WSBK-Imola

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The Yamaha WSB Team Set Out for Imola Ready to Fight for the Championship

The Yamaha World Superbike Team are back on track this weekend at the iconic ?Autodromo Enzo and Dino Ferrari? in Imola, for the third Italian race of the 2011 season. This marks the tenth and third last round of calendar and is the third ?home race? for Marco Melandri and the Yamaha World Superbike Team.

Fresh from two very successful days testing in Misano last week, where Melandri was the fastest rider to lap the track throughout the two days, the Italian will be looking to pocket a home victory. Despite being a local track, Imola is yet another unfamiliar circuit for the Romagnolo. From the results so far this year it is clearly evident that new tracks are not an obstacle for Melandri, determined to shine on his home turf, backed by the numerous Italian spectators. Laverty on the other hand has unfinished business in Imola and intends making up for the lack of results last year, having fallen from his machine on the last lap in the World Supersport race, while in third place.

As the season showdown begins, this round is crucial as it could be the title decider, with points leader Carlos Checa holding a 74 point advantage on Melandri, with just 150 points up for grabs in the remaining three rounds. Melandri sets out for Imola aiming for victory in order to keep the Championship title within reach. Team-mate Laverty heads to Imola in fourth place in the standings, just 49 points behind 2010 champion Max Biaggi and with his sights firmly on an obtainable third place.

Marco Melandri
Yamaha World Superbike Team
"Imola is yet another track I am unfamiliar with, it has been more than ten years since I?ve been there. This doesn?t really concern me as I have done well in other new tracks this season and hopefully, I can get good results in Imola also. The two days testing in Misano went well, we made some adjustments to the brake system which I have struggled with on various occasions this year and this has helped me gain more confidence on my machine. It will be an interesting race, where Checa could win the championship. I will give it 100% and do my very best to keep the championship open, even though it won?t be easy."

Eugene Laverty
Yamaha World Superbike Team
"Fresh from the positive tests we just completed in Misano, I?ll be heading to Imola on a high note, which is nice. I struggled with the track a lot two years ago but I feel that last year I cracked it, even though I was unfortunate and came off at the end. I?m curious to try the track with the Superbike machine but it?s so powerful I?m pretty sure it?ll feel like an entirely different track. I?m looking forward to the weekend. It could be very interesting as it could also be the title decider. Checa will be stronger than ever to claim the championship, but I think the Yamahas will also put on a strong fight."
Imola technically speaking according to Silvano Galbusera
Marco Melandri's Crew Chief

"The majority of the track has been re surfaced with new asphalt and we are confident that this should bring an improvement compared to last year. We should experience less problems with bumps on the surface and hopefully the new asphalt will provide good grip. However often new track surfacing takes some time to clean up and therefore it may be tough on tyre wear. We just had two very good days testing in Misano where we worked mainly on improving the brake system with the introduction of new calipers and we also made small adjustments to our electronics. With the strong results at the recent tests we are heading to Imola confident we can have two races and come away with good results."
Imola technically speaking according to Frankie Carchedi
Eugene Laverty's Crew Chief

"Since Nurburgring we have tested at Misano where we were able to evaluate some different geometries and set-ups. We lapped consistently faster than earlier in the year when we raced there, showing the progress that we have made since then. To be successful at Imola you need to be strong in all departments, strong on brakes and a bike that handles well. In the past Imola has been the most difficult track to maintain grip, especially in the hotter temperatures. This year the track has been re surfaced in some areas and could make set-up more difficult. We will start with our base set-up, and during the weekend incorporate the changes we made at the test"

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
"Imola is the first of three rounds which will take place in just four weeks, an intense four weeks for the team and riders, where the championship title will be decided on. We are confident we can be competitive in Imola and that both riders can express their talent and capabilities on the historic track, making the most of the progress made during the recent tests in Misano. Even if it has been more than ten years since Marco has ridden the track, he will give it 100% and be highly competitive in front of his numerous local fans as Imola is infact just a few km from his Ravenna."

2011 World Superbike Italy
Imola 20/09/2011


Circuit Length:
4959

Lap Record:
1'48.877
(Carlos Checa, 01/01/2010)

Fastest Lap Ever:
1'47.735
(Michel Fabrizio, 27/09/2009)

Last Years Winner:
Carlos Checa
Davies Prepares for the Championship Title Fight at Imola this Weekend

A confident Yamaha ParkinGO team is in preparation for the third last round of the season this weekend in Imola, where Chaz Davies could already claim the 2011 World Supersport Championship title.

Davies is leading the championship on 171 points, with an impressive 59 points separating him from Salom in second place and 60 points from Foret in third place, the Welshman just needs to secure third place at the chequered flag to maintain the 50 point advantage he requires to be sure to bag the Championship title. Following his outstanding performance throughout the season, five victories and two podiums in nine races, Davies has clearly demonstrated his determination and capability of powering his Yamaha R6 to grasp the title, three rounds before the season finale.

The Yamaha ParkinGO team is eager to secure the championship on home soil as Imola marks the third ?home race? for the Italian based team. After making progress in the last round in Nurburgring, Luca Scassa heads to his local circuit confident that he can make a podium come back in front of his numerous local fans. The Romagnolo is familiar with the track and is eager to make up for missing out on valuable championship points in the last Italian round in Misano. With just 16 points separating him from Salom in second place in the standings and three rounds remaining, Scassa is setting out for Imola with guns blazing, eyes firmly set on his objective.

Chaz Davies
Yamaha ParkinGO Team
"I?m really looking forward to this weekend, it could be a big one. I?ve raced really hard all season to get ahead and get a good lead in the championship so I wouldn?t feel under pressure at this stage. The bulk of the work is done already and hopefully I can leave Imola with the title. I like the track even though I wasn?t so lucky there last year, with just two corners to go on the last lap and winning seen as Laverty and Sofuoglu had just come off when suddenly I had a technical problem with the bike and lost out on my podium finish. Let?s hope it goes much better this time around. But that?s racing, anything can happen!"
Chaz Davies

2011 World Supersport Italy
Imola 20/09/2011


Circuit Length:
4959

Lap Record:
1'51.645
(Cal Crutchlow, 01/01/2009)

Fastest Lap Ever:
1'50.680
(Cal Crutchlow, 27/09/2009)

 

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New technology for Castrol Honda at Imola

The Castrol Honda World Superbike team will use a new ride-by-wire throttle system in round 11 of the World Superbike championship at Imola in Italy this weekend (23-25 September).

The team has been developing the system for several weeks in preparation for the 2012 season and tested it on the Castrol Honda CBR1000RR machines with Jonathan Rea and Ruben Xaus at a two-day test in Misano last week.

Following an announcement by the Superbike Commission of the FIM (F?d?ration Internationale de Motorcyclisme) last Friday, sanctioning the use of electronically controlled throttle valves, the Castrol Honda team has opted to use it in a race weekend for the first time.

Set in rolling hills 40km south-east of Bologna in northern Italy, the 4.936km Enzo e Dino Ferrari circuit at Imola, 70% of which was resurfaced last month, is one of the most iconic and picturesque on the World Superbike calendar.

Although the Castrol Honda team has enjoyed success at Imola in previous seasons, Jonathan Rea has never finished on the podium there, while Ruben Xaus, who will race this weekend for the first time since injuring his back in July at Brno in the Czech Republic, has enjoyed three race victories.

Jonathan Rea

Imola has so much history and I remember the great battle between Castrol Honda?s Colin Edwards and Troy Bayliss there back in 2002. It?s a circuit I really enjoy riding but I didn?t have so much luck last year, crashing out of a really wet Superpole and breaking my wrist, which ended my season a little prematurely. Since then, I?ve had a similar injury on my other wrist, but it was good to come back at Nurburgring in the last round. The Misano test last week was pretty good and allowed us to see the potential of the new ride-by-wire system. There?s more work to do though, and we?ll continue development of t he package at Imola this weekend with one eye on the 2012 season, although of course I?ll be aiming for two good results for myself and the team.

Ruben Xaus

I always enjoy going back to Imola ? it?s a very special circuit and I have enjoyed some success there in the past. It will be a good place to ride again after two months off the bike after the Brno crash. The test last week at Misano was good for me and I was very happy with the new package, which allows me to be a lot more comfortable on the bike. The CBR feels stronger and faster and I am able to control the bike better, so the two days last week was a good motivation for me. I am really looking forward to riding it again at Imola.

Ronald ten Kate ? team manager

At our two-day test in Misano last week, we started with the new ride-by-wire throttle system which we have been working on for the 2012 season and it was quite successful. In fact, it was good enough for the team and riders to make the decision to develop it further at Imola in a race weekend for the first time after the FIM?s Superbike Commission announcement last week. It means that the final three rounds of this season will give us additional opportunities to test ahead of next year. We?re looking forward to returning to Imola where we have had some quite good results in the past. The circuit has been resurfaced recently though, so we?ll have to see how it works.

 

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Imola The Next Stop For Sykes and Lascorz

The impossibly iconic Imola circuit hosts the 11th round of the WSBK championship this weekend, with Joan Lascorz and recent N?rburgring race winner Tom Sykes ready for action once more.
Imola The Next Stop For Sykes and Lascorz
Sykes and Lascorz will arrive with a positive recent testing experience at the nearby Misano circuit under their belts, while third team member Chris Vermeulen will miss the Misano race as he is still not quite at 100% fitness.

As well as enjoying the recent testing sessions, during which Sykes was second fastest on race tyres and fastest of all on qualifiers, Tom arrives in Imola with the momentum that he and his new Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R have built up after the first win at the N?rburgring last time out. He can also look at some impressive front-running periods from last year?s race on the 2010 Kawasaki to add to his already high confidence level.

Sykes? impressive German weekend takes him to 11th in the overall rankings, with Lascorz only a few points behind in 13th. Both riders have the final three rounds, and six remaining points scoring races, in which to lift themselves higher in the overall rankings.

Roberto Rolfo and Mark Aitchison (Kawasaki Pedercini Team) will be out for more forays into the top places at what is a home track for both Rolfo and his team. Currently Rolfo is 18th overall, and Aitchison 19th.

Tom Sykes: ?We had a great weekend in Germany and we could not have wished for anything else, so massive thanks to all my crew and Kawasaki. To get that win under our belt was a fantastic feeling and we can build on that now. We went to Misano for a test last week and we were fastest in qualifying trim and joint second fastest on race tyres. So I am hoping that some of the information we had there would transfer to Imola for this weekend. Imola is very stop and start, narrow and not so much room for error. Hopefully we can be even stronger than last year and if that is the case we could well taste champagne again. We do not want to get carried away but we need to go there with our heads screwed on and build on the latest information we have from the Misano test.?

Joan Lascorz: ?Our recent tests went well at Misano and we tried some new settings on the machine. They helped me in some areas of the chassis performance so I was happy with that. We will go to Imola to be more consistent in our set-up and get a good grid position in Superpole. Imola can be a very good track for us but we will have to work well to make sure we get away with the leading riders so we can go for the best finish possible in each race.?

 

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BMW Motorrad Motorsport prepare for Imola

Following an eventful weekend at the N?rburgring last time out, the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team now heads to Imola in Italy for the 11th round of this year?s Superbike World Championship.

With Leon Haslam and Troy Corser continuing to push forward the development of the factory S 1000 RR race machine, the experienced pairing will be hoping for success at the circuit which made its return to the WSBK championship in 2009 after extensive improvements.

After an up-and-down weekend in Germany, factory rider Troy Corser is fully focused on the forthcoming races at Imola and improving on what was a difficult weekend for the Australian at the Italian track last year.

?The track is very bumpy in places. It has four different surfaces around it where they resurfaced some parts of the circuit and it is very fast ? especially through ?Aqua Minerale?,? commented Corser. ?It is important that the bike turns well on the throttle, especially on the crests coming over the hill, plus you need good braking stability in order to deal with the heavy braking areas.

?Still, I think we have a package which can cope with the demands and I?m confident that we can get a good result on the RR, especially if we get everything sorted out for Superpole and qualify on the front or second row. My hope is that we can get some podiums in the last part of the season.?

With Leon Haslam having recently announced that he will be staying with the German manufacturer for a second consecutive season, everyone in the BMW Motorrad Motorsport camp will be doing all they can to finish the season on a high and carry some momentum into the winter break.

An optimistic Haslam commented: ?I am looking forward to Imola. We have made progress with the RR now and it is one of my favourite circuits. I really enjoy racing there and the atmosphere is always fantastic. The track is very bumpy and undulating and you need to have your bike working properly to deal with the demands and changes in direction.?

Leon also went on to express his delight in remaining with BMW Motorrad Motorsport for a second season: ?I am really excited about riding for the BMW Motorrad team in 2012. With the changes we have made this year and the changes we are making for next year we are all really excited. But for now we all have to focus on the important final three rounds.?

In what has been an intense first year leading the works team on its WSBK journey, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director Bernhard Gobmeier is hoping to finish the season strongly and is feeling confident of a good result at the Autodromo Enzo E Dino Ferrari circuit.

?The last round at the N?rburgring showed that we are heading in a very positive direction with this project,? said Gobmeier. ?Leon was able to do very good lap times in the dry as well as in the wet, especially in the closing stages of the races. During the final stages of the race he was among the fastest riders on track which is what we have been striving to achieve. Unfortunately he fell in race two due to the conditions, otherwise a podium or even more would have been possible. The information we have collated from our home round gives us optimism going into the final races of the year.?

 

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Melandri Gets to Grips with Imola

Yamaha World Superbike Team riders Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty completed the first qualifying day at the iconic International Autodrome of Enzo and Dino Ferrari in Imola today in scorching hot sunshine.

After 12 years since his 125cc race victory, Melandri returned to his home track in Imola and got straight down to business discovering what the Italian circuit has to offer. The Romagnolo spent this morning?s free practice session getting familiar with the characteristics of the flowing circuit and working on understanding his lines with the powerful R1 machine. Throughout the afternoon?s first qualifying session Melandri made some minor adjustments to the suspension and the electronics, allowing him to shoot up to fourth place in the time sheets mid-session, a position he maintained until the final stages before dropping to fifth. The Italian lapped comfortably and consistently throughout the afternoon and ended the first day at Imola, confident ahead of a promising weekend on his home soil.

Teammate Eugene Laverty completed a less successful first day on the Italian circuit. Having spent the morning?s free practice session working through some minor changes to the base set up, the WSB Rookie was confident to continue making progress in the afternoon?s qualifying session. As the day progressed and the rubber on the newly surfaced track increased, Laverty struggled with a lack of grip on the rear of his machine, preventing him from improving his times. The Northern Irish rider completed the day in 18th place.

Marco Melandri
Yamaha World Superbike Team - 5th, 1'48.844
"Today went quite well, especially considering it?s a new track for me. We got off to a good start but we still have some improvements to make. It?s not easy to manage the horse power of the machine on the many inclines and declines this track has to offer. It was tough work to control the handling of the bike on the ?false? straights, between one curve and the next. We have some adjustments to make for tomorrow but we are going in the right direction and hopefully we?ll make further progress in tomorrow?s second qualifying session."

Eugene Laverty
Yamaha World Superbike Team - 18th, 1'49.991
"That was the toughest Friday I?ve had so far, by a long shot. We struggled with the new surface a lot. The morning wasn?t so bad but with more bikes lapping the track as the day went on, creating more rubber on the surface, the grip got worse and that?s causing us to struggle with our rear setting. We know what to do to improve the issue but we ran out of time in today?s session and got caught out. We have a lot of work ahead of us for tomorrow but we?ll do our best. It?s my learning year in Superbike and sometimes these things happen unfortunately."

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
"It was a positive start for Marco today here at Imola. To complete the session in fifth place after 12 years since he last rode here is pretty good. He has put good consistent laps but is still struggling with the last sector. Our main target for tomorrow is to improve in this area, make some adjustments to the gearbox in order to find better feeling with the front of the machine and improve grip on the rear. We are not satisfied with Eugene?s times this afternoon. We expected him to improve form the morning?s free practice. He and the team will have to work very hard this evening to understand why he struggled so much in the qualifying session. He too will be making adjustments to gearbox and making some changes to the set up to find a better overall feeling on his machine."

2011 World Superbike Italy
Imola 23/09/2011
1 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 1'48.241
2 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 1'48.400
3 Leon Haslam BMW GBR 1'48.701
4 Michel Fabrizio Suzuki ITA 1'48.726
5 Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 1'48.844
6 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 1'48.884
7 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 1'49.003
8 Maxime Berger Ducati FRA 1'49.023
9 Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 1'49.041
10 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1'49.072
11 Federico Sandi Aprilia ITA 1'49.125
12 Alessandro Polita Ducati ITA 1'49.134
13 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 1'49.282
14 Ayrton Badovini BMW ITA 1'49.394
15 Mark Aitchison Kawasaki AUS 1'49.665
18 Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 1'49.991


Circuit Length:
4959

Weather:
Hot and Sunny

Lap Record:
1'48.877
(Carlos Checa, 1/1/2010)

Fastest Lap Ever:
1'47.735
(Michel Fabrizio, 9/27/2009)

Last Years Winner:
Carlos Checa
Impressive First Qualifying for Yamaha ParkinGO Team at Imola

The Yamaha ParkinGO Team riders Luca Scassa and Chaz Davies didn?t waste any time today in Imola, the pair got straight down to business in the Italian sunshine to complete the first qualifying session in first and third places respectively.

Luca Scassa made an impressive start to the weekend at his home track. The Italian was immediately on the pace and making constant progress throughout the day. Having worked through some minor set up changes on his R6, Scassa proceeded to snatch the top of the time sheets from Fabien Foret in the dying minutes and completed the first qualifying session with a provisional pole.

Teammate and title favourite Chaz Davies put on an equally remarkable performance in the first qualifying session of a critical race weekend. Davies will be fighting for the Championship title this weekend and having completed in third place overall, the Welshman wrapped up day one in confidence. Davies intends making some further adjustments to his machine in tomorrow?s session ahead of Sunday?s significant race.

Luca Scassa
Yamaha ParkinGO Team - 1st, 1'52.375
"I?m really pleased with today?s result, it was a good start to an important weekend for me at my home track. I?ve trained a lot recently and I?m really focused on this race and the rest of the season, and will work very hard to climb up the standings. There is still some fine tuning to be done on the bike tomorrow ahead of the second qualifying session. I am confident that with the support of my numerous fans here at my home track, I can gain a podium finish on Sunday and maybe even a race win. That?s my goal and I?ll do my best to get there."

Chaz Davies
Yamaha ParkinGO Team - 3rd, 1'52.736
"My goal today and tomorrow is to concentrate on improving the set-up of the bike without thinking about my chances of winning the title on Sunday. It?s an important weekend for me and I want to be in top form and fully confident with my machine before the race, where I?ll be battling to take the first title of my career. I don?t necessarily need to win on Sunday, but I?ll be pushing for a victory no matter what. "

2011 World Supersport Italy
Imola 23/09/2011
1 Luca Scassa Yamaha ITA 1'52.375
2 Broc Parkes Kawasaki AUS 1'52.553
3 Chaz Davies Yamaha GBR 1'52.736
4 Fabien Foret Honda FRA 1'53.056
5 Alexander Lundh Honda SWE 1'53.301
6 Florian Marino Honda FRA 1'53.329
7 Roberto Tamburini Yamaha ITA 1'53.432
8 David Salom Kawasaki ESP 1'53.471
9 Robbin Harms Honda DNK 1'53.703
10 Sam Lowes Honda GBR 1'53.717
11 Massimo Roccoli Kawasaki ITA 1'53.761
12 Miguel Praia Honda POR 1'54.379
13 Vittorio Iannuzzo Kawasaki ITA 1'54.610
14 James Ellison Honda GBR 1'54.652
15 Ronan Quarmby Triumph RSA 1'54.786

 

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Rea tops the timing sheets at Imola

Jonathan Rea showed that he?s back to full fitness by setting the fastest time in today?s first qualifying session at round 11 of the World Superbike championship at Imola in Italy.

The 24-year-old, who returned to racing three weeks ago at Nurburgring in Germany following a three-month injury lay-off, took his Castrol Honda CBR1000RR to the top slot at the 4.936km Imola circuit in a time of 1m48.241s ? just two tenths quicker than series leader Carlos Checa.

After a successful two-day test at Misano last week, Rea and his team opted to test further a new electronics package on the bike over the Imola race weekend, including a recently-sanctioned ride-by-wire system. Rea?s time was set with the new package.

His Castrol Honda team-mate, Ruben Xaus, racing for the first time since July after his own injury problems, was seventeenth fastest today but the Spaniard is hopeful of further improvement during tomorrow?s qualifying and Superpole sessions.

Jonathan Rea ? P1 1m48.241s

I?m really happy because not only am I showing that I?ve come back strongly from the injury, but we?ve also taken the bike into a completely different ballpark now. It?s one of the many steps that we need to make towards 2012 and at the test in Misano last week we could definitely see the potential. We made the right decision to come here to test the ride-by-wire system and we were prepared to sacrifice time and results to develop this new system. We?ve made really good progress already on engine braking and corner entry. There?s still a lot to do on corner exit but the new surface here is much more grippy and the bike?s working well. After the first day here, it?s nice to see P1 on the board again and it gives the guys something to smile about. We?ll not be resting tonight because there?s a long list of things to work through, but hopefully we can keep improving tomorrow.

Ruben Xaus ? P17 1m49.855s

It?s been busy with the new electronics today and we?ve been using the full package, so there has been a lot of work to do. I think we?re quite satisfied but it?s still hard to get the feeling back after we?ve made some changes to the bike. We are struggling a little in the two sectors with chicanes, where the power delivery is a little strange. If we can work on those areas for tomorrow, we should be able to improve.

Ronald ten Kate ? team manager

Of course, it?s the start of the weekend we were all hoping for but it?s still work in progress. There are still a lot of areas where we have only scratched the surface so far but we are learning more about the new ride-by-wire system with every lap we complete. It?s going well but this is only provisional pole and we still need to work hard on the race set-up. This morning we did a long run with Jonathan which was going very well but I think it will be another long night for the crew to go over all today?s data and improve still further for tomorrow. However, as a team we really needed a day like this again, so we can smile a little tonight as well.



2011 World Superbike championship, round 11 ? Imola, Italy

First qualifying results:



1 Jonathan Rea (GBR) Castrol Honda 1m48.241s

2 Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati 1m48.400s

3 Leon Haslam (GBR) BMW 1m48.701s

4 Michel Fabrizio (ITA) Suzuki 1m48.844s

5 Marco Melandri (ITA) Yamaha 1m48.884s

6 Tom Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki 1m49.003s

17 Ruben Xaus (ESP) Castrol Honda 1m49.855s

 

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Imola front row for Castrol Honda?s Rea

Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow?s two eleventh-round World Superbike championship races from the front row of the grid after setting the second fastest time in this afternoon?s Superpole sessions at Imola in Italy.

Rea was pipped to pole position by series leader Carlos Checa, whose time around the 4.936km Imola circuit was just a tenth of a second under that of the Northern Irishman. Noriyuki Haga was third, with Tom Sykes rounding out a four-manufacturer front row.

Having been fastest in yesterday?s qualifying session, Rea was second fastest this morning as he and his Castrol Honda team continue to develop a new ride-by-wire system for their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblades.

The system allows Rea?s data engineers to dial in precise throttle opening electronically, rather than using a physical cable. However, the team is keen to emphasise that the system is still in the early stages of development.
< br />Rea?s Castrol Honda team-mate, Ruben Xaus, is also developing the new electronics package and will start tomorrow?s two 21-lap Imola races from the fifth row of the grid.

Jonathan Rea ? P2 1m47.274s

We were nearly there! I made a mistake on my first lap in Superpole three and, although I had another go, I?d used up most of the tyre by then. But it?s SO nice to be back here and, although Superpole is pretty minor compared to the races, we?re in a good position, so I?m really looking forward to them. It?s been a big journey to get here, recovering from injury with the help of medical staff and my family, but the team has also been working so hard with this new system. While I?m really looking forward to racing here at Imola tomorrow, we?ve got one eye on 2012 and I?ve a sneaking suspicion we can be quite competitive then as well.

Ruben Xaus ? P20 1m49.595s

Well it?s been another busy day as we work with the new system. It?s obviously working well with Johnny but I?m still having a few problems getting it to work well for me. There is lots of information to work through tonight but we always knew this weekend was going to be a bit of a test for me and the new system. Hopefully, something will be seen in the data tonight that will give us something to try tomorrow.

Ronald ten Kate ? team manager

We came here with a mission to use this event to develop the ride-by-wire system and we were all pretty clear that we would sacrifice results to follow that path. As a matter of fact it has turned out beautifully for us. We?ve spent a long time setting it up and we?ve got a result as well! However, we are under no illusions about where we are and how much time we still need on it. The specific layout of the track here a nd the new tarmac over much of it is suiting the bike very well ? there are no bumps and lots of grip, which makes it easier for us. That doesn?t take anything away from the success so far this weekend and, on longer runs, the new technology is also helping Jonathan keep a very consistent pace. For sure, this was not a one-lap wonder and we believe we have a set-up to bang out some fast laps tomorrow, too.

2011 World Superbike championship, round 11 ? Imola, Italy
Final qualifying results:
1 Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati 1m47.196s
2 Jonathan Rea (GBR) Castrol Honda 1m47.274s
3 Noryuki Haga (JPN) Aprilia 1m47.442s
4 Tom Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki 1m47.468s
5 Eugene Laverty (IRL) Yamaha 1m47.929s
6 Leon Hasalm (GBR) BMW 1m48.081s
20 Ruben Xaus (ESP) Castrol Honda 1m49.595s

 

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Super sixth for Haslam at Imola Superpole

2011 Superbike World Championship, round 11 Superpole qualifying report, Imola, Italy

After a scorching Superpole session at the legendary Imola race circuit, BMW Motorrad Motorsport?s Leon Haslam will start from sixth on the grid for tomorrow?s races after an enthralling afternoon out on track. On the other side of the garage Troy Corser was doing his utmost to match the blistering speed of his charging team-mate but sadly finished up 15th and therefore on the fourth row of the grid. BMW Motorrad Italia rider Ayrton Badovini had struggled with technical issues earlier in the weekend but put all that behind him, finishing an impressive seventh on the grid for his home race.

With the 16 fastest riders decided earlier today in the morning?s final qualifying practice, the stage was set once again for an amazing battle. With Max Biaggi missing out on his home race due to an injury sustained at the N?rburgring last time out, it was up to the other riders to try and take the championship away from Carlos Checa, who has the potential to clinch the title this weekend. After an encouraging start to proceedings, both Leon Haslam and Troy Corser looked fit and ready to spoil the party during Superpole, in what were stiflingly hot conditions.

After finishing third fastest in the final free practice before Superpole1, hard-charging Brit Haslam was full of confidence and looked comfortable aboard the S 1000 RR. As SP1 got underway, Leon again was one of the first riders to post a lap time and slipped into sixth after two flying laps on race rubber. Troy Corser was also looking to prove a point as the season nears its end but could only post a time of 1:48.894, which was not good enough to advance to the next stage. He will start tomorrow from 15th on the grid. Ayrton Badovini also switched to qualifying tyres halfway through the session and finished up in tenth ? one place in front of Haslam ? but both progressed safely through to SP2.

For Superpole 2 it was again down to Badovini and Haslam to fly the flag for BMW Motorrad as both looked for that all important place in SP3. With two sets of qualifying tyres remaining, Haslam was ready to mount a challenge, but his first two flying laps left him bottom of the pile in 12th at the halfway stage. Badovini again looked calm and composed at his home circuit and managed to post his fastest lap of the weekend with a time of 1:47.774, leaving him in fourth as the riders pulled in for new rubber. But Haslam returned to the circuit ready to make amends and replied with his fastest time of the weekend ? a 1:47.676 ? which secured him a spot in SP3, eventually finishing sixth with Badovini scraping through in eighth. Interestingly, the top eight riders were separated by less than half a second.

Superpole 3 was a straight shoot-out for pole position and with lap times so close it was a case of who could keep the coolest. Again Haslam continued his relentless pace, posting a time of 1:48.081, leaving him sixth with two minutes remaining, one place in front of BMW Italia rider Ayrton Badovini. Despite the best efforts of both riders that was how it finished with Leon and Ayrton lining the second row in sixth and seventh, while Carlos Checa took pole once again with an astonishing lap time of 1:47.196, ahead of Rea and Haga.


Leon Haslam: ?All weekend I have been feeling confident and we managed to get the RR working well yesterday which gave me a lot of confidence coming into Superpole. But today we had a few issues with the bike which made things difficult, but still we managed to qualify on the second row of the grid which is a good position to be in going into tomorrow?s races. On a whole I am feeling pretty happy and looking forward to tomorrow.?

Troy Corser: ?We have been improving with every session this weekend and we have found a pretty good setting on race tyres. Sadly when we changed to qualifying tyres we were not able to take advantage of the extra grip. I actually set my fastest lap on race tyres but that wasn?t good enough to progress further in Superpole today. Still we are happy with the race set-up, we just need a good start tomorrow in both races and then let?s see what happens from there. The times are extremely tight around here so we need to make sure we get away well.?

Rainer B?umel (Head of Race Operations): ?On Leon?s side of the garage we encountered some unexpected issues this morning. This might have been due to higher temperatures today. But we were able to sort this out for the Superpole. In the deciding third part of the Superpole, Leon was out on the slower race tyre as we had no qualifying tyres left. He was very consistent and quick which means we should be optimistic going into tomorrow. With Troy?s RR we found a good set-up for Superpole but unfortunately we had some issues with the qualifying tyre. But for the race we are confident on both sides of the garage as we have found a good race set-up for both riders.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Sykes On The Front Row For Imola Races

Tom Sykes headed combined qualifying on his Ninja ZX-10R at Imola before ending up fourth on the grid after posting strong performances through all three Superpole qualifying sessions.
Sykes On The Front Row For Imola Races
N?rburgring race winner Sykes carried on his good run of form from the first day at Imola, aided by a recent dry weather test at Misano. The English rider's pace has been good on both race and qualifying tyres, building his confidence for race day at one of his all-time favourite circuits.

Joan Lascorz found the nature of the Imola circuit difficult to match his machine settings to, and thus qualified 18th, just missing out on a place in Superpole by a fraction of a second. He was still only 1.386 seconds from Sykes after combined qualifying at this near 5km long circuit. Joan and his crew found improvements in the final afternoon free practice session and he hopes to make great improvements in his final placings on raceday.

Roberto Rolfo and Mark Aitchison (Kawasaki Pedercini Team) had tough times in qualifying, with Aitchison 17th and also out of Superpole. Rolfo was 21st, although only 1.869 seconds from Sykes after combined qualifying. Rolfo also suffered a crash today but the popular Italian rider will be fit to race on Sunday.

Tom Sykes: ?We had some success in Germany with a win at the last round but wet conditions are a great levelling factor, and I had a good package to work with as well. The test we did at Misano recently was also good in the dry. We confirmed some geometry and chassis settings there that we had been trying out and I was considerably faster than the race at Misano this year. We kept those settings on the bike and came here with minimal changes, and it all shows that we are getting there now. The 1?47.799 I did to lead combined qualifying this morning I was happy with, as it was done on a relatively hard race tyre. We are not in a bad situation. After Superpole Two I was quite confident to get pole position but I think we had reached our limit. A front row place in dry conditions is another step forward for all of us in the team. We also got away with using a race tyre in Superpole One so that was a refreshing change.?

Joan Lascorz: ?We were much better in this afternoon session and it would have been a good enough time to get into Superpole. We had problems stopping the bike because of the settings at one stage and of course it was even worse as there are some downhill braking areas here too. We made the bike a little bit longer to help this and also to help us not wheelie so much. Normally I run the bike shorter than Tom but not at this track. Tomorrow will be complicated as it is difficult to pass here but I hope I can overtake many riders in the early laps.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Hard-fought fifth at tough Imola for Haslam

A top-five finish in race two was the best result that BMW Motorrad Motorsport?s Leon Haslam could manage at Imola today after the tough Brit crashed out of the first race while in sixth place and chasing down the leading pack.

Having qualified on the second row of the grid, Haslam made a decent start to the first race and was running in seventh after getting caught up in some close battles in the early stages. It took about five laps for Haslam to fight off early challenges from Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli before he could start to gap these riders and close down Eugene Laverty and the leading riders.

However, Haslam crashed out of contention while pushing hard after his bike jumped out of gear on lap 8, leaving BMW Motorrad Italia?s Ayrton Badovini as the top S 1000 RR rider in the race. The Italian rode hard to finish in ninth, while Troy Corser recovered from a fourth row starting position to finish in 12th.

The sunny conditions continued for race two, with Haslam making a visibly better start into sixth, behind WSBK champion elect Carlos Checa. Leon then fought his way past Tom Sykes to move up into fifth, all the while fighting off the attentions of race one podium finisher Noriuki Haga, who eventually managed to squeeze past on lap 4.

On lap 6, Leon moved up into fifth place and tried to close the gap on the leaders, but came under increasing pressure from Marco Melandri, who got past on lap 10. However, Melandri out-braked himself soon after, allowing Haslam to regain his position. A mistake on lap 13 then allowed Eugene Laverty to slip through and take fifth off Haslam, but as leader Jonathan Rea was forced to retire with a technical problem, Haslam moved into the top five again.

Despite pushing Laverty all the way to the finish, Haslam wasn?t able to take the fourth spot off the Irishman and was forced to settle for fifth, while Ayrton Badovini secured another top ten finish. Troy Corser retired from race two with a suspected technical problem.

There?s no respite for the WSBK teams, as the entire paddock moves straight to France for the 12th round of the series, which takes place this coming weekend in Magny-Cours.

Leon Haslam: ?In the early stages of race one I was struggling to push how I wanted to, but after a few laps I found a good rhythm and I was catching Checa and Sykes, who were fighting for the podium. Unfortunately I crashed out as I was having an issue with the gears, when I found a false neutral and lost control. In race 2 we made some small changes to try and improve the bike but I think the increase in air temperature meant things didn?t work out as we planned. I was having quite a few issues in the early laps trying to adapt to the changes. By that time the leading group had gone and I just had to try and maintain my position.?

Troy Corser: ?In race one I got a pretty good start. Sadly I ran a little bit wide at the ?Tosa? hairpin and that prevented me from moving forward in the early stages. For the race we had made quite a few changes to the RR, so it took me a few laps to adapt and learn how to get the most out of it, but once I did I was able to run good lap times. In race two I felt something was wrong with the bike as I could hear a strange noise coming from it. I am not sure where it was coming from or what it was but something wasn?t right. So I decided to pull in and let the guys look over the bike rather than stay out there and risk crashing or damaging the bike further. It?s a shame because I felt good and we could have scored some good points.?

Bernhard Gobmeier ? Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: ?After our good lap times on Friday and Saturday we of course expected more from the weekend. In the first race, we had a crash due to the bike jumping out of gear going into the turn. Up until then the lap times were great and Leon was looking good. In the second race the lap times were not as strong, so we were happy finishing in sixth. It was hard fought and well deserved, but there is room for improvement and we aim to transfer the information we collected here into top results next week at Magny-Cours.?

Results

Race one: 1. Rea (GBR ? Honda), 2. Haga (JPN ? Aprilia), 3. Checa (ESP ? Ducati), 9. Ayrton Badovini (ITA ? BMW Motorrad Italia), 12. Troy Corser (AUS ? BMW Motorrad Motorsport), DNF ? Leon Haslam (GBR ? BMW Motorrad Motorsport)

Race two: 1. Checa (ESP ? Ducati), 2. Haga (JPN ? Aprilia, 3. Camier (GBR ? Aprilia), 5. Leon Haslam (GBR ? BMW Motorrad Motorsport), 10. Ayrton Badovini (ITA ? BMW Motorrad Italia), DNF Troy Corser (AUS ? BMW Motorrad Motorsport)

Points: 1. Checa ? 417, 2. Melandri ? 320, 3. Biaggi ? 281, 5. Haslam ? 187, 9. Badovini ? 147, 15. Corser ? 71

 

[KUCIAR666]

Rea takes Castrol Honda back to top of podium

Jonathan Rea took his Castrol Honda CBR1000RR to the top step of the podium at a sun-drenched Imola in Italy this afternoon, winning the opening race of this weekend?s eleventh round of the 2011 World Superbike championship.

The 24-year-old from Northern Ireland, whose season ended in injury during the corresponding round last year, almost made it a dream return as he also led race two from the moment the lights went out. With only four laps remaining, Rea held a 3.5 second lead over Carlos Checa when a connector on his machine?s battery failed, forcing him to pit.

Checa inherited victory to go with his third place in race one, while Noriyuki Haga, who had pushed Rea all the way to the flag in the first outing, finished second again in race two, ahead of Leon Camier.

Rea and his Castrol Honda team arrived at Imola seeking to develop a new ride-by-wire system for the 2012 season and the new Honda CBR1000RR which was unveiled at Imola on Friday evening.

They admitted to being prepared to sacrifice results in pursuit of that goal but Rea?s team-mate, Ruben Xaus, was also developing the new electronics system. The Spaniard made a big step forward himself in the second race today, finishing just outside the top ten, after placing 17 in race one.


Jonathan Rea ? 1st and DNF

Race one was pretty emotional, because it?s been a long journey back. Last season ended for me here, so it?s a credit to all the people around me ? my family, my friends, my girlfriend, and of course the team ? who have got me back to the top step. I used last year?s disappointment as a big motivation today and race two was looking really good, too, so it was disappointing not to finish. I know the guys behind me were pushing pretty hard but I felt quite comfortable at the front. We?ve come a long way and I?m not going to get wrapped up in the negative of race two. What happened was a failure of a one-Euro battery connector so in my heart I know we had two really good races today. The biggest result was the continued development of the new electronics system, so I can?t thank the team enough for the faith they?ve shown in me to keep pushing with that development. We?re still looking to improve in other areas, too, not just electronics, so that fills me with confidence for next week in Magny-Cours.

Ruben Xaus ? 17th and 11th

It?s been a hard weekend for me after two months off the bike and trying to develop the new electronics, which I believe will be very strong, at the test last week and then here. Of course, there have been some difficult moments, seeing Johnny (Rea) getting good results while I have struggled, but I have tried to be professional and keep trying as hard as I can. We changed something for race two to improve the engine braking and the lap times were much better. My race time improved by around 15 seconds in the second race, which doesn?t sound much, but it?s a big improvement. I?m looking forward to making some more progress at Magny-Cours next weekend.

Ronald ten Kate ? team manager

Of course, it?s difficult for any of us to be satisfied with the final result of the day. It was clear that it could have been a brilliant weekend for us but we came here with the clear goal of developing the ride-by-wire system and that?s what we?ve done. We can?t help but feel slightly robbed of the win in race two because it was a faulty battery connection, which had nothing to do with the new electronics. On the other hand I think we can all leave this paddock with our heads held high and take the positives to Magny-Cours next weekend. We also saw a big step forward on Ruben?s side as he is developing the system in a good way. He was actually catching the big group in front of him towards the end of race two, so it?s positive all round.



2011 World Superbike championship, round 11

Imola, Italy (4.936kmkm), 21 laps - results, race one:

1 Jonathan Rea (GBR) Castrol Honda 38m03.396s

2 Noriyuki Haga (JPN) Aprilia +0.111s

3 Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati +9.499

4 Tom Sykes (GBR) Kawasaki +9.792

5 Eugene Laverty (IRL) Yamaha +14.669

6 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Ducati +16.820

17 Ruben Xaus (ESP) Castrol Honda +44.547

Race two:

1 Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati 38m04.538s

2 Noriyuki Haga (JPN) Aprilia +4.631s

3 Leon Camier (GBR) Aprilia +15.159

4 Eugene Laverty (IRL) Yamaha +17.195

5 Leon Haslam (GBR) BMW +17.388

6 Marco Melandri (ITA) Yamaha +18.533

11 Ruben Xaus (ESP) Castrol Honda +28.600



Championship points after 11 of 13 rounds:

1 Checa 417, 2 Melandri 320, 3 Max Biaggi (ITA) Aprilia 281, 4 Laverty 256, 5 Haslam 187.


Next round: Magny-Cours, France ? 30 September ? 2 October

 

[KUCIAR666]

Sykes Misses The Podium By A Fraction At Sizzling Imola

Tom Sykes took his official Ninja ZX-10R to within a whisker of a podium finish in race one at Imola as his fellow Kawasaki rider Joan Lascorz battled hard to finish his races tenth and eighth.
Sykes Misses The Podium By A Fraction At Sizzling Imola
Sykes was on great form from the outset of race weekend and led race one for four laps after making the most of his front row grid spot, and before eventual winner Jonathan Rea came past. In hot conditions Tom worked hard to get a dry weather podium and he was in third place right until the final lap, when championship leader Carlos Checa got past and held off Tom in the final corners by only few tenths of a second.

Lascorz had been forced to start from 18th on the grid after missing out on a Superpole place, but recovered as well as he could at a circuit he could not figure out optimum machine settings for in his rookie WSBK season.

In race two Sykes was on course for another podium-challenging ride but an inconsistent feeling from his braking set-up saw him lose places to other riders and he eventually retired.

In the points table Tom is 12th, Joan 13th, with only two points separating the top two Kawasaki riders in the category.

Mark Aitchison (Kawasaki Pedercini Team) was once more on good form, despite starting from 17th on the grid. He finished race one in 11th place, and race two ninth, only four seconds from Joan. Mark?s team-mate Roberto Rolfo suffered a head knock in practice and was 18th and then a non-finisher due to a technical issue today.

Tom Sykes: ?We got a fourth position in dry weather and just missed the podium. I feel we would have been able to take a podium in race two as well. We are building on our positives and looking forward to France. I had an unfortunate brake problem; a little bit of a negative feeling with the brake so I could not go on with the race. It was a massive call to pull out but apart from that we have found some speed in the dry and been riding well. We are still working very well as a team and been consistently in the top five all weekend, which is very positive.?

Joan Lascorz: ?I had several big fights with other riders, but for me it was very difficult to pass them because I did not feel good on the brakes at this particular circuit. We had some of the same problems as we had in practice but we improved them a little bit in race two. In race one I did not get a good start and it was difficult. In the first lap in the second chicane of race two I went straight but I lost time. My pace was good in the second race, so that is a positive to take away.?

 

[KUCIAR666]

Yamaha WSB Team Delivers Strong Performance in Two Tough Races at Imola

Yamaha WSB riders Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri fought hard in two difficult races in the hot Italian sunshine today at Imola to gain valuable points ahead of the last two rounds of the season.

In the opening race of the day, Laverty maintained fourth place off the grid before climbing up to third by the fourth lap. The WSB rookie put on a strong battle to fight off advances from Checa and Haga until an error on his behalf on lap six caused him to slip back to fifth place. Following a solid performance Laverty proceeded to the line to take a fifth place finish. A perfect start in race two saw Laverty shoot straight into second place. A chattering issue at the early stages of the race caused the Northern Irish rider to fall back as far as seventh. Mid race Laverty made a small adjustment to the engine brake setting enabling him to improve his race pace and gradually fight through the pack ahead to complete the second race of the day in an impressive fourth position.

Marco Melandri had a less successful race day at his home round at Imola. Struggling with a less than perfect race set up in race one, the Italian fought hard but was unable to improve on his eighth position off the starting grid. Having switched to a softer tyre for the second race, the Italian had more confidence on his machine and worked his way up to sixth place on the track that offers few opportunities to overtake. An error on ?acque minerali? caused the Yamaha rider to go wide, bumping him to 11th place. Melandri put on a strong battle to work his way through his adversaries and cross the line in sixth.

Yamaha World Superbike Team riders will be back on track in Magny Cours next Sunday. Melandri heads to the French track in second place in the standings on 320 points 97 behind championship leader Carlos Checa which makes him the only rider theoretically standing in the Spaniard?s way to obtain the title. Team-mate Laverty remains in fourth place on 256 points, 25 short of Biaggi in third place. With a 124 point advantage the Yamaha World Superbike Team cannot be exceeded by any other team for the top place in the official 2011 Team standings.

Eugene Laverty
Yamaha World Superbike Team - 5th, 4th
"I was disappointed with the results in the first race. The bike was working quite well but I made a stupid mistake that caused me to go wide and then I lost out on the chance to fight for the podium. I got a good start in race two but suffering from a chattering problem I found it tough to keep fighting. Mid way I adjusted a button on the handle bar which altered the engine braking allowing me to improve lap times. With the less than perfect set up and the hotter track temperatures, I am really satisfied with my fourth place finish."

Marco Melandri
Yamaha World Superbike Team - 8th, 6th
"In race one I felt a strong vibrating sensation on the rear of the machine and was struggling with the engine brake so it was impossible to push any harder. In the second race I was also finding it hard to brake on downhill slopes but as the race progressed and the tank got lighter, the bike was more manageable. I was hoping to fight for the podium but at that stage it was bit late so I had to settle for sixth."

Andrea Dosoli - Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
"As we had expected, this is a tough track for our R1 and we can see that from today?s results. Eugene did well in both races. He worked very hard all weekend and made great progress especially if you take into consideration that he was in 18th place on Friday. He had a good race pace in both races but unfortunately Checa, Haga and Rea were a notch faster than him. We are pleased with his progress and his performance. Marco had a difficult first race, lacking in confidence on entering curves and struggling with the rear set up. In the second race he had a faster race pace and a better set up but starting from the third row on the grid didn?t help him. A mistake on his behalf caused him to go wide and fall back a few places but after as the petrol tank gradually got lighter he was much faster and did really well to complete in sixth place. We are aware that our R1 struggles on this track but we also know what needs to be improved for the future. "

2011 World Superbike Italy
Imola 25/09/2011
race I
1 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 38'03.396
2 Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 0'00.111
3 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 0'09.449
4 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 0'09.792
5 Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 0'14.699
6 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 0'16.820
7 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0'24.227
8 Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 0'24.935
9 Ayrton Badovini BMW ITA 0'25.224
10 Joan Lascorz Kawasaki ESP 0'25.487
11 Mark Aitchison Kawasaki AUS 0'26.148
12 Troy Corser BMW AUS 0'26.444
13 Federico Sandi Aprilia ITA 0'29.761
14 Alessandro Polita Ducati ITA 0'30.083
15 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 0'34.862
race II
1 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 38'04.538
2 Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 0'04.631
3 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 0'15.159
4 Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 0'17.195
5 Leon Haslam BMW GBR 0'17.388
6 Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 0'18.533
7 Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 0'19.615
8 Joan Lascorz Kawasaki ESP 0'20.063
9 Mark Aitchison Kawasaki AUS 0'24.194
10 Ayrton Badovini BMW ITA 0'28.485
11 Ruben Xaus Honda ESP 0'28.600
12 Federico Sandi Aprilia ITA 0'41.802
13 Maxime Berger Ducati FRA 0'54.750
14 Javier Fores BMW ESP 1'12.281

Best Lap
Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 1'47.960
World Superbike World Standing
Rider Standings After Race 11 of 13
1. Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 417
2. Marco Melandri Yamaha ITA 320
3. Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 281
4. Eugene Laverty Yamaha GBR 256
5. Leon Haslam BMW GBR 187
6. Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 171
7. Sylvain Guintoli Ducati FRA 158
8. Noriyuki Haga Aprilia JPN 155
9. Ayrton Badovini BMW ITA 147
10. Michel Fabrizio Suzuki ITA 141
11. Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 138
12. Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 127
13. Joan Lascorz Kawasaki ESP 125
14. Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 118
15. Troy Corser BMW AUS 71
16. Ruben Xaus Honda ESP 49


Circuit Length:
4959

Temp:
28

Crowd:
78000

Weather:
Hot and Sunny

Lap Record:
1'48.877
(Carlos Checa, 1/1/2010)

Fastest Lap Ever:
1'47.196
(Carlos Checa, 9/25/2011)

Last Years Winner:
Carlos Checa
Manufacturer Standings
25/09/2011
1 Ducati 441
2 Aprilia 376
3 Yamaha 375
4 BMW 232
5 Kawasaki 192
6 Honda 162
7 Suzuki 158
Dramatic Day for Yamaha ParkinGO Team at Imola

Yamaha ParkinGO team riders Chaz Davies and Luca Scassa will not have fond memories of the historical Italian circuit at Imola following today?s disappointing race day. Both riders were delivering a perfect race performance before falling victim to technical issues which prevented them from completing the 19 laps.

Davies got off to a perfect start from fourth position on the grid to shoot straight into the lead, a position he maintained for the 14 laps. The Welshman had created a significantly safe gap of almost 10 seconds ahead of Rea in second place before experiencing a technical issue which interrupted his performance. Teammate Luca Scassa was equally misfortunate on the Italian circuit. Initially dropping back to third from second place off the grid, the Rocker didn?t hasten to regain second position. Just seven laps in, fighting hard to keep Marino at bay, the Italian experienced a technical issue that caused him to prematurely retire.

Chaz Davies will head to Magny Cours next weekend still holding the lead in the World Supersport championship. The Brit now holds a 35 point advantage over Foret in second place and 48 over Salom in third. With two races left before the season finale there are still 50 points up for grabs. Following today?s disappointing race, Luca Scassa now sits in sixth place with 96 points, 13 points short of Lowes in fifth place and 40 points behind Foret. Despite today?s results, Yamaha remains at the top of the manufacturer?s standings holding a seven point advantage.

Chaz Davies
Yamaha ParkinGO Team - DNF
"I am very disappointed, to say the least. I expected to be leaving Imola on a high note and certainly not like this. Thankfully I worked hard all year and still have a 35 point advantage, so I?ll be going to Magny Cours next week more determined than ever to win. I guess these things can happen in racing but today?s race was going perfectly and the whole weekend had gone so well that I just didn?t expect it."

Luca Scassa
Yamaha ParkinGO Team - DNF
"I really wanted to fight for the win today, especially seen as it?s my home race. The bike was working really well and I was gradually getting faster, so I was hoping to be able to catch Chaz but unfortunately that wasn?t to be. My goal was to fight for a reachable second place in the championship but now that?s going to be very difficult. I?m extremely disappointed with the lack of results today but I suppose, that?s motorsports!"

2011 World Supersport Italy
Imola 25/09/2011
race I
1 Fabien Foret Honda FRA 35'56.214
2 Sam Lowes Honda GBR 0'00.166
3 Broc Parkes Kawasaki AUS 0'02.499
4 Florian Marino Honda FRA 0'03.833
5 David Salom Kawasaki ESP 0'06.325
6 James Ellison Honda GBR 0'21.872
7 Vittorio Iannuzzo Kawasaki ITA 0'25.826
8 Miguel Praia Honda POR 0'27.553
9 Stefano Cruciani Kawasaki ITA 0'30.044
10 Danilo Dell'omo Triumph ITA 0'31.140
11 Gino Rea Honda GBR 0'32.212
12 Pawel Szkopek Honda POL 0'32.845
13 Patrick Vostarek Honda ITA 0'33.402
14 Ondrej Jezek Honda CZE 0'42.637
15 Imre Toth Honda HUN 0'43.177
17 Eduard Blokhin Yamaha RUS 2'00.000

Best Lap
Fabien Foret Honda FRA 1'52.059
World Supersport World Standing
Rider Standings After Race 10 of 12
1. Chaz Davies Yamaha GBR 171
2. Fabien Foret Honda FRA 136
3. David Salom Kawasaki ESP 123
4. Broc Parkes Kawasaki AUS 120
5. Sam Lowes Honda GBR 109
6. Luca Scassa Yamaha ITA 96
7. James Ellison Honda GBR 72
8. Florian Marino Honda FRA 71
9. Gino Rea Honda GBR 67
10. Massimo Roccoli Kawasaki ITA 62
11. Roberto Tamburini Yamaha ITA 61
12. Robbin Harms Honda DNK 59
13. Miguel Praia Honda POR 40
14. Vittorio Iannuzzo Kawasaki ITA 35
15. Balazs Nemeth Honda HUN 31
16. Danilo Dell'omo Triumph ITA 26
28. Luca Marconi Yamaha ITA 3
29. Alessio Velini Yamaha ITA 3