WORLDSBK.COM - bis 20.06.2011

[WORLDSBK.COM]

Sam Lowes from the Parkalgar Honda team promoted himself straight into the upper echelons of the Supersport Word Championship rankings at Phillip Island, going third in qualifying and then repeating that performance in the race. Had the start/finish line in Australia been a bit closer to the final corner, the 20-year-old would actually have won the race, such was his position as race leader as he entered the long turn 11. He lost out on his debut win in this class by only 0.033 seconds, in only his seventh career WSS race.

He was naturally elated to have taken his first podium, after some traumatic happenings in testing and qualifying, and for a rider crowned British Supersport Champion in 2010 a return to WSS as a regular rider has already proved a great career move. "It was a really good race for me - my first time in the Championship with Parkalgar Honda," said Sam after the race. "I was a bit nervous but I got a decent start and then made some moves on the riders around me. I knew it was a long race and was thinking about tyre wear. I passed eventual winner Luca on the last lap but did not get a mega run on to the start/finish straight. Third in my first race is great; I am loving my team and my bike, I am enjoying myself." Lowes had fallen in Australia more than once before the race on Sunday, and even bashed his head quite hard in pre-race testing, making his recovery as well as his sheer pace and fearlessness all the more impressive.

His team-manager, Simon Buckmaster, was simply delighted that his number one pick for the 2011 season has already shown his true colours. "What a superb ride by Sam to finish third on his debut for the Parkalgar Honda team. He went into the last corner a little too hot in the lead and lost some drive and the other two were able to get past him on the run to the line - but that takes nothing away from his achievement; this is his first time at the track and in our team. Sam's bike was strong everywhere, the package was good and no one can be disappointed with the result."

For Lowes life in the WSS paddock is simply a return in many ways, as he has been a European Superstock 600 rider in 2008, and a WSS competitor for a few races in 2009.

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Yamaha World Superbike rider Marco Melandri was on hand yesterday to inaugurate the third edition of Motodays in Rome , together with President of Roma Fiera Mauro Mannocchi and CEO of Infront Motor Sports, Paolo Flammini. The Italian took part in the traditional walk-through, signing hundreds of autographs for fans at the fair on the opening day.

"In Australia I finished on the podium on my debut in the category but I was a bit disappointed because I wasn't in the best of condition," declared the former 250 GP world champion. "I was hoping to win and now at Donington I'll be looking to do another great race and make up for the result I didn't get at Phillip Island. Hopefully it won't be too cold, because I'm getting on a bit in the years now and I'm beginning to feel it! As for my rivals, the man to watch is Checa who's leading the table ".

Motodays continues through until Sunday, with the presence of three more Superbike riders, Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare), James Toseland (BMW Motorrad Italia) and three-times champion Troy Bayliss the star attractions.

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This year Roberto Rolfo has made a surprise return to World Superbike. At Phillip Island the Italian qualified in an inauspicious last place on the grid but finished just outside the top 10 in both races: 11th and 12th, all things considered pretty good results on Rolfo's debut for the Pedercini team and on the Kawasaki ZX-10R machine. WorldSBK.com spoke to Rolfo about his first impressions back in Superbike.

Welcome back to Superbike Roberto! How did you manage to get so far up the results sheets?

"On Saturday I found an excellent feeling with my Kawasaki, resolving the problems of the previous day. I put my head down at the start, saw that the ZX-10R was responding well and overtook a few other riders. I enjoyed myself, and came back home with a boost to my morale. I'm sure that this is just the beginning: with this bike and this team I can obtain some good results."

What was the best moment of the race for you?

"On the first lap of race 2 I was behind Ayrton Badovini, whose engine suddenly appeared to seize. I almost had to stop to avoid him and lost further ground. But I didn't give up, I caught up with the group ahead and started to pass them. It was great fun!"

You didn't test much in the winter: did you expert such a good result?

"Not only did we not do much testing but in Australia I raced for the first time with the Superbike-spec ZX-10R. The bike I used in testing in Malaysia was more of a Superstock machine than my ‘true' race bike. The mechanics finished fitting the final components on the day of first qualifying at Phillip Island. I didn't expect to get such a good result so soon, but I was confident right from the start: the Pedercini team are fantastic!"

And next up is Donington...

"And I can't wait, because it's one of my favourite tracks. I also go well in the wet, and it often rains there at the end of March ..."

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

The third edition of Motodays finished at the Fiera di Roma yesterday with a total of 108,000 people passing through the gates of the largest bike show in central-southern Italy over the three days.

World Superbike riders from the past and present were again the main attraction on Sunday, with three-times champion Troy Bayliss signing autographs for almost an hour on the main stage after awarding the prizes to the winners of the 2010 Supertwins Trophy.

"Motodays is a fantastic show and I want to thank everyone from Rome and Italy in general for the enthusiasm with which they greet me every time I come here. I heard that in a couple of years Valentino might finish his career in Superbike," declared the Australian, "in 2013 he'll be the same age I was when I began to race on the international scene so he's in a good position to do so but I honestly don't think he'll switch to production-based bikes. Vale is a phenomenon but I won my battle with him at Valencia, when I came back to win on the Ducati MotoGP bike while unfortunately he crashed."

The two BMW Motorrad Italia team riders James Toseland and Ayrton Badovini also signed autographs at the BMW stand, with two-times WSB champion Toseland guest of honour like last year.

"It's going to be a great season this year and I'm aiming to be closer to the front starting at Donington," said Toseland. "We've got the right team and the right bike and I can't wait to get going again. Motodays is a fantastic bike show and I'm happy to come back to Rome".

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Even though the start of the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup season is still over a month away, the top teams have been making preparations to make sure they are ready to race for real points when they arrive at Assen on April 17.

None more so than the Garnier alpha Racing BMW team, which will field three riders in total in 2011. They have recently completed a two-day test at Valencia and the new look team features Aussie rider Beau Beaton, Markus Reiterberger from Germany and French rider Randy Pagaud (photo).

Team owner Michel Garnier explained his rider choices and why he was so satisfied with the results of the first big test. "Everything went well, this is the best group I have ever had since I started racing so I am confident for this new season."

Beaton comes on the recommendation of no less than former SBK rider Steve Martin, a fact that helped Garnier make up his mind to sign him for 2011. He gave his appraisal of all his new signings after getting the chance to work with them all together for the first time.

"Beau is a good rider. He is fast and very dedicated. He knows well the technical aspect of motorcycle racing and this is important. We could immediately feel that he wants good results. Markus is very fast. He is impressive. He was really pushing hard in Valencia, but he rode always clean, never crashing. The advice of such a great champion as Ralf Waldmann is a great help for him, and also for the whole team. Randy is a serious person and a hard worker. He is well balanced intellectually. At Valencia, after searching for a solution to a problem, he finally found it and went more than one second faster. Altogether, this is a good team."

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

The 2011 Superstock 1000 FIM Cup field has once more reached an impressive level of participation, with no fewer than 30 riders lining up to shoot for glory, from Assen in April to Portimao in October.

With the top two riders from the 2010 season having followed the natural progression from Superstock to the Superbike World Championship this season, the field is more open than ever.

Five manufacturers are represented in Superstock, by various teams. Reigning champions BMW are back in force with Ducati, Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha teams joining in the fight. The only all-new machine in 2011 is the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R, and the Japanese manufacturer has taken eight of the 30 grid places pre-season.

Twelve countries bring riders to the Superstock top table - Italy, France, Poland, Romania, Germany, the Netherlands, Australia, Hungary, South Africa, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Argentina.

For the full 2011 Provisional Entry List, click here.

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Not every top Supersport rider has been able to make the jump to the Superbike World Championship class when given the opportunity, but at the first time of asking Eugene Laverty almost stuck himself in a podium place at Phillip Island. WorldSBK.com asked the Irish rider what his thoughts were about taking part in his first ever WSBK race, and what he hopes for next in his rookie season as a Yamaha World Superbike factory rider.

Now the dust has settled, what do you think of your first WSBK experience?

"I think the best way to put it is that I was satisfied with our potential. I did not realise until Sunday just what that potential was. I thought on Saturday all of the other guys were stronger than they actually were. But on Sunday I realised that some were not just as strong. Personally, I was not very comfortable in the races because I did not quite get the setting to ride the bike the way I want, but the fact that we were fighting for a podium finish in race one was very positive."

Your team-mate Marco Melandri did get a podium in race two, so how do you feel about that?

"I was actually happy to see the pace that Marco had on Sunday in race two because we had both been struggling with the same problems all weekend and we were on each other's pace in race one. I left the bike pretty much the same after race one, just in case we made a change for the worse between races. I did not want to risk anything and we left the bike the way it was. But Marco and his guys made an improvement so it was good to see the step they were able to make. Marco and I give very similar feedback, comments and everything, so it was a positive thing for me that they made a step and I know that we can make that step too."

Your team's good results contrasted with the Yamaha experience of 2010 at Phillip Island. So how much different is the bike you rode in Australia compared to the one you first rode at Magny-Cours last year?

"The bike is not a huge amount different from the way it was then, but now the mass is more centralised. That is the only major change from my first Magny-Cours test. In terms of Phillip Island this year compared to last year, there have been massive improvements. The bike is much more useable now. They took the development of the bike in a good direction last year and Marco and I are benefitting from it. The changes to the bike have worked for race distance. It was possible with the 2010 bike to still be there over the race distance, but at certain tracks like Phillip Island the bike you had at the start of the race and the end of the race were two completely different ones. Now the bike does not change as much and it is important to have the same from the bike along the course of the race."

Have you noticed any difference in the publicity and attention you have received now you are a Superbike rider, compared to being a WSS rider?

"Even at Phillip Island there were a lot more fans around, even last weekend at the Dublin Motorcycle Show I got massive amounts of attention there. So more fans are becoming more aware of what I am doing. WSS is the feeder class, WSBK is the bigger one in our paddock, so it is natural that more people will associate themselves with that."

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Just like the rest of the world, Infront Motor Sports and WorldSBK.com have been moved by the natural disasters that have recently hit Japan.

Last Friday a magnitude 9 earthquake and resulting 10-metre high tsunami wave devastated vast coastal and inland areas of the northern part of the country, leaving a still unidentifiable number of victims, many thousands missing and homeless, the possibility of leaking radiation and the country's economy in a difficult condition.

In this very sad period we would just like to express our sincerest support and solidarity to all Japanese teams, riders, manufacturers and companies involved in motorsport, to our Japanese friends and colleagues in the motorcycle industry and to the entire Japanese population.

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

The RivaMoto Team will line up for the FIM Supersport World Championship in 2011 with Russian riders Eduard Blokhin and Oleg Pozdneev. Both riders will ride Yamaha YZF R6 machines.

Both Pozdneev and Blokhin are 38 years of age, and started racing in 2006. Despite their limited amount of experience, they are both very excited to have this fantastic opportunity to race in Supersport. Blokhin's experience stretches to three rounds in last year's championship, while Pozdneev has even less to his name.

Andrey Ivanov, the team manager of RivaMoto, declared that the main goal for this season for both Russian riders was to qualify for the maximum number of races. "This project is very interesting for our team. We are really looking forward to become a part of the World Supersport Championship again. We have a great motivation for this season, and we are ready to work hard to achieve consistent results. We are proud to participate in such a high level racing competition".

Eduard Blokhin has improved his physical form after last season's injuries. "My injured shoulder is not as good as I expected, hopefully I will be able to ride at 100 percent. In spite of it I'm pretty confident in my team, me and my teammate are ready to do our best here. The Championship is very competitive and it will be hard to fight with such skilful riders".

Oleg Pozdneev declared: "I'm happy with the opportunity to be here and ride on a really high level. I believe that our experience will help Russian teams and in the future we can see them on the international stage. For sure it also contributes to the popularization of professional racing in Russia".

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

WorldSBK.com has just received the following message from Pata Aprilia Racing's Noriyuki Haga, currently in Japan, which we willingly publish:

After the first round of the World Superbike championship at Phillip Island, I went back to my hometown Nagoya in Japan to visit my relatives. Of course now I am trying to get back to Europe for Round 2 of World Superbike championship at Donington Park in the UK next weekend.

First of all I would like to say thank you so much to everyone that has texted me and called me, concerned about my family and friends in Japan. I just wanted everyone to know how much it meant to me and I appreciate it very much! Thank you so much for all the kindness you show me. All my family (Yurie, Akito, Ryota and Kanon) are OK and our relatives who live in the suffering area are safe too.

We are very shocked about what is happening in Japan. Earthquake, tsunami and now trouble for Nuclear power plant. It's just like a nightmare! It is very bad and ugly, especially the Sendai area. I used to race there and I have good memories of it too but now it's unbelievable... sad! sad! sad!

My home is OK, it just has small damage and the aftershocks are still continuing but at the moment they are not as bad as the others.

I am very sad for all those who have lost friends and family in the tragedy and I am going to try my best at Donington Park to show you the spirit of "Don't give up Japan, Don't give up Tohoku!

I also have the good news that our friends Yukio Kagayama and family, Katsuaki Fujiwara and family are all OK!

Ciao and see you soon!

Nitro-Nori

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Donington Park will host the second round of the 2011 World Superbike Championship in just over two weeks time. With everything still to play for, the six Brits on the grid are busy preparing for battle and hoping to impress in front of the home crowd on Sunday 27 March.

Local lad Leon Haslam (not present in the photograph) got off to a flying start at Philip Island, securing his first podium of the season to finish as the highest-placed British rider. The former BSB champion has a solid WSBK record at Donington having secured a second place in 2009 behind eventual champion Ben Spies.

Despite a tough time in Australia after a series of crashes left him with multiple injuries, Jonathan Rea battled to secure fourth place in race two. "I was completely drained after Philip Island, but I've since had the all-clear from my doctors and I have a spring in my step again", said the Northern Irishman. "I should be back to full fitness in time for Donington and I plan to come back fighting."

Yorkshireman Tom Sykes will join Rea and Haslam on the grid. After a determined start to the season that left him in eighth place in the standings, down-to-earth Sykes is playing his cards characteristically close to his chest ahead of Donington. "The competition is very tough and I am realistic," he reveals. "I am a racer and I want to progress but it is early days on a new bike so we need to give it time."

An impressive World Superbike debut saw Northern Ireland's Eugene Laverty finish fourth in race one. The newest addition to the line-up - who races under the Irish flag - is looking forward to the second round. "We've clearly got a competitive package and I'm very positive for Donington," he said.

Leon Camier had a difficult start to the season, battling through the two races at Philip Island despite being diagnosed with glandular fever just days earlier. The 24-year-old - who claimed a victory at Donington Park during the 2009 British Superbike Championship - is resting to regain his fitness ahead of the second round. "I'm really looking forward to racing at Donington Park again; it's such a legendary track and I've always enjoyed riding there," he said earlier this year.

Last but not least in the British line-up is fan favourite and former World Superbike champion James Toseland, who is riding with a new team for 2011. "Philip Island was an important learning weekend for us all and we'll be looking to come back at Donington Park much stronger", said the Yorkshireman. "Historically, the home track has not been a lucky one for me, but I'm hoping to change that this year."

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

A return to Donington for the Supersport World Championship class is as welcome as it is in the Superbike division and the circuit has a reputation of throwing up some all time WSS greats in its list of previous winners.

The first Donington WSS races, in 1997 and 1998, were both won by Ducati rider Paolo Casoli. The first Donington race winner when the championship was upgraded to a full FIM World Championship status was local man James Whitham, for Yamaha. His victory persuaded him to take up a full time role in this class and he won four races in total in his WSS career.

1999 World Champion Stephane Chambon (Suzuki) won the Donington race in 2000, with Casoli taking a hat-trick of wins at this classically sculpted circuit in 2001, this time on a Yamaha.

After Donington disappeared off the WSBK series radar there was a long gap until the 2007 season, but eventual two-time WSS champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Honda) was the man who took the comeback win.

One year later Aussie-rider-turned-eventual-BSB-competitor Josh Brookes (Honda) secured the win at Donington, and the most recent rider to take a Donington WSS race victory was the second British rider to take the plaudits of the Donington crowd in this class, Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha) in 2009 (photo).

There was no Donington race in 2010, but the 2011 contest will feature anything up to ten potential race winners, from a variety of manufacturers and teams.

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After a first round in Australia affected by illness, Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) is hoping to be back to full fitness in time for his home round at Donington on 27 March. We spoke to him as he starts his build-up to the WSBK weekend, at home in England.

How are you feeling after your nasty illness in Australia?

"I am feeling better but it was horrible at the time. We did the best we could in the Phillip Island races. When you get an illness and cope with it the best you can. As soon as I started recovering after the race I started to feel better and we got a few blood tests done as soon as I got back to Europe, and they found a few things wrong. I was told to rest and chill as much as possible to recover. The fever had gone but the infection and the effects of it were still there. You have to try and rest and not push yourself because otherwise you can get fatigue and lots of other problems. I just need to relax and make sure everything comes as good as possible before Donington."

There was some confusion at the time but did you get tests to confirm that you had glandular fever?

"The fever had gone by the time I got the blood tests, but they said that the results showed that I have had glandular fever recently. It cannot give you a date of when you had it, but the infection was there, the results of it were still there."

How are you preparing for Donington now?

"At the minute I am hoping to get back into training a few days before the event and remind my body what it is all about again. I feel good now but I do not want to trigger it all off back again. It will all be fine, I am just making sure I am on the safe side of everything. I will be riding at Donington. I have explained the situation to the team and I have one of the best blood doctors in the world looking after it all. I am 100% confident we will be at Donington, so no real worry about it."

How do you feel about racing at Donington in any case, as it is a home round?

"Obviously the weather is going to be a big part of it but I am not sure how well it is going to suit the Aprilia at the minute. We have a few good points and a few less good points. We just have to see how it goes really. Local support always helps!"

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

At this weekend's upcoming World Superbike round in Donington Park, Infront Motor Sports will be introducing the feature of new on-board cameras - adding even greater excitement for viewers as they experience the fast on track action from the viewpoint of the rider.

The Donington Park round will in fact see the debut of an integrated system of onboard cameras developed within the Infront Sports & Media group, made up of 8 units with 16 minicams both front and rear facing.

 

 

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Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) set the quickest time of 1 minute 31.737 seconds in this morning's free practice for World Supersport, held in cold and poor visibility conditions. The British rider was followed by his compatriot James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda), ahead of yesterday's pace-setter Luca Scassa (Yamaha ParkinGO).

Ukrainian rider Vladimir Ivanov (Step Racing Honda) made a major breakthrough with fifth quickest time, ahead of Broc Parkes (Kawasaki Motocard.com), who crashed on the cold tarmac.

 

 

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Cold weather conditions prevented the top riders from improving on their times from yesterday and the quickest remained Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) despite two off-track excursions into the gravel. The Italian was again ahead of Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike) and Carlos Checa (Althea Racing).

Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) was one rider who did manage to improve, the Irishman ending up in sixth position, while Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) moved up to ninth and Michal Fabrizio (Alstare Suzuki) just scraped into Superpole in 15th.

 

 

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) shaved a further tenth off the circuit's best lap on his Ducati 1098R to end up top in the pre-Superpole practice session with a time of 1 minute 28.696 seconds. The Spaniard was almost three-tenths ahead of Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) and his fellow Brit Tom Sykes, who posted his best weekend time on the Kawasaki ZX-10R.

Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike) was fourth quickest ahead of Jakub Smrz (Effenbert - Liberty Ducati) and Noriyuki Haga (Pata Aprilia).

 

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Carlos Checa (Althea Racing) took his second pole of the 2011 season by posting the fastest lap of the weekend in Superpole three, a 1'28.099. Local rider Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) will line up behind Checa at Leon's home track, with another British rider, Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike) third. The last spot on the front row will be taken by Czech star Jakub Smrz (Effenbert - Liberty Racing Ducati).

Carlos Checa: "What can I say? Everything is working so well here at Donington, we expected to go well and we did it. Our progress from yesterday to today was quite comfortable, basically today the tyres were working well with these conditions and this cold. With one lap to get going it was not easy to get confidence but I was able to get a good enough time to get the pole and that's important for tomorrow."

Leon Haslam: "Donington is my local circuit and me and Tom have had some great battles in the past in BSB, I'm really looking forward to tomorrow. We got a front row start which we wanted. I've definitely made some good progress from Australia to this event so hopefully it'll be a dry day tomorrow and I can try and beat Carlos this time."

Tom Sykes: "I'm really happy now with this good starting slot for tomorrow's races. I think that's the hardest part of the weekend because qualifying is always important. We had a little problem in SP2 and had to waste a qualifying tyre but for SP3 we went out on a race tyre. The second row was guaranteed but to squeeze onto the front row was something unexpected."

Jakub Smrz: "Donington is one of my favourite races. I had a crash this morning at the very fast Craner Curves, where I have crashed before in the past but I was OK. I am satisfied with my front row position and I have a good set-up for the race, I would have liked to go a bit better in qualifying but the front row is good for me."

Noriyuki Haga (Pata Racing Team Aprilia) and Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) completed the top six, while an Aprilia trio was finished off by Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) with Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) the final rider on the second row, making it four British riders in the top eight places.

The hot track action warmed up the enthusiastic local crowd as the temperatures dipped from the highs of Friday, with the track temperatures dropping to single figures for Superpole.

Leading contender Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) just missed out on the final Superpole session and will start Sunday's races from ninth place and on row three. Haslam's team-mate Troy Corser lapped his way to tenth, ahead of lone Suzuki force Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare). The Kawasaki Racing Team entry put its second rider into the top 12 when Joan Lascorz completed row three.

A huge crash in the first Superpole session for Melandri's Yamaha team-mate Eugene Laverty kept him on row four, alongside Sylvain Guintoli (Effenbert - Liberty Racing Ducati), Maxime Berger (Supersonic Ducati) and Ruben Xaus (Castrol Honda).

 

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Two Yamaha ParkinGO machines locked out the front two places on the starting-grid for tomorrow's World Supersport race, with Italian Luca Scassa on pole followed by his Welsh team-mate Chaz Davies. Sam Lowes (Parkalgar Honda) was third but an early session crash hampered his efforts to go for pole and the WSS find of 2011 was unable to improve on his Q1 time.

Next up were the two Kawasaki ZX-6R machines of Broc Parkes and David Salom (Motocard.com), while Gino Rea (Step Racing Team), Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing Team) and James Ellison (Bogdanka PTR Honda) took the next three places for Honda. Fabien Foret (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), who again injured his hand in a crash yesterday, struggled on regardless to qualify 12th. Foret's team-mate Florian Marino improved to go ninth overall, while Massimo Roccoli posted tenth on his Kawasaki Lorenzini by Leoni machine.

Two riders failed to qualify but a full grid of 28 riders will start Sunday's 22-lap race in this category.

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New rider to WSBK racing Marco Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike) took only three races to record his first WSBK win, finally overhauling long time leader Jakub Smrz (Effenbert Liberty Racing Ducati) to win by 2.455 seconds.

The last podium place went to Carlos Checa (Althea Racing Ducati), after he passed local hero Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) with two corners to go.

Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) scored fifth place and Noriyuki Haga (Pata Racing Aprilia) was sixth, one place up on the factory bike of Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia).

 

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Yamaha ParkinGO riders Luca Scassa and Chaz Davies contested the win in the 22-lap Supersport race, with Davies 0.270 seconds down at the flag.

Behind, Gino Rea took the final podium place for his Step Racing Honda team, as Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing Honda) went fourth and Kawasaki Motocard.com rider Broc Parkes secured fifth place.

In the championship Scassa has a perfect 50 points and Parkes is second with 31.

 

 

 

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

The two riders who won races at Donington today, Carlos Checa and Marco Melandri, are the two who leave at the head of the championship chase, with Checa now on 91 points and Melandri on 72. In front of 51,500 spectators Superpole winner Checa (Althea Racing Ducati) used his experience to change his rear tyre choice for race two and improve from a third place to be a clear winner, while Melandri (Yamaha World Superbike Team) made two great recoveries from a third row start to post a win and a second place.

Jakub Smrz (Effenbert Liberty Racing Ducati) nearly won the first race, with the local fans having something to cheer about as Leon Camier (Aprilia Alitalia) went third in race two, to make up for a hard first round in Australia that was badly affected by illness.

2010 World Champion Max Biaggi (Aprilia Alitalia) had his drama-laden weekend turn into a mini-crisis as he finished only seventh in race one, and was excluded from race two after jump starting and failing to come in for a ride-through penalty. In the overall championship third place belongs to Leon Haslam (BMW Motorrad Motorsport) on 53 points after two fourths today, while Biaggi has 49 points in fourth overall.

Race 1

New rider to WSBK racing Melandri took only three races to record his first win, finally overhauling long time leader Smrz to win by 2.455 seconds. The last podium place went to Checa after he passed local hero Haslam with two corners to go. Jonathan Rea (Castrol Honda) scored fifth and Noriyuki Haga (Pata Racing Aprilia) was sixth, one place up on the factory bike of Biaggi. A potentially great finish for Tom Sykes and his Kawasaki Racing Team Superbike machine ended in a crash at the redesigned Esses section, but the home crowd were to have a podium star to cheer for in race two.

Marco Melandri: "It has been an awesome race for me, very tough and at the start many guys were very aggressive. I kept my rhythm and when I got on my own I caught Camier and some others then it took some time to get to Haslam. After that it was only a few laps to go and Kuba was pretty far ahead. I just kept the best pace I could and in the end Smrz's pace was gone and I passed him. We missed a little bit of top speed but the package was very balanced, we won and I had a lot of fun."

Jakub Smrz: "Of course I am disappointed to not win the race but it was really nice and I am back on the podium, which is important. The feeling all the race was very good and the bike was perfect, in the end my rear tyre was gone and I could not push any more. Marco passed me and I did not want to risk anything in the end."

Carlos Checa: "I had some issues with the rear tyre grip at the beginning of the race, and I lost some positions, touched with other riders and it ended up as one of my most exciting races from the back to the front. Finally I arrived to Haslam after I had pushed to my maximum and I passed him when I had the opportunity. It was the last lap and I got third position."

Race 2

Checa controlled race two from the early laps and won by 3.397 seconds from race one victor Melandri. Camier was a contender for second for long periods, before Melandri upped the pace and left him behind. Another Leon, this time Haslam went fourth for the second time today, despite running off track at one point. Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Racing Team) was a great fifth on the new ZX-10R machine, despite not yet being at full fitness. With Rea sixth for Honda and race one retiree Michel Fabrizio (Suzuki Alstare) seventh in race two there were seven different manufacturers represented in the top seven places, proving how competitive the 2011 season is after only two rounds.

Carlos Checa: "It is a fantastic beginning to the season, especially this victory in Donington, which is something special. Basically we decided to put on a different tyre with better grip at the beginning, so now I was stable and had good grip. At the end the tyre dropped down a little but it was good enough. Everybody knows what happened here to me many years ago, when I lost something so now I'm quite satisfied to win at Donington!"

Marco Melandri: "It was a pretty good race for me. Leon was very fast, about 50% of the race I was coughing in my helmet and finding it hard to breathe so I lost my concentration. After that I recovered, I did my best and passed Leon again but Carlos was just too fast for me."

Leon Camier: "I can't believe it's happened. I started the year with glandular fever, which got me down a bit after all the hard work over the winter and to come here and get a podium at my home race is absolutely awesome. In the first race we had a few problems with the settings, so we changed it for the second one and it seemed to work well. It was a good battle with Marco, he was very strong, but to get third place is great."

 

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

The entire World Superbike community lined up on the starting-grid before today's race 1 at Donington Park in a gesture of solidarity for Japan and out of respect for the victims of the recent tragic disasters that have overwhelmed the country.

A specially-prepared banner bearing the words ‘SBK FOR JAPAN' was displayed by the World Superbike and World Supersport riders, together with Infront Motor Sports and FIM authority figures, in a brief ceremony that was followed by a minute's silence throughout the circuit.

Japan's only representative in this year's Superbike championship, Noriyuki Haga, also held up a Japanese flag, signed by all riders, which will be auctioned off and the proceeds of which will be devolved to Red Cross for Japan

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

WorldSBK.com takes a quick look at the facts & figures that emerged from the second round of the Superbike World Championship at Donington Park.

QUALIFYING

• For the first time in his career, Carlos Checa was able to score poles in back-to-back races. The Spanish rider can now count four pole positions and he has reached two former world champions at the seventeenth all-time spot: Fred Merkel and James Toseland;

• Tom Sykes was able to start again from the front row after Imola last year;

RACES

• Marco Melandri won his maiden superbike race: he is the 65th winner in WSBK history, the 40th in the age ranking and the 10th Italian to do so;

• Carlos Checa won his eighth race and the twentieth for Spain. The Spaniard has won five of the last eight championship races, missing out on the podium only once in this time span. Checa during the weekend was able to break all the track records: qualifying lap, race fastest lap and race distance, even though it must be said that the circuit, although not modified in lap distance, is now much faster;

• Jakub Smrz scored his best-ever result, second, his second podium after the third place in the second Assen race, back in 2009, a wait of one year and eleven months;

• Leon Camier scored his fourth superbike podium, matching the result he obtained last year at his other home circuit, Silverstone;

• Max Biaggi was given a black flag in race two and this brought a halt to his all-time record sequence of races in the points: 39. Max has been scoring points since the 2009 Brno races;

• In race one Noriyuki Haga scored his 57th fastest lap: he is already the all-time leader in this ranking, but throughout the entire 2010 season he wasn't able to post a single fastest lap with the works Ducati;

SUPERSPORT

• Luca Scassa scored his second win exactly one month after his maiden one in Australia and added a maiden pole to the record books;

• Sam Lowes became the 40th rider to have scored at least one fastest lap in Supersport history;

• First-ever presence on the front row for Chaz Davies;

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[WORLDSBK.COM]

Supersonic Ducati rider Maxime Berger was the protagonist of an incredible incident at Donington Park on Sunday as the rear wheel of his Ducati 1098R suddenly dropped off as he came round Goddards to complete lap 6 of race 1.

After his excellent performance in qualifying, the Frenchman started from row 4 with fifteenth time. He immediately got into a good rhythm and was about to pass some riders ahead of him when the rear wheel of his Ducati came off, fortunately leaving Maxime unhurt in the strange and unexpected incident, which was caused by a defective rim. Clutch failure then brought an end to Berger's race 2, leaving it a weekend to forget for the Supersonic Team

"I'm disappointed and incredulous," said Berger. "I've never had to stop twice for two such strange reasons. The rim broke and I was lucky because it broke in a slow corner. I found myself on the ground without knowing what happened. In race two after the start, the clutch started to give me problems, until it completely stopped me after the first lap. Practice had gone well; I had a good feeling with the Ducati and a pace that would allow me to win my first championship points. But the team did a great job here at Donington and with their help I am sure the results will come in the coming races."

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