WSBK-Philip Island

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Round 1 - Phillip Island
SOLID TOP 5 FINISHES FOR FABRIZIO AND HAGA (DUCATI XEROX) IN FIRST QUALIFYING AT PHILLIP ISLAND

Phillip Island (Australia), Friday 26th February : The World Superbike Championship officially got underway at Phillip Island today and, for the Ducati Xerox team and riders Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio, results of the first qualifying session were very positive, Fabrizio propelling himself to second place on the timesheets and Haga concluding in fifth.

After the very encouraging results of the recent tests held here last weekend, Michel closing fastest and Noriyuki in sixth, the team returned to work today in a motivated and enthusiastic frame of mind.

In the early afternoon the Superbike riders took to the tracks for the first free practice session. Faced with hotter track temperatures (circa 45?C) compared to those of last week?s test, both Noriyuki and Michel continued to work on the set-up of their Ducati 1198 machines. Both riders concentrated on tyre durability, trying to find the best set-up on used tyres. Michel was victim of a crash mid-session caused by an unexpected lack of grip at the front on entry into a corner, the asphalt was extremely slippery due to the heat. Having lost valuable time, the Italian rider exited on his second bike but was unfortunately unable to record a very fast lap, closing the session in 11th. Noriyuki made his fastest lap near the start of the session, closing in seventh place, but confident.

Later on, in the first qualifying session, the two factory riders significantly improved on their times , lapping consistently fast and towards the end of the session, on soft compounds, they both registered times that left them both happy and in the top five. Noteworthy performances also came from Carlos Checa and Shane ?Shakey? Byrne (Althea Racing), they too riding the 1198, who finished the session in first and fourth placed respectively.

Michel Fabrizio 1m32.1s
?We tried different tyre solutions this morning and various setting solutions in agreement with my engineer. I had a fall, losing the front, but without causing myself, or my bike, too much damage fortunately. Then in the qualifying session we found a good direction with the tyre solution that may well be the one to choose for the race; the results were quite encouraging. During my fast lap I lost a couple of tenths through the last corner but I?m happy; we?ve worked well and I?m satisfied with the results. We have a good race pace but a lot will depend on Sunday?s weather.?

Noriyuki Haga 1m32.7s
?We?ve tested the different rear tyres that Pirelli make available to us this weekend but we are still undecided as to which will have the best durability in these hot conditions. Tomorrow we?ll try a different solution for the setting but overall I?m happy. The lap times have been consistent but today was very hot and although I felt I could have pushed a little more, I didn?t want to risk it, also because I saw that several riders crashed."

TIMES: 1. Checa (Ducati) 1.32.1; 2. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 1?32.1, 3. Haslam (Suzuki) 1?32.3; 4. Byrne (Ducati) 1?32.6; 5. Haga (Ducati Xerox) 1?32.7; 6. Biaggi (Aprilia) 1?32.8; 7. Rea (Honda) 1?32.8; 8. Guintoli (Suzuki) 1?32.9?

 

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Bumpy ride for Hannspree Ten Kate Honda in Australia

Jonathan Rea set the seventh fastest time in this afternoon?s qualifying session at Phillip Island in Australia ahead of Sunday?s opening round of the 2010 World Superbike championship.

The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland cited bumps in the first and last turns of the 4.445km circuit as his main barriers in setting a faster lap time in today?s hour-long session, but is confident of improvement tomorrow.

Rea?s Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, endured a frustrating afternoon, setting the 18th fastest time as Spain?s Carlos Checa grabbed the provisional pole position slot with a time just 0.007s ahead of Michel Fabrizio.

Jonathan Rea ? P7, 1?32.884s

It?s difficult to know where the problems are coming from, but at least we have two sessions tomorrow to try to find the source. I?m struggling to pull the pin for an entire lap and the main problems are in the first and last corners, where the bumps are really unsettling the bike. The bits in between those two corners aren?t too bad, but it?s been hard work today. I think we know which tyre we?re going to use in the race, but we definitely need more time on the bike before we?re ready for Sunday.

Max Neukirchner ? P18, 1?33.960s

It?s really frustrating, because we made some good progress this morning, using old tyres. As soon as we put a new one in this afternoon, it was spinning all the way through the faster turns and making the bike shudder in other parts of the circuit. Exactly the same thing happened with the second new tyre we put in, but we?re not sure exactly where the problem is. I know I can go faster because I was during the test last weekend, so we?ve got some work to get through tomorrow I think.

Ronald ten Kate ? team manager

It?s been hard work to push the right buttons here at Phillip Island. With Jonathan we are moving forward with his race pace but struggling to get the most out of a fresh tyre. We?re a little more puzzled on Max?s side of the garage since his problems seem to be down to issues with the tyres. I think it?ll be a long night, but we?re determined to bring something fresh tomorrow morning.

2010 World Superbike championship ? round 1
Phillip Island, Australia ? 4.445km
1. Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati 1?32.155s
2. Michel Fabrizio (ITA) Ducati 1?32.162s
3. Leon Haslam (GBR) Suzuki 1?32.373s
4. Shane Byrne (GBR) Ducati 1?32.635s
7. Jonathan Rea (GBR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1?32.884s
18. Max Neukirchner (GER) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1?33.960s

Tight at the top in Supersport qualifying

Less than three tenths of a second separated the top five riders after this afternoon?s opening qualifying session for this weekend?s first round 2010 World Supersport championship race at Phillip Island in Australia.

Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider, Kenan Sofuoglu, set the third fastest time in this afternoon?s 45-minute session, which took place in temperatures of more than 30 degrees with a track temperature of almost 50 degrees. The Turkish rider was just 0.054s behind provisional pole sitter, Joan Lascorz.

Sofuoglu?s new team-mate for 2010, Michele Pirro, was fifth fastest today, his debut competitive outing for the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team. The 23-year-old Italian was less than two tenths behind his more experienced team-mate and only three tenths away from Lascorz?s time.

Kenan Sofuoglu ? P3, 1?34.683s

I am actually very disappointed because it seems that we have only two tyre options and we are experiencing problems with both. We have a pretty good set-up to do a fast lap, but we have had to concentrate today?s time on trying to make the tyres last. I know I can probably go 0.5s faster but there is no point going for that. We don?t have many ideas for a solution right now, but we will all sit down later and try to come up with some ideas for tomorrow.

Michele Pirro ? P5, 1?34.918s

The times are very close so I am not so unhappy with my performance today. The bike is not perfect, however, and we have worked hard to find the right set-up and tyre choice for the race on Sunday. Tomorrow we will try some different ideas to get the tyre to work better and I will try very hard for a front row starting position.

Ronald ten Kate ? team manager

We have spent a lot of time today trying to find a good race set-up. Although we?re not far off, there is still a lot more to come. We have both riders fully up there and we?re confident that things will improve both tomorrow and on Sunday.

2010 World Supersport championship ? round 1
Phillip Island, Australia ? 4.445km
1. Joan Lascorz (ESP) Kawasaki 1?34.629s
2. Eugene Laverty (IRL) Honda 1?34.634s
3. Kenan Sofuoglu (TUR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1?34.683s
4. Katsuaki Fujiwara (JPN) Kawasaki 1?34.783s
5. Michele Pirro (ITA) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1?34.918s
6. Chaz Davies (GBR) Triumph 1?34.939s

 

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Fourth row start for Troy and Ruben
2010 Superbike World Championship, round one Superpole qualifying report, Phillip Island, Australia

For thousands of motorcycle racing fans across the globe, today was the day when the 2010 Superbike World Championship really started, with Superpole qualifying taking place to determine final grid positions for tomorrow?s two 22-lap races at Phillip Island circuit in Australia.

With 26 permanent riders all fighting for a place at the top of the podium, the 2010 series is arguably the strongest in the championship?s history. Having made a major commitment to WSBK, all eyes are on BMW Motorrad Motorsport and its team riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus on their S 1000 RR race bikes.

Having arrived ?Down Under? and participated in the official tests, free practices and two timed qualifying sessions, Corser and Xaus were determined to get among the action at the 4.445-km circuit, and after an intense two sessions of Superpole qualification, will start in 13th and 15th place respectively on the grid when the action begins at 1200 tomorrow (local time).

For those unfamiliar with the Superpole format, the 20 fastest riders from the qualifying heats participate in Superpole 1, which always starts at 1500 and finishes 14 minutes later with the elimination of the four slowest riders. Then the seven-minute countdown for the second round begins, in which the remaining 16 riders participate. At 1521, Superpole 2 (12 minutes) begins, and at the end of this, the eight slowest riders are eliminated. The countdown (7 minutes) then restarts and at 1540, Superpole 3 begins and the remaining eight riders have ten minutes to compete for pole position and the first two rows of the grid.

After the recent scorching weather, much cooler air and track temperatures greeted the riders today. Having both made it through the first Superpole 1 session in 13th and 16th respectively, double WSBK champion Corser and multiple WSBK race winner Xaus finished Superpole 2 in 13th (1:32.430) and 15th places(1:32.842), and will both start tomorrow?s races from row four of the grid. British rider Leon Haslam secured pole position with a best time of 1:31.229.

Troy Corser: ?We made good steps forward with the set-up today, and I feel more confident on the bike. We also slowly improved our lap times over the course of the day. We just needed to do quicker lap times as we were mostly in the 1:34s and 1:33s. In the first session of Superpole we had to use a qualifying tyre just to make sure we stayed in the competition but I actually set my fastest time of the Superpole on a race tyre. Of course, I am a little disappointed with the grid position, but if I get a good start I am confident to set good lap times.?

Ruben Xaus: ?With every session this weekend we have been making positive steps forward. The championship is really tight this year with a lot of fast young riders coming through, but this only makes me try harder and it?s good for the series. If I get a good start tomorrow I am confident we can come away from here with a good set of results.?

Davide Tardozzi: ?We made a step ahead although the times and the grid positions don?t reflect that too much. For some reason we struggled with the qualifying tyres, and both riders set their fastest lap in today?s Superpole on race tyres. Apart from the starting position we are in a comfortable situation for tomorrow. The team will do their best to finish the races in the best possible positions.?

Among the 26 permanent riders in the 2010 Superbike World championship are 14 race winners and two former WSBK champions. Predicting a winner is almost impossible, but one thing is for sure ? exciting, close and hard-fought racing is guaranteed.

Make sure you visit www.bmw-motorrad.com tomorrow to get the results and reactions from each race.

 

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FABRIZIO (DUCATI XEROX) STORMS TO SECOND PLACE ON THE GRID FOR THE FIRST RACES OF THE 2010 SUPERBIKE SEASON TOMORROW AT PHILLIP ISLAND

Phillip Island (Australia), Saturday 27th February : the first Superpole of the 2010 World Superbike season took place this afternoon at a breezy Phillip Island, and Ducati Xerox rider Michel Fabrizio was undoubtedly one of the protagonists, putting in a strong and consistent performance to snatch second place on tomorrow?s grid, and missing out on pole by just a fraction of a second. Team-mate Noriyuki Haga had a more difficult time, qualifying in tenth place for the opening races of the year. Of the first ten bikes on tomorrow?s grid, five are Ducati 1198s, yet another a demonstration of the bike?s competitiveness.
In this morning?s qualifying, and on a much cooler track compared to yesterday, the three fastest riders from yesterday, Checa, Fabrizio and Haslam did not manage to improve on their best times but they nevertheless held on the top three spots on the timesheet, qualifying first to third for the afternoon?s Superpole. Noriyuki, maintaining a similar pace to yesterday, preferred to work with a used tyre than change to a fresh one in the final minutes to record a fast lap, meaning that he qualified for Superpole in fourteenth place. It is interesting to note that the fastest seventeen riders lapped within seven tenths of a second of each other, a sure sign that this year?s championship will be extremely hard fought.
As expected, Superpole was a close battle between the top eight. In the first of the three phases, 14 minutes in length, Nori immediately recorded a time fast enough for him to be able to return to the garage, safe in the knowledge that he had done enough. Michel meanwhile needed a tyre change before his fastest lap propelled him up the timesheets to third place, to easily proceed to phase two along with his team-mate.
In the second mini-Superpole both factory riders went out on qualifiers, Michel making a fast lap and Nori changing tyre mid-session. What seemed to be a clean lap for Haga unfortunately failed to equate to a fast enough lap, due to an apparent lack of rear grip which meant that Haga?s Superpole finished here, with the tenth fastest time of the afternoon, although only two tenths off Michel?s pace in the same session.
Michel, who still had a qualifier left to use in the final phase, pushed to the limit and it seemed that the pole position was within his grasp, but it all came down to a fraction of a second, with Michel ultimately closing in second place, just 0.016 of a second from Haslam on the Suzuki. Lining up in the first eight on tomorrow?s grid are also the Ducati 1198s of Checa (Althea Racing) in fourth and Smrz (Team Pata B&G Racing) in sixth.
Three-time world champion Troy Bayliss is once again special guest at the Phillip Island circuit this weekend and it was he who presented former team-mate Michel Fabrizio with his Superpole trophy today. Troy will continue to work as a Ducati ?ambassador? in 2010.
Michel Fabrizio?Today?s Superpole was very difficult but I am very happy with the final result. I lost out on the pole by just a fraction of a second which is a shame, but it?s not the first time that that has happened and the important thing is that I?m on the front row tomorrow. I was happy with my flying lap, a clean lap, with no-one in front of me. Tomorrow will be an equally difficult challenge, and various riders, me, Haslam, Checa, Biaggi and Nori will surely be in contention. We know we have a good race pace and I?m feeling confident for the races.?
Noriyuki Haga
?In the second phase of the Superpole I went out on a race tyre but even though it felt like a clean lap, the time was not quick enough and unfortunately that put me out of the fight, and I finished tenth. Tomorrow I will of course need to make a fantastic start but I am confident that I am able to do that. I apologise to Ducati for the fact that I?m on the third row but I will, as ever, do my best in the races. Last year I started from 13th and won the race so I know it is possible to achieve a great result regardless of grid position.?
TIMES (Superpole): 1. Haslam (Suzuki) 1?31.2; 2. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 1?31.2; 3. Crutchlow (Yamaha) 1?31.6; 4. Checa (Ducati) 1?31.6; 5. Guintoli (Suzuki) 1?31.6; 6. Smrz (Ducati) 1?31.7; 7. Rea (Honda) 1?21.9; 8. Toseland (Yamaha) 1?32.0; 9. Lanzi (Ducati) 1?32.3; 10. Haga (Ducati Xerox) 1?32.7

 

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Second row for Rea on the Island Jonathan Rea will start tomorrow?s opening two races of the 2010 World

Superbike championship from the second row of the grid after setting the seventh fastest time in this afternoon?s Superpole qualifying session at Phillip Island, Australia.


In much cooler conditions than yesterday, the 23-year-old Hannspree Ten Kate Honda rider from Northern Ireland saved his allocated qualifying tyres for the final two Superpole sessions, but experienced no significant improvement in grip or subsequent lap times.


Rea?s team-mate, Max Neukirchner, was eliminated after the first Superpole session after setting the 17th fastest time, but the German rider remains positive that improvements made in his CBR1000RR?s set-up will stand him in good stead for tomorrow?s two 22-lap races around the 4.445km Phillip Island circuit.


Jonathan Rea ? P7, 1?31.912s


We?ve struggled all weekend to get the most out of putting a new tyre in the bike. We had exactly the same this afternoon in Superpole when we got no more grip from the qualifiers than we had from the race tyre. Of course, I?m frustrated and quite disappointed to be starting from the second row. However, the positive thing is that our race pace has been improving steadily and I?m really excited that the racing finally starts properly tomorrow. I?m looking forward to getting amongst it, pushing to the front and seeing what we can do.


Max Neukirchner ? P17, 1?32.782s


I know it looks bad, and it?s not a great starting position, but I?m actually feeling quite positive. We made some improvements this morning and I went faster as well as being able to improve on the life of the tyre. We will make some more changes to follow that direction and try these in warm-up tomorrow morning. We have two long races tomorrow and I?m feeling very fit and positive. I don?t think I can win but it shouldn?t be so bad if we can keep making the progress we made today.


Ronald ten Kate ? team manager


The race pace for both riders is looking well and we?ve definitely moved forward there. On the qualifiers during Superpole we couldn?t go any faster, however, and that?s a little frustrating to deal with. For the race, with Jonathan, we should be in a position to fight for a podium. On Max?s side we?ve been changing the bike a lot ? especially at the rear. For sure, tomorrow we need to try some other settings during warm-up because we?re too far off at the moment.


2010 World Superbike championship, round 1 - Phillip Island, Australia (4.445km)
Final qualifying results:
1. Leon Haslam (GBR) Suzuki 1?31.229s
2. Michel Fabrizio (ITA) Ducati 1?31.245s
3. C Crutchlow (GBR) Yamaha 1?31.642s
4. Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati 1?31.671s
7. Jonathan Rea (GBR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1?31.912s
17. Max Neukirchner (GER) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1?32.782s

Sofuoglu and Pirro on Australian front row

Kenan Sofuoglu and Michele Pirro will both start from the front row of the grid for tomorrow?s opening 2010 World Supersport championship race at Phillip Island in Australia.

The Hannspree Ten Kate Honda riders set the second and third fastest times respectively in this afternoon?s final qualifying session, with Spain?s Joan Lascorz taking pole position and Ireland?s Eugene Laverty completing the front row as the third fastest Honda rider.

After struggling with grip and tyre durability in yesterday?s warm conditions at the 4.445km Phillip Island circuit, the World Supersport championship?s most successful team made progress in today?s cooler conditions and both riders are confident for tomorrow?s season-opening 21-lap race.

Kenan Sofuoglu ? P2 1?34.116s

That wasn?t so bad and I am really much happier than I was after yesterday?s sessions. We have really improved our package today and I only hope that it stays cool for the race tomorrow. I think I could have gone faster but on both my fast laps I came across slower riders which took away my rhythm. I think maybe I could have taken three or four tenths off my time, but I am happy enough with a front row start. It?s important to get a good start tomorrow because I will try, of course, to win the race. We also found a way to get a longer life for the tyre today and I will do my best to save it for the end of the race tomorrow.

Michele Pirro ? P3, 1?34.156s

Well, of course I am happy because I said yesterday that my target today was to get a front row start. We achieved this goal but I had some problems with grip at the front, especially on the corner exit. The bike is new for me this season so the race tomorrow will be my first. It?s difficult to know what to expect but, for sure, there are a lot of fast riders and they will be at the front in the race. I am looking forward to it, but the front row is a good place to start.

Ronald ten Kate ? team manager

Well, after the problems we had during the test here and yesterday, we put on a clean shirt today and made the improvements we needed. Things really started to shape up for us today and I am delighted that both riders will start from the front row. Big compliments especially to Michele who has arrived immediately at the front in his debut for the team. Hopefully, both riders can finish the job off tomorrow.

2010 World Supersport championship, round 1 ? Phillip Island, Australia (4.445km)
Final qualifying results:
1. Joan Lascorz (ESP) Kawasaki 1?33.847s
2. Kenan Sofuoglu (TUR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1?34.116s
3. Michele Pirro (ITA) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda 1?34.156s
4. Eugene Laverty (IRL) Honda 1?34.300s
5. Katsuaki Fujiwara (JPN) Kawasaki 1?34.494s
6. David Salom (ESP) Triumph 1?34.873s

 

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Crutchlow and Toseland score first and second row starts in Superpole

British riders Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland demonstrated the big steps forward in bike set up on the 2010 R1 today, challenging through all three Superpole sessions to take first and second row starts respectively. Both riders had used their qualifier tyres by the end of the second session, using race rubber for their final heat. In an amazing turn of speed Crutchlow put in an incredible 1'31.642 to secure third whilst team-mate Toseland put his head down to secure eighth a row behind.

The qualifying session earlier in the day saw again more improvement from the Yamaha team. Without any of the chatter problems from the test to be seen the increased power on the new bike was evident. Crutchlow ended the second qualifying heat in third, just over two tenths of pole whilst Toseland defied the pain in his hand from yesterday's highside to secure fifth, again less than three tenths off pole. These impressive performances by both riders gave an overall qualifying position of fourth for Crutchlow and sixth for Toseland prior to Superpole.

Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (3rd, 1.31.642)
"This morning wasn't too bad for me, I'm pleased enough with the race pace. I think we're struggling for the podium but that's what I'm aiming for as always. If we can be somewhere near I'll be happy! We managed to get a good lap out at the end of Superpole and I was pleased with that. Going into the weekend we weren't even in the points, Yamaha has done a really good job this week and we've worked some stuff out. Hopefully we can keep the cooler conditions as they'll help us tomorrow. Let's see what we can do."



James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (8th, 1'32.019)
"I was annoyed with myself for the highside yesterday, we had some issues with the electronics which caught me out so today was damage limitation for that. The balance and the bike itself has improved a lot over the weekend but the electronics now need to catch up a bit. I hurt my hand in the fall which is quite painful, especially as this is a really physical circuit and you need your strength to get round it. I made a mistake on my first tyre in Superpole this afternoon which forced me to use the qualifier in the first session, so I had to use a race tyre for the last session. I knew if I could get into the last eight then I'd be happy with the second row. We've got quite a lot more to do with the bike, but to see where we were before the weekend and to now be Cal on the first row and me on the second just shows you what a good job the team has done. They've put us in a position where we can have a go."

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
"We have made a really good improvement over the last few days. In the beginning we were struggling but we've found a way to solve everything. Slowly we've been improving the performance with both bikes. To achieve the first two rows for the first race of the season with new riders, especially Cal coming from Supersport, is a great result. Tomorrow we'll have to see the weather forecast and decide which tyres we want to use for the race. We are satisfied for today!"


Circuit Length: 4445
Weather: Overcast

Lap Record: 1'32.402 (Troy Bayliss, 01/01/2006)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1'31.069 (Ben Spies, 01/03/2009)
Last Years Winner: Ben Spies

2010 WSB Australia - Phillip Island 27/02/2010
Superpole
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 1'31.229
2 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 1'31.245
3 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 1'31.642
4 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 1'31.671
5 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 1'31.696
6 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1'31.757
7 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 1'31.912
8 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 1'32.019
9 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 1'32.205
10 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 1'32.229
11 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 1'32.293
12 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 1'32.398
13 Troy Corser BMW AUS 1'32.430
14 Chris Vermeulen Kawasaki AUS 1'32.561
15 Ruben Xaus BMW ESP 1'32.842


Qualifying 2
Pos. Rider Nat. QUAL I QUAL II
1 Carlos Checa ESP 1'32.155 1'32.227
2 Michel Fabrizio ITA 1'32.162 1'33.099
3 Leon Haslam GBR 1'32.373 1'32.436
4 Cal Crutchlow GBR 1'33.038 1'32.446
5 Sylvain Guintoli FRA 1'32.902 1'32.448
6 James Toseland GBR 1'33.422 1'32.455
7 Jonathan Rea GBR 1'32.884 1'32.460
8 Chris Vermeulen AUS 1'33.389 1'32.500
9 Leon Camier GBR 1'33.296 1'32.548
10 Jakub Smrz CZE 1'32.905 1'32.571
11 Lorenzo Lanzi ITA 1'33.454 1'32.620
12 Shane Byrne GBR 1'32.635 1'33.695
13 Troy Corser AUS 1'33.512 1'32.684
14 Noriyuki Haga JPN 1'32.703 1'32.751
15 Tom Sykes GBR 1'33.492 1'32.806

 

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FABRIZIO AND HAGA (DUCATI XEROX) POWER THEIR DUCATI 1198 BIKES TO THREE PODIUM FINISHES AT PHILLIP ISLAND TODAY

Phillip Island (Australia), Sunday 28th February : the crowds at Phillip Island were today treated to two spectacular Superbike races, the first of which resulted in the closest ever finish in Superbike history, with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) crossing the line just 0.004 of a second behind Leon Haslam on the Suzuki. Less than a second behind Michel, in third place, was his team-mate Noriyuki Haga. Race 2 was also extremely hard fought and some very close racing which made for great viewing saw Michel battle his way to a third place finish with Nori just behind him in fifth.
This morning?s warm-up passed without incident for Michel, who registered the fourth fastest lap time but unfortunately the same couldn?t be said for his team-mate Noriyuki, victim of a 250 km/hour crash on entering in the first corner after being knocked from his 1198 by Xaus. The doctors of the circuit?s medical centre declared him fit to ride, although the Japanese rider had suffered some bruising to his back, as well as a severe blow to the right forearm which swelled to such an extent as to require an pain-relief injection before the race.
Despite the difficulties in warm-up, race 1 began very well for both Ducati Xerox riders, Michel holding second position and Noriyuki, fast as lightning in his start, making up several position, to rocket from tenth to third position through the first corners. Right from the second lap the gap between the leaders, Haslam, Fabrizio and Haga, and the chasing pack, led by Jonathan Rea, began to increase and by mid-race the top three had built a five second advantage over fourth placed Rea. In the final four laps Michel tried to find a way past the young Briton but it was not to be and a final charge to the finish line led to a photofinish, with the result being declared the closest ever finish in a Superbike race. Michel crossed the line a mere four thousandths of a second after Haslam, with Haga following less than a second behind to snatch the third spot on the podium.
Race 2 began in exactly the same way as the first, with Haslam, Fabrizio and Haga again off the line quickest to take an immediate lead. Haslam?s team-mate Sylvain Guintoli soon joined the fray, as did Carlos Checa mid-race, and a five-way battle for supremacy ensued. Nori, still suffering after the earlier crash, could not keep pace with the other four but held fifth position, taking home important points in the process. Checa, on board Althea Racing?s Ducati 1198, waited until the last lap before passing both Fabrizio and Haslam to take the lead, leaving the Italian and the Briton to battle it out for second.
A very strong start for the Ducati Xerox Team as far as the championship standings are concerned, Michel in second position with 36 points, Nori fourth with 27 and their combined performances today putting Ducati in joint first place with Suzuki in the manufacturers classification.
Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 ? 2nd , Race 2 -3rd)?I had a great battle with Leon in Race 1. In the last four laps I tried to understand where I could attempt to get past him but it wasn?t easy so I pushed on right to the finish line and, to tell the truth, I thought I?d done enough! Leon and I were right there together as we crossed the line, and on the big screen I could see my wife celebrating in the box - but the result was decided by the photofinish and I had to settle for 20 points this time. The great thing about the Superbike championship however is that there are two races?. My team did not make any changes to the bike before the second race and I was again able to make a good start but it was a very difficult race. I stayed there with the leading pack but I realized it would be very hard to win, and in the last four laps it became more difficult to fight. I am very happy with today?s results, which put me in second place on the leaderboard after round 1. It will be a very long and challenging season but we?ve made a good start today.?
Noriyuki Haga (Race 1 ? 3rd , Race 2 - 5th)?My result in Race 1 was really good as far as I?m concerned as I had had a crash during the warm-up and suffered from a bit of arm-pump during the race. I was confident that I could make a good start from 10th position and I did so and then I tried to keep up with Michel and Leon but my arm led me to make a few small mistakes. Anyway I really enjoyed the race and the points I made in the race are definitely a good start for the championship. In the second race my arm played up more and it became harder to brake, I felt very tired physically. But all in all, with regard to the classification and bearing in mind this morning?s accident, it didn?t go too badly; I finished third and fifth and we take home some good points.?
RESULTS: Race 1 ? 1. Haslam (Suzuki); 2. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox); 3. Haga (Ducati Xerox) Race 2 - 1. Checa (Ducati); 2. Haslam (Suzuki); 3. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox)
CLASSIFICATION: Riders ? 1. Haslam (Suzuki) 45; 2. Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 36; 3. Checa (Ducati) 34; 4. Haga (Ducati Xerox) 27; 5. Guintoli (Suzuki) 23; 6. Rea (Honda) 23; 7. Biaggi (Aprilia) 19?.
Manufacturers ? Ducati 45; Suzuki 45; Honda 23; Aprilia 19; BMW 16; Yamaha 7; Kawasaki 3

 

[KUCIAR666]

RACE REPORT 28/02/2010
Challenging start to the season for Yamaha Sterilgarda at Phillip Island

It wasn't an easy start for Cal Crutchlow and James Toseland today at the season opening race in Phillip Island Australia. Race one saw both riders crash out, Crutchlow losing the front having run wide on onto a dirty section of track on lap two and Toseland highsiding on the fifth lap.

Race two saw a fiercely contested battle for points with both riders fighting off riders including Biaggi, Corser and others to stay within the top ten. Combined with a less than perfect set up on both bikes and struggling for grip the riders put in an incredible ride to bring their bikes home in the points, Crutchlow in ninth and Toseland tenth.

Crutchlow moves on to round two in Portimao in 12th position in the championship on seven points, team-mate Toseland sits just behind in 13th with six points.



Cal Crutchlow, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (DNF, 9th)
"Race one was unfortunate, I felt we had good pace and were running up in the top five quite comfortably, I just made a little mistake. I was a bit better than Rea into the hairpin so had to run wide to avoid him and lost the front on the dirt. The second race was hard, I felt like I had no grip from the start and still some chattering. If we had better grip we could have pulled more out of it. We need to go back to the drawing board and work some stuff out."


James Toseland, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team (DNF, 10th)
"I really needed to finish the second race after the crash in the first. To only finish 14 seconds from the front with the issues we've had this weekend is not so bad. I was really disappointed with the first race, with my injury on Friday I wanted to have two good finishes today. Full credit to the team they've tried so hard but unfortunately we haven't had the software here to solve the issue. We know what the problem is and I've given enough feedback and input to give the guys a direction to go in. We've got a lot of work to do, no doubt, but even with all the problems we're not actually that far away. The package, the power, the balance and the suspension have come on leaps and bounds. On to Portimao now, it's a long season so we can do it."

Massimo Meregalli, Yamaha Sterilgarda World Superbike Team Manager
"It was definitely a really tough weekend for us. We solved some problems, and some we still have to work on. As we spent the two day test and the first day of the race weekend resolving the chatter issue, qualifying and race day was our first opportunity to really test the 2010 bike set up. We've seen that we have the potential to do well so we will go home and start working on the solutions to be ready to fight for the Portimao races. The team have worked really hard over the last few days to try and solve the issues and both Cal and James have given 100% to meet the challenges."


Circuit Length: 4.445
Weather: Windy

Lap Record: 1'32.402 (Troy Bayliss, 01/01/2006)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1'31.069 (Ben Spies, 01/03/2009)
Last Years Winner: Ben Spies

2010 WSB Australia - Phillip Island 28/02/2010
Race 1 - 22 Laps
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 34'13.435
2 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 0'00.004
3 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 0'00.769
4 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 0'10.201
5 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 0'10.782
6 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 0'11.079
7 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 0'11.208
8 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0'16.522
9 Troy Corser BMW AUS 0'20.291
10 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 0'26.352
11 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 0'29.775
12 Max Neukirchner Honda GER 0'30.155
13 Tom Sykes Kawasaki GBR 0'31.951
14 Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 0'31.957
15 Andrew Pitt BMW AUS 0'55.082


Race 2 - 22 Laps
Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
1 Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 34'16.428
2 Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 0'00.307
3 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 0'00.434
4 Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 0'00.837
5 Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 0'03.453
6 Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 0'11.530
7 Troy Corser BMW AUS 0'12.026
8 Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 0'13.068
9 Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 0'14.401
10 James Toseland Yamaha GBR 0'14.707
11 Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 0'14.743
12 Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 0'14.851
13 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 0'15.143
14 Joshua Brookes Honda AUS 0'30.947
15 Andrew Pitt BMW AUS 0'41.855


Best Lap
Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time
Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 1'32.193

Rider Standings 28/02/2010


Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points
1. Leon Haslam Suzuki GBR 45
2. Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 36
3. Carlos Checa Ducati ESP 34
4. Noriyuki Haga Ducati JPN 27
5. Sylvain Guintoli Suzuki FRA 23
6. Jonathan Rea Honda GBR 23
7. Max Biaggi Aprilia ITA 19
8. Troy Corser BMW AUS 16
9. Leon Camier Aprilia GBR 10
10. Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 9
11. Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 8
12. Cal Crutchlow Yamaha GBR 7
13. James Toseland Yamaha GBR 6
14. Shane Byrne Ducati GBR 6
15. Max Neukirchner Honda GER 4

Manufacturer Standings 28/02/2010


Pos. Manufacturer Points
1. Ducati 45
2. Suzuki 45
3. Honda 23
4. Aprilia 19
5. BMW 16
6. Yamaha 7
7. Kawasaki 3

 

[KUCIAR666]

Rea shows fighting spirit at Phillip Island

Jonathan Rea took fourth and sixth place finishes in today?s two World Superbike championship races at Phillip Island in Australia, as Leon Haslam and Carlos Checa took the wins.

After struggling to find the right set-up for the fast 4.445km circuit, Rea started both 22-lappers from the second row, moving up to fourth place in race one. The 23-year-old from Northern Ireland fought off the advances of Max Biaggi to cross the line in fourth.

Rea began race two in similar vein after his crew made some changes to the front of his CBR1000RR Fireblade. However, a mistake at turn four on the opening lap left him on the grass and Rea rejoined in last place before fighting his way back through the field.

His Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Max Neukirchner, was relatively satisfied with 12th place in race one, having experienced problems during qualifying which resulted in 17th place on the starting grid.

The German also ran on at turn four in the second outing but was unable to make up enough places to get back into the points, eventually finishing in 16th place.

Jonathan Rea ? 4th and 6th

We?ve had problems all week, really, from the test last weekend, right through this one. We knew it would be hard, so, if fourth and sixth is a bad weekend, I?ll take it. I was pretty happy with fourth, because I had to fight for it all the way. We changed the front a bit for the second race and I think it caught me out as I braked for the hairpin on the first lap. I had to let off the brake and by the time I got back on track I was last. It gave me a pretty strong motivation actually, and I really enjoyed riding through the field and passing I think maybe 16 other riders, which was a lot of fun. Now we?re looking forward to getting back to some tracks where we know the bike works and to fighting for some podiums again.

Max Neukirchner ? 12th and 16th

Well, it hasn?t been a fantastic weekend and we struggled to find the right direction from the very start. We made some more progress during warm-up this morning and in race one I was able to make up some places from my grid position. We made a big change to the rear of the bike for race two and it felt pretty good for the early part of the race. I was following Biaggi quite closely in his slipstream and ended up braking a bit late for turn four and losing maybe 20 seconds. I had a bit of a lonely ride after that and it was a disappointing finish to the weekend. We came here to do a better job than this and we?ve got some more work to do to get back on course at the next round.

Ronald ten Kate ? team manager

I think Jonathan probably got the maximum out of the weekend that was possible. He rode very well in race one but the bike was a little bit off and his crew did a great job for race two when it was very competitive. A little mistake at Honda corner gave Jonathan some work to do but to come back from last to sixth was a marvellous job. However, only wins and podiums count so we?ll be chasing them once again when we return to Europe. Max has had a tough first weekend and its probably one to forget. The only positive is that the changes made for race two got him up to speed but, once he had run off the track, it was a difficult race.

2010 World Superbike championship, round 1 ? Phillip Island, Australia (4.445km)
Race 1 results (22 laps):
1 Leon Haslam (GBR) Suzuki 34?13.435s
2 Michel Fabrizio (ITA) Ducati +0.004s
3 Noriyuki Haga (JPN) Ducati +0.769s
4 Jonathan Rea (GBR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda +10.201s
5 Max Biaggi (ITA) Aprilia +10.782s
6 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Suzuki +11.079s
12 Max Neukirchner (GER) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda +30.155s
Race 2 results: (22 laps):
1 Carlos Checa (ESP) Ducati 34?16.428s
2 Leon Haslam (GBR) Suzuki +0.307s
3 Michel Fabrizio (ITA) Ducati +0.434s
4 Sylvain Guintoli (FRA) Suzuki +0.837s
5 Noriyuki Haga (JPN) Ducati +3.453s
6 Jonathan Rea (GBR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda +11.530s
16 Max Neukirchner (GER) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda +48.844s

Sofuoglu on the podium for World Supersport opener

Kenan Sofuoglu finished third in today?s opening race of the 2010 World Supersport championship at Phillip Island in Australia. The race was won by fellow Honda rider Eugene Laverty.

Starting from second place on the grid, Sofuoglu overshot turn four on the opening lap and was fighting his way back into contention when he crashed at high speed on oil from another rider's machine, hurting the leg he broke in a pre-season training accident.

His Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate, Michele Pirro, also crashed out after having his machine and helmet covered in sprayed oil. However, both riders made it back to the team garage when the race was red-flagged and were able to make the full restart.

Both Pirro and Sofuoglu were fighting in the leading group, but Pirro was forced out of contention when his tyre deflated, leaving Sofuoglu to battle it out for the final podium position.

Kenan Sofuoglu ? 3rd

We were happy to get the restart after I crashed on the oil but as soon as the race started again I knew that I had a problem with the tyre. Actually, we knew there might be a problem before the race but I am still very disappointed at the result. Towards the end of the race, I thought that Lascorz must be going slower as well because, for sure, I had to slow down a lot just to make it to the flag. I will take the points from the weekend and have to be satisfied with the podium result, but it has not been a good weekend and I will be trying my best to make up for this by winning at Portimao.

Michele Pirro ? DNF

In the first part of the race, before the flag, everything was OK, but then suddenly my visor was covered in oil and I crashed. The bike was badly damaged but I was able to ride back to the pits to make the restart. Again, I felt comfortable but then there was something badly wrong with the tyre. I had to stop but I wasn?t sure if it was broken or if there was a puncture. When the bike came back there was no air in the tyre. It?s very disappointing to start the season like this, so I want the next race to come very quickly but we must wait four weeks.

Ronald ten Kate ? team manager

Clearly the first part of the race caused us some problems, with both riders crashing on other riders? oil and having to use their spare machines for the restart. Kenan, especially, took quite a beating in his crash and we had to get some pain-killing injections to allow him to ride again. In race two it took him some time to get into a rhythm but, considering everything, I think we must be satisfied with his podium. Michele had even worse luck ? first crashing and having to switch bikes, and then getting a problem and having to retire with a completely deflated tyre. The weekend has given us some tyre wear issues but Michele has not had so much of them as Kenan. His problem is therefore a surprise and a shock, especially because it looked like his first podium with the team was a possibility.

2010 World Supersport championship, round 1 ? Phillip Island, Australia (4.445km)
Race results (21 laps):
1 Eugene Laverty (IRL) Honda 33?37.836s
2 Joan Lascorz (ESP) Kawasaki +4.359s
3 Kenan Sofuoglu (TUR) Hannspree Ten Kate Honda +4.500s
4 David Salom (ESP) Triumph +11.779s
5 Fabien Foret (FRA) Kawasaki +17.266s
6 Massimo Roccoli (ITA) Honda +25.034s

Championship points after first round: Laverty 25, Lascorz 20, Sofuoglu 16, Salom 13, Foret 11, Roccoli 10.

 

[KUCIAR666]

Super seventh for Troy at Phillip Island!
2010 Superbike World Championship, race report from Phillip Island, Australia

A dramatic opening round of the 2010 World Superbike Championship in Australia resulted in a day of mixed fortunes for BMW Motorrad Motorsport. During the final warm-up at Phillip Island circuit, team rider Ruben Xaus collided with Ducati Xerox?s Noriyuki Haga. Neither of the riders suffered any serious injuries but Ruben felt disoriented after the collision, so after consultation with team doctor Vincenzo Tota and team management, he decided not to participate in today?s races.

This left Troy Corser to fly the flag for BMW Motorrad Motorsport at his home circuit, and he did so in style, finishing both 22-lap races in the top ten, with a great seventh place finish in race two.

At the same track where he has enjoyed seven victories, Corser made an excellent start to race one on his BMW S 1000 RR, moving up to seventh place from the fourth row of the grid. However, the likeable Aussie was forced to take avoiding action on lap three, when James Toseland crashed right in front of him. This allowed several riders past and left Troy with a lot of work to do.

By half race distance, Troy was in 10th position and was only 10 seconds behind leading rider Leon Haslam. Consistently posting quick laps, Corser moved up into ninth when Leon Camier went off the track on lap 15. The BMW factory rider managed to hold this position until the end of the race, eventually finishing just 20.291 seconds behind winner Haslam, who scored his maiden victory in probably the closest finish in WSBK history, beating Michel Fabrizio by just four thousandths of a second.

Race two was equally entertaining, with Troy up to 11th place after another good start on his BMW S 1000 RR. Before long he had caught a group of seven riders and proceeded to move through the pack. He passed Cal Crutchlow on lap 6, and then gained several places in quick succession when Jacob Smrz, Leon Camier and Chris Vermeulen all made mistakes. Before long, he had James Toseland in his sights, and passed the double WSBK champion to move into sixth place, with just eight laps remaining.

With a five-way battle for the lead up front, Troy?s terrific ride on the S 1000 RR continued and he succeeded in pulling a small gap on Yamaha riders Toseland and Crutchlow. However, with just three laps remaining he was surprised by a challenge from Jonathan Rea, who slipped by and held a lead until the chequered flag. Nevertheless, Corser finished this dramatic race in seventh place ? just 12.026 seconds behind winner Carlos Checa ? moving himself up to eighth in the points table.

Troy Corser: ?I had a good start in the first race and gained a couple of positions but unfortunately the tyre dropped quite quickly and I was unable to push as much as I wanted but I was still a good result. We changed the settings on the bike before the start of the second race and things were a lot better. The grip was a lot better immediately, and it was easier to do consistent lap times. I was able to push and fight in the second race like I wanted to in race one. I had to work really hard to pass James Toseland towards the end of race two but I did and managed to pull away slightly. Overall, we can be happy with what we achieved here today at Phillip Island.?

Berthold Hauser: ?The weekend was like a rollercoaster and we had a lot of difficulties to overcome. We had to manage the pressure on the team, deal with some technical issues and of course I feel sorry for Ruben who decided not to race due to his crash in today?s warm-up session. However, the team kept focussed and did a fantastic job. We are definitely closer to the top teams than last year. Thanks to everybody in the team, and thanks to Troy who had a great second race. We can now travel back to Europe with our heads held high. Also congratulations to Reitwagen Racing who did a really good job this weekend.?

Results

Race one: 1 Haslam (GBR ? Suzuki), 2 Fabrizio (ITA ? Ducati), 3 Haga (JPN ? Ducati), 9 Troy Corser (AUS ? BMW Motorrad Motorsport), DNS Ruben Xaus (E-BMW Motorrad Motorsport)

Race two: 1 Checa (ESP ? Ducati), 2 Haslam (GBR ? Suzuki), 3 Fabrizio (ITA ? Ducati), 7 Troy Corser (AUS ? BMW Motorrad Motorsport), DNS Ruben Xaus (E-BMW Motorrad Motorsport)

Points: 1. Haslam 45, 2 Fabrizio 36, 3 Checa 34, 7 Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 16

 

[Gerrard]

Early days but Haslam and Fabrizio will take a lot of catching this year..

 

[KUCIAR666]

Yeeeee it will be very interesting sesson!!!

 

[Gerrard]

Hi Kuciar.
It will be.. hopefully one of the best ever...