Bench Racing: 2009 World Superbike

WorldSBK

He isnÔÇÖt already?
motorcyclenews.com: SpiesÔÇÖ Crew Chief ÔÇôÔÇ£ Ben will be really good in a couple of yearsÔÇØ


crash.net: Hopkins joins WSBK with Stiggy Honda

motorcyclenews.com: Leon Haslam unfazed by John HopkinsÔÇÖ arrival

Next Race

Circuit Valencia





Country: Spain
Name: Valencia
Circuit length: 4.005 km
Pole position: Right
Corners left: 9
Corners right: 5
Corner radius: Min.30 m. - Max.250 m.
Maximum slope: Down 5,33% - Up 3,58%

WorldSBK



motorcyclenews.com: Hopkins first test date confirmed

motorcyclenews.com: John Hopkins signing a ÔÇÿdreamÔÇÖ for Stiggy Honda


Next Race

Circuit Valencia




Country: Spain
Name: Valencia
Circuit length: 4.005 km
Pole position: Right
Corners left: 9
Corners right: 5
Corner radius: Min.30 m. - Max.250 m.
Maximum slope: Down 5,33% - Up 3,58%

Rider /Team Sites
Troy Corser ÔÇô BMW ÔÇô 11
Ruben Xaus ÔÇô BMW ÔÇô 111
[url=http://www.benspies.com]Ben Spies ÔÇô Yamaha ÔÇô 19
John Hopkins ÔÇô Honda


BMW
BMW Motorrad Motorsport
11 - Corser Troy
111 ÔÇô Ruben Xaus

APRILIA
Aprilia Racing
3 - Biaggi Max
56 - Nakano Shinya

DUCATI
http://www.ducati.com/racing/09/sbk...JT2I4GODC44CRNCB3CFFQKFUIHSIV2?family=sbkteamDUCATI Xerox Team[/url]
41 - Haga Noriyuki
[url=http://www.michelfabrizio.net]84 - Fabrizio Michel
DFX Corse
55 - Laconi R?®gis
Team Guandalini Racing World Superbike
24 - Roberts Brendan
96 - Smrz Jakub
Team Sterilgarda
53 - Polita Alessandro
67 - Byrne Shane

HONDA
HONDA World Site ÔÇô world site
Honda Racing UK
Althea Racing HANNspree Honda
33 - Hill Tommy
Ten Kate Racing HANNspree Honda
7 - Checa Carlos
9 - Kiyonari Ryuichi
65 - Rea Jonathan
Pro Ride Superbik
36 - Lavilla Gregorio
Stiggy Racing Honda
91 - Haslam Leon
John Hopkins
Squadra Corse Itlalia
77 - Iannuzzo Vittorio

KAWASAKI
Kawasaki Road Racing
Paul Bird Motorsport
23 - Parkes Broc
100 - Tamada Makoto
PSG ÔÇô 1 Corse
15 - Baiocco Matteo
86 - Badovini Ayrton
Team Pedercini
25 - Salom David
99 - Scassa Luca

SUZKI
Suzuke-Racing
Alstarre Suzuki
71 - Kagayama Yukio
76 - Neukirchner Max
Celani Racing Team
31 - Muggeridge Karl
TKR Suzuki Switzerland
88 - Resch Roland

YAMAHA
Yamaha World Superbike Team
19 - Spies Ben
66 - Sykes Tom
Yamaha GMT94 Ipone
94 - Checa David
MG Competition

WorldSBK

fim-live.com: Whitham hais in-form Spies

motorcyclenews.com: Suzuki sad but not sorry at Ben Spies departure

worlsbk.com: Interview: Massimo Meregalli [Team Manager] on YamahaÔÇÖs season start

fim-live.com: Tamada back at Valencia

Anyone is a reporter ÔÇô producer- network on the internet.
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SpeedTV executives should be forced to watch this guy until they bring back the real "Two Wheeled Tuesday".
Jason Britten and "Superbikes" doing stunt shows in parking lots is interesting for one crowd only.
Greg White used to try to reach us all, from kids on minibikes and families riding trails, to interviewing pro racers from every discipline and having guests on the show to talk about keeping your bike quiet, trails open, forming clubs, saving tracks, you name it... He'd compete too; from trials to Boxercup.

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WorldSBK

fime-live.com: Mergalli surprised by Yamaha form

worldsbk.com: ManufacturersÔÇÖ battle well underway

worldsbk.com: Interview ÔÇô Michel Fabrizio [Ducati Xerox] looking for morale-boosting points at Valencia

WSBK silly season is on steroids -
crash.net: Lavilla released as Pro Ride scale back
Two hours latter
worldsuperbikenews.co.uk: is reporting he may have been picked up by Sterilagarda Ducati

WorldSBK

fim-live.com: Fabrizio impressed by Yamaha bike

crash.net: Spies: I may not be leaving soon

motorsport.com: Kawasaki Valencia preview

WSBK Preview: Round 3, Valencia, Spain
30 March 2009 13:56
BMW Motorrad Motorsport news
2009 Superbike World Championship
Preview: Round 3, Valencia, Spain - 5th April

After their long flyway trip to Australia and Qatar, Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport take the relatively short trip from their base in southern Germany to the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, Spain, for round three of this yearÔÇÖs Superbike World Championship. The team have now been able to continue the hard work in their own workshops and prepare themselves for the first of three European rounds and one test. Being so far from home and their workshops during the first two rounds held up progress somewhat, but the team learnt a lot on the long trip and will put this experience to good effect next weekend.

Troy
For us, as a new team, the first two rounds were tough, but I am really pleased with what we did. ThereÔÇÖs lots to do of course, but I think we showed a lot of people that we mean business. If it wasnÔÇÖt for the new Superpole system, IÔÇÖm sure I wouldÔÇÖve qualified higher up the grid and that would have probably meant better results.

Being so far from the workshops has been a real disadvantage for us all, but now we are back in Europe, IÔÇÖm sure that weÔÇÖll make a lot of progress. The long flyaway has certainly opened the eyes of a lot of the team members, but everybody is working great and the good progress will continue for sure.

Ruben
IÔÇÖm happy to be back in Europe, not because I didnÔÇÖt like Australia and Qatar, but because we can work in the workshops and do many things we couldn't do overseas. We are at a disadvantage at every track we go to because we have no data from previous visits on this bike, so the first day of practice is trying to find a good set-up for the bike. I am very happy with the way everybody is working and looking forward to racing the S 1000 RR in my home country for the very first time.


Troy talks business

Troy Corser is one of the most successful motorcycle racers in recent history. In his long and illustrious career, he has won the Australian Superbike Championship, the AMA Superbike Championship and has twice won the World Superbike Championship, stepping on to the podium an incredible 128 times - 33 of which have been on the top step. In 2009, the 37-year-old is riding for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team in its debut World Superbike Season and early signs show that the Australian has quickly got to grips with the S 1000 RR factory race bike.

Prior to appearing in the World Superbike Championship for the first time in 2009, the BMW Motorrad team faced the unenviable challenge of joining one of the most competitive race series' on the planet and one that has attracted representation from all the major manufacturers. However, BMW Motorrad Motorsport's first season has already been spectacularly successful, given that the all-new effort has been measured against many more experienced teams in this category of the sport.

Equipped with an expert team of technicians and the awesome, but unproven S 1000 RR, BMW Motorrad Motorsport needed to find two riders with an established track record on the world stage and the experience necessary to develop the new Superbike into a genuine race-winning contender. In the form of Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus, the team formed its ideal line-up and quickly got to work in preparation for the start of the 2009 season.

"It wasn't a difficult decision to join BMW Motorrad Motorsport because it is a great opportunity to help a new manufacturer in World Superbikes," Troy reveals. "I bring experience, the skills to develop a bike and the ability to work with Ruben so that we can develop the bike more quickly. BMW Motorrad Motorsport wanted me to be part of the team and they were happy for me to bring in some experienced technicians, and that has been a benefit for all of us."
Indeed, results so far this season have highlighted that despite being newcomers to the championship, BMW Motorrad Motorsport are reaping the reward for implementing extensive planning, possessing superb technical expertise and employing two immensely talented riders. At the first round of the championship in Phillip Island - BMW's first ever appearance in the World Superbike Championship - Corser set the fastest lap of race one, ultimately crossing the line in eighth position. The Australian was unable to recreate that form after becoming embroiled in a mid-field battle in race two. However, two weeks later in Qatar, Corser piloted his BMW S 1000 RR to ninth position in both races, leading to widespread praise for the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team.

Corser comments on the early season form: "At Phillip Island, the chassis was working well, the balance of the bike was good and it also felt stable. The engine felt strong - on top speed and acceleration. Considering how little track time we have had on the bike, it felt comfortable. The bike's base is good, but of course there is room for improvement. After our first race in Phillip Island we got a lot of information which you cannot get during a test and that is good for all of us. We are all still learning, but the bike has good potential for sure."

Corser, who has ridden for Ducati, Aprilia, Petronas, Suzuki, and Yamaha teams in the past - winning titles with Ducati and Suzuki in 1996 and 2005 respectively - is no stranger to developing new World Superbike race machines. It is precisely this experience that makes his relationship with BMW Motorrad Motorsport a match made in heaven.

Apart from considerable success with established factory outfits, Corser's machine development skills have helped several newcomers to the competitive world of Superbike racing. In 2000 the Australian joined the Aprilia team, winning the team's first World Superbike Championship race later that season. Then in 2002, Troy joined the Foggy Petronas team and spent a year developing the bespoke machine before taking it racing in 2003 and 2004, with a best result of second place at Misano in 2004.

According to Corser, there is no secret to developing a new race package. The answer is simple - hard work. "I start by trying different things, comparing telemetry with my previous knowledge. Then there is a lot of trial and error as it is an all-new bike. This is a clean start, so everything is worth trying out.
"The team are fantastic to work with and they have a lot of experience in different areas of motorsport, including Formula One and Le Mans racing. The people we've brought in have helped our learning process a lot. Everybody is working hard and all the team members are focussed and determined to make this project succeed."
Having established itself firmly on the world stage in such a short space of time, the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team is poised to improve further as the season progresses. Corser is optimistic of the team's chances in this, its first season in the World Superbike Championship.

"I'd like to think that the bike will be good at all the tracks on the calendar," he says. "I feel that the input from Ruben and myself, together with all the work the team does, is going to make the bike competitive at every circuit and we're looking forward to catching up with the top teams as the season progresses."
The next round of the World Superbike Championship takes place on April 5 in Valencia, Spain.

fim-live.com: Spies enjoying life in WSB

Next Race

Circuit Valencia




Country: Spain
Name: Valencia
Circuit length: 4.005 km
Pole position: Right
Corners left: 9
Corners right: 5
Corner radius: Min.30 m. - Max.250 m.
Maximum slope: Down 5,33% - Up 3,58%

Rider /Team Sites
Troy Corser ÔÇô BMW ÔÇô 11
Ruben Xaus ÔÇô BMW ÔÇô 111
[url=http://www.benspies.com]Ben Spies ÔÇô Yamaha ÔÇô 19
John Hopkins ÔÇô Honda

WorldSBK

fim-live.com: Haga looks to end Spies run

crash.net: John Hopkins happy with WSBK test debut

worldsbk.com: Hopkins puts in first laps on Stiggy Honda

worldsbk.com: Lavilla looks for new WSB future

Next Race

Circuit Valencia




Country: Spain
Name: Valencia
Circuit length: 4.005 km
Pole position: Right
Corners left: 9
Corners right: 5
Corner radius: Min.30 m. - Max.250 m.
Maximum slope: Down 5,33% - Up 3,58%

Rider /Team Sites
Troy Corser – BMW – 11
Ruben Xaus – BMW – 111
Ben Spies – Yamaha – 19
John Hopkins – Honda


BMW
BMW Motorrad Motorsport
11 - Corser Troy
111 – Ruben Xaus

WorldSBK

motorcyclenews.com: Hopkins excited for Valencia

worldsbk.com: Determined Neukirchner returns to circuit of significance

fim-live: Lavilla looking at wildcard options

motorcyclenews.com: Hopkins happy with first test

crash.net: New parts increase Haslam confidence

WorldSBK

FIM – News
Neukirchner to tackle Valencia demons


crash.net: Sykes on it to win at Valencia

WorldSuperbike.com
Valencia statistics
Valencia Flashback

worldsuperbikenews.co.uk: World Superbikes head to Europe

WorldSBK

motorsport.com: Friday practice times

motorcyclenews.com: Xaux ÔÇô ÔÇ£Spies is on fireÔÇØ

motorcyclenews.com: Checa hits back for Ten Kate Honda

motorgpmatters.com: Valencia World Superbikes preview

WorldSBK

motorsport.com: Qualifying times for Valencia

Biaggi (Aprilia) takes the top slot in opening qualifying session at Valencia
Today, April 03, 2009, 45 minutes ago | julian.thomas@infrontsports.com (Julian Thomas)

Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing) was the man on form in Friday's first qualifying session at the Valencia circuit in Spain. The Italian, who was always amongst the pacesetters, set the quickest time of the day ten minutes before the end of the session with a time of 1 minute 34.775 seconds. Right behind Biaggi were the two race winners in the opening rounds of this year's championship, Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox). Both men were the only riders to dip under the 1'35" mark, and were separated by one-thousandth of a second. The provisional front row was completed by Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox), who was up amongst the front-runners once again.

Britain's Tom Sykes (Yamaha World Superbike), who had a crash on his R1, was next up ahead of Jakub Smrz (Ducati Guandalini) and the Suzuki Alstare duo of Max Neukirchner and Yukio Kagayama, just half a second off the polesitter's pace.

The provisional third row of the grid saw Jonathan Rea of the Ten Kate Honda team precede his team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari, while Carlos Checa was unable to go any higher than 15th. The first of the BMWs was the S1000RR of Troy Corser, 13th overall, while Broc Parkes went well for Kawasaki in 16th. In his first Superbike qualifying session John Hopkins recorded 18th quickest time on the Stiggy Racing Honda, an encouraging performance and just over 1 second off the pace.

Times: 1. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'34.775; 2. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'34.907; 3. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'34.908; 4. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'35.243; 5. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'35.270; 6. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'35.278; 7. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'35.285; 8. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'35.316; 9. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.328; 10. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.372; 11. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'35.416; 12. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'35.489; 13. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'35.516; 14. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.535; 15. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.541; 16. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'35.662.

Supersport World Championship

The Supersport riders took advantage of a ÔÇÿgrippy' track after the previous sessions to set some quick times. Fastest of the day in free practice was set by Spain's Joan Lascorz, now on a Kawasaki. The 2008 race winner stopped the clocks in a time of 1 minute 36.672 seconds, just a fraction slower than his own lap record from last year. Lascorz was well over half-a-second quicker than Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) in second place, one of the men on form at the moment. Kawasaki's successful day was completed with third place for Katsuaki Fujiwara, who was over one second down on his team-mate. After dominating the first two rounds the Hondas were not on form on the opening day of action at Valencia, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) the quickest in fourth place, while points leader Andrew Pitt was down in tenth and Qatar winner Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar) in 14th. Michele Pirro (Yamaha Lorenzini) was in seventh while Anthony West (Stiggy Racing Honda) completed row 2.

Times: 1. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'36.672; 2. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1'37.343; 3. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'37.701; 4. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1'37.834; 5. Foret F. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'37.864; 6. Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1'37.893; 7. Pirro M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'37.971; 8. West A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1'38.055


crash.net: Biaggi Aprilia claim Friday pole at Valencia

Today, April 03, 2009, 22 minutes ago | Admin BMW
Described as one of the most naturally gifted riders of recent times, Ruben Xaus first burst onto the World Superbike scene in 2001. His career since then has included countless podiums, victories, fastest laps and pole positions. In 2009, the Spaniard embarks on a season of discovery with the BMW Motorrad Motorsport squad, looking to use his vast experience to help propel the newly formed team towards the top of the timesheets.

At the age of 14, Xaus first experienced the thrill of motorcycle racing, initially on dirt bikes and later on road bikes in the 125cc Catalan Championship, 125cc Solo Criterium and the 80cc Catalonia Supermoto Championship. His obvious talents enabled him to forge a successful career in motorcycle racing ÔÇô a career that has included stints in MotoGP, the World Supersport Championship, the German Pro-Superbikes Championship, and of course the World Superbike Championship.

For 2009, Xaus will use his experience and talent alongside Troy Corser with series newcomers BMW Motorrad Motorsport. ÔÇ£The decision to join BMW Motorrad Motorsport was not really a difficult one because this was a chance to work with an official team and it provided a fresh start,ÔÇØ he comments. ÔÇ£The fact that this is a factory team and the fact that we are all starting from scratch was attractive to me. Also, I realised right from the start that the team is highly motivated and very determined, and I am proud to be part of all this.ÔÇØ

During his World Superbike Career, Xaus has started 154 races, taking 35 podiums and 11 race wins. His best World Superbike season came in 2003 when 15 podiums ÔÇô including seven race victories ÔÇô just wasnÔÇÖt quite enough to beat his Ducati team-mate Neil Hodgson to the title. He ultimately finished the season in second position overall. Following his superb performances in 2003, Xaus moved to MotoGP for 2004 and 2005; however technical problems blighted his time in the series, prompting a move back to the World Superbike Championship in 2006.

Throughout his career, Xaus has been applauded for his impassioned displays and unrelenting on-track spirit. ItÔÇÖs this character, together with team-mate Troy CorserÔÇÖs vast experience, that he believes will help BMW Motorrad Motorsport in its rookie year. ÔÇ£I bring Latin passion - ÔÇÿsangria EspanolaÔÇÖ ÔÇô to the team,ÔÇØ says Xaus. ÔÇ£I ride from the heart and have the ability to make a good fight. This is a good balance with TroyÔÇÖs huge experience.ÔÇØ

Despite clearly being deeply passionate about the sport, Xaus reveals that staying cool when the going gets tough is an equally valuable asset ÔÇô and a quality that BMW Motorrad Motorsport has in abundance. ÔÇ£I like the German mentality of this team because they are cool and clinical about what they are trying to do and always willing to put in the hard work no matter what the situation,ÔÇØ he reveals.

This hard work is already beginning to pay off for BMW Motorrad Motorsport following a positive start to the season. With two top ten finishes in the opening two rounds of the season for both Xaus and Corser aboard the S 1000 RR, the rookie team has already attracted widespread praise for its seamless entry into the World Superbike Championship. Xaus explains that the early signs are encouraging: ÔÇ£The bike felt good from the start (at Phillip Island). When you chase the top lap times, itÔÇÖs harder for sure, but our race pace was really good and thatÔÇÖs a very positive sign.

ÔÇ£The S 1000 RR is good but itÔÇÖs important that we improve and keep on improving. Of course, we all want more and we are all working to that end, but I believe that there is a lot more to come.ÔÇØ

The next round of the 2009 World Superbike Championship takes place in Valencia on April 5 when the BMW Motorrad Motorsport team will look to continue its strong start to the season in one of the most competitive race seriesÔÇÖ in the world.

WSBK Valencia, Spain, Friday qualifying
03 April 2009 18:21
2009 Superbike World Championship
Round 3, Valencia, Spain
Circuit: 4.005 kms. Conditions: Dry, mostly sunny 19-21C.
Friday qualifying, 3rd April

TOP SEVENTEEN SEPARATED BY LESS THAN A SECOND!
Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus finished the first day of qualifying at Valencia in 13th and 23rd places respectively. Less than a second separates the top seventeen riders, so Troy is up with the fastest riders, even though he only set the 13th quickest time. After two fast, flowing circuits, Ruben found it a little difficult getting his S 1000 RR to work well round the twisty 4.005 kilometre track, but is confident of improvement tomorrow.

Max Biaggi (Aprilia) ended the day with the fastest time, followed by Ben Spies (Yamaha), with Ducati team mates Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio in third and fourth.

Troy - 13th, 1:35.516
After the long flyaway, I watched the videotapes of Phillip Island and Qatar and tried to understand what was happening on the bike in the races and see if I could come up with some ideas to make improvements. So instead of starting with the set-up from either of the first two races, we began the first practice with a completely new set-up. And guess what? It worked! We changed the geometry of the bike a bit and used some different offsets and the bike felt better almost straightaway. For me, the bike is now turning a bit better and it didnÔÇÖt take me long to go half a second faster than when we tested here at the end of January. Now weÔÇÖll keep on making small adjustments and see how much we can improve but, for the first day, IÔÇÖm pretty happy.

Ruben - 23rd, 1:36.404
I found today hard because Valencia is a completely different type of race track to Phillip Island and Qatar. Both those tracks flow well, but Valencia is much more of a ÔÇÿstop and goÔÇÖ track and my bike is not working the way I want it just yet. I just need time to work with the bike and my mechanics to get the bike more comfortable for me to ride. At the moment, it is just a question of time, thatÔÇÖs all.
Berti Hauser (Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport)

ItÔÇÖs good to be back in Europe and be in touching distance of our workshops again. We learnt a lot in Australia and Qatar and have been working very hard back at our base to get ready for Valencia. This track is completely different in character to the first two rounds and Ruben has to find out how to make the bike work with him and then an improvement will follow for sure. Troy may only have finished 13th today, but the top seventeen lap times are very close and show just how competitive this championship is.

Friday qualifying
1 Biaggi (I-Aprilia) 1:34.775, 2 Spies (USA-Yamaha) 1:34.907, 3 Haga (J-Ducati), 4 Fabrizio (I-Ducati) 1:35.243, 5 Sykes (GB-Yamaha) 1:35.270, 6 Smrz (CZ-Ducati) 1:35.278, 13 Troy Corser (Aus-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1:35.516, 23 Ruben Xaus (E-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1:36.404

WorldSBK

Valencia, Spain - First qualifying: TROY 13TH, BUT LESS THAN A SECOND SPLITS THE TOP 17!
Yesterday, April 02, 2009, 7:00:00 PM
Troy finished the first day of qualifying at Valencia in 13th place today but, as less than a second separates the top seventeen riders. Troy was pretty happy with how the day went. Normally Troy and the team wouldÔÇÖve started first practice with the bike set-up from either of the two last races, but Troy went for a radical approach after watching videotapes of the races. After studying the tapes intensively Troy called his crew chief and threw some ideas around. The fruits of those ideas are what Troy started out with in the first practice session and immediately he was happier with the bike. Max Biaggi (Aprilia) ended the day with the fastest laptime, followed by Ben Spies (Yamaha), with Ducati team mates Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio in third and fourth. Troy - 13th, 1:35.516 I watched videotapes of the first two rounds and tried to analyse what was happening to me and the bike on the track. Afterwards I called Tom (my crew chief) and threw some ideas at him and so we began first practice with a bike set-up that wasnÔÇÖt based on either, Phillip Island, Qatar or when we tested here at the end of January. The bike felt a bit better right from the start of the practice and soon I was half a second faster than our January test. We made changes to the bikeÔÇÖs geometry, used different front offsets and also got to try out some new Ohlins suspension that wasnÔÇÖt available at the start of the year. The track was a bit dirty and dusty in the first session, but the grip level definitely improved in the afternoon. WeÔÇÖll keep on making small adjustments and see how much we can improve the bike, but IÔÇÖm pretty happy.

WorldSBK

motorsport.com: Starting grid

motorcyclenews.com: Nakano out with broken collarbone

motorcyclenews.com: Spies quickest but BMW edges closer

Valencia Gallery



Motorsport.com ÔÇô Friday notes:
Yamaha
Ducati

Valencia Superbike - Superpole
Today, April 04, 2009, 37 minutes ago | federica.marti@infrontsports.com (Federica Marti)
1 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'33.270
2 55 Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'33.955
3 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'34.082
4 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'34.259
5 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'34.755
6 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'34.903
7 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.056
8 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.346
9 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'34.536
10 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'34.655
11 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'34.684
12 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'34.742
13 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'34.823
14 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'34.863
15 24 Roberts B. (AUS) Ducati 1098R 1'35.082
16 121 Hopkins J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.251
17 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'35.203
18 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'35.204
19 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'35.806
20 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'35.416
21 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'35.718
22 33 Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'35.890
23 31 Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'35.909
24 100 Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'36.030
25 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'36.119
26 94 Checa D. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R1 1'36.581
27 86 Badovini A. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'36.745
28 77 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'36.813
29 15 Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'36.826
30 88 Resch R. (AUT) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'37.820



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Circuit Valencia




Country: Spain
Name: Valencia
Circuit length: 4.005 km
Pole position: Right
Corners left: 9
Corners right: 5
Corner radius: Min.30 m. - Max.250 m.
Maximum slope: Down 5,33% - Up 3,58%

Rider /Team Sites
Troy Corser ÔÇô BMW ÔÇô 11
Ruben Xaus ÔÇô BMW ÔÇô 111
Ben Spies ÔÇô Yamaha ÔÇô 19
John Hopkins ÔÇô Honda


BMW
BMW Motorrad Motorsport
11 - Corser Troy
111 ÔÇô Ruben Xaus

APRILIA
Aprilia Racing
3 - Biaggi Max
56 - Nakano Shinya

DUCATI
DUCATI Xerox Team
41 - Haga Noriyuki
84 - Fabrizio Michel
DFX Corse
55 - Laconi R?®gis
Team Guandalini Racing World Superbike
24 - Roberts Brendan
96 - Smrz Jakub
Team Sterilgarda
53 - Polita Alessandro
67 - Byrne Shane

HONDA
HONDA World Site ÔÇô world site
Honda Racing UK
Althea Racing HANNspree Honda
33 - Hill Tommy
Ten Kate Racing HANNspree Honda
7 - Checa Carlos
9 - Kiyonari Ryuichi
65 - Rea Jonathan
Pro Ride Superbik
Stiggy Racing Honda
91 - Haslam Leon
John Hopkins
Squadra Corse Itlalia
77 - Iannuzzo Vittorio

KAWASAKI
Kawasaki Road Racing
Paul Bird Motorsport
23 - Parkes Broc
100 - Tamada Makoto
PSG ÔÇô 1 Corse
15 - Baiocco Matteo
86 - Badovini Ayrton
Team Pedercini
25 - Salom David
99 - Scassa Luca

SUZKI
Suzuke-Racing
Alstarre Suzuki
71 - Kagayama Yukio
76 - Neukirchner Max
Celani Racing Team
31 - Muggeridge Karl
TKR Suzuki Switzerland
88 - Resch Roland

YAMAHA
Yamaha World Superbike Team
19 - Spies Ben
66 - Sykes Tom
Yamaha GMT94 Ipone
94 - Checa David
MG Competition

Dropped riders
36 - Lavilla Gregorio

WorldSBK



worldsbk.com: Spies powers to Superpole hat-trick at Valencia

Yamaha-racing.com: Spies takes incredible third consecutive pole in Valencia

crash.net: ‘Races are tomorrow’ reminds defiant Haga

troycorser.com: Troy goes from sixth to 14th in Superpole!



WSBK Rd. 3 Valencia, Spain, final qualifying
04 April 2009 19:35
2009 Superbike World Championship
Round 3, Valencia, Spain
Conditions: Dry. mostly sunny 17-21 C.
Final qualifying, Saturday 4th April

TROY AND RUBEN FAST ON RACE RUBBER, BUT BOTH SUFFER IN SUPERPOLE.

BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus will start tomorrow’s third round of the Superbike World Championship from the fourth and fifth rows of the grid despite a good final qualifying session this morning. Troy ended the second qualifying with the sixth fastest time, just 0.142 slower than the fastest rider - Ben Spies. Ruben finished seventeenth, only 0.707 down on Spies, but all that changed in Superpole when qualifying tyres came into the equation.
Both Troy and Ruben qualified for Superpole 1, and Troy’s lap of 1:34.961 was just eight tenths of a second slower than the fastest rider and enough to get him into Superpole 2, but he could not quite manage a lap fast enough to get into Superpole 1. Ruben finished 19th, and so missed out on getting into Superpole 2. American Ben Spies (Yamaha) took his third pole in a row,with Regis Laconi (Ducati) second and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) third.

Troy - 14th, 1:34.863
We improved the bike from yesterday, chassis and suspension wise, and the bike felt pretty good on race tyres. But as soon as we put on qualifying tyres, everything seemed to change. Strangely enough, it felt as if there was more grip, but my actual lap times were slower! The bike was also harder to stop on qualifying tyres. If the organisers decide to not have qualifying tyres any more, I will be more happy. My bike jumped out of gear but, as I was upright at the time, it wasn’t a problem. This is a tough track at the best of times, but it’s going to be a whole lot harder starting from the fourth row.

Ruben - 19th, 1:35.806
Today I improved over a second from yesterday and that made me happy and when I put in a really good time on race tyres. I was very optimistic about Superpole qualifying. IN Superpole 1, I was on a hot lap, when the bike got a false neutral in the right hand hairpin. I went into the gravel with my knee down and then tipped over at slow speed. There was no damage to me or the bike, but I was disappointed because I thought I would be on course for getting into Superpole 2. At least I am more happy with the bike today then yesterday, though it does feel different when it is on qualifying tyres.

Final qualifying
1 Spies (USA-Yamaha) 1:33.270, 3 Laconi (F-Ducati) 1:33.955, 3 Haga (J-Ducati) 1:34.082, 4 Fabrizio (I-Ducati) 1:34.259, 5 Kagayama (J-Suzuki) 1:34.755, 6 Neukirchner (D-Suzuki) 1:34.903, 14 Troy Corser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1:34.863, 19 Ruben Xaus (E-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1:35.806,


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Circuit Valencia




Country: Spain
Name: Valencia
Circuit length: 4.005 km
Pole position: Right
Corners left: 9
Corners right: 5
Corner radius: Min.30 m. - Max.250 m.
Maximum slope: Down 5,33% - Up 3,58%

Rider /Team Sites
Troy Corser – BMW – 11
Ruben Xaus – BMW – 111
Ben Spies – Yamaha – 19
John Hopkins – Honda


BMW
BMW Motorrad Motorsport
11 - Corser Troy
111 – Ruben Xaus

WorldSBK

crash.net: Valencia WSBK ÔÇô Warm up times

WorldSBK

motorsport.com: Valencia Race 1 results

Haga wins race 1 ÔÇô Spies, Corser DNF (no explanation yet as I post) ÔÇô P13 for Xaus


Next Race

tt-assen.com





Rider /Team Sites
Troy Corser ÔÇô BMW ÔÇô 11
Ruben Xaus ÔÇô BMW ÔÇô 111
Ben Spies ÔÇô Yamaha ÔÇô 19
John Hopkins ÔÇô Honda


BMW
BMW Motorrad Motorsport
11 - Corser Troy
111 ÔÇô Ruben Xaus

APRILIA
Aprilia Racing
3 - Biaggi Max
56 - Nakano Shinya

DUCATI
DUCATI Xerox Team
41 - Haga Noriyuki
84 - Fabrizio Michel
DFX Corse
55 - Laconi R?®gis
Team Guandalini Racing World Superbike
24 - Roberts Brendan
96 - Smrz Jakub
Team Sterilgarda
53 - Polita Alessandro
67 - Byrne Shane

HONDA
HONDA World Site ÔÇô world site
Honda Racing UK
Althea Racing HANNspree Honda
33 - Hill Tommy
Ten Kate Racing HANNspree Honda
7 - Checa Carlos
9 - Kiyonari Ryuichi
65 - Rea Jonathan
Pro Ride Superbik
Stiggy Racing Honda
91 - Haslam Leon
John Hopkins
Squadra Corse Itlalia
77 - Iannuzzo Vittorio

KAWASAKI
Kawasaki Road Racing
Paul Bird Motorsport
23 - Parkes Broc
100 - Tamada Makoto
PSG ÔÇô 1 Corse
15 - Baiocco Matteo
86 - Badovini Ayrton
Team Pedercini
25 - Salom David
99 - Scassa Luca

SUZKI
Suzuke-Racing
Alstarre Suzuki
71 - Kagayama Yukio
76 - Neukirchner Max
Celani Racing Team
31 - Muggeridge Karl
TKR Suzuki Switzerland
88 - Resch Roland

YAMAHA
Yamaha World Superbike Team
19 - Spies Ben
66 - Sykes Tom
Yamaha GMT94 Ipone
94 - Checa David
MG Competition

Dropped riders
36 - Lavilla Gregorio

WorldSBK

crash.net: Haga wins race one after Spies crashes. Corser was in fourth when he lost his front end and crashed.

WorldSBK

motorsport.com: Valencia Race 2 ÔÇô Results

motorsport.com: Standings after Valencia

WorldSBK

motorsport.com: Valencia Race 2 ÔÇô Results

motorsport.com: Standings after Valencia

WSBK Rd. 3, Valencia, Spain, Race
05 April 2009 18:35
2009 Superbike World Championship
Round 3, Valencia, Spain
Circuit: 4.005 kms. Crowd: 65,000 (3-day) Conditions: Dry, sunny/cloudy 18-23 C.
Sunday 5th April
HARD WORKS FAILS TO PAY DIVIDENDS
After the closeness of qualifying, Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus were confident that they could attack top ten positions in todayÔÇÖs third round of the Superbike World Championship at Valencia. But, RubenÔÇÖs 13th in race one was the best finish of the duo on a day that failed to pay dividends for all the hard work done by the whole team over the weekend. Troy crashed out of race one after just one lap, fortunately without injury, and then took 15th in race two, despite suffering grip problems. Ruben finished 16th but was happy with his race pace in both races - a pace he reckoned wouldÔÇÖve put him in the top eight had he started from the second row of the grid.
Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) took advantage of his DucatiÔÇÖs ability round the twisty Valencia circuit and stormed to victory in both races. His team mate Michel Fabrizio took second in race one, with Max Neukirchner (Suzuki) third. American Ben Spies (Yamaha) took runner-up spot in race two, with Fabrizio third.
Troy - Race 1: DNF, Race 2: 15th
I crashed after just one lap of the first race because the bike found a false neutral, so that was that for that one. ItÔÇÖs a big shame, because I had made a pretty good start and was fourth at the end of the first lap. We changed the gearing for race two and maybe it was just a bit too short because I had grip problems with the rear tyre. It wasnÔÇÖt working well and spinning quite a lot. I nearly crashed a couple of times and was over the front of the bars once, but I was determined to finish the race and thatÔÇÖs what I did. It was a bit frustrating today because although I knew I was in for a tough time (because of our grid position) I really felt I was going to get a couple of good top ten finishes.
Ruben - Race 1: 13th, Race 2: 16th
The results do not reflect how I feel about this bike. The bike is amazing and I donÔÇÖt think thereÔÇÖs anything out there today that stops better. Nobody outbraked me at all today and I know thatÔÇÖs not the whole story, but I feel this bike has a lot more potential to come and once we do that, weÔÇÖll be flying. In race one, I got distracted by BiaggiÔÇÖs jump start and it took me a short while to recover, but once I did, my lap times were good. The problem for me in both races is that this track is a bit of a ÔÇÿMicky MouseÔÇÖ track and it doesnÔÇÖt suit the power delivery of the bike this weekend. That means we have work to do to make sure the bike works at all tracks and that is part of our development process. My bike does not have this kind of a problem at the fast flowing tracks and itÔÇÖs all about the engine management. Once we have it sorted out, IÔÇÖm sure that I will regularly finish in the top ten. Also, I need to focus more before Friday and really be on it from the beginning of the weekend, so thatÔÇÖs something that I will work on.
Berti Hauser (Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
Racing can be a frustrating business and today was hard for us all. I cannot fault the commitment of the riders or the team, but we have to manage a couple of small problems - sooner rather than later. Although, weÔÇÖre probably not far off what we expected, the closeness of regular qualifying meant that we shouldÔÇÖve gone better in the races.
We have some ideas about what to do to improve and weÔÇÖll just have to roll our sleeves up and get on with it. Both riders tell me that the bike has big potential, so it is up to all of us in the team to realise this potential as soon as we can.

Results
Race 1: 1 Haga (J-Ducati), 2 Fabrizio (I-Ducati), 3 Neukirchner (D-Suzuki), 4 Laconi (F-Ducati), 5 Haslam (GB-Honda), 6 Kagayama (J-Suzuki), 13 Ruben Xaus (E-BMW Motorrad Motorsport), Troy Corser (Aus-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) DNF,
Race 2: Haga, 2 Spies (USA-Yamaha), 3 Fabrizio, 4 Laconi, 5 Haslam, 6 Checa (E-Honda), 15 Troy Corser (Aus-BMW Motorrad Motorsport), 16 Ruben Xaus (E-BMW Motorrad Motorsport),
Points: 1 Haga 135, 2 Spies 95, 3 Neukirchner 65, 4 Fabrizio 60, 5 Haslam 58, 6 Laconi 56, 15 Troy Corser (Aus-BMW Motorrad Motorsport), 17 Ruben Xaus (E-BMW Motorrad Motorsport),


Valencia, Spain - Race: FRUSTRATING DAY IN THE OFFICE FOR TROY
Yesterday, April 04, 2009, 7:00:00 PM
Although Troy knew that today would be a hard one - because of his grid position - he was confident of finishing in the top ten in the two 23-lap races. TroyÔÇÖs pace on race rubber had been very good and he made a dream start in the opening race and was in a remarkable fourth place at the end of the first lap and looking set for a good battle until the end. But, on the second lap, his bike found a false neutral at the slow right hand hairpin and Troy crashed out. He and the team altered the gearing for race two and it wasnÔÇÖt long before Troy was suffering from lack of grip. There were a couple of ÔÇÿmomentsÔÇÖ, including one when he was over the front of the bars, but he kept going and ended 15th. Noriyuki Haga (Ducati) took advantage of his DucatiÔÇÖs ability round the twisty Valencia circuit and stormed to victory in both races. His team mate Michel Fabrizio took second in race one, with Max Neukirchner (Suzuki) third. American Ben Spies (Yamaha) took runner-up spot in race two, with Fabrizio third. Troy - Race 1: DNF, Race 2: 15th I guess you could say that today was a bit frustrating for me, but also the whole team. We knew weÔÇÖd on the pace in the race and I felt that IÔÇÖd be in the top ten in both races. I made a good start to race one and was fourth at the end of the lap and I guess that surprised a few people for sure. Everything was going good until the bike found a false neutral when I was in the hairpin and down I went. Race over, after just one lap! We changed the gearing for race two and IÔÇÖm not sure if it was just because of that or something else because I soon began having problems with grip. The rear was spinning a lot and I had a couple of near ones, including one time when I was over the front of the bars! I kept going as best I could and finished 15th, but it was frustrating because today shouldÔÇÖve been so much better.


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Rider /Team Sites
Troy Corser ÔÇô BMW ÔÇô 11
Ruben Xaus ÔÇô BMW ÔÇô 111
Ben Spies ÔÇô Yamaha ÔÇô 19
John Hopkins ÔÇô Honda


BMW
BMW Motorrad Motorsport
11 - Corser Troy
111 ÔÇô Ruben Xaus