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A jubliant Carlos shares the podium with Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager di Althea Racing
SBK World Superbike Championship, Phillip Island Round 1 of 13
Privateer Ducati rider Carlos Checa shatters the track record and scores a Double Knockout!
2011 FIM Superbike World Championship kicks off at Phillip Island
Checa untouchable as he doubles Phillip Island race wins
Phillip Island (Australia), Sunday 27 February 2011 - Ever since his first sessions in the official IMS tests at Phillip Island earlier this week Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) made himself a force to be reckoned with in front of 63,200 spectators at Phillip Island. On the opening day of the new season the Superpole winner made himself a convincing double race winner. Checa hit the front early in each 22-lap race, and enjoyed clear air almost throughout in the dry track conditions. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia), Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad) and new SBK force Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) all joined Checa on the podium at some stage, but it was a day to remember for all in Althea. Carlos now leaves Australia with 50 points in the bag, Biaggi has 40 for his two second place finishes, and Melandri and Haslam share 27 points, as they swapped third and fifth place places.
Aussie Crocodile Troy Corser with the Phillip Island Circuit's 21st Anniversay Birthday Cake!
Heading in to the 2011 Superbike Title Fight at Phillip Island...
Phillip Island, Australia, February 24-27th 2011 - The 24th edition of the FIM Superbike World Championship is set to get under way this weekend with the opening round held at Phillip Island (Australia). The spectacular sea backdrop venue located 150 kms south of Melbourne in the State of Victoria was the scene for two days of official tests earlier this week, and the times recorded clearly gave some indication of how the 23 riders present will go this weekend.
Following the tests, most of the Superbike and Supersport riders were able to relax for a couple of days but on the day before action gets underway, they lined up for the championship’s official photo shoot on Gardner Straight. All eyes will be on the track tomorrow however when the action gets serious. Unlike the tests, which were held in variable weather conditions, the weekend forecast is for good weather, an important element in tyre choice.
 Carlos Checa has been checking out all week on the Althea Ducati.
Carlos Checa (Ducati Althea Racing) dominated the tests, confirming the competitiveness of the Italian bikes even though they are run by private teams. The top four positions included three Ducati 1098R machines, with Sylvain Guintoli and Jakub Smrz in third and fourth on the Effenbert - Liberty Racing versions.
Carlos Checa: “Testing was very positive, we had a good lap time but what is more important is after Sunday. So far we focus on the work to get the right feeling with the bike because we didn’t do so much testing this winter. Finally you arrive at a certain point where the bike is OK, the feelings, the reference and you put the right tyre in and do the lap time. My feeling is that this is one of the best tracks for Ducati. Now we start with a different bike and I think we have a better package than last year.”
A crash in the final stages of testing will almost certainly not prevent Jonathan Rea from taking part in the opening round of the season. The man from Northern Ireland will take to the track tomorrow in first practice despite a swollen left wrist.
Jonathan Rea: “I’ve spent the last two days in hospital, which really frustrated me. I have a bit of swelling in my left hand, but hopefully we can get it down. Movement is perfect and my strength also. I’m looking forward to riding here, my bike’s working well. Last year it wasn’t perfect but the set-up over a race distance was good and I’m looking forward to banging bars and try and start the season off better than last year.”
The man they all have to beat is 2010 World Champion Max Biaggi, who thanks to a prior test session at Phillip Island in December, took to the track this week only when the weather conditions improved. The Aprilia Alitalia rider should have a better pace than the sixth quickest time her set at the start of the week.
Max Biaggi: “I feel very good of course to start in the best way possible. I feel good with the bike and the team, we have all the same equipment and the bike gets a little better, but there’s going to be a big question-mark for this weekend. I’ll try to be there. This track looks like it doesn’t suit the Aprilia like the other tracks but we will try to get a good result and the best points possible. Testing was OK and I’m quite optimistic to get a good result on Sunday.”
Another Italian, Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) is rapidly recovering from the recent operation on his shoulder, as could be seen in his eighth place on day 2 of the tests, just behind a confident Michel Fabrizio on the Suzuki Alstare machine.
Marco Melandri: “I’m pretty happy to be here, everything looks very new and very difficult. It’s going to be very tough for me because of my shoulder, that has taken two months to recover. Testing on Monday and Tuesday was good, so much better than at Portimao but still not 100%. I just want to try and do my best, my Yamaha is working very good and I’m very confident. My physical condition is not perfect right now, so two times 22 laps is not going to be easy!”
On the Kawasaki front, Chris Vermeulen confirmed that he will not be taking part in this weekend’s round, but the team will be well-represented by Joan Lascorz and Tom Sykes. The BMWs have not yet reached their full potential after notching up the miles in winter testing, with Leon Haslam leading the group.
World Supersport
Honda’s traditional supremacy in World Supersport – eight titles in the last nine years – could come under threat this time around. Following the testing results, the Kawasaki ZX-6R machines of the Motocard.com team, in the hands of Broc Parkes and David Salom, look to have all the right cards to be able to challenge Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), top man by just 14 thousandths of a second. The Yamahas might also get in amongst the front-running action thanks to the presence of the Bike Service and ParkinGO teams: Roberto Tamburini and Luca Scassa were respectively sixth and seventh in testing. The panorama of manufacturers on the grid is completed by Triumph and Danilo Dall’Omo, who also ran well in the tests.
 Eugene Laverty on the Yamaha YZF R1, quickest of the factory riders in 3rd!
Friday Practice: Checa again the ace in the WSBK pack
Phillip Island, Australia, Friday Feb 25th 2011 - Results of first qualifying at Phillip Island saw Carlos Checa (Ducati Althea Racing) stake his claim as number 1 favourite for the Superbike wins in the opening round on Sunday. The Spaniard stopped the clocks with a time of 1 minute 31.577 seconds, a tenth quicker than his free practice time of the morning, but slower than his best from recent testing - simply because the warmer track surface delivered less outright grip. Another man on the move was Sylvain Guintoli (Ducati Effenbert - Liberty Racing), the Frenchman doing exceptionally well to come within three-tenths of Checa, despite suffering a fall in the morning session.
Carlos Checa: “Basically, we worked with the tyres this afternoon, just to make choices for raceday. I felt good today but I think the grip was just a little bit less from the racetrack. We used the ‘big’ rear tyre and had similar results to the previous ones, so if we do that I prefer to continue with the existing tyres for now. Tomorrow we will just work towards raceday again, do a comparison with the tyres and then do some longer runs on the tyre we expect to use for the race.”
An impressive sub-1m32s lap time was set by Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) and the WSBK rookie had the satisfaction of finishing one place ahead of 2010 world champion Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia). Guintoli’s team-mate Jakub Smrz posted fifth best time, and Leon Haslam overcame some early set-up issues to go sixth. He was the top BMW Motorrad Motorsport rider today, as Troy Corser went 11th.
Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare) had a harmless crash towards the end and finished seventh, one place up on impressive new WSBK talent, Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team). Lascorz, a top runner in WSS until his promotion to Superbike this year, was only just over half a second from Checa. Castrol Honda rider Jonathan Rea, who is still battered and bruised from his big testing get offs, was ninth fastest, placing all the competing manufacturers in WSBK this season in the top nine places in the first qualifying session.
Yoshimura Suzuki rider Josh Waters, a wildcard at this event, was an impressive tenth on the exquisitely prepared GSX-R machine, leading his fellow countryman Corser, while Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) was 12th, and one of many top names who ended up in the gravel at one point or other today.Tom Sykes, Noriyuki Haga, James Toseland and Leon Camier rounded out the top 16.
Superbike Friday Times: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'31.577; 2. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'31.850; 3. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 1'31.969; 4. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'32.009; 5. Smrz J. (CZE); Ducati 1098 1'32.066; 6. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1'32.082; 7. 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'32.108; 8. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'32.163; 9. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.424; 10. Waters J. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'32.690; 11. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'32.699; 12. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'32.700; 13. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'32.705; 14. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'33.058; 15. Toseland J. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1'33.074; 16. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'33.084; etc.
World Supersport
Quickest time in the first Supersport qualifying session was recorded by former champion Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), as he continues his run of impressive form. The Fast Frenchman had to work for it however as he crashed at the start and then only came out for five flying laps, edging the young Spanish rider David Salom (Kawasaki Motocard.com) off the top in the last few seconds. Salom has an official bike at his disposal for the first time in his career and has been making immediate good use of it.
Another up-and-coming youngster, 20 year-old Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) went third quickest ahead of fellow Brit Chaz Davies who is now getting to grips with his Yamaha ParkinGO machine after some trying times in testing recently. Good news also for the other Yamaha team on the grid, Bike Service, with Roberto Tamburini getting the better of Luca Scassa (Yamaha ParkinGO) by a whisker. James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda) continued his recovery with the ninth fastest time, a remarkable feat for a rider who underwent keyhole surgery on his left knee, on Wednesday.
Supersport Friday Times: 1. Foret F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1'34.091; 2. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'34.166; 3. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1'34.875; 4. Davies C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1'35.065; 5. Tamburini R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'35.203; 6. Scassa L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'35.236; 7. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'35.297; 8. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1'35.335; etc.
 Saturday's Superpole winners's for the front row of Sunday's race grid
Checa secures Superpole on Saturday
Saturday Feb 26th - Carlos Checa / Althea Racing set the quickest lap ever recorded around Phillip Island on a Superbike machine when he powered his Ducati 1098R to a time of 1 minute 30.882 seconds, thus grabbing the first Superpole trophy of the year. Checa, one of last year's winners in Australia, was just a fraction ahead of Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) who put in a quick lap towards the end, but who was eventually edged off the top slot by 0.013 seconds. Sylvain Guintoli gave the new-for-2011 Effenbert - Liberty Racing Ducati team a great championship baptism with third place on the grid, after yet another good run at Phillip Island for the Frenchman. He was almost on the podium on a four-cylinder machine last year and is set on taking a top three in one of Sunday’s races this year.
Carlos Checa: “Basically we worked well all weekend, when I passed down the straight I did 1’30.8 but I didn’t know I was first until the mechanics stopped me. But the difference is very small between first and second. At the end of the day of course we like to be first, but we did a good job all weekend and that’s the best thing. We will see how I can manage the race, 22 laps here is long and we must try and keep the tyres fresh for the end and see what position we have.”
Phillip Island was the first race of the season for Max and Aprilia to display their Number 1 from last year's title win.
Max Biaggi: I’m very happy to start 2011 qualifying in a good way. From last year to this year we’ve improved and that proves that the test we did in December gave us a lot of satisfaction. There are a few things I’d like to improve, just like my engineers, but it’s impossible to do everything. Maybe in the future but so far I’m so happy.”
Sylvain Guintoli: “This is one of my best and favourite tracks, but more than this I think I’m just gelling well with the Ducati and enjoying riding this bike so much. Here really was the first time I got to ride it, without needing some tyres for the bad weather we had during testing. It’s been such bad weather testing but now I’m enjoying things. A great result for the team on its debut.”
Leon Haslam: “A week ago we had a few problems and I was worried about not making the qualifying in the top 16, so to have made the progress the team has done is all credit to them, they have really put in the effort. I’m really very happy to be on the front row, hopefully I can get a good start and we can get a similar result to last year.”
Haslem's first race appearance for BMW
Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) made a great effort to take his S1000 RR machine to the fourth slot, having made many runs on race tyres in the previous practice sessions. Haslam, a race winner at Phillip Island in 2010, just managed to hold off a last-minute attempt by Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Superbike Team) to join the fast gang of four on the front row. Jakub Smrz (Effenbert - Liberty Racing) was next up followed by a rejuvenated Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad) who was riding at his home race. Italian star Marco Melandri concluded his first Superpole with eighth place, an impressive performance from Marco as he makes a quick transition to Superbike racing.
 Reigning European 1000cc Superstock Chmpionmpion Ayrton Badovini is now on the BMW Motorrad Italia SBK Team with former World Champ James Toseand. Badovini dominated the SuperStock class last year on the BMW 1000RR
The third row of the grid is now headed by Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare), who punched his way to ninth, one place ahead of Tom Sykes’ Kawasaki Racing Team machine. Tom lost some of the pace he had recovered in the earlier qualifying session, when he had been third fastest on combined times.
Aussie wildcard rider Josh Water (Yoshimura Suzuki) was once more on the top rider mix, running 11th and one place ahead of the gritty Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda). Rea had two crashes today but rallied to ride again and take a third row start. Joan Lascorz, Noriyuki Haga, James Toseland and Ruben Xaus were the first riders to exit Superpole qualifying in round one, and they now share the fourth row of the grid.
 Privateer team Riders on Ducati bikes led by Carlos Checa / Althea Racing dominated pre week testing at Phillip Island, Race Weeend Practice and Superpole.
Superbike Superpole Saturday Times: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'31.729; 2. Guintoli S. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'31.880; 3. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'32.100; 4. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 1'32.184; 5. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'32.317; 6. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'32.411; 7. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'32.820; 8. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 1'32.831; 9. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'33.135; 10. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'33.197; 11. Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'33.258; 12. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-10R 1'33.338; 13. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'33.344; 14.Berger M. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'33.435; 15. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 1'33.435; 16. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'33.440, etc.
World Supersport
David Salom (Kawasaki Motocard.com) emerged as the surprise poleman for tomorrow’s Supersport race after practice and qualifying was turning into a battle between Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com). Salom’s time of 1 minute 34.070 seconds came right at the very end of the session but it was good enough to earn the young Spaniard his best qualifying result so far, and his maiden pole in this class. The front row was completed by Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) and Parkes in fourth, with those four riders a little clear of the rest and demonstrating good race pace.
Two Italians line up in fifth and sixth on row 2, both on Yamahas, with ex-SBK man Luca Scassa (ParkinGO) just ahead of a very competitive Roberto Tamburini (Bike Service). They will be joined on the second row of the grid by full season rookie rider Florian Marino (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Chaz Davies (Yamaha ParkinGO). Danish rider Robbin Harms was a consistent ninth on his Harms Benjan Honda, the first rider to be more than a second from Salom.
After two big crashes this weekend, one in which he tore a tendon in his thumb, Gino Rea could only manage tenth for Step Racing Honda, while James Ellison was one place behind on his Bogdanka PTR version, as he recovers from very recent keyhole surgery on his left knee. WSS veteran Massimo Roccoli was the 12th and last rider on row three, as he competes on his Lorenzini by Leoni Kawasaki for the first time in WSS. Danilo Dell’Omo was the first Triumph rider home in qualifying, in 13th place for the Suriano team.
Supersport Saturday Times: 1. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'34.070; 2. Foret F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1'34.091; 3. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 1'34.504; 4 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'34.548; 5. Scassa L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'34.635; 6. Tamburini R. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'34.931; 7. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1'34.994; 8. Davies C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1'35.065; etc.
 Carlos (7) pulled quickly away at the start of both races. Click to GO BIG
Checa untouchable as he takes two Phillip Island race wins
Phillip Island (Australia), Sunday 27 February 2011 - Ever since his first sessions in the official IMS tests at Phillip Island earlier this week Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) made himself a force to be reckoned with in front of 63,200 spectators at Phillip Island. On the opening day of the new season the Superpole winner made himself a convincing double race winner. Checa hit the front early in each 22-lap race, and enjoyed clear air almost throughout in the dry track conditions. Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia), Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad) and new SBK force Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) all joined Checa on the podium at some stage, but it was a day to remember for all in Althea. Carlos now leaves Australia with 50 points in the bag, Biaggi has 40 for his two second place finishes, and Melandri and Haslam share 27 points, as they swapped third and fifth place places.
Superbike Race 1
Checa's winning margin over Biaggi in Phillip Island race 1 was clear evidence of the Althea man's domination. Checa took the lead from Laverty on lap 3 and steadily pulled out to an unchallenged 4-second gap at the flag. Biaggi soon realized it was not possible to keep the pace of Checa and settled for second. The podium was completed by Haslam who held off both Yamaha riders, Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri, who exchanged places right at the flag in a sprint finish. Sixth was Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare), who made a great recovery that saw him finish ahead of Jakub Smrz (Ducati Effenbert - Liberty Racing) and Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing). Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) was running in the top 6 but slipped down to 12th after an off-track excursion, while front row man Sylvain Guintoli (Ducati Effenbert - Liberty Racing) crashed out and did not take part in race 2, after picking up a series of injuries to his right hand, knee and shoulder-blade.
Tom Sykes (66) took the new Kawasaki ZX10 to top 10 finsihes both races.
Carlos Checa: “Here we have something extra, maybe the bike works really well at this track and I like it as well. We did a great job in testing, practice and qualifying but you never know, conditions can change. I started well and made a gap, controlled the race, went fast lap by lap, but it’s a fantastic winning start for me and the team.”
Max Biaggi: “A very good result because the last two years at Phillip Island we were struggling and far behind. The twins are always a bit better on this track but I don’t want to take anything away from Checa, he did a fantastic race. We did our best, I came close at some stage but my wheel was spinning so I couldn’t go faster.”
Leon Haslam: “A third place is like a win for me at this stage, we’ve come on a lot this last week and the boys have worked fantastic. I’m looking forward to having a look at the data because we had a few issues and still managed to get on the podium. Hopefully the team can work its magic in race 2.”
Superbike Race 1: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 34'16.503; 2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 4.365; 3. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 10.719; 4. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 11.266; 5. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 11.293; 6. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 12.039; 7. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 20.294 8. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 20.742; 9. Haga N. (JPN )Aprilia RSV4 Factory 22.421; 10. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 25.822; 11. Rolfo R. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 29.270; 12. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 31.059; 13 Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 31.721; 14. Badovini A. (ITA) BMW S1000 RR 36.389; 15. Staring B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 36.470; 16. Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 41.928; etc.
Max Biaggi (1) and Marco Melandi (33 behind. Marco had better turn-in and would pass Biaggi each lap in the twisty back section of the track, but one they got on the front straight the factory Aprillia had 5mph top speed over the Yamaha and just motored back by to retake the lead.
Superbike Race 2
Again no one was able to run with Checa and he finished a clear distance ahead of Biaggi again, 1.118 seconds at the flag. The reigning world champion battled it out for the runner-up slot in the final stages with an impressive Melandri just getting the edge at the line after some very impressive close-quarter racing from each rider. Rea emerged from a battering and bruising weekend with a fourth place that partially repaid him for his testing misfortunes when he crashed heavily more than once, and then again twice yesterday. Rea finished ahead of the two Leons, Haslam and Camier (Aprilia Alitalia), the latter making a great charge through in race two, despite suffering with illness during race weekend.
 Camier on the 2nd factory Aprilia ahead of Australia's John Waters (12) on the Japanese Yoshimua Suzuki.
Leon Haslem and Troy Corser on the factory BMWs were early contenders in Race Two for the runner up spot behind race leader Checa, but they were relagated back by mid race by a hard charging Max Biaggi (1) and Marco Melandi (33 behind). Marco had better turn-in and would pass Biaggi each lap in the twisty back section of the track, but one they got on the front straight the factory Aprillia had 5mph top speed over the Yamaha ( and 10mph over Checa's Ducati) and just motored back past to regsin the lead.
Where Checa's and his Ducati 1098RS dominated were being able to accelerate sooner and faster out of the Island'ss long sweeping corners using the T-twins smoother powerband. The 4-cylinder bikes had to spend more time coasting through the corners off the gas, then straighten up before they could nail their throttle. The Althea team does receive much Ducati Corse factory support with 2 full-time engineers for electronics and bike setup, and trick parts for the engine and the lateste Ohlins MotoGP suspension.
Carlos Checa: “It wasn’t easy at all. I went into first position as soon as I can, but Haslam was not easy to pass at all. From there I tried to make my place on the track, but I know they were fighting behind me and two seconds lead wasn’t perfect. This is the best start for me, 50 points here in Australia.”
Max Biaggi: “Two second places in Australia is a very good result. It’s good to come back here after we struggled the last two years. Thanks to my team and crew, we’ve been working very well these days. It was good battling with Marco, the Yamaha has potential and I think they can do a good race, and Haslam as well. It makes it better for the competition.”
Marco Melandri: “It’s been an amazing day for me after not such a good race 1. I didn’t have a good feeling with the bike so we sat down with our team and they made a good job on the bike for race 2. I could ride so much stronger, I started more aggressive, and it felt very good to be back on the podium after such a long time, I’m just a bit disappointed not to beat Max for second place.”
Superbike Race 2: 1. Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 34'15.041 (171,308 kph); 2. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1.188; 3. Melandri M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R1 1.406; 4. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 10.563; 5. Haslam L. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 10.885; 6. Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 16.914; 7. Haga N. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 17.558; 8. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 17.679; 9. Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX-10R 18.070; 10. Xaus R. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 19.053 11. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 19.060; 12; Rolfo R. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-10R 23.771; 13. Waters J. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R1000 23.956; 14. Toseland J. (GBR) BMW S1000 RR 28.713; 15. Laverty E. (IRL) Yamaha YZF R1 32.673; 16. Aitchison M. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-10R 33.226; etc.
Superike Points (after 1 round of 13): 1. Checa 50; 2. Biaggi 40; 3. Melandri 27; 4. Haslam 27; 5. Fabrizio 18; 6. Rea 17; 7. Haga 16; 8. Sykes 15; 9. Laverty 14; 10. Smrz 14; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 50; 2. Aprilia 40; 3. Yamaha 29; 4. BMW 27; 5. Suzuki 18; 6. Honda 17; 7. Kawasaki 15.
Reigning World Superbike Champ Biaggi was happy to come away from Phillip Isand with two 2nd place finishes, at a track where the Aprilia normally doesn't work too well.
World Supersport
On its return to World Supersport Yamaha ParkinGo rider Luca Scassa made it a day to remember this afternoon, enjoying an adrenalin filled battle in the top five for the duration of the World Supersport race. The Italian World Supersport rookie made good use of the R6’s superior performance to charge through the pack, leading for some laps before dropping back again. He then passed Sam Lowes on the final straight for a photo finish, claiming victory by just 0.009 seconds. Broc Parkes on the Kawasaki ZX6th was awarded 2nd, bumping Lowes back to third.. Scassa’s teammate Chas Davies had a less fortunate afternoon. Having found a perfect setup for the Phillip Island circuit, Davies had been in contention for the podium for the majority of the race, fighting alternate for second and third
Third over the stripe as the top 3 flashed across the line was Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda), who scored a great podium in the debut race of his first full championship season. He had led out of the final turn but was overhauled by the two lead riders, and Sam was only 0.033 seconds from the winner’s time. Fourth was pole man David Salom on the second Motocard.com Kawasaki, posting an impressive result in a race in which he was frequently the leader. Fifth went to top true privateer Robbin Harms, on his Harms Benjan Honda, while a rider who had an operation on his left knee only a few days ago, James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda), was a fighting sixth. New boy Florian Marino (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) made a good recovery from a terrible start to record a top seven placing, while Vittorio Iannuzzo recovered from the disadvantage of a fifth row grid spot to take eighth. Alex Lundh and Danilo Dell’Omo rounded out the top ten. Chaz Davies and Fabien Foret failed to finish with deflated rear tyres, and Foret was riding with finger and back injuries suffered in a warm-up crash.
Supersport Results: 1. Scassa L. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 33'34.739 (166,792 kph); 2. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX-6R 0.009; 3. Lowes S. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 0.033; 4. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 0.272; 5. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 16.969; 6. Ellison J. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 23.943; 7. Marino F. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 31.788; 8. Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 31.837; etc.
Supersport Points (after 1 round of 13): 1. Scassa 25; 2. Parkes 20; 3. Lowes 16; 4. Salom 13; 5. Harms 11; 6. Ellison 10; 7. Marino 9; 8. Iannuzzo 8; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Yamaha 25; 2. Kawasaki 20; 3. Honda 16; 4. Triumph 6.
New Eric Buell Racing 1190RS Superbike premiers at Indy
Indianapolis, IN, Feb 17th - The anticipated 2011 Erik Buell Racing 1190RS Superbike was finally out in the open at this week's Indianapolis Motorcycle Dealer Show. Called the Erik Buell Racing 1190RS Carbon Edition, the name implies what material the bike mostly consists of, as this is supposed to be the premium model that will be sold in limited quantities to help get the 1190RS homologated for racing duty. Only 100 or so models are needed for such a purpose, meaning this will be limited-run, and one expensive endevour for the intrepid few (Buell isn’t quoting prices just yet, but Ducati 1198R prices in the mid $30s range are being banded about). This high-cost limited edition model will keep many Buell fans left out in the cold for th moment, with a lower cost, more production-ready 1190RS expected down the line. It seems Erik Buell Racing wants the 1190RS Carbon Edition to be its halo bike, as the company looks to recreate a dealer network, woo investors, and begin racing on a more even playing field with in the Superbike class. MORE
FastDates.com presents the ultimate road trip through the Golden State July 16th - 27th 2011
Edelweiss Ducati Laguna Seca MotoGP California Tour
“A motorcycle is the only way to see America.” Those are Peter Fonda’s words and he should know. The FastDates.com Calendars present the ultimate Edeweiss Ducati tour which will lead you through what is possibly the most beautiful state in America, California, to the ultimate motorcycle race, the U.S. MotoGP at Laguna Seca. There you'll hang with Ducati fans in the Ducati Midway and Grandstand, possibly meet World Champions Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden, and watch breathtaking race action in the "Corkscrew". You can choose to party with thousands of race fans on Monterey's Cannery Row on Saturday night, and unwind in Clint Eastwood's beautiful, quiet little town of Carmel on Sunday evening. The next morning we'll head south on the Pacific Coast Highway One, a twisty ribbon of asphalt between the mountains and the ocean on what is called the most beautiful, thrilling road in the world!
The Tour will start and finish in Los Angeles at the legendary Queen Mary ghost ship in the Port of Long Beach. We'll meet up on Saturday during the 20th anniversary celebration of the LA Calendar Motorcycle Show featuring the incredible custom bikes and beautiful models featured in the FastDates.com Motorcycle PinUp Calendars, including the official Ducati Corse Fast Dates World Superbike Calendar Kittens. You'll meet some of America's top custom bike builders featured in the Iron & Lace Calendar, check out the World Record Dyno Shootout, enjoy the Calendar Girl Music Festival, and the Calendar Bike Builder's party in the Ship's art deco Observation bar that night.
California has just about everything, and we will see most of it: mountains, desert, the Pacific Coast Highway, spectacular National Parks, beautiful cities like San Francisco and smaller towns like Carmel. California is a perfect country for riding the beautiful red bikes from Bologna. You'll be able to choose between the legendary Ducati Monster or the critically acclaimed Multistrada -the world's best sport touring bike, to take you through breathtaking landscapes including twisty mountain passes, spectacular ocean roads and fertile valleys. The lightweight bikes will easily bring you to all the Californian landmarks: Golden Gate Bridge, Sequoia and Yosemite National Park, Hearst Castle, Hollywood and the Queen Mary.
Los Angeles, San Francisco, Carmel and Santa Barbara have plenty of sightseeing and shopping opportunities. Sequoia and Yosemite National Park offer breathtaking scenery, waterfalls and giant trees, while the Sierra Nevada and the Pacific coastal mountains provide some of the best motorcycle roads in northern America. Just add the power, sound and feel of a Ducati motorcycles, meet beautiful California girls and World Champion racer boys – and here is your perfect vacation! Join FastDates.com and Edelweiss for a once-in-a-lifetime vacation and explore the Golden State, attend the LA Calendar Motorcycle Show and MotoGP race weekend.
Additional information: http://www.edelweissbike.com
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Larry Pegram's
Superbike Family Series Premiers on Discovery HD TV Feb 28th - Mar 16th
Feb 15th - Our good buddy Kaming Ko who is a top supporter of Ducati in the AMA Superbike Championship, has told us about on new TV Series premiering on HD TV the end of this month. Staring his roadracing buddy Larry Pegram,"Superbike Family" follows the family owned and operated Pegram Race Team's journey to compete against full factory race efforts on the AMA Pro Road Racing Series."
Program Broadcast Times are:
Saturday, February 26th
11am - Superbike Family Ep.1
11:30am - Superbike Family Ep.2
Saturday, March 5th
11am - Superbike Family Ep 3
11:30am Superbike Family Ep.4
Saturday, March 12th
11am - Superbike Family Ep.5
11:30am Superbike Family Ep.6
It may be a slight exageration for them to say that Larry competes against 'full factory race efforts" in AMA Pro Superbike. Truthfully, these days in the Daytona Motorsports Group run series it's fallen to privateer teams on stock bikes in an unpopular race series. What gets on TV these days is a TV show you produce and pay for yourself. We're sure Larry leads an exciting life on a tight budget with his wife and kids, going to club level road course in small towns around America, but...
We'd much rather be watching Valentino Rossi from San Marino, Italy, jet setting around the world competiting in the MotoGP Championship, and on off weekends racing World Rally cars and Formula One Ferraris.
Or maybe maybe follow 2-time World Superbike Champion Troy Corser living in Monte Carlo, going to wild parties with his sponsor Pussy Energy Drink, developing and racing BMW racebikes in the WSBK Championship.
2011 Calendars!
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Ducati Announcs 2011 848EVO Club Racing Awards Program
Cupertino, Calif. (24 February 2011) – Ducati announces today the launch of the 2011 848EVO Club Racing Contingency Program; a package to support riders campaigning Ducati’s new middleweight Superbike in regional race competition.
Ducati continues to push the envelopes of racing performance and technology. The new 848EVO is a direct result of these ambitions combined with years of development while racing the 848 Superbike. In 2011, Ducati riders from around the nation will be competing for one of the best contingency programs available.
The 848EVO Club Racing Contingency Program is open to any rider competing on a Ducati 848EVO Superbike purchased from an authorized US Ducati dealer. Payouts will be made in Ducati credit vouchers for the amounts of $700, $300 and $150; representing 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishes.
The regional series supported by the program are CCS, CMRA, WSMC, MRA, OMMRA, WMRRA, and AFM. There will be 109 races eligible for payout under the program, a minimum of three race weekends per series, and two-to-three classes paying out per race meeting. The 2011 program is Ducati’s best in years, and underlines the brand’s confidence in the capabilities of the new 848EVO.
Ducati is also pleased to announce the nine competing riders it has careful selected as part of the 848EVO Club Racing Program. Jim Chaconas, Howard Crow, Jose Flores, Doug Hillius, Ryan Jones, Barrett Long, Brent Lyskawa, Stefano Mesa and Joel Spalding will be representing the iconic brand on their new 848EVO race bikes throughout the full 2011 season.
For full details about the 2011 848EVO Club Racing Contingency program- including all dates, forms and eligible classes- please visit www.ducatiusa.com.
Carlos almost equals
Casey Stoner's
MotoGP Lap Record!
Carlos Checa / Althera Ducati Smashes Superbike lap Record on Day 2 of Testing at Phillip Island
Phillip Island (Australia), Tuesday 22nd February 2011: the Althea Racing team, and rider Carlos Checa, concluded testing at the Phillip Island track today, with fantastic results.The Spanish rider, having been fastest on track yesterday, improved even further today, lowering his best time of yesterday by another eight tenths of a second to record a 1m30.578. With this extremely impressive time, Carlos and his Ducati 1198 also smash Laconi’s 2009 Superpole lap record by half a second.
During the morning, on a very fast track, Carlos and his Althea Racing technicians were able to proceed with the planned work without interruptions, today concentrating mainly on tyre wear. Althea’s flagbearer completed 26 laps during the morning, recording the flying lap just prior to the end of the session to close ahead of the pack once again, and six tenths ahead of second placed Guintoli, also on board the Ducati. To better illustrate just how impressive Checa’s performance was here today, Casey Stoner, winner of the 2010 MotoGP round at Phillip Island, also made the fastest lap of that race, a 1m30.4, just a tenth of a second quicker than Carlos and his Ducati 1198 today.
In the last session of the afternoon, track conditions didn’t allow riders to make any further improvements and so the Althea Racing team instead made the most of the track time to check that both bikes were working well.
Over these two days of testing, Carlos clocked up a total of 116 laps, with a best time of 1m30.578, set this morning. Now the rider and his team can enjoy two days of relaxation before returning to the track on Friday, ready for the challenge that the inaugural round of the 2011 World Superbike Championship will bring.
Carlos Checa - “I’d say that the test went extremely well, we worked well with the tyres and I felt comfortable on the bike right from the start. I was a little worried as we have not ested much over the winter but we did a great job here. I thank the entire team and also Pirelli for all their hard work which allowed me to record some fast times. We’ve found a strong rhythm and are very satisfied. The Ducati always goes well at Phillip Island so we’ll try to make the most of this opportunity and focus on achieving great results on Sunday.”
Genesio Bevilacqua – General Manager di Althea Racing
“I’m very happy with the outcome of the tests and the consistant speed demonstrated by our bike and by Carlos, who rode it to perfection. Other important teams tested at this track over the winter, gaining an advantage with regard to bike set-up but our team has worked extraordinarily well over these two days. Carlos dominated every session and his mental state is exactly what we need to be able to score some strong results on Sunday.”
TIMES:
1. Carlos Checa (Ducati) 1m30.5; 2. Guintoli (Ducati) 1m31.1; 3. Rea (Honda) 1m31.2; 4. Smrz (Ducati) 1m31.6; 5.Lascorz (Kawasaki) 1m31.8; 6. Biaggi (Aprilia) 1m31.8; 7. Fabrizio (Suzuki) 1m32.1; 8. Melandri (Yamaha) 1m32.1
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Carlos Checa / Althea Racing Score Their First Double Win of the Season at Phillip Island
Phillip Island (Australia), Sunday 27th February 2011: the 2011 World Superbike Championship began in the best possible way for the Althea Racing team and Carlos Checa who, after a weekend of domination, stormed to victory in both of today’s races at Phillip Island. It was a perfect weekend for Carlos and his Ducati 1198; he finished every session in front and snatched pole before running away with the double victory this afternoon.
Race 1: unfortunately certain sections of the track were still damp after a shower earlier in the day. Carlos nevertheless got away fast, finding himself in second position, behind Laverty on the Yamaha, by the end of the first lap. The Spanish rider made light work of passing Laverty a couple of laps later, to take command of the race. He immediately began to build up a gap and by mid-race he had a four second advantage over Biaggi in second position. Checa made no mistakes in managing the last phase and won this first race in convincing style, ahead of Biaggi (Aprilia), second, and Haslam (BMW), third.
Race 2: Carlos was once again in second place at race start; after the first corners, he was able to find a way past Haslam to take the lead, but the Englishman quickly responded. During the following lap Checa was back on the attack and this time he regained control in definitive fashion. From that point on, he ran a solitary race, managing his advantage in a near replica of race 1. He passed the chequered flag with an advantage of more than a second over Biaggi and Melandri in second and third respectively.
After the first of thirteen Superbike events, Carlos Checa, with today’s points, commands the rider’s classification with 50 points while, thanks to Carlos’ performance, Ducati leads the way in the manufacturer’s standings.
Carlos Checa (Race 1 - winner, Race 2 – winner)
“The sessions went extremely well and we knew we had good rhythm but you never know what might happen in the raecs, especially if you find a wet track on Sunday morning, as we did today. My strategy was to get ahead and keep pace as I knew my pace was stronger than that of my rivals. In Race 1, once past Laverty, I was able to find a good rhythm. It was a really great race. Every so often you have a weekend like that and we were lucky to be able to start the season in such a fantastic way. Race 2 was very similar, I managed the situation and we did it! A really great weekend in which we dominated from start to finish. We were also lucky with the weather; we couldn’t have asked for a better start. I want to thank Ducati and the team for believing in me. Next we head to Donington where we’ll continue to give 100%.
Genesio Bevilacqua, General Manager di Althea Racing
“We completed all of the session, in fact the entire weekend, impeccably and everything went right. Carlos was extremely focused on the races and never lost concentration, not even when his rivals got closer at the end of the Superpole. We had worked on pace during the session so were in the right position at the start of the races. I want to thank the team, the boys coordinated everything perfectly, and also Carlos for his qualities both as a person and as a rider. I also thank Ducati who I believe can be satisfied with these results. Finally I thank our sponsors who continue to support us in these economically difficult times.”
Positive beginning for
Max Biaggi and Aprilia
in WSBK 2011
Phillip Island (Australia), 27 February 2011 – Max Biaggi and Team Aprilia Alitalia started off the 2011 championship as key players defending their two championship wreaths (Rider and Manufacturer) earned in 2010.
On the Australian track of Phillip Island Max Biaggi, on the Aprilia RSV4, took second place in both Race 1 and Race 2, both times following Carlos Checa who, confirming the state of grace he had demonstrated all weekend, rode two excellent races.
In the first race Max did the same with his pursuers which he kept at a safe distance. However, in the second race a not-so-brilliant start forced the five-time World Champion to pursue. Seventh after a few turns, Biaggi began to mount a comeback, the highlight of which was a spectacular move to overtake Haslam on the outside in the battle for third place during the sixth lap. From the ninth lap Biaggi settled into second place, overtaking Marco Melandri, but he then had to fight off attacks by the rider from Ravenna for the entire rest of the race. The two duelled fiercely, changing places often. But Biaggi more than his adversary was always ready to respond, moving out front and earning a precious second place. Both in Race 1 and in Race 2, Biaggi dignified his performance making the fast lap.
"The results today were truly beautiful – commented Max Biaggi – especially if we think about how we were last year and the year before. It has been no secret that this track has always put us in a difficult place, but this time we worked hard to prepare as best as possible and I can truly say that we succeeded, also considering the fast lap that we earned in both races. I must thank my team for this, which was quick to analyse my observations. The two cylinders on this track still maintain a certain advantage, without taking anything away from the extraordinary performance by Carlos Checa. For the first race of the year, I'd say that we've gotten off on the right foot. Now we need to keep on working as we are accustomed to"
Leon Camier, debilitated for the entire Australian weekend by the flu and relegated to a fifth row start, raced to minimise damage. In Race 1 he took thirteenth place, staying far from the best the entire time, but in Race 2 he was a player in an exciting performance which earned him sixth place.
"I am truly surprised by the results today – admitted Camier – especially in Race 2, considering the difficulties this weekend. Before the second race we change the rear tyre and at the start I tried to ride calmly, looking for my pace and avoiding errors. Lap after lap the feeling got better and I climbed my way to sixth place. To say I was tired is an understatement, but if I think about the presuppositions I can consider myself quite satisfied. Without this illness things could have gone differently, but it doesn't matter; now I need to lower my head and get to work - there is still a long season ahead".
Melandri impresses with Maiden World Superbike Podium at Phillip Island
Feb 27th - Yamaha World Superbike Team rider Marco Melandri ended his podium drought this afternoon, stepping up to take third position in the second World Superbike race, his first podium since 2009. The World Superbike rookie started well from his second row position, closing in on defending World Champion Max Biaggi and pushing him to the race finale, interchanging for second position a number of times before finally settling for third at the line, less than 1.5 seconds from double race winner Carlos Checa.
The first race of the day saw both Melandri and his teammate Eugene Laverty start well, Laverty impressing by leading the first two laps of his first ever Superbike race, before dropping back to swap positions with Melandri several times. Laverty claimed fourth and Melandri fifth at the line. Both riders had struggled a bit for rear grip in the first race, and Laverty also from arm pump, problems which were rectified by team set up changes and help from Clinica Mobile prior to race two.
Laverty’s second race began with the young Northern Irishman pressing on and holding sixth position until lap eight when a false neutral caused him to run wide, losing valuable time and positions. The same issue was repeated on lap 11, dropping him to 20th position by lap 15. Despite the setback Laverty fought back, pushing back up over seven laps to claim 15th at the line.
As they head to Donington in the UK for the second round of the championship, they do so with Melandri sitting in third in the overall standings with 27 points, his teammate Laverty sits in ninth with 14 points, 13 behind Melandri.
Marco Melandri, Yamaha World Superbike Team 5th, 3rd - “I’m pretty happy with the end results of today, although I wasn’t too happy about race one. We’ve been struggling all week with a rear grip issue, which could be seen in race one. I think we made a good job before race two, changing our set up to deal with it and we were a little bit more aware of our potential afterwards. The bike was a lot better and I felt a lot more comfortable. It’s nice to be back on the podium! I wanted to challenge Biaggi for second but in the end my body was slower than my mind at the end of the race, it felt a bit dangerous to make some passes so I was happy to settle for third.”
Eugene Laverty, Yamaha World Superbike Team 4th, 15th - “In the first race I had problems with arm pump and had just to sit there, I had the possibility to go third but didn’t want to risk my arms. I got it fixed at Clinica, it was just really stiff after five days riding on a Superbike this week! Marco upped the pace in second race; it would have been tough to beat, but there was a definite fourth there for me. Unfortunately two false neutrals killed the race leaving me with one point. On the plus side I’m very positive for Donington, we’ve clearly got a very competitive package and under race conditions we can see that our competitors aren’t as fast as the practice sessions suggested.”
Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager - Andrea Dosoli -““Today we got confirmation that all the work we have done is in the right direction. We struggled a bit in race one, both riders complained about a lack of rear grip and we could see we where slow in the last sector. With just a few adjustments we improved the bike for race two, so Marco could follow Max and, at the end, the gap to Carlos Checa was not as big as in race one so he kept a good race pace. Eugene did a great job in race one and he was doing in the same in race two. He really impressed us with a fantastic start he showed he could work under pressure and ride in a tough race. He put in the same performance in race two, unfortunately getting a couple of false neutrals and running off, losing ten seconds each time. If not for this he could have been on the podium.
We showed this weekend that the performance of the team is high with both riders so we should be proud, especially considering this is the first time they have run a two race event on a Sunday. Thank you to all the team for a good job done so far and we will try to be even more competitive at Donington.”
Sykes Gives New Ninja ZX-10R A Solid Race Debut with 2 Top 10s
WSBK, Phillip Island, Australia, 27 February 2011
Tom Sykes ended the opening raceday of the year with two strong top ten finishes on the 2011 Ninja ZX-10R, and is overall eighth in the championship standings as the series leaves Australia.
Tom, starting from tenth place on the grid, was eighth in the first 22-lap contest, and then ninth on race two. After heavy overnight rains and a wet-warm-up, raceday itself was dry and sunny, but the rains changed the track characteristics from those of practice or the recent IMS tests. This led to changes to set-up being made between the races, when more data had been gathered.
Joan Lascorz showed strong pace at times in his Superbike racing debut, but a fall in race one and a lack of strength thereafter eventually saw him pull out of the second race. Lascorz had opted for a soft rear tyre in the second race, which proved to be not the optimum choice, although it helped with manoeuvrability in the early laps.
The team now returns to its regular base in Europe and all the PBM team members will now face a home round in the UK, at Donington Park between 25 and 27 March.
Roby Rolfo (Kawasaki Pedercini Team) had two very impressive rides in his return to World Superbike, taking his Ninja ZX-10R to one 11th and one 12th place finish, and overall 12th in the standings. Bryan Staring, a wild card rider for Pedercini, was 15th in race one, scoring one point.
Tom Sykes: “We got two top nine positions and an eighth overall in the championship so it is probably not a bad start. In race one I got a good run off the line but I was not able to go with the other riders in the early laps. I caught them back up at the end. In race two I could not engage neutral coming up to the line, so that did not help my race start and I was well back in the order. The changes we made for race two were good; I had better grip. I faded a bit in the middle and came very strong again at the end. If I had got away clean, I am sure a sixth position would have been on the cards. No ifs and buts, it is still a new bike and everybody is realistic, we know where we need to improve and we are looking forward to even brighter things.”
Joan Lascorz: “I had the pace early in the first race and was quite happy but then I ran off the track, because I had some chatter and had to run straight on at turn nine. I was heading for the wall and I fell off on the grass. In the second race it was impossible to finish because I was in a lot of pain and had no power in my body. In race two we had changed the bike and put in a soft rear tyre, and it made it easier to turn. I could make a good pace again, but then it started sliding. Overall, I have to look to the next race but I feel we showed that we have some good pace but in races it was difficult today. I am building for the next race at Donington, working to be fully ready.”
Haslem Takes 3rd in his first race for BMW
Feb 27th - It was a good start to the 2011 FIM Superbike World Championship for Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport.
In race 1, Leon Haslam (GBR) secured the team its first podium finish of the season.
The team leaves Australia with 33 points in the team standings (fourth overall). Leon lies fourth inthe riders' championship (27 points), Troy Corser (AUS) lies 14th (six points).
In race 1, both riders made good starts. After one lap, Leon was still defending his fourth position, while Troy had passed Sylvain Guintoli and Jakub Smrz. After just a couple of laps, Troy suffered badly from a lack of grip and chattering. He was not able to hold his position and finished tenth. Leon had some tough battles with Eugene Laverty and Marco Melandri. On lap 17 he passedMarco and was able to defend third until the chequered flag.
Leon made a brilliant start in the
second race and was first into turn 1. He struggled with the bike's set-up and therefore was notable to defend this position. He finished the race fifth. Lying fourth, Troy found a false neutral on lap nine and fell back to eleventh. In the second half of the race he faced massive tyre degradation andfinished the race only 19th .
Leon Haslam:
Result Race 1: 3rd, Gap to 1st: 00:10.719 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:32.266 min
Result Race 2: 5th , Gap to 1st: 00:10.885 min / Fastest Lap Race 2: 1:32.560 min
"As a team we have made huge steps forward from two weeks ago. We still have some issues that need looking at in more detail to ensure we can become regular podium finishers, but on the whole we should be happy with the two races. The first race was great; we encountered some issues in race, two but still managed to finish in the top five, so we are definitely happy. A huge credit goes to the team for their efforts this weekend, but we now have to sit down and work out in detail how we plan to make that next step forward."
Troy Corser:
Result Race 1: 10th , Gap to 1st : 00:25.822 min / Fastest Lap Race 1: 1:32.287 min
Result Race 2: 19th , Gap to 1st : 00:55.738 min / Fastest Lap Race 2: 1:32.355 min
"We started the race well, I felt good on the bike, but sadly I found a false neutral going into Honda corner and I went off the track. I rejoined down the field and then really struggled for grip. As the race progressed the tyre became really worn and I was losing traction everywhere, I simply couldn't do the times I wanted. We have identified some points that need addressing before Donington Park, but certainly I am looking forward to the rest of the season."
Bernhard Gobmeier (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director):
"Today has been a very rewarding end of what was a tough weekend. Leon did incredibly well and took a well-deserved podium finish for our team. Troy really had to fight with the bike. We now have to analyse the data on his side. I am proud of the entire team - both the guys here at the track, and also the people in Stephanskirchen and Munich. We all fly back home tonight happy and satisfied.
But we are hungry for more. These results will not be a one off. We will not have a rest. In four weeks we will race in Donington, and preparations for the first European races have already begun."
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Rea defies pain for fourth place Ten Kate Castrol Honda at Phillip Island
Phillip Island, Feb 27th - Castrol Honda rider Jonathan Rea battled to fourth position in today’s second race of the opening round of the 2011 World Superbike championship at Phillip Island in Australia. His team-mate Ruben Xaus took a top ten finish in the same race as Spaniard Carlos Checa won both outings.
After three heavy crashes during testing and qualifying at Phillip Island, Rea started today’s two 22-lappers at Phillip Island from the third row of the grid. A good start in the first outing saw the 24-year-old fighting for a potential podium position before he overshot turn four on lap 14, eventually taking 12th place.
Rea was unable to repeat his first race start in the second outing, finishing lap one in 11th place. He passed several riders, including fellow Briton Leon Haslam on the final lap, however, to take a hard-earned fourth at the flag.
Xaus endured a tough opening race, with handling and clutch issues restricting the Spaniard to 16th place. However, a major chassis change for race two enabled Xaus to match the lap times of leading riders and, barring a mistake on lap one, he might have finished higher than his eventual tenth place.
Jonathan Rea – 12th and 4th -I’m absolutely drained but I guess pretty satisfied after everything we’ve been through over the last few days. I’m annoyed that I out-braked myself in race one but I had no power in my hands. I passed Nori (Haga) in race two but he came back on a big surge to the leading group and I couldn’t go with him. I didn’t have much strength but I knew I could be fitter than anyone at the end of the race to keep the lap times. The bike was working really well and I could stay in the 33s until I caught Fabrizio and Haslam, when I took a bit of a breather just to catch my breath and look at them. I could’ve passed Leon in a few places I think, but I’ve been doing most of my passing around turns seven and eight and decided to save all my energy to pass him there on the last lap. If you’d told me when I was lying in hospital on Wednesday that I’d come away from here sixth in the championship, I’d have laughed at you. Big t hanks to the team, who got a physio here to help me between sessions and races to help me relax, and the bike, which never missed a beat this weekend. We still need to find a little bit of speed on the straights because I struggled passing people into turn one, but overall I’m satisfied with what we got from here.
Ruben Xaus – 16th and 10th - The first race was a disaster so we had to find something for race two and we did. I missed my braking point at turn four on the first lap and lost five places and then got caught with a slower group. I worked hard to get the places back but used up the tyres’ performance too much in the first laps. With a few laps to go they were finished but I think I could have finished higher. No complaints though – I didn’t expect this position after race one, after which we changed the bike completely. We’ve had some problems on the bike this weekend but I think we’re speaking the same language now. In the end it’s been good: we finished both races with no bad consequences and learned a lot, so I’m going to Donington with a big smile on my face.
Ronald ten Kate – team manager - Thank goodness we finished at Phillip Island on a higher note than we experienced before. We’ve had some bad luck here but race two was pretty good. Jonathan got a bad start but chipped away and did really well to finish fourth considering the state he is still in. Ruben was riding really well too, and got his first top ten finish with the team and really had a ‘clicking’ moment there with the machine. We all knew it would be a matter of time for him and it’s good that it’s happened at the first round. We’ll head back to Europe feeling positive and let Jonathan get fully fit again. We’ll check all the data for Ruben and look for another step forward for him. After everything though, without these positive points, it would have been a very, very long flight home!
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The best motorcyce racing movie ever made! Filmed on location at the World Superbike races , this an exciting romantic drama staring beautiful British actress Sienna Miller.
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