Superbike World Championship preview: round four - Monza

[KUCIAR666]

Track length: 5792m
Year opened: 1922
Superbike lap record: 1'47.434 (Troy Bayliss, 2002)
Last year's winners: Troy Corser (Suzuki) and Chris Vermeulen (Honda)
Circuit website: www.monzanet.it

[Quote}Round four of the Superbike World Championship sees the series move to
the historic Monza circuit in Italy, the fastest racetrack on the
entire calendar.

With top speeds often exceeding 300kph down the long home straight, the
first of three Italian races this year is always an exciting slipstream
battle on this unique circuit.

For the Yamaha Motor Italia world superbike team this race takes on an
extra importance, as their headquarters is based just a few kilometres
from the circuit. While the points on offer are exactly the same as at
the 12 other rounds of the championship, the emotional boost of a good
result in their backyard will provide extra motivation for the team and
their riders - especially after a difficult weekend at the last round
in Valencia.

Both the team's riders struggled for traction at the Spanish circuit,
with a pair of fifth places for Noriyuki Haga and a couple of top tens
for Andrew Pitt, keeping both riders in the top six of the championship
- Haga fourth and Pitt sixth.

And while historically the Monza circuit may not be one of the
strongest for Yamaha's YZF-R1, both riders are confident that they can fight up
front this weekend.

Fans' favourite Haga had a difficult time in Monza last year, finishing
ninth and 11th in the two races. This season the Japanese rider has
consistently been among the frontrunners, finishing third once, fourth
twice and fifth twice in the five races he has finished. Surprisingly Haga
has never won in his adopted homeland. The Japanese star has won 19
races in his illustrious superbike career, but his best results in Italy
are two third places (Monza 2002 and Imola 2005).

Despite this, Haga still looks forward to Monza, as he explains: "Monza
is not such a difficult track and good fun... if you have a fast bike!
Valencia was difficult for us in many ways but now we must put it
behind us and look forward to the championship. Monza is a very important
race for the team and I will be doing my best to get a good result for
them. Monza was my worst race of 2005 but our bike is definitely much
better now than it was this time last year and our top speed is generally
quite good, so if we can find a good setting and get away with the
front group then anything can happen."

With fifth and sixth place finishes, team-mate Pitt was the highest
placed Yamaha rider at Monza last year. "Front end grip was the big
problem at Valencia but it shouldn't be a factor in Monza. At Valencia you
are leaned over on the side of the tyre for so long but Monza is
completely different, mostly long straights and slow corners. Because of the
slipstreaming it is important to get away with the leading group at
Monza. Our starts have been pretty good this year so there is no reason why
we can't be up there in the races."

Yamaha will also be represented by the Yamaha Motor France team in
Monza. The squad travel to Italy in high spirits after gaining their best
results of the season in Valencia, where Norick Abe scored two fourth
places and fellow Japanese rider Shinichi Nakatomi scored his first world
championship points with a pair of 12ths. The team's other rider,
Sebastien Gimbert, returns at Monza after missing Valencia due to his world
endurance commitments.

As always, Yamaha will be well represented in the supporting classes at
Monza. In the Supersport World Championship, Yamaha Motor Germany
riders Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes lie second and fourth in the points
after three rounds. Italian young guns Massimo Roccoli and Gianluca
Vizziello are both running in the top ten of the series and go to Monza
having finished first and second in the Italian championship round there
last weekend. One rider who will not be present in Monza is last year's
FIM Superstock 1000 champion Didier van Keymeulen. The Belgian had been
riding a Yamaha YZF-R6 for the Moto 1 squad in world supersport but has
split with the team following irreconcilable differences regarding
machine and team set-up.

Roccoli and Vizziello's Yamaha Team Italia team-mate Claudio Corti was
another winner in the national championship race, won the superstock
class. After taking a top 10 in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup opener in
Valencia, the European Superstock 600 champion is looking for his first
world championship win at his home circuit this weekend.[/Quote]

 

[KUCIAR666]

FPR face uphill battle at Monza

Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Craig Jones and Steve Martin have
realistic expectations going into the fourth round of the Superbike World
Championship at Monza this weekend.

At an Italian circuit steeped in history, the FPR team will be hoping
recent history does not repeat itself.

The venue, with its famous long straights, is known to favour the most
powerful bikes in the field and has not previously rewarded the
sweet-handling characteristics of the PETRONAS FP1.

So, although Steve qualified on the front row of the grid at the
previous round in Valencia, the team is prepared for an uphill battle to
secure valuable points.

Craig, in his first season on the world stage, will be making his first
appearance at Monza. He said: ?I don?t feel any pressure this weekend
because I have never been to the circuit before. It is going to take a
day to learn the place so I just want to go out and enjoy myself. Carl
has said that it is not the hardest place to learn, and hopefully he
will be able to give me plenty of advice. It is a tough circuit for us but
we need to keep that in mind and not panic. I am a lot more upbeat
following the second race in Spain. Despite the problems we had it was good
to be up there racing again.?

Steve said: ?This is probably going to be a tricky weekend for us.
Everyone knows that Monza is a power circuit, and last year was a disaster
for us. It is full of long straights and the fastest bike usually wins
the race. So if we can finish both races in the points I think we will
have done extremely well. I have also not started behind second row on
the grid so I will be giving everything for Superpole again. It is hard
approaching a weekend thinking that way, but that does not mean I will
not be giving it 100 per cent, and we will also be using the track time
for the continual development of the PETRONAS FP1 for future rounds.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Free Practice
1 Bayliss T. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 1'47.214 21
2 Toseland J. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'47.401 20
3 Pitt A. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 1'47.435 22
4 Xaus R. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 1'47.891 21
5 Corser T. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'47.987 20
6 Laconi R. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'47.998 20
7 Walker C. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'48.096 18
8 Barros A. Klaffi Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'48.168 23
9 Nieto F. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 2. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'48.319 20
10 Haga N. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 1'48.444 19
11 Kagayama Y. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'48.516 19
12 Rolfo R. Ducati SC - Caracchi. Ducati 999 F05 1'48.558 19
13 Muggeridge K. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'48.592 22
14 Lanzi L. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 1'48.842 18
15 Gimbert S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 1'48.946 19
16 Borciani M. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 1'49.031 10
17 Brignola N. Team Guandalini. Ducati 999 RS 1'49.031 20
18 Clementi I. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 1'49.192 19
19 Abe N. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 1'49.340 25
20 Foret F. Alstare Eng. Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'49.546 20
21 Nannelli G. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'49.698 17
22 Iannuzzo V. Celani Team Suzuki Italia. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'49.717 20
23 Alfonsi L. PN Corse. Ducati 999 RS 1'49.816 17
24 Alfonsi L. PN Corse. Ducati 999 RS 1'49.816 17
25 Fabrizio M. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'49.972 13
26 Nakatomi S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone 2. Yamaha YZF R1 1'50.102 23
27 Neukirchner M. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 1'50.110 20
28 Martin S. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 1'50.358 15
29 Mauri L. Spring Ducati. Ducati 999 RS 1'50.426 18
30 Battaini F. Kawasaki Bertocchi. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'51.414 18
31 Jones C. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 1'52.639 14

 

[KUCIAR666]

Unproductive opening day for FPR

Foggy PETRONAS Racing face a mountain to climb for tomorrow?s
qualifying sessions at Monza following an unproductive opening day of the fourth
round of the Superbike World Championship.

A series of technical problems left riders Steve Martin and Craig Jones
struggling to find a rhythm at the ?Citadel of Speed?.

Steve finished the day down in 27th position, two seconds off the
provisional qualification time for Superpole and more than four seconds
behind pace-setter Noriyuki Haga.

Craig, on his first visit to the circuit, also missed out on valuable
track time and, with wet weather forecast over the next two days, was
hopeful of another chance to improve his race set-up.

Craig said: ?This morning?s aim was to learn the circuit and to pick my
final braking markers. It was a shame that we had a technical problem
with one of the bikes at the other end of the circuit, as it takes ages
to get back to the pits. But, after 13 laps, I was only two seconds off
Steve on my first time out here, so I didn?t find the circuit too
difficult to learn. The speed of the circuit and proximity to the barriers
certainly didn?t faze me - I had been looking forward to getting onto
the big long straights and fast chicanes. We changed the gearing for the
afternoon but an old gremlin popped up again as it made the bike
unstable in a straight line. We already have a plan to solve that but I would
have liked to have made more progress than I have today.?

Steve said: ?We were dogged by a few unforeseen mechanical problems,
which hampered us throughout the day and I couldn?t get into any kind of
rhythm. The team were trying to fix those problems in the afternoon, so
we weren?t really able to make any progress on set-up from the morning
session. We now have 12 hours to regroup, although there is already a
big gap to 16th and the Superpole places. We need tomorrow to be dry so
that we at least have a chance of giving it our best shot.?

Friday qualify times, Superbike World Championship, round 4, Monza,
Italy: 1 Haga 1:47.007; 2 Bayliss 1:47.043; 3 Corser 1:47.591; 4 Toseland
1:47.751; 5 Laconi 1:47.763; 6 Barros 1:47.769; 7 Pitt 1:47.793; 8 Xaus
1:47.852; 9 Fabrizio 1:48.070; 10 Rolfo 1:48.334; 27 Martin (Foggy
PETRONAS Racing) 1:51.183; 29 Jones (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:53.873

Friday free practice times: 1 Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1:47.214; 2
Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:47.401; 3 Pitt (Yamaha Italia) 1:47.435;
4 Xaus (Sterilgarda-Berik) 1:47.891; 5 Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona
Extra) 1:47.987; 6 Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki) 1:47.998; 7 Walker (PSG-1
Kawasaki) 1:48.096; 8 Barros (Klaffi Honda) 1:48.168; 9 Nieto (PSG-1
Kawasaki) 1:48.319; 10 Haga (Yamaha Italia) 1:48.444; 27 Martin (Foggy
PETRONAS Racing) 1:50.358; 30 Jones (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:52.639

WSB : Haga fastest in Monza opener
Round: 4 - Italy
Circuit: Monza
Date: 5 May 2006
Temp: 19?C
Weather: Cloudy

Yamaha Motor Italia rider Noriyuki Haga gave his team reason to cheer
at their home race as he sped to provisional pole position for Sunday's
races at Monza.

Light drizzle throughout the afternoon's one-hour qualifying session
meant a reduced number of laps for the 30 superbike entrants but, despite
the tricky conditions, Haga's best lap of 1:47.007 was only a fraction
slower than Neil Hodgson's three-year-old ultimate lap record.

Team-mate Andrew Pitt was happy with his day's work. The Australian
ended the day in seventh but felt he could have been higher after taking a
cautious line through the fast Parabolica curve. Both riders have been
able to take advantage of improvements to their YZF-R1 machines,
including a new specification swingarm. The team is hoping for dry conditions
in tomorrow's final practice and qualifying sessions to allow them to
make further improvements for Sunday's two 18 lap races, for which the
final grid positions will be decided in tomorrow's superpole session.

Yamaha Motor France had a tough day in Monza with Norick Abe destroying
his machine in a spectacular highside mid-way through the session. The
Japanese rider lost control of his YZF-R1 while exiting the Ascari
chicane and was taken to hospital for precautionary checks. Tests confirmed
that the rider has not broken any bones, although the team will wait
until the morning before deciding if he is fit enough to take any further
part in the weekend. Frenchman Sebastien Gimbert was the team's fastest
rider, in 15th, with Japanese rookie Shinichi Nakatomi ending the day
23rd on his first visit to the circuit.

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"A good session. We've made some changes to the bike and they seem to
be working well here. The team has brought a new swinging arm for us to
try and it seems to have some benefits, although there are also a few
disadvantages too. We need to test more tomorrow to make a final
decision, but the bike feels good. I ran a lot of laps along with Troy Bayliss
and we were able to have some fun passing and repassing each other.
Hopefully we can make some more improvements for the race. The team has
many fans and sponsors here this weekend and I have some friends coming
over from Japan tonight. I hope that we can put a good performance on
for them."

Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"We've come to Monza with a new set-up and so far it's working well for
us. I'm feeling really confident with the bike and should probably be
higher than seventh. On my fastest lap I was up at the first two splits
but lost it all at the end. I probably just took it too easy going into
Parabolica as I could see the spots of rain beading on my visor and
wasn't sure how much grip there actually was. I'm quite happy though. We
should be able to make some more improvements tomorrow and I'm confident
that we'll be up there on Sunday."

Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France)
"It's a shame we couldn't do as many laps as we'd like because of the
conditions today, as I must learn this circuit. We are not sure what the
weather will be tomorrow but I am ready to improve whatever the
conditions."

Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator - Yamaha Motor Italia)
"It's been a good day but I don't want to get carried away as it is
only Friday. We weren't sure what to expect here as this is a fast track
and top speed isn't perhaps our strength but the riders are happy with
their bikes and it seems that the new swingarm we are using is also a
step forward. We'll see what tomorrow brings but for now we are all
satisfied with our day's work."

Martial Garcia (Team Manager - Yamaha Motor France)
"Norick had a bad crash today and we will decide tomorrow if he can
race or not. He had a bit of a bang on the head, although the doctors say
that nothing is broken. We will let him rest and see how things are in
the morning."

Round: 4 - Italy
Circuit: Monza
Circuit Length: 5792
Lap Record: 1' 47.434 (Troy Bayliss, 2002)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 46.981 (Neil Hodgson, 2003)
Date: 5 May 2006
Temp: 19?C

Session 1 :
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. 1st Qualifying
1 N. Haga Yamaha JPN 1' 47.007
2 T. Bayliss Ducati AUS 1' 47.043
3 T. Corser Suzuki AUS 1' 47.591
4 J. Toseland Honda GBR 1' 47.751
5 R. Laconi Kawasaki FRA 1' 47.763
6 A. Barros Honda BRA 1' 47.769
7 A. Pitt Yamaha AUS 1' 47.793
8 R. Xaus Ducati ESP 1' 47.852
9 M. Fabrizio Honda ITA 1' 48.070
10 R. Rolfo Ducati ITA 1' 48.334
11 C. Walker Kawasaki GBR 1' 48.530
12 L. Lanzi Ducati ITA 1' 48.575
13 M. Neukirchner Ducati GER 1' 48.712
14 Y. Kagayama Suzuki JPN 1' 48.828
15 S. Gimbert Yamaha FRA 1' 48.871
16 I. Clementi Ducati ITA 1' 49.226
19 N. Abe Yamaha JPN 1' 49.497
23 S. Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 1' 49.890

WSS : Curtain third fastest in Monza
Round: 4 - Italy WSS
Circuit: Monza
Date: 5 May 2006
Temp: 19?C
Weather: Dry

Yamaha Motor Germany star Kevin Curtain was the leading R6 rider in
qualifying for Sunday's fourth round of the Supersport World Championship
at Monza in Italy.

In dry but overcast conditions, the 40-year-old Australian was under
the lap record pace as he set the third fastest time around the historic
speedbowl, recording a best lap time of 1:52.038.

Curtain was satisfied on what is his first visit to Monza with the
latest YZF-R6. The squad are are taking advantage of a new specification
front tyre from Pirelli. Both Curtain and his team-mate Broc Parkes have
tested the tyre with good results and are delighted to have it
available on a race weekend.

Yamaha Team Italia rider Gianluca Vizziello, who won the national
supersport championship race at Monza the previous weekend, ended the day
sixth with Parkes alongside him on the provisional second row of the
grid, in seventh.

Massimo Roccoli was 14th fastest on the second Yamaha Team Italia R6,
with Yamaha GMT94's David Checa 19th in his first world supersport
outing of the year.

Championship leader Sebastien Charpentier (Honda) was the fastest man
today with a 1:51.061 lap. Final practice for Sunday's race takes place
tomorrow afternoon.

Round: 4 - Italy WSS
Circuit: Monza
Circuit Length: 5792
Lap Record: 1' 52.635 (Chris Vermeulen, 2003)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 51.061 (Sebastien Charpentier, 2006)
Date: 5 May 2006
Temp: 19?C

Session 1 :
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. 1st Qualifying
1 S. Charpentier Honda FRA 1' 51.061
2 K. Fujiwara Honda JPN 1' 51.844
3 K. Curtain Yamaha AUS 1' 52.038
4 K. Sofuoglu Honda TUR 1' 52.313
5 Y. Tibero Honda FRA 1' 52.444
6 G. Vizziello Yamaha ITA 1' 52.460
7 B. Parkes Yamaha AUS 1' 52.602
8 J. Stigefelt Honda SWE 1' 52.861
9 R. Harms Honda DNK 1' 53.021
10 S. Cruciani Honda ITA 1' 53.221
11 T. Lauslehto Honda FIN 1' 53.307
12 S. Le Grelle Honda BEL 1' 53.479
13 M. Roccoli Yamaha ITA 1' 53.501
14 B. Veneman Suzuki NED 1' 53.526
15 M. Berger Kawasaki FRA 1' 53.662
16 S. Chambon Kawasaki FRA 1' 53.722
17 V. Kallio Yamaha FIN 1' 53.755
18 D. Checa Yamaha ESP 1' 53.863
24 J. Enjolras Yamaha FRA 1' 54.695
25 X. Fores Yamaha ESP 1' 54.949
27 C. Peris Yamaha CAN 1' 55.100
29 D. Garcia Yamaha ITA 1' 55.472

Team Klaffi Honda - SBK Monza - Qualifying I

Friday 5 May ? First day of the fourth round of World?s Superbike Championship at Monza.

For Alex Barros it is nearly a new race track, because his last ride at Monza is years ago. But no problem for Alex. Already in the free practice session this morning he did a 1?48.168 lap time and finished 8th.
In the first qualifying in the afternoon only 8 riders are faster than 1?48. Alex achieves position 6 with a 1?47.769 lap time.
Alex Barros: ?The weather was a little bit tricky today. It didn?t look so promising. Everybody expected some rain and so all the riders tried to do some fast laps already in the beginning of the qualifying session. When there were first rain drops some of the corners became immediately slippery. Additional to this the surface of the track is also not so rough. ? Position 6 today is quite okay and don?t forget I?m a newcomer on the track. I did some mistakes but I like this ultra fast track very much. We have a very high potential and if it will be dry tomorrow the chances are really good.?



Team Manager Klaus Klaffenb?ck: ?The first day at Monza was promising. The engine of the Klaffi Honda Fireblade works very well and Alex achieved an impressive top speed today. The conditions for the weekend are perfect. Only the weather is something you can not calculate. May be it becomes a real roulette on Sunday.?

Qualifying I

1. Haga (Yamaha) 1?47.007

2. Bayliss (Ducati) 1?47. 043

3. Corser (Suzuki) 1?47.591

6. Barros (Klaffi Honda) 1?47.769

 

[KUCIAR666]

Qualifying 2
1 Corser T. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'47.591 1'46.564 1'46.564 34
2 Bayliss T. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 1'47.043 1'46.984 1'46.984 38
3 Pitt A. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 1'47.793 1'46.985 1'46.985 36
4 Haga N. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 1'47.007 1'48.026 1'47.007 36
5 Toseland J. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'47.751 1'47.094 1'47.094 38
6 Kagayama Y. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'48.828 1'47.199 1'47.199 35
7 Barros A. Klaffi Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'47.769 1'47.218 1'47.218 46
8 Laconi R. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'47.763 1'47.352 1'47.352 30
9 Muggeridge K. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'49.764 1'47.414 1'47.414 34
10 Xaus R. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 1'47.852 1'47.865 1'47.852 20
11 Walker C. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'48.530 1'47.866 1'47.866 22
12 Nieto F. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 2. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'49.578 1'47.869 1'47.869 37
13 Fabrizio M. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'48.070 1'47.927 1'47.927 38
14 Foret F. Alstare Eng. Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'50.711 1'47.935 1'47.935 32
15 Lanzi L. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 1'48.575 1'47.937 1'47.937 32
16 Rolfo R. Ducati SC - Caracchi. Ducati 999 F05 1'48.334 1'47.959 1'47.959 36
17 Borciani M. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 1'54.265 1'48.122 1'48.122 25
18 Gimbert S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 1'48.871 1'48.208 1'48.208 36
19 Neukirchner M. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 1'48.712 1'48.310 1'48.310 21
20 Nakatomi S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone 2. Yamaha YZF R1 1'49.890 1'48.414 1'48.414 38
21 Clementi I. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 1'49.226 1'48.526 1'48.526 27
22 Nannelli G. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'50.183 1'48.913 1'48.913 19
23 Martin S. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 1'51.183 1'48.939 1'48.939 30
24 Iannuzzo V. Celani Team Suzuki Italia. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'49.650 1'49.152 1'49.152 34
25 Alfonsi L. PN Corse. Ducati 999 RS 1'49.357 1'49.207 1'49.207 30
26 Brignola N. Team Guandalini. Ducati 999 RS 1'49.475 1'49.513 1'49.475 34
27 Abe N. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 1'49.497 1'49.497 11
28 Mauri L. Spring Ducati. Ducati 999 RS 1'50.383 1'50.892 1'50.383 25
29 Battaini F. Kawasaki Bertocchi. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'53.164 1'50.983 1'50.983 25
30 Jones C. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 1'53.873 1'51.275 1'51.275 30

 

[KUCIAR666]

Qualifying ordeal for FPR at Monza

Foggy PETRONAS Racing?s run of impressive qualifying performances was
brought to a halt at the high-speed Monza circuit today.

Having achieved consecutive front row starting positions in the
previous two rounds of the Superbike World Championship, Steve Martin was only
able to qualify in 23rd position having missed out on Superpole.
Team-mate Craig Jones, on his first visit to the Italian circuit, will start
tomorrow?s races from 30th position.

Despite stability problems on the start-finish straight, both riders
were able to improve on yesterday?s times by 1.5 seconds and Steve?s
fastest lap on race rubber was nearly two seconds quicker than his best
time on qualifying rubber last year.

However, in dry and warm conditions conducive to fast times, Troy
Corser claimed pole position with a new best lap at the circuit of 1:46.564,
while championship rival Troy Bayliss set a new top speed of 314kmh,
highlighting the power deficit faced by the FPR team.

Steve said: ?I can take some positives out of the day. I think the lap
of 1:48.9 this morning was about as quick as we are going to go at this
circuit. I am pretty sure we are getting the most out of our package
although we still need to get rid of high-speed weave when the tyres are
worn. I will be happy if we can have two consistent and trouble-free
races tomorrow.?

Craig said: ?We have tried everything except turning the bike upside
down to try and get rid of the wobble down the start-finish straight. I
am probably losing around half a second down that straight alone and we
need to make improvements overnight if I am going to be able to race
with anyone tomorrow.?

Superpole results, Superbike World Championship, Monza, Italy: 1 Corser
1:46.058; 2 Bayliss 1:46.360; 3 Barros 1:46.511; 4 Laconi 1:46.597; 5
Walker 1:46.978; 6 Pitt 1:47.015; 7 Muggeridge 1:47.082; 8 Toseland
1:47.133; 9 Kagayama 1:47.156; 10 Haga 1:47.627; 11 Rolfo 1:47.975; 12
Foret 1:48.009; 13 Lanzi 1:48.170; 14 Nieto 1:48.240; 15 Fabrizio 1:48.969;
16 Xaus, no time.

Saturday qualifying results (best time bracketed): 1 Corser (Alstare
Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:46.564; 2 Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 1:46.984; 3 Pitt
(Yamaha Italia) 1:46.985; 4 Haga (Yamaha Italia) 1:48.026 (1:47.007); 5
Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:47.094; 6 Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki
Corona Extra) 1:47.199; 7 Barros (Klaffi Honda) 1:47.218; 8 Laconi
(PSG-1 Kawasaki) 1:47.352; 9 Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:47.414;
10 Xaus (Sterilgarda-Berik) 1:47.865 (1:47.851); 23 Martin (Foggy
PETRONAS Racing) 1:48.939; 30 Jones (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:51.275

 

[KUCIAR666]

FRee Practice
1 Corser T. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'46.576 21
2 Bayliss T. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 1'46.700 21
3 Barros A. Klaffi Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'46.866 23
4 Muggeridge K. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'47.154 17
5 Laconi R. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'47.233 19
6 Toseland J. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'47.422 20
7 Haga N. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 1'47.438 18
8 Kagayama Y. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'47.526 22
9 Pitt A. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 1'47.555 20
10 Foret F. Alstare Eng. Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'48.049 22
11 Walker C. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'48.054 6
12 Nieto F. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 2. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'48.138 20
13 Rolfo R. Ducati SC - Caracchi. Ducati 999 F05 1'48.147 15
14 Fabrizio M. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'48.227 19
15 Xaus R. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 1'48.294 19
16 Nakatomi S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone 2. Yamaha YZF R1 1'48.359 23
17 Clementi I. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 1'48.651 4
18 Lanzi L. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 1'48.679 18
19 Gimbert S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 1'48.717 21
20 Nannelli G. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'49.129 15
21 Brignola N. Team Guandalini. Ducati 999 RS 1'49.260 20
22 Iannuzzo V. Celani Team Suzuki Italia. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'49.422 18
23 Neukirchner M. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 1'49.532 6
24 Borciani M. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 1'49.754 9
25 Martin S. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 1'49.889 18
26 Alfonsi L. PN Corse. Ducati 999 RS 1'49.911 18
27 Mauri L. Spring Ducati. Ducati 999 RS 1'50.176 10
28 Battaini F. Kawasaki Bertocchi. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'50.530 21
29 Jones C. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 1'51.501 20

 

[KUCIAR666]

WSB : Yamaha men ready for Monza
Round: 4 - Italy
Circuit: Monza
Date: 6 May 2006
Temp: 23?C
Weather: Sunny

Yamaha Motor Italia riders Andrew Pitt and Noriyuki Haga go into
tomorrow's Monza races in good spirits after a strong showing in today's
final qualifying sessions.

Both riders have run consistently at the top of the timesheets, with
Pitt third and Haga fourth at the end of the two one-hour qualifying
sessions. Both men were to lose places in their grid deciding one-lap
superpole runs, but with the leading riders covered by just fractions of a
second around this long and fast circuit, Pitt and Haga are confident
they can challenge at the front in what looks like being a pair of
thrilling races.

Haga, who was fastest in yesterday's practice session, went into
superpole as the fourth fastest rider but was hampered by a vibration from
the rear of his machine. The Japanese star parked his machine immediately
after crossing the finish line, with the source of the vibration being
traced to a faulty component. The problem caused Haga to slip back to
10th on tomorrow's grid, although the rider is confident of running with
the leaders in tomorrow's races.

Pitt ended regular qualifying as one of only three riders to break into
the 1:46 bracket but was unable to replicate his best time on his
superpole lap. The Australian was hampered on his flying lap due to the
engine mapping switch not being set to the optimum position. Despite this
handicap, Pitt was on schedule to take pole position at the second
intermediate point, only to make a mistake on entry to the Parabolica
corner. He ended the day in sixth position, confident he can make a good
start and join the leading slipstreaming group around this unique circuit.

Yamaha Motor France's three riders missed out on superpole at Monza.
Frenchman Sebastien Gimbert was 18th fastest in the two one-hour
sessions, only just missing out on a top 16 superpole place when his best time
was eclipsed in the dying moments of the second session.

Norick Abe missed the morning's final qualifying session as a result of
the crash he had yesterday. Abe's best time of 1:49.497, set in
Friday's less favourable conditions, was still good enough to qualify him for
the races and the former MotoGP rider has been passed to ride by
medical staff. Should he be fit enough to ride, he will start tomorrow's
races from 27th. Team-mate Shinichi Nakatomi improved his Friday time by
over a second to start from 20th place in his first visit to the historic
circuit.

Pole position for tomorrow's races goes to world champion Troy Corser
(Suzuki) from his countryman Troy Bayliss (Ducati). Alex Barros (Honda)
and Regis Laconi (Kawasaki) complete the front row.

Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"My superpole lap wasn't that great. We only realized afterwards that
we were using the wrong engine map setting and that would have cost us a
little bit of power. Probably someone knocked it when they were taking
the bike back to the pits after I ran out of fuel, but it's not a big
deal, as I made a mess going into the last corner of my superpole lap
and that has probably cost us a place on the front row. I'm quite happy
though, because we are able to do good lap times on the race tyre. It's
all about getting away with the leading group around here and from the
second row I'm quite confident that won't be a problem for us."

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"I felt a problem from the back of my bike throughout the superpole
lap, a banging or vibration that said something was not right. I also had
some fluid come up on my visor as I went into Parabolica, so I thought
that it was best to park the bike at the end of the straight, just in
case something serious was wrong. Superpole was not so good but for the
race I think we are in good condition. The races will be close but I
will try my hardest to go for the win."

Massimo Meregalli (Team Corodinator - Yamaha Motor Italia)
"Noriyuki wasn't as fast today as he was yesterday but I am confident
that he will find his best form for the races as he always does. Andrew
was also able to do a good race simulation today and we are ready for
what should be some interesting races."

Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France)
"We made some progress today and I was able to go faster in the
afternoon practice session than I did in qualifying. This looks good for the
race and after some good results in Valencia hopefully we can find some
more points in the races tomorrow."

Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France)
"I am planning to race tomorrow but today I had too much pain in my
back and wrists to ride. It was a very big crash and thankfully I cannot
remember anything about it. Nothing is broken and the doctors say that I
can race, although I decided not ride today so that I can be in the
best condition for tomorrow."

Round: 4 - Italy
Circuit: Monza
Circuit Length: 5792
Lap Record: 1' 47.434 (Troy Bayliss, 2002)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 46.058 (Troy Corser, 2006)
Date: 6 May 2006
Temp: 23?C

Session 2 :
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. 1st Qualifying 2nd Qualifying
Superpole
1 T. Corser Suzuki AUS 1' 47.591 1' 46.564 1' 46.058
2 T. Bayliss Ducati AUS 1' 47.043 1' 46.984 1' 46.360
3 A. Barros Honda BRA 1' 47.769 1' 47.218 1' 46.511
4 R. Laconi Kawasaki FRA 1' 47.763 1' 47.352 1' 46.597
5 C. Walker Kawasaki GBR 1' 48.530 1' 47.866 1' 46.978
6 A. Pitt Yamaha AUS 1' 47.793 1' 46.985 1' 47.015
7 K. Muggeridge Honda AUS 1' 49.764 1' 47.414 1' 47.082
8 J. Toseland Honda GBR 1' 47.751 1' 47.094 1' 47.133
9 Y. Kagayama Suzuki JPN 1' 48.828 1' 47.199 1' 47.156
10 N. Haga Yamaha JPN 1' 47.007 1' 48.026 1' 47.627
11 R. Rolfo Ducati ITA 1' 48.334 1' 47.959 1' 47.975
12 F. Foret Suzuki FRA N/A 1' 47.935 1' 48.009
13 L. Lanzi Ducati ITA 1' 48.575 1' 47.937 1' 48.170
14 F. Nieto Kawasaki ESP 1' 49.578 1' 47.869 1' 48.240
15 M. Fabrizio Honda ITA 1' 48.070 1' 47.927 1' 48.969
18 S. Gimbert Yamaha FRA 1' 48.871 1' 48.208
20 S. Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 1' 49.890 1' 48.414
27 N. Abe Yamaha JPN 1' 49.497 N/A

WSS : Vizziello speeds to second in Monza
Round: 4 - Italy WSS
Circuit: Monza
Date: 6 May 2006
Temp: 22?C
Weather: Sunny

Gianluca Vizziello was the leading Yamaha rider in today's final world
supersport qualifying session at Monza.

The Yamaha Team Italia rider gunned his R6 around the fast Italian
circuit in 1:51.753, an average speed of over 186kph, to take second on the
grid for tomorrow's 16-lap race. The local rider won a national
championship race at the circuit last weekend and would love to become the
first man to win a world championship race on the latest model YZF-R6 in
what is just his and the bike's fourth race in the class.

In a close qualifying session, Yamaha Motor Germany's Kevin Curtain
continued his run of front row starts, claiming fourth spot with a best
time of 1:51.878. Vizziello's team-mate Massimo Roccoli had his best
performance of the season in fifth but, by contrast, Yamaha Motor Germany's
Broc Parkes suffered his worst qualifying of the year at Monza. He was
one of the few riders who failed to improve his Friday time and will
start from the third row, in 11th position. The Australian put his lowly
position down to nothing more than being unable to put a consistent lap
together but is confident of improving in the race.

Pole position for tomorrow's race goes to championship leader Sebastien
Charpentier (Honda).

Round: 4 - Italy WSS
Circuit: Monza
Circuit Length: 5792
Lap Record: 1' 52.635 (Chris Vermeulen, 2003)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 50.580 (Sebastien Charpentier, 2006)
Date: 6 May 2006
Temp: 22?C

Session 1 :
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. 1st Qualifying 2nd Qualifying
1 S. Charpentier Honda FRA 1' 51.061 1' 50.580
2 G. Vizziello Yamaha ITA 1' 52.460 1' 51.753
3 K. Fujiwara Honda JPN 1' 51.844 1' 51.829
4 K. Curtain Yamaha AUS 1' 52.038 1' 51.878
5 M. Roccoli Yamaha ITA 1' 53.501 1' 52.006
6 R. Harms Honda DNK 1' 53.021 1' 52.082
7 K. Sofuoglu Honda TUR 1' 52.313 1' 52.645
8 Y. Tibero Honda FRA 1' 52.444 1' 52.466
9 S. Le Grelle Honda BEL 1' 53.479 1' 52.525
10 J. Stigefelt Honda SWE 1' 52.861 1' 52.530
11 B. Parkes Yamaha AUS 1' 52.602 1' 52.687
12 C. Zaiser Ducati AUT 1' 52.706 1' 52.915
13 S. Chambon Kawasaki FRA 1' 53.722 1' 52.762
14 B. Veneman Suzuki NED 1' 53.526 1' 52.877
15 S. Cruciani Honda ITA 1' 53.221 1' 52.922
16 K. Andersen Suzuki NOR 1' 54.575 1' 52.949
18 X. Fores Yamaha ESP 1' 54.949 1' 53.235
20 V. Kallio Yamaha FIN 1' 53.755 1' 53.612
21 D. Checa Yamaha ESP 1' 53.863 1' 53.623

Superpole
1 Corser T. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'47.591 1'46.564 1'46.058 34
2 Bayliss T. Ducati 999 F06 1'47.043 1'46.984 1'46.360 38
3 Barros A. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'47.769 1'47.218 1'46.511 46
4 Laconi R. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'47.763 1'47.352 1'46.597 30
5 Walker C. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'48.530 1'47.866 1'46.978 22
6 Pitt A. Yamaha YZF R1 1'47.793 1'46.985 1'47.015 36
7 Muggeridge K. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'49.764 1'47.414 1'47.082 34
8 Toseland J. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'47.751 1'47.094 1'47.133 38
9 Kagayama Y. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'48.828 1'47.199 1'47.156 35
10 Haga N. Yamaha YZF R1 1'47.007 1'48.026 1'47.627 36
11 Rolfo R. Ducati 999 F05 1'48.334 1'47.959 1'47.975 36
12 Foret F. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'50.711 1'47.935 1'48.009 32
13 Lanzi L. Ducati 999 F06 1'48.575 1'47.937 1'48.170 32
14 Nieto F. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'49.578 1'47.869 1'48.240 37
15 Fabrizio M. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'48.070 1'47.927 1'48.969 38
16 Xaus R. Ducati 999 F05 1'47.852 1'47.865 20
Others in Grid
1 Borciani M. Ducati 999 F05 1'54.265 1'48.122 25
2 Gimbert S. Yamaha YZF R1 1'48.871 1'48.208 36
3 Neukirchner M. Ducati 999 RS 1'48.712 1'48.310 21
4 Nakatomi S. Yamaha YZF R1 1'49.890 1'48.414 38
5 Clementi I. Ducati 999 RS 1'49.226 1'48.526 27
6 Nannelli G. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'50.183 1'48.913 19
7 Martin S. Petronas FP1 1'51.183 1'48.939 30
8 Iannuzzo V. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'49.650 1'49.152 34
9 Alfonsi L. Ducati 999 RS 1'49.357 1'49.207 30
10 Brignola N. Ducati 999 RS 1'49.475 1'49.513 34
11 Abe N. Yamaha YZF R1 1'49.497 11
12 Mauri L. Ducati 999 RS 1'50.383 1'50.892 25
13 Battaini F. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'53.164 1'50.983 25
14 Jones C. Petronas FP1 1'53.873 1'51.275 30

Team Klaffi Honda -SBKMonza - Alex Barros starts from front row

The Parabolica this immense turn at the circuit of Monza is legendary. The whole track is a challenge for the rider. Here he may show his real performance and the power of his bike. And Alex Barros did it!
In the second qualifying today he already improved his lap time. With a 1?47.218 he finished 6th after a small mistake in the last lap.
Only some hours later Alex demonstrated how fast he really is. He did a 1?46.866 lap time in the free practice and was on third position.
In the Superpole Alex was brilliant again! 1?46.511! This was the third fastest lap time in the competition. Only Corser and Bayliss were faster than the Brazilian rider of Team Klaffi Honda. Tomorrow Alex Barros starts from the third position in the front Row.


Superpole and Starting Grid
1 Corser T. (Suzuki) 1'46.058
2 Bayliss T. (Ducati) 1'46.360
3 Barros A. (Klaffi Honda) 1'46.511
4 Laconi R. (Kawasaki) 1'46.597

 

[KUCIAR666]

Race 1
1 Bayliss T. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 32'23.100 18
2 Barros A. Klaffi Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 32'27.082 18
3 Corser T. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 32'27.316 18
4 Haga N. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 32'27.495 18
5 Pitt A. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 32'36.705 18
6 Muggeridge K. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 32'36.765 18
7 Laconi R. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 32'37.166 18
8 Rolfo R. Ducati SC - Caracchi. Ducati 999 F05 32'42.270 18
9 Lanzi L. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 32'48.829 18
10 Nakatomi S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone 2. Yamaha YZF R1 32'51.450 18
11 Walker C. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 32'52.739 18
12 Gimbert S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 32'53.454 18
13 Foret F. Alstare Eng. Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 33'06.938 18
14 Alfonsi L. PN Corse. Ducati 999 RS 33'07.412 18
15 Clementi I. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 33'07.630 18
16 Brignola N. Team Guandalini. Ducati 999 RS 33'28.882 18
17 Mauri L. Spring Ducati. Ducati 999 RS 33'29.602 18
18 Battaini F. Kawasaki Bertocchi. Kawasaki ZX10R 33'52.893 18
19 Toseland J. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 28'52.838 16
20 Martin S. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 11'16.736 6
21 Jones C. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 7'42.831 4
22 Kagayama Y. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 5'28.055 3
23 Borciani M. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 3'50.663 2
24 Abe N. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1
25 Iannuzzo V. Celani Team Suzuki Italia. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6
26 Nannelli G. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR
27 Neukirchner M. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS
28 Xaus R. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05
29 Fabrizio M. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR
30 Nieto F. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 2. Kawasaki ZX10R

Race 2
1 Bayliss T. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 32'17.705 18
2 Corser T. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 32'19.621 18
3 Haga N. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 32'24.184 18
4 Barros A. Klaffi Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 32'27.932 18
5 Toseland J. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 32'29.615 18
6 Pitt A. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 32'35.256 18
7 Muggeridge K. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 32'35.425 18
8 Nieto F. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 2. Kawasaki ZX10R 32'35.530 18
9 Walker C. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 32'40.578 18
10 Rolfo R. Ducati SC - Caracchi. Ducati 999 F05 32'49.308 18
11 Lanzi L. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 32'49.315 18
12 Nakatomi S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone 2. Yamaha YZF R1 32'51.987 18
13 Foret F. Alstare Eng. Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 32'52.978 18
14 Fabrizio M. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 32'53.011 18
15 Xaus R. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 32'58.227 18
16 Abe N. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 33'09.221 18
17 Iannuzzo V. Celani Team Suzuki Italia. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 33'14.101 18
18 Nannelli G. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 33'16.384 18
19 Alfonsi L. PN Corse. Ducati 999 RS 33'16.840 18
20 Brignola N. Team Guandalini. Ducati 999 RS 33'18.696 18
21 Borciani M. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 33'30.286 18
22 Mauri L. Spring Ducati. Ducati 999 RS 33'44.088 18
23 Battaini F. Kawasaki Bertocchi. Kawasaki ZX10R 33'44.659 18
24 Clementi I. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 9'14.937 5
25 Gimbert S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 6'03.252 3
26 Laconi R. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 3'39.514 2
27 Martin S. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 3'57.819 2
28 Kagayama Y. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 4'22.827 2
29 Neukirchner M. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 1'54.503 1
30 Jones C. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1

 

[KUCIAR666]

WSB : Haga gives Yamaha Motor Italia plenty to cheer in Monza
Round: 4 - Italy
Circuit: Monza
Date: 7 May 2006
Crowd: 90000
Temp: 22?C
Weather: Sunny

Noriyuki Haga gave the Tifosi plenty to cheer about with a fine podium
finish at Monza today. The ever-popular Yamaha Motor Italia star
equaled his best ever result around the historic circuit with third place in
race two to the delight of his locally based team and a large and
passionate crowd.

Race one saw Haga involved in a three-way battle for second place with
Troy Corser (Suzuki) and Alex Barros (Honda), which ultimately saw him
finish fourth at the end of 18 grueling laps. For race two the Japanese
star made some small changes to the suspension of his YZF-R1, allowing
him to lead the way with Corser and Troy Bayliss (Ducati) until a lack
of grip in the closing stages forced him to consolidate his podium
finish.

Team-mate Andrew Pitt also gave two stirring performances despite
failing to get off the line cleanly. The Australian found himself boxed in
at Monza's notoriously slow first chicane, which meant that he was
unable get away with the leading group. In both races Pitt was able to run
similar lap times to the leaders, allowing him to work his way up to the
second group. In both instances he was able to finish at the head of
the pack, for fifth place in race one and sixth in race two.

Bayliss won both races to extend his lead in the championship to 36
points over Corser, who was third and second in today's races. Haga lies
fifth in the championship but with a reduced gap to third. The Yamaha
rider is just four points behind James Toseland (Honda) and two adrift of
fourth placed Barros.

Yamaha Motor France's riders had mixed fortunes in Monza. World
superbike rookie Shinichi Nakatomi continued to impress with a season best
tenth in race one and 12th in race two. The Japanese rider came from 20th
on the grid and was dicing with illustrious company throughout the
races, one of whom was team-mate Sebastien Gimbert, who finished 12th in
race one before retiring with clutch problems in the second.

But Norick Abe suffered a nightmare in Monza and received no reward for
a gritty performance. After missing the Saturday practice sessions
through injury, Abe must have wished he had stayed in his motorhome after
becoming one of seven riders to go down in a first corner pile-up in
race one. For race two he came from 27th on the grid to finish the race
16th, a fine performance for a rider suffering neck and wrist injuries
but unfortunately not one which brought any championship points. Despite
his failure to score, Abe remains in the championship's top ten,
dropping just one place to ninth. Nakatomi moves up to 17th and Gimbert 22nd.
The next race takes place at the Silverstone circuit in three weekend's
time.

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"I'm very happy to finally get on the podium in Monza. We had two hard
races and in the second I thought that I could stay with Bayliss and
Corser but I had a small problem with rear grip. Our bike has worked very
well this weekend and I am pleased for that I can make this good result
at the home race of my team. I am now looking to get another good
result in Silverstone as this is a track I like very much and where we had
the first podium for the R1 last year."

Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"It was all about making a good start and unfortunately in both races I
couldn't get cleanly through the first chicane. I thought that I rode
well and my lap times were the same as the guys in the front group but
they had already made a break and it was impossible to catch them. I'm
disappointed as I expected more and thought we could be on the podium
today but in both races I beat the guys I was racing with and that's
about as much as I could do."

Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France)
"I was too far behind on the start but on the track I could catch
people. After ten or 11 laps I was catching again but l missed a gear and
lost about five positions. After that, I had to work very hard but we got
some points in both races. It was a positive for us."

Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France)
"It was a difficult weekend, for the team and for me. We had big
problems with the clutch. In the first race it was not so bad but the second
race was no good for me."

Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France)
"We had very bad luck this weekend. My big crash on Friday was my
mistake but also caused by the rainy conditions. So in first race I made a
good start but somebody made a big mistake and many riders went out.
That one was not my fault. In race two my right hand was in more pain than
the first race and we didn't not have ideal settings because we had to
miss practice sessions."

Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator - Yamaha Motor Italia)
"On Friday we felt that a podium was possible and although it didn't go
so well in final qualifying I was confident that both riders could
challenge after a good performance in the warm-up this morning. I'm pleased
for Noriyuki because on Thursday he said to me that he never finishes
on the podium here. Andrew also rode well and has been strong all
weekend, so we can go to Silverstone confident of challenging for the podium
again."

Martial Garcia (Team Manager - Yamaha Motor France)
"Nakatomi confirmed his good result of the first race in the second
one, although this time there was no big crash like in race one, so more
riders finished. Gimbert had a big problem with the clutch so he could
not ride the bike. For Abe the situation was clear and he only rode for
the team, only for us, so true thanks to him. He tried his heart out
but missed a point by only one position in race two."

Race classification WSB

Round: 4 - Italy
Circuit: Monza
Circuit Length: 5792
Lap Record: 1' 46.815 (Troy Bayliss, 2006)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 46.815 (Troy Bayliss, 2006)

Race: 18 Laps
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 T. Bayliss Ducati AUS 32' 23.100
2 A. Barros Honda BRA +3.982
3 T. Corser Suzuki AUS +4.216
4 N. Haga Yamaha JPN +4.395
5 A. Pitt Yamaha AUS +13.605
6 K. Muggeridge Honda AUS +13.665
7 R. Laconi Kawasaki FRA +14.066
8 R. Rolfo Ducati ITA +19.170
9 L. Lanzi Ducati ITA +25.729
10 S. Nakatomi Yamaha JPN +28.350
11 C. Walker Kawasaki GBR +29.639
12 S. Gimbert Yamaha FRA +30.354
13 F. Foret Suzuki FRA +43.838
14 L. Alfonsi Ducati ITA +44.312
15 I. Clementi Ducati ITA +44.530

Race 2: 18 Laps
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 T. Bayliss Ducati AUS 32' 17.705
2 T. Corser Suzuki AUS +1.916
3 N. Haga Yamaha JPN +6.479
4 A. Barros Honda BRA +10.227
5 J. Toseland Honda GBR +11.910
6 A. Pitt Yamaha AUS +17.551
7 K. Muggeridge Honda AUS +17.720
8 F. Nieto Kawasaki ESP +17.825
9 C. Walker Kawasaki GBR +22.873
10 R. Rolfo Ducati ITA +31.603
11 L. Lanzi Ducati ITA +31.610
12 S. Nakatomi Yamaha JPN +34.282
13 F. Foret Suzuki FRA +35.273
14 M. Fabrizio Honda ITA +35.306
15 R. Xaus Ducati ESP +40.552
16 N. Abe Yamaha JPN +51.516

Fastest Race Lap:
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 T. Bayliss Ducati AUS 1' 46.815

Championship standings WSB

Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points
1 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 175
2 Troy Corser Suzuki AUS 139
3 James Toseland Honda GBR 97
4 Alex Barros Honda BRA 95
5 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 93
6 Andrew Pitt Yamaha AUS 79
7 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 59
8 Roberto Rolfo Ducati ITA 46
9 Norick Abe Yamaha JPN 40
10 Fonsi Nieto Kawasaki ESP 37
11 Michel Fabrizio Honda ITA 36
12 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 34
13 Chris Walker Kawasaki GBR 33
14 Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 31
15 Karl Muggeridge Honda AUS 30
17 Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 18
22 Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 7

Manufacturers standings WSB

Pos. Manufacturer Points
1 Ducati 176
2 Suzuki 149
3 Honda 124
4 Yamaha 113
5 Kawasaki 57
6 Petronas 4


WSS : Roccoli tops the R6s in Monza
Round: 4 - Italy
Circuit: Monza
Date: 7 May 2006
Crowd: 90000
Temp: 22?C
Weather: Sunny

Italian youngster Massimo Roccoli had his best result as a world
supersport rider, bringing his Yamaha YZF-R6 home fourth at Monza today.

The Yamaha Team Italia rider survived a last lap scare when he touched
Kenan Sofuoglu (Honda) as he entered Parabolica corner for the final
time. The pair, who had an intense battle in last year's superstock 1000
race at Monza, crossed the line side-by-side with the Yamaha man
getting the verdict by just two-tenths of a second.

Roccoli had been running a quiet race just behind the leading group for
much of the 16 laps, only to be caught as he succumbed to arm pump in
the latter stages of the race. He was unable to fend off the challenge
of championship leader Sebastien Charpentier (Honda), who was charging
through the field after a ride-through penalty, but successfully
defended his place from Sofuoglu and the intense race-long battle between
Yamaha Motor Germany's Broc Parkes and Ducati rider Stuart Easton.

After qualifying down in 11th position Parkes had a difficult race. He
found himself baulked at the first chicane and after picking off a few
places he was unable to find a way past Easton and came home a
disappointed seventh.

It was day that promised so much but delivered so little for Yamaha
Motor Germany. Kevin Curtain led for much of the way, until a technical
problem halted him with four laps remaining. The Australian had been
involved in a thrilling battle with eventual winner Yoann Tiberio (Honda)
when his engine expired at the end of the home straight. Despite failing
to score Curtain retains his second place in the championship
standings. Third place for Charpentier sees him extend his lead over Curtain to
31 points with second-placed Monza finisher Robbin Harms (Honda) a
further eight points adrift in third. Parkes remains fifth in the
championship with Roccoli sixth.

Roccoli's team-mate Gianluca Vizziello was another rider to leave Monza
without any points. The Italian had been in sparkling form to qualify
second but he spectacularly crashed out of sixth place after being
baulked by another rider on lap three.

Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia)
"I got a good start and felt that I could fight for the podium today,
but in the end I had some problems with my arm. When Charpentier came
past me I wanted to try and stay with him but he was just too fast and I
had to concentrate on getting the best result possible. The pain in my
arm made it hard for me when entering the corners but I was determined
to get a good result and when Sofuoglu passed me I fought straight
back. I'm happy to get a good result today and finishing so close to the
podium has only made me more determined."

Broc Parkes (Yamaha Motor Germany)
"The main problem was qualifying back on the third row. I was able to
make some good progress until I came across a Ducati that I had
difficulty getting past. Sometimes I was able to get past on the brakes but I
was never quite able to make enough of a break to stop him coming back
at me down the straights."

Kevin Curtain (Yamaha Motor Germany)
"It's disappointing not to be able to take advantage of Charpentier's
penalty and to take some points back but that's life and no one will go
through a season without some bad luck, so hopefully this is ours for
the season. There are still a lot of positives to take from this weekend
and we just have to work hard and focus on Silverstone."

Gianluca Vizziello (Yamaha Team Italia)
"I'm not happy because I knew that I could fight for a good position
and possibly the podium today. Someone cut across me going into Ascari so
I had to brake hard and this made me crash out with Fujiwara."

Race classification WSS

Round: 4 - Italy
Circuit: Monza
Circuit Length: 5792
Lap Record: 1' 51.403 (Sebastien Charpentier, 2006)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 51.403 (Sebastien Charpentier, 2006)

Race: 16 Laps
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 Y. Tibero Honda FRA 30' 14.618
2 R. Harms Honda DNK +1.924
3 S. Charpentier Honda FRA +4.255
4 M. Roccoli Yamaha ITA +7.224
5 K. Sofuoglu Honda TUR +7.499
6 S. Easton Ducati GBR +9.015
7 B. Parkes Yamaha AUS +9.117
8 J. Stigefelt Honda SWE +10.866
9 X. Fores Yamaha ESP +10.997
10 S. Chambon Kawasaki FRA +21.842
11 T. Lauslehto Honda FIN +25.332
12 S. Cruciani Honda ITA +25.478
13 D. Checa Yamaha ESP +26.654
14 V. Kallio Yamaha FIN +34.012
15 K. Andersen Suzuki NOR +38.406

Fastest Race Lap:
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 S. Charpentier Honda FRA 1' 51.403

Championship standings WSS

Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points
1 Sebastien Charpentier Honda FRA 91
2 Kevin Curtain Yamaha AUS 60
3 Robbin Harms Honda DNK 52
4 Yoann Tibero Honda FRA 48
5 Broc Parkes Yamaha AUS 38
6 Massimo Roccoli Yamaha ITA 36
7 Xavi Fores Yamaha ESP 30
8 Johan Stigefelt Honda SWE 28
9 Kenan Sofuoglu Honda TUR 27
10 Joshua Brookes Ducati AUS 21
11 Gianluca Vizziello Yamaha ITA 17
12 Katsuaki Fujiwara Honda JPN 16
13 Christian Zaiser Ducati AUT 15
14 Sebastien Le Grelle Honda BEL 12
15 Stuart Easton Ducati GBR 10
25 David Checa Yamaha ESP 3
26 Didier Van Keymeulen Yamaha BEL 2

Manufacturers standings WSS

Pos. Manufacturer Points
1 Honda 100
2 Yamaha 73
3 Ducati 33
4 Kawasaki 14
5 Suzuki 7


European Superstock : Corti tenth in Monza
Round: 2 - Italy
Circuit: Monza
Date: 7 May 2006
Crowd: 90000
Temp: 22?C
Weather: Sunny

Yamaha Team Italia rider Claudio Corti finished tenth in today's second
round of the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup at his local Monza circuit.

Starting from tenth on the grid following a gear selection problem in
the second qualifying session, the YZF-R1 SP rider made a superb start
to lie third at the end of the opening lap. The 18-year-old from Como
struggled for traction and slipped back into a fierce battle for seventh
place but found himself slipstreamed across the finish line. In a photo
finish, fellow R1 SP riders Ilario Dionsi and Matteo Baiocco passed
Corti across the line - the three Yamahas covered by just one hundredth of
a second at the finish. Emilio Rocamora was 11th on another Yamaha, a
further two hundredths of a seconds behind.

Italian Alessandro Polita (Suzuki) led from start to finish to take his
second win of the season, with Riccardo Chiarello (Kawasaki) and Ayrton
Badovini (MV Agusta) making it an all Italian podium. With two of the
ten rounds gone, Polita leads with a perfect 50 points, 18 ahead of
second placed Badovini. Corti is the top placed Yamaha rider, with 14
points in ninth place.

Claudio Corti (Yamaha Team Italia)
"I made a good start but after a few laps I lost all feeling with the
bike. From then all I could think about was getting some points for the
championship. It's not good but at least I have scored some points
today."

Race classification FIM Superstock 1000 Cup

Round: 2 - Italy
Circuit: Monza
Circuit Length: 5792
Lap Record: 1' 51.212 (Alessandro Polita, 2006)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 51.212 (Alessandro Polita, 2006)

Race: 11 Laps
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 A. Polita Suzuki ITA 20' 31,118.000
2 R. Chiarello Kawasaki ITA +0.357
3 A. Badovini MV Agusta ITA +9.079
4 A. Martinez Mas Kawasaki ESP +9.449
5 L. Scassa MV Agusta ITA +9.531
6 D. Dell'omo Suzuki ITA +10.066
7 D. Sacchetti Kawasaki ITA +15.548
8 I. Dionisi Yamaha ITA +16.711
9 M. Baiocco Yamaha ITA +16.714
10 C. Corti Yamaha ITA +16.725
11 E. Rocamora Yamaha ESP +16.979
12 L. Napoleone Suzuki FRA +19.278
13 S. Saltarelli Kawasaki ITA +25.388
14 M. Jerman Suzuki SVK +28.751
15 P. Solli Yamaha NOR +30.366

Fastest Race Lap:
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 A. Polita Suzuki ITA 1' 51.212

Championship standings FIM Superstock 1000 Cup

Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points
1 Alessandro Polita Suzuki ITA 50
2 Ayrton Badovini MV Agusta ITA 32
3 Luca Scassa MV Agusta ITA 22
4 Riccardo Chiarello Kawasaki ITA 22
5 Alex Martinez Mas Kawasaki ESP 20
6 Ivan Silva Kawasaki ESP 20
7 Denis Sacchetti Kawasaki ITA 19
8 Enrique Rocamora Yamaha ESP 18
9 Claudio Corti Yamaha ITA 14
10 Danilo Dell'omo Suzuki ITA 13
11 Matteo Baiocco Yamaha ITA 12
12 Ilario Dionisi Yamaha ITA 9
13 Simone Saltarelli Kawasaki ITA 9
14 Sheridan Morais Suzuki RSA 9
15 Richard Cooper Honda GBR 4