A Bike racing fan's Blog

World Superbikes – Monza

bikeracingfan — Tue, 13 May 2008 19:07:21 +0000

Race One

Max Neukirchner took the victory for the first race of the day, watched by an amazing 112,000 spectators as he sprinted to the chequered flag just 0.058 seconds in front of Noriyuki Haga.

It was the first time a German had ever won a World Superbike Championship (world superbike news) race, and the Alstare Suzuki rider said “It’s the first win by a German rider in World Superbike and I’m really happy about that. My team did a great job this weekend. Our engine for sure is very fast, Suzuki have done a lot of development work on it. I felt the pressure all the way through the race, but once Yukio made a little mistake, I thought ‘great! Now I can try and do it alone!”

Troy Bayliss took the final step on the podium for the Ducati Xerox team followed by Yukio Kagayama on the second Alstare Suzuki in fourth and Max Biaggi in fifth on the Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati.

In sixth place was the Hanspree Ten Kate Honda rider, Ryuichi Kiyonari ahead of Fonsi Nieto, the other Alstare Suzuki rider and the second Ten Kate Honda of Carlos Checa. Checa lost time at the beginning of the race after a tangle with Nieto which saw him at the back of the grid but he recovered well to finish in eighth place.

Here are the results for Race One;

Pos – Rider – Team – Time
1 – Max Neukirchner – Team Alstare Suzuki – 32′02.851
2 – Noriyuki Haga – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB – 32′02.909
3 – Troy Bayliss – Ducati Xerox Team – 32′03.523
4 – Yukio Kagayama – Team Suzuki Alstare – 32′03.622
5 – Max Biaggi – Sterilgarda Go Eleven – 32′06.720
6 – Ryuichi Kiyonari – Hannspree Ten Kate Honda – 32′08.846
7 – Fonsi Nieto – Team Suzuki Alstare – 32′11.639
8 – Carlos Checa – Hannspree Ten Kate Honda – 32′12.225
9 – Michel Fabrizio – Ducati Xerox Team – 32′13.518
10 – Jakub Smrz – Guandalini Racing by Grifo’s – 32′13.622
11 – Gregorio Lavilla – Ventaxia VK Honda – 32′15.031
12 – Troy Corser – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB – 32′17.570
13 – Shinichi Nakatomi – YZF Yamaha – 32′35.585
14 – Lorenzo Lanzi – R.G. Team – 32′39.401
15 – Sébastien Gimbert – Yamaha France Ipone GMT 94 – 32′39.458
16 – Russell Holland – D.F. Racing – Bertocchi – 32′55.315
17 – Luca Morelli – Alto Evolution Honda Superbike – 32′59.780
18 – Shuhei Aoyama – Alto Evolution Honda Superbike – 33′30.394
19 – Michael Beck – Yamaha France Ipone GMT 94 – 33′31.193

Not Classified

RT – Makoto Tamada – Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse – 28′40.933
RT – Lorenzo Mauri – Spring Ducati ASD – 25′51.106
RT – Vittorio Iannuzzo – Team Pedercini – 23′52.635
RT – Ayrton Badovini – Team Pedercini – 14′30.807
RT – Ruben Xaus – Sterilgarda Go Eleven – 12′31.421
RT – Régis Laconi – Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse – 6′06.784
RT – Loic Napoleone – Grillini PBR Team – 2′28.620
RT – Karl Muggeridge – D.F. Racing -

Race Two

In race two, there was a three rider battle for that first place, with Haga just clinching it ahead of Neukirchner and Kiyonari.

Haga won by an even smaller margin of just 0.009 seconds in the final race. Both Haga and Neukirchner were behind Kiyonari who was leading as he braked for the final entry in the Parabolica.

In fourth place was the Suzuki Alstare rider, Fonsi Nieto followed by Michel Fabrizio on the Ducati Xerox and Karl Muggeridge on the DF Racing Honda.

Ruben Xaus finished in seventh place for the Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati ahead of Troy Corser in eighth on the Yamaha.

Troy Bayliss retired from race two after developing an engine problem while running in third place and Carlos Checa was another rider not to finish the race. Max Biaggi had contact with Jakub Smrz which ended his race and he also suffered a suspected fractured finger and cut a finger on the other hand.

Here are the results for Race Two;

Pos – Rider – Team – Time
1 – Noriyuki Haga – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB – 32′07.576
2 – Max Neukirchner – Team Alstare Suzuki – 32′07.585
3 – Ryuichi Kiyonari – Hannspree Ten Kate Honda – 32′07.627
4 – Fonsi Nieto – Team Suzuki Alstare – 32′12.065
5 – Michel Fabrizio – Ducati Xerox Team – 32′17.848
6 – Karl Muggeridge – D.F. Racing – 32′17.952
7 – Ruben Xaus – Sterilgarda Go Eleven – 32′18.072
8 – Troy Corser – Yamaha Motor Italia WSB – 32′20.074
9 – Ayrton Badovini – Team Pedercini – 32′27.005
10 – Gregorio Lavilla – Ventaxia VK Honda – 32′33.949

11 – Lorenzo Lanzi – R.G. Team – 32′34.120
12 – Shinichi Nakatomi – YZF Yamaha – 32′34.471
13 – Russell Holland – D.F. Racing – Bertocchi – 32′35.337
14 – Sébastien Gimbert – Yamaha France Ipone GMT 94 – 32′37.237
15 – Michael Beck – Yamaha France Ipone GMT 94 – 33′36.577
16 – Shuhei Aoyama – Alto Evolution Honda Superbike – 33′24.301Not Classified

RT – Makoto Tamada – Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse – 31′02.498
RT – Max Biaggi – Sterilgarda Go Eleven – 26′53.852
RT – Jakub Smrz – Guandalini Racing by Grifo’s – 26′54.373
RT – Carlos Checa – Hannspree Ten Kate Honda – 16′11.260
RT – Loic Napoleone – Grillini PBR Team – 28′28.363
RT – Troy Bayliss – Ducati Xerox Team – 14′40.420
RT – Régis Laconi – Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse – 10′51.853
RT – Yukio Kagayama – Team Suzuki Alstare – 7′10.852
RT – Vittorio Iannuzzo – Team Pedercini – 5′35.733
RT – Luca Morelli – Alto Evolution Honda Superbike – 2′30.556

Magnificent Bayliss take pole in Monza

bikeracingfan — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:02:29 +0000

Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) set the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza alight this afternoon with a blistering time in Superpole, the Australian setting a new circuit best lap of 1 minute 44.931 seconds to clinch his third pole position in five races this season. Bayliss managed to improve his Free Practice 2 time on qualifying tyres a few minutes before Superpole by 0.008 seconds, leaving all his other rivals trailing. The front row however is also made up of machines from Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda as well as Ducati, with Kawasaki not far behind, confirming the competitiveness of all the manufacturers. (For more World Superbikes info)

Second quickest time went to the rapidly improving Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Alstare), three-tenths of a second behind Bayliss, followed by 2007 double winner Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) and Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). The Suzuki squad has looked particularly impressive so far here at Monza, with the Belgian team’s other two riders Yukio Kagayama and Fonsi Nieto qualifying on row 2 of the grid, together with Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati) and Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda).

Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati) made progress this afternoon, the Italian qualifying in fifteenth place after the two sessions but moving up to ninth in the one-lap dash, a result that gives him a third row grid start. Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) struggled to twelfth quickest time behind Régis Laconi (Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse) but ahead of Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) in thirteenth.

Byrne Double Puts Him in Control

bikeracingfan — Wed, 07 May 2008 10:53:17 +0000

Shane “Shakey” Byrne took a winning double in an incident packed Oulton Park round of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship to tighten his grip on the crown.

The first race was stopped on the opening lap when five riders, including early leader Tom Sykes, came off at the first corner and with rain falling prior to the re-start the teams gambled on tyre choice.

After the re-start Sykes again led on his Rizla Suzuki but Cal Crutchlow nosed his HM Plant Honda ahead on the fourth lap, only to run wide at Lodge at half distance, giving the lead to Airwaves Ducati rider Byrne.

Byrne held off the close attentions of Leon Haslam in the closing stages to take the victory.

Leon Camier took third place while Michael Rutter, continuing his early season run of form was fourth for North West 200 Ducati ahead of Tom Sykes and Crutchlow.

Steve Mercer, riding the Bob Farnham Tuning Sondel Yamaha, enjoyed maiden victory in the Daily Star Cup, finishing some four seconds clear of STP MV Agusta rider Chris Burns and Leon Morris aboard the Trimite Brookspeed Ducati.

British Superbikes Race 2
Rizla Suzuki’s Tom Sykes led the second race from Crutchlow and his team-mate Haslam but by the fourth lap, Haslam had moved second and was riding hard, eager for a first victory of the season. Leon Haslam then made an aggressive, controversial overtaking move at the chicane on the eleventh lap, taking the inside line but it ended in disaster. Haslam went in too quick and collided with Tom Sykes, Sykes crashed out while Haslam ran wide across the grass.

Crutchlow had the lead, but not for long before Byrne, who at one point had dropped back to eleventh place after an error at the chicane, had nosed ahead on the twelfth lap.

Cal Crutchlow then crashed, sustaining ankle injuries, with the action red-flagged and Byrne credited with the victory which gives him the lead in the title chase 95-56 over his team-mate Leon Camier,who finished the second race in third place.

Haslam crossed the line in fourth place ahead of Michael Laverty, on the Relentless Suzuki and MSS Discover Kawasaki rider Stuart Easton with Rutter just adrift. However after an investigation by the Judicial Clerk of the Course, Haslam was excluded from the results, a decision that following an appeal was upheld by the MCRCB Chief Steward.

John Laverty took the victory in the Daily Star Cup, this third of the season, ahead of Luke Quigley, PDM Suzuki, and Burns while Mercer tumbled out of the second race.

Check out this site for some great information and race reports from the supporting races of the British Superbikes.

Bennetts British Superbike Championship results – Oulton Park.
Race one – 18 laps:
1.Shane Byrne (Airwaves Ducati) 32m 29.161secs
2. Leon Haslam (HM Plant Honda) +0.204s
3. Leon Camier (Airwaves Ducati) +2.604s
4. Michael Rutter (North West 200 Ducati) +11.495s
5. Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) +20.015s
6. Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda) +22.023s
7. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +37.259s
8. James Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) +39.322s
9. Tristan Palmer (Tena for Men Honda) +54.028s
10. Stuart Easton (MSS Discovery Kawasaki) +57.885s

Race two – 13 laps:
1. Shane Byrne (Airwaves Ducati) 21m 13.862secs
2. James Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) +4.247s
3. Leon Camier (Airwaves Ducati) +8.027s
4. Michael Laverty (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +1 lap
5.. Stuart Easton (MSS Discovery Kawasaki) +1 lap
6. Michael Rutter (North West 200 Ducati) +1 lap
7. Simon Andrews (Jentin Racing/Lloyds British Yamaha) +1 lap
8 Scott Smart (Hawk Kawasaki) +1 lap
9. Atsushi Watanabe (Rizla Suzuki) +1 lap
10. Billy McConnell (MSS Discovery Kawasaki) +1 lap

Bennetts British Superbike Championship standings:
1.Shane Byrne (Airwaves Ducati) 95
2. Leon Camier (Airwaves Ducati) 56
3. Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda) 55
4. Michael Rutter (North West 200 Ducati) 54
5 James Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) 46