races with everything to play for."

 

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Friday qualifying times, Superbike World Championship round 9, Assen,
Holland: 1 Bayliss 1:39.336; 2 Lanzi 1:39.888; 3 Fabrizio 1:40.171; 4
Toseland 1:40.242; 5 Barros 1:40.415; 6 Pitt 1:40.474; 7 Kagayama
1:40.567; 8 Xaus 1:40.581; 9 Haga 1:40.612; 10 Muggeridge 1:40.746; 22 Martin
1:42.443; 26 Jones 1:43.052

Friday free practice times: 1 Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1:40.692; 2 Barros
(Klaffi Honda) 1:41.227; 3 Haga (Yamaha Italia) 1:41.417; 4 Laconi
(PSG-1 Kawasaki) 1:41.518; 5 Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra)
1:41.541; 6 Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1:41.563; 7 Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona
Extra) 1:41.594; 8 Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:41.704; 9 Xaus
(Sterilgarda Berik) 1:41.805; 10 Fabrizio (DFX Treme) 1:41.985; 18 Martin
(Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:43.136; 27 Jones (Foggy PETRONAS Racing)
1:46.831

 

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QUALIFYING 1 REPORT - 01/09/2006

Pitt and Haga in the top 10 at Assen
Yamaha Motor Italia's Andrew Pitt ended today's first qualifying
session in sixth position on his first acquaintance with the remodeled Assen
circuit in the Netherlands, with team-mate Noriyuki Haga just behind in
ninth.

As usual, the Australian spent the day's two sessions working on a race
setting for Sunday's two 22-lap races, spending most of his time
circulating with used tyres and heavy fuel loads. The Misano race winner put
on a new set of rubber on his last stint to find a one-second
improvement in his lap time. His 1:40.474 places him just over a second behind
fastest man Troy Bayliss (Ducati).

The Assen track has been radically remodeled since the superbike series
visited last September, with a shorter circuit making lap times around
25 seconds less than on the previous incarnation - much to the
displeasure of many riders who miss the fast and flowing opening section of the
old track.

Haga remained unfussed with the new layout, spending the entire session
on a single set of tyres to simulate a full race distance. The Japanese
star was generally happy with his day's work but will work with his
technicians in a bid to solve a tyre chatter problem and find some
additional traction from his machine.Despite concentrating on race trim, Haga
ended the session just a few tenths of a second behind his team-mate
Pitt finishing the session in ninth place.

Frenchman Sebastien Gimbert led the Yamaha Motor France trio, setting
the 16th fastest time on has YZF-R1. Team-mate Norick Abe was the
fastest rider through the speed trap, recording a top speed of 278
kph.Despite the obvious speed of his Yamaha, the former MotoGP rider struggled to
find an ideal set-up for the twisting circuit, ending the session in
18th. Yamaha Motor France's third rider, Shinichi Nakatomi, was 25th
fastest on his first visit to the legendary circuit. He spent the two hours
track time learning the layout of the circuit and hopes to cut his lap
time significantly in tomorrow morning's second qualifying session.

Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"I struggled for most of the session but we changed the balance of the
bike at the end and found a big improvement. We tried to get through as
much as we could today, just in case it rains tomorrow, and it was hard
work. In the end I improved my lap time by a second at the end,
although it didn't feel that fast when I was out there. We still need to work
on the set-up for the race though, although I think we've found the
tyre to use in the race. It's a shame that they've changed the circuit
because the bit that's been taken out was my favourite part. The new
section is not really a problem, though, as it is so slow that you can
probably run anything through there, it's the rest of the circuit where I
still have a few problems."

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"Not so bad. It's a new circuit now so it was important to learn the
layout. The new part is slower not a problem for me, but we have a bit of
chatter and I would like some more rear traction. We'll change some
settings for tomorrow and I think that this will be a solution. I hope so,
but as always we must just wait and see what tomorrow brings."

Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France)
"It's been a busy time recently as I have been testing at Magny Cours
for the Bol d'Or. I'm quite confident for this weekend. Already the
feeling with the bike is good and I think that we will be able to have a
good weekend here."

Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France)
"I'm looking to improve on 19th place tomorrow and I think that if we
can make some improvements to the settings then we can challenge for
superpole tomorrow."

Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France)
"After a month's break in Japan my wife and family are with me in
Europe for the first time, which is very nice. Today I had to learn the
Assen track, as I have never been here before, so I am confident that I can
make some improvements to my time tomorrow."

Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator - Yamaha Motor Italia)
"The settings for both riders were not the best today but they are in
the top ten and making progress. Nori worked on his race setting and
only used one set of tyres in the qualifying session, while Andrew had
found it hard until the end, when he put a different tyre in and made a
big improvement. It is only Friday so we must see what happens tomorrow."


Qualifying 1

Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 1'39.336
2, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 1'39.888
3, Michel Fabrizio, Honda, ITA, 1'40.171
4, James Toseland, Honda, GBR, 1'40.242
5, Alex Barros, Honda, BRA, 1'40.415
6, Andrew Pitt, Yamaha, AUS, 1'40.474
7, Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 1'40.567
8, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 1'40.581
9, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 1'40.612
10, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 1'40.746
11, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'40.796
12, Troy Corser, Suzuki, AUS, 1'40.837
13, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 1'40.848
14, Fonsi Nieto, Kawasaki, ESP, 1'41.001
15, Pierfrancesco Chili, Honda, ITA, 1'41.034
16, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 1'41.104
17, Ivan Clementi, Ducati, ITA, 1'41.268
18, Norick Abe, Yamaha, JPN, 1'41.661
19, Roberto Rolfo, Ducati, ITA, 1'41.874
20, Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki, ITA, 1'42.118
21, Joshua Brookes, Kawasaki, AUS, 1'42.221
22, Steve Martin, Petronas, AUS, 1'42.443
23, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 1'42.589
24, Marco Borciani, Ducati, ITA, 1'42.671
25, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 1'42.787
26, Craig Jones, Petronas, GBR, 1'43.052
27, Kurtis Roberts, Ducati, USA, 1'44.628
28, Harry van Beek, Suzuki, NED, 1'44.894




QUALIFYING 1 REPORT - 01/09/2006

Parkes second fastest in Assen opener

Yamaha Motor Germany's Broc Parkes set the second fastest time in
today's first qualifying session for Sunday's ninth round of the Supersport
World Championship in Assen.

The Australian, winner last time out in Brands Hatch, was just four
tenths of a second behind the day's fastest rider, defending world
champion Sebastien Charpentier (Honda), around the revised Dutch circuit.
Joining the two championship front runners on the provisional front row are
Suzuki riders Kai Borre Andersen and Barry Veneman.

Parkes' team-mate Kevin Curtain, joint championship leader with
Charpentier, ended the day ninth as he tried various settings on his YZF-R6.
One place ahead of Curtain is Yamaha GMT94's David Checa with Yamaha
Team Italia's Gianluca Vizziello and Massimo Roccoli in 11th and 13th
places respectively.


Qualifying 1

Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

1, Sebastien Charpentier, Honda, FRA, 1'41.906
2, Broc Parkes, Yamaha, AUS, 1'42.327
3, Kai Borre Andersen, Suzuki, NOR, 1'42.554
4, Barry Veneman, Suzuki, NED, 1'42.554
5, Yoann Tibero, Honda, FRA, 1'43.035
6, Arie Vos, Honda, NED, 1'43.057
7, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 1'43.077
8, Kevin Curtain, Yamaha, AUS, 1'43.112
9, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 1'43.285
10, Johan Stigefelt, Honda, SWE, 1'43.385
11, Gianluca Vizziello, Yamaha, ITA, 1'43.560
12, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 1'43.611
13, Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha, ITA, 1'43.767
14, Maxime Berger, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'43.855
15, Julien Enjolras, Yamaha, FRA, 1'44.121
16, Mauro Sanchini, Yamaha, ITA, 1'44.152
17, Katsuaki Fujiwara, Honda, JPN, 1'44.226
18, Matthieu Lagrive, Honda, FRA, 1'44.354
19, Stephane Chambon, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'44.532
20, Vesa Kallio, Yamaha, FIN, 1'44.593
21, Stuart Easton, Ducati, GBR, 1'44.631
22, Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati, ITA, 1'44.750
23, Joan Veijer, Honda, NED, 1'44.767
24, Christian Zaiser, Ducati, AUT, 1'44.803
25, Tatu Lauslehto, Honda, FIN, 1'44.815
26, Gregory Leblanc, Honda, FRA, 1'44.832
27, Chris Peris, Yamaha, CAN, 1'44.886
28, William De Angelis, Honda, ITA, 1'44.972
29, Miguel Praia, Honda, POR, 1'45.326
30, Vladimir Ivanov, Yamaha, RUS, 1'45.555
31, Lorenzo Alfonsi, Yamaha, ITA, 1'45.618
32, Sebastien Le Grelle, Honda, BEL, 1'45.663
33, Alessio Velini, Yamaha, ITA, 1'45.899
34, Tom Tunstall, Honda, GBR, 1'46.250
35, Stephane Duterne, Yamaha, FRA, 1'46.361
36, Luka Nedog, Ducati, SVN, 1'46.618
37, Andrea Berta, Yamaha, ITA, 1'48.009
38, Aldo Aldrovandi, Honda, ITA, 1'48.044

 

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Third row start for Martin at Assen

Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Steve Martin and Craig Jones showed their
resilience and determination during qualification for tomorrow?s ninth
round of the Superbike World Championship in Assen, Holland.

After a difficult opening day, Steve launched himself up the standings
from yesterday?s 22nd position to qualify on the third row in 11th
place.

And team-mate Craig also made good set-up progress to slash another two
seconds off his best lap time from yesterday. He will start from 25th
on the grid but finished the afternoon free practice session in an
encouraging 20th position.

Steve, making up for lost track time on day one, sliced a two second
chunk off yesterday?s best time in the morning qualifying session to
halve the gap to pacesetter Troy Bayliss. Despite not being able to test
qualifying rubber before his Superpole lap because of a technical
problem, he further improved his time to leap from 14th to 11th place with a
time of 1:40.251 in cooling conditions.

Troy Corser clinched pole position with all riders casting an anxious
eye on the weather forecast with rain due to sweep into the Netherlands
overnight.

Steve said: ?I?m quite happy to be on the third row, considering how
far behind we were after yesterday. Today was a much better day and we
progressed well, improving my times by two and a half seconds. The
improvement came with more track time. I spent the morning just trying to get
into Superpole and then concentrated on set-up when I could string a
few laps together in the afternoon. But I didn?t get a chance to use my
qualifier in free practice and I think I would have been able to eke out
a few more tenths from my Superpole time if I had already been out on a
qualifier, as I was still learning about the qualifier on my Superpole
lap.?

Craig said: ?I have taken nearly two more seconds off my best time from
yesterday and all I can do is try to keep improving like that, which
comes from more circuit knowledge. Carl also came up with a good
suggestion to raise the front, which made the bike easier to turn and hold a
better line. I think there is more to come tomorrow but, from 25th, I
need to get a good start. But I did my quickest times on race tyres in the
afternoon free practice, while a few people ahead of me were on their
Superpole qualifiers. So I am confident and happy with how things have
gone so far.?

Superpole results, Superbike World Championship round 9, Assen,
Holland: 1 Corser 1:38.965; 2 Haga +0.044; 3 Kagayama +0.211; 4 Bayliss
+0.339; 5 Barros +0.454; 6 Muggeridge +0.578; 7 Toseland +0.600; 8 Pitt
+0.791; 9 Nieto +0.993; 10 Lanzi +1.184; 11 Martin (Foggy PETRONAS Racing)
+1.286; 12 Xaus +1.299; 13 Walker +1.423; 14 Fabrizio +1.538; 15 Gimbert
+1.620; 16 Nakatomi +1.777

Saturday qualifying times: 1 Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1:39.025; 2
Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:39.410; 3 Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona
Extra) 1:39.434; 4 Fabrizio (DFX Treme) 1:39.434; 5 Haga (Yamaha
Italia) 1:39.728; 6 Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki) 1:39.743; 7 Barros (Klafffi Honda)
1:39.858; 8 Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1:39.931; 10 Muggeridge (Winston Ten
Kate Honda) 1:39.978; 14 Martin (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:40.458; 25
Jones (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:41.789

Saturday free practice times: 1 Bayliss 1:38.629; 2 Haga 1:39.150; 3
Kagayama 1:39.240; 4 Barrros 1;39.736; 5 Lanzi 1:39.776; 6 Pitt 1:39.800;
7 Xaus 1:39.954; 8 Corser 1:39.961; 9 Nieto 1:40.144; 10 Toseland
1:40.156; 20 Jones (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:41.279; 23 Martin (Foggy
PETRONAS Racing) 1:41.646

 

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QUALIFYING 2 REPORT - 02/09/2006

Haga and Pitt make superpole improvements

Noriyuki Haga grabbed his third consecutive front row start after
taking second place in today's grid deciding superpole session at Assen.

The Yamaha Motor Italia star put in his fastest lap of the weekend on
his superpole lap, boosting him up three places from his position at the
end of regular qualifying.

As always, Haga spent the day's two hour-long sessions working on
finding a good set-up for tomorrow's 22-lap races. With his mechanics he was
able to solve the tyre chatter problems that plagued him in Friday's
practice and qualifying sessions. Team-mate Pitt was the biggest winner
in superpole, elevating himself from 13th to eighth after setting his
quickest lap of the weekend. The Australian has struggled to find a good
set-up for the restyled Assen circuit this weekend, but finally made
big progress in the afternoon's free practice session.

Yamaha Motor France's trio of riders were typically close in
qualifying, with just three-tenths of a second separating them after the two one
hour sessions. Frenchman Sebastien Gimbert was the fastest of the
three. He qualifyed for superpole in 12th place but was marginally slower on
his grid deciding lap, pushing him back to 15th position on tomorrow's
grid. Team-mate Shinichi Nakatomi will line up alongside Gimbert after
making the cut for superpole on his Dutch debut. The former Japanese
250cc champion cut over two seconds from his Friday time as his knowledge
of the circuit improved although, like Gimbert, he was unable to up his
pace on the sticky superpole tyre and was unable to advance up the
grid. Norick Abe just missed the cut on the third Yamaha Motor
France-entered YZF-R1 and will start from 18th position.

Pole position for tomorrow's race goes to defending champion Troy
Corser (Suzuki), with Haga, Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki) and series leader Troy
Bayliss (Ducati) completing the front row. Weather forecasts suggest a
high chance of rain showers throughout the day, which could affect the
races on a weekend when all track time has been in dry conditions.

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia)

"We made some big improvements today and the feeling with the
suspension is now very good. For tomorrow we will make some final changes and
finish testing some tyres. If it rains then that will also change the
situation. Anyway, it is important to make a good start here so I am happy
to be on the front row. We'll try to make the extra changes and then we
must see what happens tomorrow."

Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia)

"We found a little problem with the bike and were able to make the bike
better and more consistent. I was third fastest on the race tyre and
although my superpole lap felt pretty good it was close but not close
enough. Tomorrow's race is going to be tough and the last few laps are
sure to be interesting!"

Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France)

"We have done a good job today although I was a little disappointed to
lose some places on my superpole lap. I think that we're in good shape
for the races and I hope we can get some good results."

Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France)

"I was very pleased to make such a big improvement today. We made a few
changes but mostly the improvement was down to me learning the track
better. I'm looking forward to the races tomorrow and hope that we can
get some good points in both races."

Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France)

"We've been working step-by-step to improve the bike and get the bike
set up for the races. There is a very grippy surface here and we haven't
had the same lack of traction that we've had at the last few races,
it's just a case of making some small improvements. I know that there is a
chance of rain tomorrow but I really hope that it stays dry."

Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator - Yamaha Motor Italia)

"Both the riders did an improvment today and there are still some
things to try for tomorrow and will do some more tests with the tyres. I'm
quite positive tonight but we have to wait until tomorrow as it may be
wet. We want it to be dry because you just never know what will happen
in wet."


Superpole

Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

1, Troy Corser, Suzuki, AUS, 1'38.965
2, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 1'39.009
3, Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 1'39.176
4, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 1'39.304
5, Alex Barros, Honda, BRA, 1'39.419
6, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 1'39.543
7, James Toseland, Honda, GBR, 1'39.565
8, Andrew Pitt, Yamaha, AUS, 1'39.758
9, Fonsi Nieto, Kawasaki, ESP, 1'39.958
10, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 1'40.149
11, Steve Martin, Petronas, AUS, 1'40.251
12, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 1'40.264
13, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 1'40.388
14, Michel Fabrizio, Honda, ITA, 1'40.503
15, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 1'40.585
16, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 1'40.742

Qualifying 2

Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

1, Michel Fabrizio, Honda, ITA, 1'40.171
2, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 1'40.191
3, James Toseland, Honda, GBR, 1'40.242
4, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 1'40.380
5, Andrew Pitt, Yamaha, AUS, 1'40.397
6, Alex Barros, Honda, BRA, 1'40.415
7, Steve Martin, Petronas, AUS, 1'40.458
8, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 1'40.467
9, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 1'40.518
10, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'40.534
11, Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 1'40.567
12, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 1'40.612
13, Norick Abe, Yamaha, JPN, 1'40.671
14, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 1'40.746
15, Troy Corser, Suzuki, AUS, 1'40.837
16, Pierfrancesco Chili, Honda, ITA, 1'40.847
17, Joshua Brookes, Kawasaki, AUS, 1'40.970
18, Fonsi Nieto, Kawasaki, ESP, 1'41.001
19, Ivan Clementi, Ducati, ITA, 1'41.268
20, Ivan Clementi, Ducati, ITA, 1'41.268
21, Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki, ITA, 1'41.432
22, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 1'41.617
23, Marco Borciani, Ducati, ITA, 1'41.711
24, Craig Jones, Petronas, GBR, 1'41.789
25, Roberto Rolfo, Ducati, ITA, 1'41.853
26, Kurtis Roberts, Ducati, USA, 1'42.741
27, Harry van Beek, Suzuki, NED, 1'43.686
28, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 1'39.025
29, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 1'39.888




QUALIFYING 2 REPORT - 02/09/2006

Curtain and Parkes on the front row despite crashes

Yamaha Motor Germany duo Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes will start
tomorrow's ninth round of the Supersport World Championship from the front
row, despite suffering a crash each in this afternoon's final qualifying
session.

Joint championship leader Curtain crashed his YZF-R6 immediately after
setting the best time of the afternoon, a 1:42.056, with around five
minutes of the session remaining. The 40-year-old was set to further
improve his lap when he pushed too hard and lost front end grip going into
the first corner. The incident meant he was unable to wrestle the pole
position from his championship rival Sebastien Charpentier (Honda), who
denied Yamaha a fourth successive pole position in the class with his
time from Friday.

Earlier in the session Parkes had set his best lap of 1:42.170, only to
miss the final 15 minutes of the session after crashing spectacularly
next time around. The Australian escaped injury in the crash although
his machine was badly damaged after flying through the air spectacularly.

Yamaha Team Italia's Vizziello and Massimo Roccoli will start on the
third row after ending qualifying in 10th and 11th places respectively,
while Yamaha GMT94's David Checa was unable to improve on his Friday
time and slipped back to 14th on the final grid.


Qualifying 2

Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

1, Sebastien Charpentier, Honda, FRA, 1'41.906
2, Kevin Curtain, Yamaha, AUS, 1'42.056
3, Broc Parkes, Yamaha, AUS, 1'42.170
4, Yoann Tibero, Honda, FRA, 1'42.320
5, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 1'42.388
6, Kai Borre Andersen, Suzuki, NOR, 1'42.554
7, Barry Veneman, Suzuki, NED, 1'42.554
8, Christian Zaiser, Ducati, AUT, 1'42.759
9, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 1'42.869
10, Gianluca Vizziello, Yamaha, ITA, 1'42.894
11, Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha, ITA, 1'42.933
12, Johan Stigefelt, Honda, SWE, 1'43.002
13, Arie Vos, Honda, NED, 1'43.057
14, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 1'43.077
15, Katsuaki Fujiwara, Honda, JPN, 1'43.087
16, Gregory Leblanc, Honda, FRA, 1'43.153
17, Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati, ITA, 1'43.155
18, Matthieu Lagrive, Honda, FRA, 1'43.268
19, Chris Peris, Yamaha, CAN, 1'43.410
20, Maxime Berger, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'43.497
21, Stuart Easton, Ducati, GBR, 1'43.702
22, Mauro Sanchini, Yamaha, ITA, 1'43.773
23, Vesa Kallio, Yamaha, FIN, 1'43.838
24, Tatu Lauslehto, Honda, FIN, 1'43.885
25, William De Angelis, Honda, ITA, 1'43.885
26, Stephane Chambon, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'43.923
27, Vladimir Ivanov, Yamaha, RUS, 1'43.978
28, Joan Veijer, Honda, NED, 1'44.065
29, Julien Enjolras, Yamaha, FRA, 1'44.065
30, Tom Tunstall, Honda, GBR, 1'44.949
31, Lorenzo Alfonsi, Yamaha, ITA, 1'45.027
32, Alessio Velini, Yamaha, ITA, 1'45.039
33, Miguel Praia, Honda, POR, 1'45.326
34, Sebastien Le Grelle, Honda, BEL, 1'45.663
35, Stephane Duterne, Yamaha, FRA, 1'46.361
36, Luka Nedog, Ducati, SVN, 1'46.618
37, Andrea Berta, Yamaha, ITA, 1'48.009
38, Aldo Aldrovandi, Honda, ITA, 1'48.044

 

[KUCIAR666]

Team Klaffi Honda - Assen - Superpole and Starting Grid

Tomorrow Alex Barros will start from position five in the second row of the grid. In the second qualifying he finished 7th with a 1?39.858 lap time. Only some hours later he improved this time again. With a 1?39.419 he was the fifth fastest rider.
Alex was pleased of his Klaffi Honda Fireblade. The new engine was better than before and powerful as he expected it to be. The suspension was also okay ? so best conditions for Alex to ride though he prefers the old style of the TT Circuit. His opinion is that the track lost a lot of its unique character.

Alex Barros: ?With the new engine we made a good step in the right direction. It is the way I prefer and we hope to continue like this. The view for tomorrow is very confidential. The position in the grid is good and starts go very good. I think I have a good possibility to make a good job tomorrow in the case it is dry. In the rain it will be a surprise. But it will be a surprise for everybody.?

Superpole and Starting Grid

1 Corser T. Suzuki 1'38.965

2 Haga N. Yamaha 1'39.009

3 Kagayama Y. Suzuki 1'39.176

4 Bayliss T. Ducati 1'39.304

5 Barros A. Klaffi Honda 1'39.419

6 Muggeridge K. Honda 1'39.543

7 Toseland J. Honda 1'39.565

8 Pitt A. Yamaha 1'39.756

 

[KUCIAR666]

RACE REPORT - 03/09/2006

Mixed day for Yamaha as Pitt shines but Haga finds gloom in Assen

It was a day of mixed emotions for the Yamaha Motor Italia team in
Assen. Andrew Pitt grabbed two superb second places to move up to fourth in
the championship but team-mate Noriyuki Haga dropped down to third
after he failed to finish either race.

The day's first race was wet and, with little more than 15 minutes rain
testing in the morning warm-up, was to prove something of a lottery
that caught out all of the main title contenders.

Starting from second on the grid, Haga found himself in fourth place at
the end of the first lap, behind series leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati)
and the Suzukis of Troy Corser and Yukio Kagayama. Despite the conditions
the racing proved close, with Haga fearless on the brakes as he took
the lead for the first time on lap six. One by one Haga's rivals crashed
out, leaving the Yamaha rider with an 18 second lead over team-mate
Pitt in second. Unfortunately Haga also succumbed to the conditions,
losing the front end on lap 13 of 22.

That left Pitt in the lead, the Australian having worked his way
diligently through after ending the first lap in seventh place. The
Australian had found it hard to overtake, a situation caused as much by the
proliferation of yellow caution flags as the slippery surface, but finally
got past Michel Fabrizio (Honda) to take the lead on lap 13.

Pitt rode steadily as the conditions worsened, but by lap 15 wet
weather specialist Chris Walker completed his charge from the back of the
grid to take the lead going into the chicane. The Englishman went on to
take his first ever world championship win, while Pitt used his head to
take his fourth podium finish of the season.

Race two was run in dry conditions but proved to be short for Haga. The
Yamaha rider had collided with Corser coming off the line but led into
the first turn, only to be knocked off by another rider. With the
accident also claiming Corser and championship contender James Toseland
(Honda), Bayliss led from Pitt and Kagayama. Bayliss was able to make a
break and take his 10th win of the year, while Pitt rode a superb race to
take a comfortable second ahead of third placed Fonsi Nieto (Kawasaki).

Norick Abe used all of his experience to take fifth place on his Yamaha
Motor France YZF-R1 in the opening race. The Japanese rider avoided the
carnage to move steadily through the pack, although he was unable to
equal his best result of the season after being passed by Nieto on the
final corner. Team-mate and countryman Shinichi Nakatomi gained three
points for 13th place, although there was disappointment for Sebastien
Gimbert on the third Yamaha France machine. He crashed out of a top 10
finish on lap 10 and was unable to make the second race due to a back
injury. Abe and Nakatomi also failed to score in the second race after
retiring with a lack of grip.

Bayliss now leads the championship by 100 points from Toseland, who is
two points ahead of third placed Haga. Pitt's 40 point haul in the
Netherlands, the highest of any rider on the day, sees him move up two
places, to fourth overall, with three rounds and six races of the
championship remaining.

Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia)

"At half distance I really thought that I could have won that second
race, but in the end the front tyre was gone and I had to settle for
second. I'm really pleased with how its went today and I'd like to give
special thanks to my team, because they worked very hard and gave me a
great bike for the races. When Chris passed me in the first race I tried
to stay with him but I think that I was destined to be second.
Fortunately the grip is quite good here in the wet but there were a few parts
that were unbelievably slippery, probably from the oil that got spilled
in the morning warm-up. You just had to work out where you could push
and where you couldn't and thankfully I was able to bring it home."

Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France)

"My pace in the first race was not so good but I was lucky that many
riders crashed in front of me. In the second race I made a good start but
slipped back because the grip wasn't right. I went out of the points
and pulled in because it was too dangerous to continue."

Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France)

"Very difficult weekend. Conditions were very hard in the first race
and I was pleased to make the finish and score points. In the second race
there was a problem with the rear grip, I think the suspension settings
caused the tyre to wear too quickly, and I had to retire."

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia)

"A very bad day with many crashes. After crashing in the warm-up I had
to ride my second bike for the first race. I had a good feeling with
the bike but then I just lost the front without any warning. The second
was also disappointing because I made a good start and was leading into
the first corner. The next thing I knew another bike has hit me and I
am out with Toseland and Corser."

Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France)
"My back is very painful but I have been to the hospital and the scans
say nothing is broken. This is good news and with the Bol d'Or
endurance racing coming up soon I hope I can make a speedy recovery."

Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator - Yamaha Motor Italia)

"It's been a mixed day for us in Assen. For Nori it's been a bad day,
losing 25 points in the first race and then getting knocked off in the
second. Andrew, however, rode two fantastic races. He scored more points
than anyone else and has moved up two places in the championship, so
this is a good result for him. His points have also moved Yamaha up to
second in the constructor's championship. This is also important because
it proves to us that we have a very good bike and that the team is
working in the right way. Now we've got to go to Lausitzring next weekend.
We had a good test there recently and we're looking forward to going
back."

Martial Garcia (Team Manager - Yamaha Motor France)

"It's been a crazy day because it stared out well and finished bad. The
biggest problem is Gimbert's injury. Nothing is broken but he will not
make the Lausitz race because the most important thing for him is the
Bol d'Or. Abe made a very nice race in the first but it was a bad choice
of tyre in race two. The tyre is completely destroyed, and I have never
seen anything like it. He used the 200, but Nakatomi used the smaller
one and had basically the same problem. So we had a soft tyre and hard
tyre and both had a problem. Maybe we did not adjust the suspension
properly for the conditions."


Race 1 - 22 Laps

Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

1, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 44'23.501
2, Andrew Pitt, Yamaha, AUS, 0'4.965
3, Michel Fabrizio, Honda, ITA, 0'24.130
4, Fonsi Nieto, Kawasaki, ESP, 0'36.968
5, Norick Abe, Yamaha, JPN, 0'37.178
6, Max Neukirchner, Suzuki, GER, 0'37.324
7, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 0'40.930
8, Roberto Rolfo, Ducati, ITA, 0'41.857
9, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 0'53.382
10, James Toseland, Honda, GBR, 0'55.869
11, Ivan Clementi, Ducati, ITA, 1'39.835
12, Steve Martin, Petronas, AUS, 1'59.724
13, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, -1 Laps
14, Harry van Beek, Suzuki, NED, -1 Laps
15, Vittorio Iannuzzo, Suzuki, ITA, -5 Laps

Race 2 - 22 Laps

Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 40'0.000
2, Andrew Pitt, Yamaha, AUS, 0'9.342
3, Fonsi Nieto, Kawasaki, ESP, 0'11.648
4, Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 0'12.743
5, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 0'12.811
6, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 0'19.845
7, Alex Barros, Honda, BRA, 0'29.241
8, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 0'34.085
9, James Toseland, Honda, GBR, 0'42.113
10, Michel Fabrizio, Honda, ITA, 0'51.815
11, Steve Martin, Petronas, AUS, 0'53.608
12, Roberto Rolfo, Ducati, ITA, 0'56.132
13, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 0'57.168
14, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 1'1.056
15, Joshua Brookes, Kawasaki, AUS, 1'34.429



Best Lap

Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 1'40.767


Rider Standings 03/09/2006


Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points

1, Troy Bayliss, Ducati, AUS, 332
2, James Toseland, Honda, GBR, 232
3, Noriyuki Haga, Yamaha, JPN, 230
4, Andrew Pitt, Yamaha, AUS, 197
5, Troy Corser, Suzuki, AUS, 193
6, Alex Barros, Honda, BRA, 175
7, Yukio Kagayama, Suzuki, JPN, 139
8, Chris Walker, Kawasaki, GBR, 123
9, Lorenzo Lanzi, Ducati, ITA, 115
10, Fonsi Nieto, Kawasaki, ESP, 112
11, Michel Fabrizio, Honda, ITA, 109
12, Ruben Xaus, Ducati, ESP, 95
13, Norick Abe, Yamaha, JPN, 88
14, Regis Laconi, Kawasaki, FRA, 80
15, Karl Muggeridge, Honda, AUS, 76
17, Shinichi Nakatomi, Yamaha, JPN, 32
20, Sebastien Gimbert, Yamaha, FRA, 18


Manufacturer Standings 03/09/2006

Pos., Manufacturer, Points

1, Ducati, 351
2, Yamaha, 299
3, Honda, 292
4, Suzuki, 282
5, Kawasaki, 181
6, Petronas, 13


RACE REPORT - 03/09/2006

Curtain takes championship lead in Assen

Kevin Curtain did a professional job in difficult conditions to take
second place and the championship lead at Assen today, although there was
disappointment for his Yamaha Motor Germany squad as team-mate Broc
Parkes suffered serious injury after crashing.

The experienced Australian finished second in each leg of the two-part
race to pull out a seven point lead over defending world champion
Sebastien Charpentier (Honda). Charpentier took the chequered flag 'on the
road' but finished fourth on aggregate time.

In wet conditions it was Curtain's team-mate Broc Parkes who took the
lead and quickly pulled away. The Australian had hoped a good result
would put him right in contention for the title after winning last time
out in Brands Hatch but his day ended on lap three when he suffered a
huge crash. The rider lost the rear of his machine and tumbled
spectacularly into the gravel. Parkes was taken to hospital where the initial
diagnosis suggests he has suffered three broken ribs, a punctured lung and
an injured shoulder.

With Parkes out, Turkish rider Kenan Sofuoglu built up a big lead while
Curtain slotted into a five rider battle for second. The Yamaha rider
was battling with Kai Borre Andersen (Suzuki) when the red flags were
brought out on lap 10 to allow medical staff to attend to an injured
rider. Charpentier took the flag in a relatively incident-free second part,
with Curtain and Sofuoglu content to ride sensibly and finish second
and third on the road. Sofuoglu took the win, his first of the season, on
aggregate time, with Curtain second, Andersen third and Charpentier
fourth.

Curtain now leads the championship on 151 points to Charpentier's 144,
with three races remaining. Parkes stays third, on 119.

Yamaha's other supersport riders faced mixed results in Assen. Yamaha
Team Italia riders Gianluca Vizziello and Massimo Roccoli brought their
YZF-R6s home in seventh and eighth places respectively, while Yamaha
GMT94's David Checa ran strongly until being sidelined with an electrical
problem in the second part of the race.

Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany)

"It was important to come here and get a good result for the
championship. It's a shame for us that the race was wet, because we worked really
hard all weekend to find a great set-up for the dry conditions. It was
important not to throw it down the road and we can go to Lausitz in
good spirits. I'm a lot more confident going to Lausitz than I was coming
here, because we've tested there and have good settings while
Assen was completely new to us with this bike."

Gianluca Vizziello (Yamaha Team Italia)

"I'm happy with the result today and felt confident because I normally
go quite well in the rain and had a good rhythm in the practice. It's
important to have a good end to the season, to remain in the top 10 of
the championship and to build up my confidence for next season."

Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia)

"I felt a lot better in the second part of the race as I learned a lot
about how to ride this track in the wet conditions. With Tibero and
Harms crashing I thought about the championship and rode for the points.
I'm satisfied because I am not normally strong in the wet but have
scored some good points today."

Terrell Thien (Team Manager - Yamaha Motor Germany)
"When Broc was in the lead everything was looking OK but in the crash
he had a bad head knock and other internal injuries. It is strange
because it is great for Kevin to be leading the championship but tonight I
my feelings are mixed, on one hand I am happy for Kevin but very sad for
Broc."


Race 1 - 21 Laps

Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

1, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 41'49.124
2, Kevin Curtain, Yamaha, AUS, 0'4.581
3, Kai Borre Andersen, Suzuki, NOR, 0'9.241
4, Sebastien Charpentier, Honda, FRA, 0'9.489
5, Arie Vos, Honda, NED, 0'29.994
6, Barry Veneman, Suzuki, NED, 0'31.858
7, Gianluca Vizziello, Yamaha, ITA, 0'54.312
8, Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha, ITA, 0'56.085
9, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 1'9.735
10, Stuart Easton, Ducati, GBR, 1'13.899
11, Maxime Berger, Kawasaki, FRA, 1'21.451
12, Sebastien Le Grelle, Honda, BEL, 1'26.458
13, Alessio Velini, Yamaha, ITA, 1'32.137
14, Vesa Kallio, Yamaha, FIN, 1'37.377
15, Gianluca Nannelli, Ducati, ITA, 1'45.357



Best Lap

Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

Kevin Curtain, Yamaha, AUS, 1'55.516


Rider Standings 03/09/2006


Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points

1, Kevin Curtain, Yamaha, AUS, 151
2, Sebastien Charpentier, Honda, FRA, 144
3, Broc Parkes, Yamaha, AUS, 119
4, Robbin Harms, Honda, DNK, 94
5, Kenan Sofuoglu, Honda, TUR, 92
6, Massimo Roccoli, Yamaha, ITA, 86
7, Yoann Tibero, Honda, FRA, 67
8, Johan Stigefelt, Honda, SWE, 57
9, Xavi Fores, Yamaha, ESP, 49
10, Gianluca Vizziello, Yamaha, ITA, 46
11, David Checa, Yamaha, ESP, 29
12, Simone Sanna, Honda, ITA, 27
13, Katsuaki Fujiwara, Honda, JPN, 22
14, Joshua Brookes, Ducati, AUS, 21
15, Christian Zaiser, Ducati, AUT, 21


Manufacturer Standings 03/09/2006

Pos., Manufacturer, Points

1, Honda, 202
2, Yamaha, 188
3, Ducati, 54
4, Kawasaki, 49
5, Suzuki, 28


RACE REPORT - 03/09/2006

Corti takes second 1000cc win at Assen

Yamaha Team Italia youngster Claudio Corti took his second FIM
Superstock 1000 Cup win of the season in a thrilling Assen race.

The Italian had looked strong all weekend, placing his Yamaha YZF-R1 SP
second on the grid and riding an intelligent race to fend off the
challenge of British superstock champion Brendon Roberts (Suzuki). The pair
enjoyed a fascinating battle which was settled once and for all when
Roberts braked too late trying to make a pass as they went into the final
chicane for the last time. Corti's win sees him close in on the top
three of the championship. The Italian remains fourth in the standings but
is now 17 points from third placed Luca Scassa (MV Agusta) with three
races remaining. Alessandro Polita (Suzuki) finished third to extend his
championship lead to 22 points over non-finishing pole sitter Ayrton
Badovini (MV Agusta). Former European supersport champion Matteo Baiocco
finished fourth on another Yamaha.

Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia)

"I am especially happy because I did not make a good start today. I was
able to recover quickly though and when I got into the lead I had a
good feeling that I could win. I knew that Roberts would try to pass at
the last corner so I was aware of him and waiting for his mistake. It's a
good result and now I will push hard and try to finish in the top three
of the championship."


Race 1 - 13 Laps

Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

1, Claudio Corti, Yamaha, ITA, 22'58.130
2, Brendan Roberts, Suzuki, AUS, 0'3.461
3, Alessandro Polita, Suzuki, ITA, 0'5.718
4, Matteo Baiocco, Yamaha, ITA, 0'6.094
5, Luca Scassa, MV Agusta, ITA, 0'7.397
6, Enrique Rocamora, Yamaha, ESP, 0'7.623
7, Gilles Boccolini, Kawasaki, ITA, 0'8.007
8, Loic Napoleone, Suzuki, FRA, 0'8.557
9, Ilario Dionisi, Yamaha, ITA, 0'8.596
10, David Johnson, Yamaha, AUS, 0'10.275
11, Sheridan Morais, Suzuki, RSA, 0'16.091
12, Riccardo Chiarello, Kawasaki, ITA, 0'16.188
13, Richard Cooper, Honda, GBR, 0'16.396
14, Danilo Dell'omo, Suzuki, ITA, 0'17.802
15, Herve Gantner, Yamaha, CHE, 0'24.357



Best Lap

Rider, Manu., Nat., Total Time

Luca Scassa, MV Agusta, ITA, 1'44.800


Rider Standings 03/09/2006


Pos., Rider, Manu., Nat., Points

1, Alessandro Polita, Suzuki, ITA, 131
2, Ayrton Badovini, MV Agusta, ITA, 109
3, Luca Scassa, MV Agusta, ITA, 107
4, Claudio Corti, Yamaha, ITA, 90
5, Enrique Rocamora, Yamaha, ESP, 65
6, Matteo Baiocco, Yamaha, ITA, 51
7, Denis Sacchetti, Kawasaki, ITA, 45
8, Riccardo Chiarello, Kawasaki, ITA, 43
9, Brendan Roberts, Suzuki, AUS, 42
10, Richard Cooper, Honda, GBR, 34
11, Alex Martinez Mas, Kawasaki, ESP, 30
12, Sheridan Morais, Suzuki, RSA, 29
13, Ivan Silva, Kawasaki, ESP, 27
14, Loic Napoleone, Suzuki, FRA, 24
15, Danilo Dell'omo, Suzuki, ITA, 23


Manufacturer Standings 03/09/2006

Pos., Manufacturer, Points

1, Suzuki, 144
2, MV Agusta, 129
3, Yamaha, 108
4, Kawasaki, 78
5, Honda, 35