Bench Racing: 2009 World Superbike

WorldSBK

carsh.net: Parkes confirms Monza return

crash.net: Hopkins has surgery, targets US return

motorsport
Com: Monza Paul Bird Motorsport preview
Next Race

Monza World Superbike
Monza Weather



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
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

15 - Baiocco Matteo

WorldSBK

Another American in the World SBK mix
worldsbk.com: Zemke in for Hopkins at Monz

motorsport-magazine.com translated: Xaus ÔÇô Will get rid of Black Friday

worldsbk.com: Sykes on the up

worldsbk.com: Parkes to return to action at Monza

worldsbk.com: Haslam now third in points and top Honda rider

motorsport.com: Monza ÔÇô Ducati preview

BMW Motorrad Monza Preview
2009 Superbike World Championship
Preview: Round 5, Monza, Sunday 10th May.
TROY AND RUBEN LOOKING FORWARD TO MONZAÔÇÖS FAST STRAIGHTS.
The fifth round of this yearÔÇÖs Superbike World Championship takes place at the historic Autodromo di Monza and both BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus are looking forward to tackling the 5.793 kilometre circuit.
It is one of the few circuits in this yearÔÇÖs calendar where the team have tested already and so, for once, they will be not be starting at a big disadvantage. Monza is renowned for its high speed straights and close finishes and last yearÔÇÖs first race saw the top four separated by just 0.771 at the flag. Race twoÔÇÖs top three were covered by 0.051, with the winner taking the chequered flag by only 0.009 of a second!
Troy
At least we have tested at Monza this year, so we will not be trying to play catch-up as much as we have to do normally. Monza has some fast straights and is a track where slipstreaming can play an important part. ItÔÇÖs possible to be in fourth place exiting the Ascari chicane on the last lap and still win if you can take advantage of the draft. But, before we even get to that stage, we have to be in a good qualifying situation. Superpole has not worked out well for us so far and considering that, I think weÔÇÖve done well to get the top tens we have. I hope that we can qualify better at Monza and get even better results.
Ruben
Each time out we learn something new about the bike and get ideas about what to do to make it better. The other teams have a big history compared to us and so I feel we have done very well so far. But that doesnÔÇÖt mean that we all donÔÇÖt want more, because of course we do. Our top tens are very good, but Troy and I are racers and we are always want to higher finishes. If we can get a good set-up early on (and I can get rid of my ÔÇÿblack FridaysÔÇÖ), and do well in Superpole, then we might have a better chance of good results.
Berti Hauser (Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
Monza will be interesting for sure, but at least we have been there before. Even so, the experience we gained in our two day test is relatively small compared to our competitors and so we need to do well in practice and qualifying. Superpole has been a problem for us so far and we havenÔÇÖt been able to get the bike to perform consistently well enough on qualifying tyres in Q1 and Q2. It would be good to get into Q1 and not have to start from the back of the grid for a change. If we could do that, it would be very interesting to see what would happen.

World Super Sport
worldsbk.com: Kwak is back


Next Race

Monza World Superbike
Monza Weather



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
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
15 - Baiocco Matteo

WorldSBK

WordlSBK.com: Monza gearsup for more slipstreaming action in WSBK round 5
ÔÇ£BMW FAST TRACK - The opening rounds showed that BMW Motorrad are finding it difficult to make their S 1000 RR machine competitive on technical circuits, but Monza will be an ideal opportunity to get the new bike closer to the front-runners. Troy Corser, a previous winner here in 2005, and Ruben Xaus know the track like the back of their hands and their experience will be vital in the team's attempts to obtain some good results, especially in view of the second half of the season.ÔÇØ

The BMW Motorrad Superbike team is feeling the pressure from within and from Munich.

Internally the team has been frustrated in the linking up the mechanical components with black box electrics of the bike and laying the power down to the tires. The mechanical components of engine and frame have shown to be strong on their own. Sorting out the black box settings to work in harmony with the mechanical side in race setting has proven problematic. The two have not provided the on track race performance the parts portend on their own. In recent qualifying efforts this has been compounded by inconsistent tire performance costing precious seconds lost in the superpole fight. The team Assen press comments clearly showed their frustration with this is mounting.

The real finish line for the S1000RR is in the showroom. The pressure from Munich is more subtle in nature and in the form of the pending street release of the bike in key markets like the US. BMW has committed to a multi year strategy for the factory racing team with benchmarks for each season. The victory in German SBK by a privateer is great windfall making press for the factory sales hopes. Everyone knows the jump from national championship SBK racing to the World SBK level is a big one. Victories may not be factory team benchmarks but the pressure for performance in Mays rounds of races has to be high.

The slipstreaming nature of the Monza track plays to the demonstrated strengths of the bike. Kyalami in South Africa was the site of winter testing. As a result the team knows and likes that track. All of this leads up to the last race of May held at Miller Motorsport right here in the good ole U.S.A. and just prior to the street release here.

Four year plans for the factory team make all sorts of sense in the planning phase. The factory and the factory team may all be asking themselves if April showers bring May flowers will May race bloom in June sales and beyond?

Monza is the first of three important races for BMW Motorrad Motorsports in 2009.


motorsport-magazine.com: Ten Kate pilots motivated

yamaha-racing.com: Sterilgarda sponsors Yamaha World Superbike Team

gmt94.fr: pre Monza Press Release
ÔÇ£We're eager to discover the potential of our machine on the fast Monza circuit. ÔÇ£
motogpmatters.com: Alstare boss Batta suggests scrapping two qualifier rule for WSBK superpole

WorldSBK

worldsbk.com: HagaÔÇÖs recent history at Monza an enviable one.

fim-live.com: Haga plays down title prospects

I like the Magny-Cours track.
worldsbk.com: World Superbike stays in Magny-Cours until 2012

Aint this the truthcrash.net: BMW  If only we could qualify well

World Super Sport

Video:: SBK 2009 Valencia Supersport highlights

WorldSBK

The first practice session results are in and BMW continues to be mirrored in P 14 and 15. This is not the Monza bump the team had hoped for.

worldsbk.com: Monza Superbike ÔÇô Qualifying 1st Session[/url]

worldsbk.com: Pirellis present new qualifying tire at Monza

motorsport-magazine.com: Even faster than last year
Fabrizio ahead of Spies and Sykes

motorsport.com: Troy Baylis back with Ducati

Next Race

Monza World Superbike
Monza Weather



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
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
15 - Baiocco Matteo

WSBK Rd. 5, Monza, Friday Qualifying
2009 Superbike World Championship
Round 5, Monza, Italy
Friday qualifying, 8th May
Conditions: Dry, sunny/cloudy 23-26C.


Gallery


RUBEN AND TROY 14TH AND 15TH ON DAY ONE.
Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders Ruben Xaus and Troy Corser ended the first day of qualifying with the 14th and 15th fastest times, but are only a second or so away from the provisional pole setter. Ruben and Troy tested at Monza a month ago and began today by using the set-ups they found then, but their bikes did not work as well or in same way. So once again today was all about working with different set-ups, trying different ideas and finding the right direction for tomorrow. Italian Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) led the charge today, with a lap of 1:45.447, three tenths of a second ahead of Tom Sykes (Yamaha). Third is Noriyuki Haga (Ducati), with Jonathan Rea (Honda) fourth.

Ruben - 14th, 1:46.545
I have raced here many times and on many different bikes and I can tell you that this track has secrets. It is a track where you have to be good on the brakes and the bike has to be stable on braking as well. If you have that, then you can get a good drive exiting the turns and that can means you can make good lap times. At the moment, we havenÔÇÖt got the bike working the best way and so to finish just a second slower then the fastest rider is pretty good I think.

Troy - 15th, 1:46.565
Maybe we got a little confused today because we started with the same set-up we found when we here a month or so ago, and the bike felt completely different. We made some fairly big changes to the bike from the first to the second sessions today, but the bike felt the same. For me, the track feels as if it has more grip then when we tested here. After qualifying, I sat with the team and we analysed all the data and I feel sure we know what we have to do for tomorrow and that we will definitely improve.

Berti Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director)
This was a tough day for Ruben and Troy and it seems that we couldnÔÇÖt work with the set-up we found in the tests. Both riders experienced some problems, but both have given the team a lot of feedback and information to improve the bike tomorrow. I am hopeful that the ideas will work out to be in the right direction and Ruben and Troy can end the day ready for the race on Sunday.
Friday qualifying
1 Fabrizio (I-Ducati) 1:45.447, 2 Sykes (GB-Yamaha) 1:45.758, 3 Haga (J-Ducati) 1:45.790, 4 Rea (GB-Honda) 1:45.919, 5 Neukirchner (D-Suzuki) 1:45.962, 6 Kagayama (J-Suzuki) 1:45.985, 14 Ruben Xaus (E-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1:46.545, 15 Troy Corser (Aus-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1:46.564,

worldsbk.com: Fabrizio dominates opening day of qualifying at Monza

crash.net: Sykes pleased with strong early showing


Troy CorserÔÇÖs official website

Monza ÔÇô First qualifying

It wasnÔÇÖt the easiest day for Troy on the first day of qualifying at Monza, but he and the team have looked at all the data and telemetry and have a good idea of what to change for tomorrow. Troy started with the set-up he and the team found when they tested at Monza a month ago, but the bike did not work the same way. Because of that, the team struggled a little to find the right direction and will now have to hope that their solutions for tomorrow will be the correct ones. Italian Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) posted the fastest time today, with a lap of 1:45.447, three tenths of a second ahead of Tom Sykes (Yamaha). Third is Noriyuki Haga (Ducati), with Jonathan Rea (Honda) fourth. Troy - 15th, 1:46.565 I think we may have got into a bit of a confusion today and for a while it seemed that whatever we did made no effect whatsoever. We found a pretty good base set-up when we were here a month ago and thatÔÇÖs what we started with today. I donÔÇÖt know if itÔÇÖs because the grip level was so different then to now, but my bike just didnÔÇÖt work the way we expected. My crew and I looked at all the info and had a long talk about what to do, so now itÔÇÖs a case of trying out our ideas tomorrow and making progress. But, IÔÇÖm pretty confident that we know what to do and that we will improve.

BMW-Motorrad

Troy and Ruben do the rounds off track

As this weekendÔÇÖs fifth round of the 2009 Superbike World Championship approaches, Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus are looking forwards to competing on their factory BMW S 1000 RR machines at the historic 5.793-kilometre Autodromo di Monza circuit, having already tested there earlier this year.

Of course, thereÔÇÖs much more to the life of a professional motorcycle racer than what happens on track, and away from the circuit, the life of a World Superbike rider is jam-packed with intensive training regimes, commitments to sponsors and suppliers, and special requests for personal appearances.

To this end, star riders Troy Corser and Ruben Xaus have been doing the rounds in Germany, with special visits to BMW Classic, BMW Welt and the flagship BMW Motorrad Zentrum in Munich.

During a special visit to BMW Classic, the two riders were treated to a private guided tour of BMWÔÇÖs historical collection, which includes many of the most important models from the brandÔÇÖs colourful and eventful past.

Of particular interest to the two riders were some of the more sporting BMW models that had earned their rightful place in motorsport history. These included Georg ÔÇÿSchorschÔÇÖ MeierÔÇÖs factory race bike on which he won the 500cc European Championship in his rookie season, as well as the legendary type 255 supercharged BMW R 51 RS on which Meier dominated the 1939 Isle of Man TT, winning the Senior race by an astonishing two minutes and 20 seconds.

Both riders were also delighted to see one of Helmut D?ñhneÔÇÖs R 90 S race machines, with race number 11 ÔÇô the same number Troy Corser has used for years, which can also be seen adorning the front of his S 1000 RR factory superbike. The R 90 S was the companyÔÇÖs first model to exceed 750cc capacity and has always been thought of as one of BMWÔÇÖs most significant models. ItÔÇÖs certainly an important machine for Ruben Xaus, as it was one of the first bikes he raced on and his father still owns one today.

The two racers were also interested to see other iconic four- and three-wheeled BMWs of the past, such as a 1937 BMW 328 ÔÇô the most successful sports car of the 1930s, even though only a few hundred of them were built ÔÇô and the legendary 13 hp Isetta ÔÇÿbubble carÔÇÖ that used a 300cc motorcycle engine to give it a top speed of around 85 km/h and bring affordable motoring to thousands of people worldwide!
Troy and RubenÔÇÖs next stop was at the BMW Motorrad Zentrum in Munich, where they were guests of honour at the flagship BMW centre. This time, the two Superbike legends were able to enjoy a thoroughly modern BMW experience and as well as seeing the entire 2009 model line-up, they also browsed the wide range of Rider Equipment and lifestyle clothing and accessories.

ÔÇ£We had a three-week break between the Superbike World Championship rounds at Doha and Valencia, so it seemed like a good opportunity for Ruben and I to come and have a look around in Munich,ÔÇØ said Troy. ÔÇ£Of course, a visit to the worldÔÇÖs biggest BMW Motorrad dealership was unmissable and I was amazed by what a massive choice of BMW motorcycle apparel there is available in store. It was a motorcycle fanÔÇÖs paradise and I left with quite a few items, much to the delight of my family!ÔÇØ

Michael Sommer, head of the BMW Motorcycle Centre in Munich was delighted to have the two works riders visit his dealership and wished both riders the very best success for the rest of the 2009 season: ÔÇ£BMW Motorrad made a smart move by signing Troy and Ruben and IÔÇÖm convinced that they are going to surprise us in the teamÔÇÖs debut season in World Superbikes.ÔÇØ

BMW seems to be loosing ground based on Saturday practice times.

worldsbk.com - Saturday Qualifying Practice Results

Superpole 2 found the BMW riders starting roughly mid field. Things did not improve and Corser found himself in P11 and Xaus in P14 at the end of the session.

The question mark in the session was the note in the Last Lap column for Max Biaggi and the Aprilia RSV4, ÔÇÿCRASHÔÇÖ as the session closed. What happened? Will he make it back for the next round? Unlike F1, for an example from the cage racing world, motorcycle racing websites offer little in the way of information. No sector times, no commentary only questions.

FabrizioÔÇÖs Ducati started on top of the final 8 in Superpole 3. American Ben Spies was in P6. When the riders pitted after their first laps of the session Spies was in P1 bumping Fabrizio to P2 s everyone made final adjustments before the last laps in quest of the Superpole. Biaggi was on track during this session but back in P7 when he pitted for his final adjustments.

Spies takes the Superpole in the provisional results. The S1000 RRs will start the race with Corser in P11 and Xaus in P14.



Check in this evening for reports. IÔÇÖm off to the garage.

WorldSBK

2009 Superbike World Championship
Round 5, Monza, Italy
Final qualifying, Saturday 9th May
Conditions: Dry, sunny/cloudy 22-24C.

TROY PUTS HIS BMW ON ROW THREE FOR FIRST TIME!
BMW Motorrad Motorsport rider Troy Corser recorded his best Superpole qualifying of the year by taking the eleventh quickest time in Q2, to end up on row three. And it might have been even better, but for yellow flags and marshals on the kerbs when Troy was on a fast lap towards the end of the session. TroyÔÇÖs team mate Ruben Xaus ended with the fourteenth fastest lap and will start from row four but was happy that he too had improved in Superpole. American Ben Spies (Yamaha) continued his perfect run of Superpole wins this season, with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) second, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) third and Max Neukirchner (Suzuki) fourth.



Troy - 11th, 1:45.543
Well that is our best result in Superpole this year, but I really think it couldÔÇÖve been even better. I was on a fast lap towards the end of the session and as I approached the Parabolica I saw yellow flags and oil flags being waved. I had to roll off the throttle a little and when I got to the turn there were some marshals standing on the kerbs! Obviously there had been a crash or something, but it was a real shame because I knew I was going to beat my previous lap time. I feel pretty sure that I wouldÔÇÖve qualified for Superpole 3 and that would have meant a start from at least row two.

We solved some of yesterdayÔÇÖs problems, but I think we still need a more consistent braking feeling. There are quite a few bumps here and that makes our bike move and skip about a bit. WeÔÇÖre working on a lot on the electronics side of things and itÔÇÖs an area which we have to sort out completely and then weÔÇÖll be able to lap faster and be more competitive. But IÔÇÖm happy with out best Superpole result so far and if I can get two good starts, then IÔÇÖll be in with a chance of some good results.



Ruben - 14th, 1:6.571
Everything is coming better and although thereÔÇÖs still lots to do, we are all working together well and the bike is improving and improving. Maybe here today we had too much grip and that affected the feel of the bike. Also the bike didnÔÇÖt feel as fast today as when we tested here a month ago and that might be to do with grip and it might be to do with electronics.

Today we tried to set the bike up for consistent lap times and maybe lost a little power as a result. I had a little crash today, but I think five other riders crashed using the same tyre, so I think it was because of the soft tyre all of us had used. Tomorrow morning weÔÇÖll make some adjustments in the warm-up and hopefully weÔÇÖll improve some more.

Berti Hauser (Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
Congratulations to Troy for giving us our best Superpole result so far and IÔÇÖm only sorry because it seems like it could've been even better. But thatÔÇÖs the way things are sometimes and we have to be happy that we are getting better every time we go out. Ruben also made an improvement and this shows that we are going in the right direction. Troy and Ruben have both fought from way down the grid before and IÔÇÖm sure weÔÇÖll see more of that from them tomorrow.

Final qualifying
1 Spies (USA-Yamaha) 1:44.073, 2 Fabrizio (I-Ducati) 1:44.270, 3 Kiyonari (J-Honda) 1:44.642, 4 Neukirchner (D-Suzuki 1:44.900, 5 Haga (J-Ducati) 1:45.096, 6 Rea (GB-Honda) 1:45.170, 11 Troy Corser (Aus-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1:45.543, 14 Ruben Xaus (E-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 1:46.571,

Troy CorserÔÇÖs official web site.: Finl quaulifying ÔÇô SO CLOSE TO SECOND ROW!

In Superpole qualifying at Monza today, Troy posted his best result of the season and will start tomorrowÔÇÖs pair of 18-lap races from the third row of the grid. But it could have been even better. The second row of the grid was beckoning on TroyÔÇÖs hot lap at the end of the session but then yellow flags came out. An earlier crash caused the flags to come out and Troy had no option but to roll off the gas a bit and that was enough to lose a fraction of a second when it mattered. Had it not been for the flags, Troy may well have qualified for Superpole 3 and a start from the second row at the very least. American Ben Spies (Yamaha) made it five out five Superpole wins this season, with Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) second, Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) third and Max Neukirchner (Suzuki) fourth. Troy - 11th, 1:45.543 IÔÇÖm happy because it is our best result so far this year, but IÔÇÖm not happy because of what happened at the end of Superpole Q2. I feel sure I was on course for qualifying for Q1 and was up on my lap time when I saw yellow flags and oil flags being waved up at the Parabolica. So, I had to ease off the gas a bit and was a bit surprised, to say the least, when I saw some marshals on the kerb stones. Obviously I wasnÔÇÖt able to go as fast as I wanted and the time I lost meant that I didnÔÇÖt get into Q1. That was a shame, but weÔÇÖre all a bit happy because the third row is our best performance in Superpole this year so far and that shows that we are improving. We are still working on quite a few things at the moment and one of them is to improve the consistency of the braking feel. Also this track is a bit bumpy in places and our bike is skipping about a bit, so weÔÇÖll make a few adjustments in the warm-up tomorrow and see if can make the bike a bit better. Third row is our best so far and IÔÇÖve already showed what I can do from even further back, so I am hoping to get two good starts and fight with the front group. Wish me luck. See ya, Troy

WorldSBK "News release: Spies takes five for Yamaha in Monza Superpole

Ben Spies made it an impressive five Superpole triumphs in five races with a blistering lap in the decisive qualifying session at the Autodromo di Monza. The Yamaha World Superbike team's Texan rookie star, who received his Superpole trophy from Troy Bayliss, totally disintegrated the Australian champion's previous record mark of 1'44.931 to clinch the pole with a time of 1 minute 44.073 seconds. The only rider who was able to stay close to Spies throughout the 50 minute session was Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox), who had dominated qualifying, but who had to take second best by two-tenths. Third place on the grid went to Ryuichi Kiyonari (Ten Kate Honda), who is starting to come good again after a difficult start to the season. The Japanese rider, who almost won here twelve months ago, headed Max Neukirchner (Suzuki Alstare). The German was out of contention until a couple of minutes from the end, but he put in a last-minute effort to haul his GSXR into the fourth slot, making it four different makes, Yamaha, Ducati, Honda and Suzuki, on the first row of the grid.

Ben Spies: "It's been a really good weekend for us so far, we've had these poles this year but I definitely wanted to get this one for Yamaha at their home track. Congratulations to Michel and Kiyo, they did great laps, we've kind of been working under the radar this weekend, very quiet, but it looks like it's going to be a real dogfight tomorrow in the races."

Michel Fabrizio: "I wanted the Superpole at all costs but Ben did a great lap. Hopefully tomorrow I can fight with him for the first time because we have never been up against each other so far. We'll see what happens. In any case I have a much better feeling with this new Superpole formula, I didn't like the one-lap sprint at all."

Ryuichi Kiyonari: "Yesterday and today we tried to make the good setting and finally I could get the bike set up well to go fast. I hope I can get the same result as last year. Last year I almost won and I feel like I have a good chance to win tomorrow because my bike is very fast."

Max Neukirchner: "I really like Monza with all the fans here, it's a great atmosphere. My team did a very good job this weekend . I have a good race pace for tomorrow and hopefully I have made the right tyre choice, but I am so happy to be on the front row."

The next rider up was Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), who had to use his second allocated qualifier to save himself from the cut after the second run. Haga will be flanked on row 2 by Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing), who set the all-time fastest ever speed recorded in Superbike at 325.8 km/h, and Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare). In row 3 can be found the first BMW of Troy Corser, with the leading Kawasaki of the still injured Broc Parkes. The first Superpole run saw the elimination of two top privateers, Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) and Jakub Smrz (Ducati Guandalini), both of whom scored podiums at Assen but who will now start from row 5 at Monza.

Times: 1. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R 1'44.073; 2. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'44.270; 3. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.642; 4. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'44.900; 5. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'45.096; 6. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.170; 7. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'45.605; 8. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'45.861; 9. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.166; 10. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'45.383; 11. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'45.543; 12. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'45.663; 13. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'46.368; 14. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'46.571; 15. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'46.593; 16. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'46.928



Speedtv.com: Zemke thrown into deep end

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Monza World Superbike
Monza Weather




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
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
15 - Baiocco Matteo

Fabrizio grabs maiden Superbike win
Today, May 10, 2009,

The first Superbike race of the day saw a thrilling end to one of the best races ever seen at Monza. The race had to have two starts, after two crashes at the first chicane of lap 1 involving Tamada, Hill, Corser, Neukirchner and Roberts led to it being interrupted. The German came off the worst with a broken right femur and dislocated right foot, while Roberts picked up various bruises. The outcome of the race was decided at the final curve. Spies was well on his way towards a fifth win of the season when in the Parabolica his Yamaha ran out of fuel just a few metres from the line. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) capitalized on Spies' misfortune to take his first win in Sueprbike. Team-mate Noriyuki Haga finished second to maintain his points lead. The third place battle also saw a thrilling end as Max Biaggi took his Aprilia over the line, but the Italian was penalized 20 seconds for cutting the chicane, leaving Ryuichi Kiyonari (Ten Kate Honda) to take the final podium position after a spectacular mid-race recovery from a poor start. Fourth went to Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare), ahead of the British pair of Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Tom Sykes (Yamaha World Superbike). Both BMW and Kawasaki placed riders inside the top 10, Ruben Xaus taking the German four-cylinder machine to seventh while a still unfit Broc Parkes fought hard for tenth place.

Monza Superbike - Race 1
Today, May 10, 2009
POS NO. RIDER BIKE TIME
1 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 31'50.758 (196,459 kph)
2 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 0.239
3 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 8.175
4 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 11.001
5 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 12.447
6 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 13.693
7 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 19.172
8 55 Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 24.989
9 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 26.930
10 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 27.418
11 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 27.752
12 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 29.545
13 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 30.952
14 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 31.414
15 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 36.998
16 31 Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 42.732
17 15 Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 48.835
18 98 Zemke J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 48.888
19 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 50.612
20 33 Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 51.706
21 77 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 55.510
22 94 Checa D. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R1 58.214
23 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'01.130
24 88 Resch R. (AUT) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'16.850
RET 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR
RET 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR

Spies takes race 2 win at Monza
Today, May 10, 2009

Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) immediately made amends in race 2 by dominating from start to finish. The Texan left everyone standing after just a few laps and went on to win his fifth race of the season. This win, together with the crash at the Parabolica on lap 3 of points leader Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), who had been hit by a bird, keeps the championship battle wide open. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) now becomes a credible title candidate after crowning his Italian weekend with an excellent second place. Fabrizio managed to hold off Ryuichi Kiyonari in the final stages, the Japanese rider repeating his race 1 result. A superb fourth went to Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), while Max Biaggi (Aprilia), in fifth place, could have been further up the standings had he not made a mistake while fighting amongst the group and he was unable to make up the gap again. Tom Sykes took another sixth place for Yamaha, while Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) made up for his race 1 retirement with a seventh place. Troy Corser did not take the start in race 2 after his two crashes today, but BMW honour was held high by Ruben Xaus, who again finished in ninth place. Broc Parkes again scored more points for Kawasaki in thirteenth.


Monza Superbike - Race 2
Today, May 10, 2009

POS NO. RIDER BIKE TIME
1 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 31'49.252 (196,614 kph)
2 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2.665
3 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 2.810
4 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 7.706
5 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 7.863
6 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 10.383
7 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 11.586
8 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 21.112
9 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 22.112
10 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 22.261
11 55 Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 23.453
12 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 32.956
13 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 37.166
14 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 43.085
15 15 Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 43.088
16 33 Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 43.825
17 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 53.211
18 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'00.917
19 94 Checa D. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R1 1'17.915
20 98 Zemke J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'28.545
21 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'29.016
RET 88 Resch R. (AUT) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9
RET 77 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR
RET 31 Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9
RET 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R
NP 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR

A horrible series of first lap accidents delayed the first race by an hour as officials and track workers cleaned up. Troy Corser was caught up in the carnage by being struck behind by a fellow racer in turn one. Turn the volume down and watch this video, the sound track in not English.

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Wins for Fabrizio (Ducati) and Spies (Yamaha) at Monza

Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) and Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) shared the wins in an exciting fifth round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza. 118,000 spectators witnessed Fabrizio's maiden Superbike win in race 1 and Spies making amends in race 2 for his first race disappointment, when his Yamaha ran out of fuel at the final corner. Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) crashed out in race 2 after being hit by a bird but still leads the table with a 54 point advantage over Spies.

Race 1

The first Superbike race of the day saw a thrilling end to one of the best races ever seen at Monza. The race had to have two starts, after two crashes at the first chicane of lap 1 involving Tamada, Hill, Corser, Neukirchner and Roberts led to it being interrupted. The German came off the worst with a broken right femur and dislocated right foot, while Roberts picked up various bruises. The outcome of the race was decided at the final curve. Spies was well on his way towards a fifth win of the season when in the Parabolica his Yamaha ran out of fuel just a few metres from the line. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) capitalized on Spies' misfortune to take his first win in Superbike. Team-mate Noriyuki Haga finished second to maintain his points lead. The third place battle also saw a thrilling end as Max Biaggi took his Aprilia over the line, but the Italian was penalized 20 seconds for cutting the chicane, leaving Ryuichi Kiyonari (Ten Kate Honda) to take the final podium position after a spectacular mid-race recovery from a poor start. Fourth went to Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare), ahead of the British pair of Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Tom Sykes (Yamaha World Superbike). Both BMW and Kawasaki placed riders inside the top 10, Ruben Xaus taking the German four-cylinder machine to seventh while a still unfit Broc Parkes fought hard for tenth place.

Michel Fabrizio: "Well, I really didn't expect this win, even though I'd been up at the front for the past two days. I had a small problem when the gearing hit neutral after Ben and I touched and I was not able to find second. He got away a bit from me but I thought I had to fight until the very end because I was convinced I could do it. But I think his fuel finished, a real pity for him."

Noriyuki Haga: "For sure we did a great race, and it was really tiring, unfortunately on the last lap and the last corner Ben had to stop, but for us we did a great job so I want to say a big thanks to all the team. My bike was working good but this weekend we had a little problem that we tried to find but we didn't resolve and it wasn't perfect."

Ryuichi Kiyonari: "My start was very bad in race one but I was able to fight back lap by lap during the race. Still I can't believe this result because on the last lap I thought fifth, but when the race stopped I was in fourth and when I got to my pit box my team told me I was third, so I was very surprised and happy."

Results: 1. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 31'50.758 (196,459 kph); 2. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 0.239; 3. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 8.175; 4. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 11.001; 5. Rea J. (GBR)Honda CBR1000RR 12.447; 6. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 13.693; 7. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 19.172; 8. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 24.989; 9. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 26.930; 10. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 27.418; 11. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 27.752; 12. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 29.545; 13. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 30.952; 14. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 31.414; 15. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 36.998; 16. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 42.732

Race 2

Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) immediately made amends in race 2 by dominating from start to finish. The Texan left everyone standing after just a few laps and went on to win his fifth race of the season. This win, together with the crash at the Parabolica on lap 3 of points leader Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), keeps the championship battle wide open. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) now becomes a credible title candidate after crowning his Italian weekend with an excellent second place. Fabrizio managed to hold off Ryuichi Kiyonari in the final stages, the Japanese rider repeating his race 1 result. A superb fourth went to Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), while Max Biaggi (Aprilia), in fifth place, could have been further up the standings had he not made a mistake while fighting amongst the group and he was unable to make up the gap again. Tom Sykes took another sixth place for Yamaha, while Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) made up for his race 1 retirement with a seventh place. Troy Corser did not take the start in race 2 after his two crashes today, but BMW honour was held high by Ruben Xaus, who again finished in ninth place. Broc Parkes again scored more points for Kawasaki in thirteenth.

Ben Spies: "What could have been, that was a tough pill to swallow. We put our head down in race 2 and had to get into a good rhythm in the first 12 or 14 laps because we were obviously having a problem at the end of the race. I had to slow down and do the short-shifting trick and make sure everything was good till the end."

Michel Fabrizio: "Ben really deserved this win after what happened in race 1. He was really determined at the start. I had to race with my second bike because of the problems in race 1 with my first bike so it took me a bit of time to get used to it as I had been using bike 1 for the last three days. I'll have to wait a bit longer now for my second win."

Ryuichi Kiyonari: "I'm happy with these results but a little bit disappointed because I tried to follow Fabrizio but I cannot pass him. My bike was very fast on the straights but my braking was not so good today."

Results: 1. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 31'49.252 (196,614 kph); 2. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2.665; 3. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 2.810; 4. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 7.706; 5. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 7.863; 6. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 10.383; 7. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 11.586; 8. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 21.112; 9. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 22.112; 10. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 22.261; 11. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 23.453; 12. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 32.956; 13. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 37.166; 14. Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 43.085: 15. Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 43.088; 16. Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 43.825

Points (after 5 of 14 rounds) - Riders: 1. Haga 200; 2. Spies 146; 3. Fabrizio 125; 4. Haslam 103; 5. Sykes 90; 6. Biaggi 81; 7. Laconi 77; 8. Rea 77; 9. Neukirchner 75; 10. Kiyonari. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 225; 2. Yamaha 180; 3. Honda 141; 4. Suzuki 89; 5. Aprilia 84; 6. Bmw 59; 7. Kawasaki 19



WSBK Rd. 5, Monza, Italy, Race

2009 Superbike World Championship
Round 5, Monza, Italy
Sunday 10th May
Circuit: 5.793. Crowd: 118,000 (3-day). Conditions: Dry, sunny/cloudy 25-26C.

BEST RESULT SO FAR FOR TEAM BMW MOTORRAD MOTORSPORT.
Ruben Xaus gave Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport their best result so far with a superb seventh in the first race at Monza today. He then followed it up with a solid ninth in the second race to make it his best weekend in five rounds and shows that he and the bike are making progress every time out.
His team mate Troy Corser was involved in a horrific crash on the opening lap of race one, when he was hit in the neck and back of head by another riderÔÇÖs fallen bike. Troy was winded and was stretchered off, but fortunately he was able to get back to the pits under his own steam. Despite being bruised and battered, Troy decided to take part in the restarted race, but suffered another crash on the approach to the Parabolica on lap one. Luckily he was not injured seriously but he and the team decided to err on the side of safety and therefore not take part in race two.

Italian Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) won the first race, much to the delight of the home fans, with team mate Noriyuki Haga second and Ryuichi Kiyonari third. American Ben Spies (Yamaha) won race two, to make up for the disappointment of running out of fuel in race one whilst contending the lead. Second was Michel Fabrizio , with Kiyonari third again.

Ruben - Race 1: 7th, Race 2: 9th
I am happy to give the team our best result of the season so far and happy that I managed another top ten finish in he second race. My seventh place result is also for Troy and the whole team because everybody has worked so hard for this. My race two result couldÔÇÖve been better, but I made a really bad start and then got nudged by somebody in the chicane. I recovered and was happy fighting for eighth with Smrz, Parkes and Laconi but I just couldnÔÇÖt get past Smrz for eighth.
But generally, my race pace was good today and I think our result is also very good considering how little time we have in practice and qualifying. If we continue to make this good progress, we will be fighting for places even further up.

Troy - Race 1: DNF, Race 2: DNS
I got hit by another bike on the first lap of the first race and was lucky not to get hurt. I was on my knees and a bike caught the back of my head and forced my helmet down on to the tarmac and gave it a big thump. I managed to get off the track and on to the grass, but I was winded so I just laid down on the grass. I could see that some straw bales were protecting some other riders and I thought that there would be a red flag. I just wanted to get my breath back, but the marshals insisted on putting me on a stretcher and taking me to the ambulance. As soon as I had got my breath back, I got up and walked back to the pits for the restart of the race. The team didnÔÇÖt put any pressure on me to start the race, but I felt OK and decided to try. Unfortunately, I got sucked into a four or five rider draft going into the Parabolica and found myself going in a bit too hot. I tried to brake as normal and drift a bit wide but Muggeridge came across and I had to choose between hitting him or braking harder than normal and possibly crashing. I put more pressure on the brakes and I guess you know what happened then! Yep, a crash. I went along the tarmac and then the gravel feet first, flipped a couple of times and was very lucky not to hurt myself any more. I felt pretty bruised and battered and we decided not to risk anything by starting the second race. It was all a big shame because I thought weÔÇÖd get some good results today. But anyway, congratulations to Ruben for getting seventh and showing everybody that we are improving all the time.

Berti Hauser (Director BMW Motorrad Motorsport)
This weekend was one of both shadows and sunshine, but I am happy that Troy survived the horror crash in race one and was able to take part in the restart. IÔÇÖm also happy that he didnÔÇÖt hurt himself when he had the second crash and the decision not to start race two was definitely the right one. He has been riding with an injured hand all weekend (a crack in the bone of his left hand) and there was no point risking any further injury.

The sunshine was RubenÔÇÖs seventh in race one and a ninth in race two. HeÔÇÖs improving for sure and it shows that we are pushing hard, going forward and getting more and more competitive.

I want to take this opportunity to send my best wishes to Max Neukirchner and hope he has a speedy recovery after that terrible crash.

Results

Race 1: 1 Fabrizio (I-Ducati), 2 Haga (J-Ducati), 3 Kiyonari (J-Honda), 4 Kagayama (J-Suzuki), 5 Rea (GB-Honda), 6 Sykes (GB-Yamaha), 7 Ruben Xaus (E-BMW Motorrad Motorsport), Troy Corser (Aus-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) DNF,

Race 2: 1 Spies (USA-Yamaha), 2 Fabrizio, 3 Kiyonari, 4 Rea, 5 Biaggi (I-Aprilia), 6 Sykes, 9 Ruben Xaus (E-BMW Motorrad Motorsport), Troy Corser (Aus-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) DNS,
Points: 1 Haga 200, 2 Spies 146, 3 Fabrizio 125, 4 Haslam 103, 5 Sykes 90, 6 Biaggi 81, 15 Ruben Xaus (E-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 40, 16 Troy Corser (Aus-BMW Motorrad Motorsport) 35,


Monza (Italy) - Race: TROY SURVIVES HORROR CRASH!

The first race in the fifth round of this yearÔÇÖs Superbike World Championship was one to forget for Troy. On the opening lap of the first race, Troy was hit by another rider and crashed. While he was on the deck, another crashed bike struck the back of his neck and smashed his helmet down on the floor. He struggled to his feet and staggered off the track and collapsed on the grass, totally winded and out of breath. The marshals put him on a stretcher and took him to the ambulance, but after recovering his breath he got to his feet and walked back to the pits. He was battered and bruised, but decided to take part in the restart. On the first lap of the restart, he crashed on the approach to the Parabolica and cart-wheeled through the gravel but, amazingly, he survived without major injury, but he and the team thought that it would be better to sit out race two. Italian Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) won the first race, much to the delight of the home fans, with team mate Noriyuki Haga second and Ryuichi Kiyonari third. American Ben Spies (Yamaha) won race two, to make up for the disappointment of running out of fuel in race one whilst contending the lead. Second was Michel Fabrizio, with Kiyonari third again. Troy - Race 1: DNF, Race 2: DNS

I am happy that I survived two big crashes more or less OK, but sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you donÔÇÖt. I knew nothing about what started the crash on lap one of the first race. One minute I was going into the chicane and the next minute I was flying through the air. Then, while I was on my knees, I got hit by another bike. It banged into the top of my back, near my neck and the impact was strong enough to thump my helmet on to the floor. I managed to get off the track and fell down on the grass to rest while I got my breath back, but the marshals wanted me out of the way and tried to pull me on to a stretcher. I was lucky that I hadnÔÇÖt damaged my neck, because they way they handled me wouldÔÇÖve caused further injury for sure. After I while, I got my breath back and walked back to the pits and prepared for the restart. The team didnÔÇÖt put any pressure on me at all, in fact the opposite. But, I felt OK and decided to give it a go.

This time, I almost completed a lap! I got pulled along in a four or five rider draft and found myself going into the Parabolica a bit too quick. Muggeridge was alongside or came across a bit and I had to choose between hitting him or applying more pressure to the brakes. Of course, I put more pressure on the brakes and down I went. I slid feet first, then did a couple of flips and I was really lucky not to hurt myself any more. My left arm was sore and when I got back to the pits, we made the decision not to start race two. I was a bit dazed anyway, so it was the right choice. ItÔÇÖs a pity because I really felt that weÔÇÖd get good results today and Ruben's seventh in race one is proof of that. Now, IÔÇÖve got to recover and get fit for the next race, so wish me luck. See ya, Troy

Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) and Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) shared the wins in an exciting fifth round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza.

118,000 spectators witnessed Fabrizio's maiden Superbike win in race 1 and Spies making amends in race 2 for his first race disappointment, when his Yamaha ran out of fuel at the final corner. Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox) crashed out in race 2 after being hit by a bird but still leads the table with a 54 point advantage over Spies.

Race 1

The first Superbike race of the day saw a thrilling end to one of the best races ever seen at Monza. The race had to have two starts, after two crashes at the first chicane of lap 1 involving Tamada, Hill, Corser, Neukirchner and Roberts led to it being interrupted. The German came off the worst with a broken right femur and dislocated right foot, while Roberts picked up various bruises. The outcome of the race was decided at the final curve. Spies was well on his way towards a fifth win of the season when in the Parabolica his Yamaha ran out of fuel just a few metres from the line. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) capitalized on Spies' misfortune to take his first win in Superbike. Team-mate Noriyuki Haga finished second to maintain his points lead. The third place battle also saw a thrilling end as Max Biaggi took his Aprilia over the line, but the Italian was penalized 20 seconds for cutting the chicane, leaving Ryuichi Kiyonari (Ten Kate Honda) to take the final podium position after a spectacular mid-race recovery from a poor start. Fourth went to Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare), ahead of the British pair of Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Tom Sykes (Yamaha World Superbike). Both BMW and Kawasaki placed riders inside the top 10, Ruben Xaus taking the German four-cylinder machine to seventh while a still unfit Broc Parkes fought hard for tenth place.

Michel Fabrizio: "Well, I really didn't expect this win, even though I'd been up at the front for the past two days. I had a small problem when the gearing hit neutral after Ben and I touched and I was not able to find second. He got away a bit from me but I thought I had to fight until the very end because I was convinced I could do it. But I think his fuel finished, a real pity for him."

Noriyuki Haga: "For sure we did a great race, and it was really tiring, unfortunately on the last lap and the last corner Ben had to stop, but for us we did a great job so I want to say a big thanks to all the team. My bike was working good but this weekend we had a little problem that we tried to find but we didn't resolve and it wasn't perfect."

Ryuichi Kiyonari: "My start was very bad in race one but I was able to fight back lap by lap during the race. Still I can't believe this result because on the last lap I thought fifth, but when the race stopped I was in fourth and when I got to my pit box my team told me I was third, so I was very surprised and happy."
Results: 1. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 31'50.758 (196,459 kph); 2. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 0.239; 3. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 8.175; 4. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 11.001; 5. Rea J. (GBR)Honda CBR1000RR 12.447; 6. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 13.693; 7. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 19.172; 8. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 24.989; 9. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 26.930; 10. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 27.418; 11. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 27.752; 12. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 29.545; 13. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 30.952; 14. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 31.414; 15. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 36.998; 16. Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 42.732

Race 2

Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) immediately made amends in race 2 by dominating from start to finish. The Texan left everyone standing after just a few laps and went on to win his fifth race of the season. This win, together with the crash at the Parabolica on lap 3 of points leader Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), keeps the championship battle wide open. Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) now becomes a credible title candidate after crowning his Italian weekend with an excellent second place. Fabrizio managed to hold off Ryuichi Kiyonari in the final stages, the Japanese rider repeating his race 1 result. A superb fourth went to Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), while Max Biaggi (Aprilia), in fifth place, could have been further up the standings had he not made a mistake while fighting amongst the group and he was unable to make up the gap again. Tom Sykes took another sixth place for Yamaha, while Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) made up for his race 1 retirement with a seventh place. Troy Corser did not take the start in race 2 after his two crashes today, but BMW honour was held high by Ruben Xaus, who again finished in ninth place. Broc Parkes again scored more points for Kawasaki in thirteenth.

Ben Spies: "What could have been, that was a tough pill to swallow. We put our head down in race 2 and had to get into a good rhythm in the first 12 or 14 laps because we were obviously having a problem at the end of the race. I had to slow down and do the short-shifting trick and make sure everything was good till the end."

Michel Fabrizio: "Ben really deserved this win after what happened in race 1. He was really determined at the start. I had to race with my second bike because of the problems in race 1 with my first bike so it took me a bit of time to get used to it as I had been using bike 1 for the last three days. I'll have to wait a bit longer now for my second win."

Ryuichi Kiyonari: "I'm happy with these results but a little bit disappointed because I tried to follow Fabrizio but I cannot pass him. My bike was very fast on the straights but my braking was not so good today."

Results: 1. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 31'49.252 (196,614 kph); 2. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2.665; 3. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 2.810; 4. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 7.706; 5. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 7.863; 6. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 10.383; 7. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 11.586; 8. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 21.112; 9. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 22.112; 10. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 22.261; 11. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 23.453; 12. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 32.956; 13. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 37.166; 14. Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 43.085: 15. Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 43.088; 16. Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 43.825

Points (after 5 of 14 rounds) - Riders: 1. Haga 200; 2. Spies 146; 3. Fabrizio 125; 4. Haslam 103; 5. Sykes 90; 6. Biaggi 81; 7. Laconi 77; 8. Rea 77; 9. Neukirchner 75; 10. Kiyonari. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 225; 2. Yamaha 180; 3. Honda 141; 4. Suzuki 89; 5. Aprilia 84; 6. Bmw 59; 7. Kawasaki 19

I watched the races (recorded) yesterday. Wow, was race one exciting; with one of those odd racing flukes striking to change the out come, Ben passing for the lead on the last lap, and literally yards later, running out of gas and giving it back.
I'm sure race two would have been as well if Haga hadn't had his "avian" encounter. Even so, Ben put on a great race; after all, he admitted afterward that he didn't know Nori had crashed, and he thought he had to ride as if he was still behind him. I share his sentiments that hopefully Haga is alright; and would add wishes for a quick recovery to Neukirchner.
What are the odds two such unusual occurences would strike back to back on the same race day, each affecting the leading championship contenders?
This is way more exciting than the disorganised, unfair, confusing mess the AMA/DMG/NASCAR fiasco has brought us. Ben moved out, and up, just in time.

Troy Corser is sitting the Kyalami round out. Steve Martin, BMWÔÇÖs test rider will step in for this race.


BMW MOTORRAD WSBK Rd. 6, Kyalami, South Africa, preview
12 May 2009
2009 Superbike World Championship
Tuesday 12th May

TROY TO SIT OUT KYALAMI.
Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport rider Troy Corser will not be travelling with the team and racing in Kyalami this coming weekend. The Aussie took a severe battering in two hard crashes in Monza last weekend and it was felt that it would be better for him to give the South African round a miss and get fully fit for the USA round at the end of the month.

Berti Hauser (BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director)
After the races in Monza on Sunday, Troy and the team sat down together and jointly made the decision that it would be better for him to sit out Kyalami and get fit for USA. Troy suffered a horrific crash at the start of the first race in Monza and was hit in the back of the neck and head by another bike. He then had a high speed tumble in the restart and was probably a little dazed. He was already riding with a cracked bone in his left hand and had to have painkillers and special strapping in order just to compete in Monza.

Kyalami is a very physical track, very bumpy in places and this wouldÔÇÖve not have helped TroyÔÇÖs hand get any better. So, with everything that happened in Monza, together with the condition of his hand, the decision was made that Troy would
give Kyalami a miss.

However the team will still have two riders on track in Kyalami as TroyÔÇÖs place will be taken by BMW Motorrad Motorsport
test rider Steve Martin.


Corser is not the only one that will miss the South African race


Nieto in for Neukirchner
Today, May 13, 2009,
FIM Press release

Fonsi Nieto is to be reunited with Team Alstare Suzuki after being confirmed as the replacement for the injured Max Neukirchner at the next round of the 2009 FIM Superbike World Championship.

Neukirchner faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after suffering an horrific accident on the opening lap of race one in Monza last weekend, which saw the German left with multiple fractures to his right leg.

A successful six-hour operation has set Neukirchner on the road to recovery, with doctors confident he will suffer no lasting damage.

Nieto has been drafted in for this weekend's race at Kyalami in South Africa, where he will join up once again with Yukio Kagayama.

The Spaniard will feel at home in the Alstare Suzuki garage having raced for the team last year, although he has no experience of the GSX-R1000 K9.

"Firstly, I want to wish Max all the best for a quick recovery," said Nieto. "His crash at Monza was not his fault and he is lucky that the injuries are not worse than they are.

"Although I know the team, I do not know the bike because it is a completely new and different bike to last year's model.

"So I will have to learn the bike and learn the track at the same time and that is not so easy, but I will do my best for sure."

Neukirchner, meanwhile, insists he will soon be back in action, saying: "I remember everything and I can tell you that the pain was unbearable.

"As soon as the doctors give me the green light, I want to go."




Kyalami gears up for World Superbike return
Today, May 13, 2009,

The Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship is back in action again just a few days after last weekendÔÇÖs dramatic and exciting races at Monza. On Sunday evening all the bikes and ancillary material used at Monza were crated up and air-freighted to South Africa. This weekend the Superbike and Supersport teams will be getting to grips with the Kyalami circuit on the outskirts of Johannesburg, which will again be the venue for a world championship round for the first time since 2002.

The track is situated on the plateau surrounding South AfricaÔÇÖs most important city, and it has always been the scene for some spectacular racing, with a prestigious list of winners over the years. In the five editions held there from 1998 to 2002, Colin Edwards is the most successful rider with three wins to his name, following by Pierfrancesco Chili,

Carl Fogarty and Troy Bayliss, the last winner, on 2 each and one for Ben Bostrom.

The layout of the track, measuring 4.263 metres, is technically challenging. It has 11 left-hand curves and 6 right, and a difference in elevation between the various parts of the circuit, that makes it difficult for riders and forces them to remain fully-focussed throughout the entirety of the lap.

Back in December all the manufacturer appointed test teams, except for Kawasaki, tested here, and unofficial times were well under the previous records of 1ÔÇÖ41ÔÇØ321 for Colin Edwards (Honda) in pole position and the 1ÔÇÖ42ÔÇØ178 of Noriyuki Haga (Aprilia) as fastest lap. The quickest rider in the tests was Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox), ahead of Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) and Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), the only men to dip under the 1ÔÇÖ40ÔÇØ mark.

Haga, Troy Corser (who wonÔÇÖt be present this weekend), Ruben Xaus, Regis Laconi, Gregorio Lavilla and Broc Parkes are the only riders in the WSBK championship to have raced at Kyalami.

MOVE ON UP FABRIZIO ÔÇô With his win at Monza (the first for an Italian there for 9 years) and second place in race 2, Michel Fabrizio can now lay claim to being a true title contender. The win was a weight off the young ItalianÔÇÖs shoulders and after his performance in testing here, Fabrizio now hopes to be able to cut loose in the rest of the season. Two more positive results could help him become the third force in the title battle between Haga and Spies.

HAGA BRUISED, SPIES ATTACKS ÔÇô HagaÔÇÖs impact with a pigeon at 250 kph in the early part of the race, followed by his crash at the Parabolica, left him with a severe hematoma on his right arm. The points leader underwent physiotherapy but will possibly not be at 100% this weekend, and this could play into the hands of Spies. The Texan missed a big opportunity at Monza to take maximum points after running out of fuel in race 1, but in any case managed to make up 6 points on his rival.

HONDA, APRILIA AND BMW MAKE PROGRESS ÔÇô The Italian Round at Monza showed Honda, Aprilia and BMW all making good progress. The Japanese manufacturer was back on form again thanks to two excellent thirds from Ryuichi Kiyonari and a fourth and fifth place from Jonathan Rea, who will be aiming to capitalize on that in South Africa. Aprilia were in the top 6 over the weekend thanks to Max Biaggi, who would surely have obtained a podium had he not received a penalty for cutting the chicane. Positive signs are also coming from BMW, with Ruben Xaus taking two top 10 scores at Monza to make up for Troy CorserÔÇÖs bad day. The Australian will be replaced by his fellow Aussie and the teamÔÇÖs tester Steve Martin for the Kyalami race.

ABSENT AT KYALAMI ÔÇô Suzuki Alstare probably came off the worst from Monza after losing their number 1 rider Max Neukirchner, who was taken out at the start of race 1 and who suffered broken and dislocated bones to his right leg. The most optimistic of forecasts points to the German being out of action for two months, just in time for the last race before the summer break at Brno. In the four races he will miss, the Alstare Brux team has opted to replace him with Fonsi Nieto, who rode for the team in 2008. Brendan Roberts, who was also involved in the same incident, will also be absent after suffering considerable bruising but the Australian presents no broken bones. Team Guandalini will replace him with Gregorio Lavilla.

SUPERSPORT ÔÇô Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport) picked up his second win of the year at Monza and the British rider is rapidly becoming the man to beat in the championship. His chief rivals before the season start, Andrew Pitt and Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) are struggling. The two champions are however the only riders to have tested at Kyalami and this could give them an advantage. The only man able to keep up with Crutchlow at the moment is Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda), also a two-time winner this season, while SpainÔÇÖs Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Provec) is making major progress. Kyalami will be an important test for Crutchlow in view of the remaining rounds of the season, while Yamaha, with their R6, have finally produced a valid alternative to the dominating Honda machines after years of trying.

A look back at Kyalami - the last 3 editions
Today, May 13, 2009,

2000 - The new Honda VTR1000 twin won on its first appearance in race 1 at Kyalami. It was not difficult to predict though, as Colin Edwards (photo) had recorded amazing lap times during the winter in all of the circuits he tested. The race was a three-man affair involving Edwards, Haga and Fogarty. Edwards led from the start, but on the penultimate lap Haga was able to go in front, Edwards reacted and on the last lap went back into the lead to win, with Fogarty in third, very close, but unable to attack because he was still suffering from an accident in testing and his shoulder was not at 100%. At the second start the task for Fogarty was even harder, because he remained trapped behind Aoki while Haga, Edwards, Corser and Chili pulled away from the rest. Fogarty quickly set after the leaders, was even able to pass Corser, but after ten laps fell and was out of the race. In the second part of the race Haga improved his pace and Edwards gave up, to secure a safe second, also because Chili had already dropped his pace in third and Corser was further behind on fourth. The Japanese rider won, but he was later disqualified after he failed a drugs test. The Haga affair would be a season-long dispute in the courts, more or less like the Slight affair back in 1994.

2001 - Ben Bostrom took pole at Kyalami, but in race 1 Edwards was out on his own; Bayliss stayed with him for half of the race, then gave up the fight, leaving the American to cruise to the end. Third was Corser and fourth Bostrom, who in race 2 took the lead immediately at the start, while Edwards had to pass Bayliss and Corser before starting to chase him. Colin had another pace in Kyalami, caught Ben and managed to pass him, but suffered a mechanical failure soon afterwards and Bostrom won unchallenged, since Bayliss was not able to catch him and Corser was too far seconds behind. Edwards' failure put the spotlight on Honda's poor reliability in the first two races: the American had lost a win and his team-mate Okada suffered three failures in four races (he was still at zero points after a clash with Laconi in Valencia that completed the series of retirements).

2002 - At Kyalami there were few changes in the finishing order from what the Championship had shown so far, as it was a two-man duel between Bayliss and Edwards. In race 1 Bayliss won from Edwards and Xaus, in race 2 from...Xaus and Edwards. All three were on Michelin rubber in a year where the tyre war was crucial for performance: the Dunlop riders were not so far behind, but not in a condition to fight for the win. Haga was a clear example: the Japanese rider twice started well and was even able to take the lead, Bayliss had only to wait for the Dunlops to wear out and then passed Haga, who wasn't a problem anymore for the rest of the races.

Steve Martin

Who is this Steve Martin guy and why did he get the call instead of me?

Alright, the answer to the latter question is obvious for all sorts of reasons even if you donÔÇÖt know me. As to the former, here is a little that I found about Steve Martin in a quick Google search which was severally cluttered with references to comedian Steve Martin and a BMW Press Club search that returned information on Stephen Mertens along with Steve Martin.

He appears to be a journey man pilot. An Australian listed by various sources as currently living in Switzerland he started racing superbikes at the national level in Australia in the early 90s on a factory Suzuki. He worked his way up to WSBK and has done four 500cc GP races. Over his various stints in superbike he has caught rides on Ducati, Yamaha and Suzukis. From superbikes he moved into supersport racing and endurance racing. He was part of Carl FogartyÔÇÖs Foggy Petronas team along the way. He rode for an Austira based Yamaha team in the Qtel Endurance series and that may be were he came to the attention of BMW. It appears that he made his last WSBK start in 2007. In a search of Worldsbk.com the only active non BMW associated information on him was a reference to his first podium finish achieved at Valencia in 2004.

Martin, along with Kevin Curtain and Jeremy McWilliams, were the first to ride the S1000RR in testing in Spain and its first test on the Eurospeedway Lausitzring, a track that has been used by the WSBK for races in the past. Berti Hauser, BMW Motorrad Motorsports General Manager was pleased with the work of all three in the testing phase. Martin has continued as a test rider for BMW. It is not clear to me about the others.

He was the test rider as part of the BMW rider crew, headed by Corser and Xaus, BMW took to the Monza test session in April. The team focused on testing various parts and generating more data on the bike. No lap times were given by BMW for Martin so there is no head to head comparison that can be made with the teamÔÇÖs pilots.

He has strong journey man track cred and with his S1000RR test rider experience he should know the bike intimately.

There may be a hidden value in having him race at Kyalami in the long run development of the BMW Motorrad Motorsport superbike team.

DonÔÇÖt get me wrong in what I mean by this. No one wanted to see Troy Corser benched for any reason. I watched the Monza race on Speed and was horrified by the carnage of the first lap accidents. Seeing it on Speed repeats along with the World SBK and various YouTube clips, gives be the willies every time I see them.

Martin has a chance to move from test rider to race pilot for one race at Kyalami. The difference between test rider and race pilot is huge. The up side will be if he can take his race experience on the S1000RR and use it in better understanding parts and the bike he in his test row thus furthering the development of the race bike. This may be the silver lining in a dark cloud that in the long run helps the team overcome some of its Superpole qualifying problems that have held down the race results for the team.

Kyalami

Weather


WorldSBK

Kyalami Superbike - Free Practice 1st Session
May 15, 2009
1 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'40.067
2 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.102
3 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.119
4 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.137
5 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'40.322
6 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'40.498
7 132 Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'40.502
8 36 Lavilla G. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'40.514
9 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'40.531
10 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'40.599
11 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'40.623
12 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'40.652
13 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'40.738
14 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.801
15 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'41.099
16 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'41.317
17 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'41.324
18 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'41.713
19 10 Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'41.783
20 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'42.073
21 33 Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'42.389
22 49 Whyte S. (RSA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.400
23 31 Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'42.496
24 17 Martin S. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'42.775

I think Steve Martin is Jonathan Green's sidekick in the commentary booth for WSB.

terham said:

I think Steve Martin is Jonathan Green's sidekick in the commentary booth for WSB.

Click to expand...

Yep Steve Martin is the guy that adds sensible comments to the juvenile rantings of that completely demented fool, who thinks shouting louder is some form of adding credibility, Green.
In comparison to MotoGP the commentary is abysmal.
Green must go!

Thanks to Neukirchener's off, my fantasy ride team has had to be reshuffled, as i dropped from 8,000th to 15,000th in the Motorcycle News Fantasy League.

New team is MotoGP Milandri, Lorenzo WSB Spies and Fabrizio, Brit Superbikes Guintolli and some throw away bloke who was all I could afford with the change from my ?ú10 million.
You can still try on a series of races basis at www.motorcyclenews.com for Brit Bikes, Cammier is doing really well. Here's a tip, go for better riders in WSB and Brit Supers as they have two rides to MotoGP's one.