Superbike World Championship: round five - Silverstone

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Superbike World Championship: round five - Silverstone

23/5/2006

Circuit: Silverstone
Country: United Kingdom
Track length: 3619m
Opened: 1948
Fastest lap ever: 1:26.679 (Yukio Kagayama, 2005)
Lap record: 1:27.130 (Regis Laconi, 2005)
Last year's winners: Troy Corser (Suzuki) and James Toseland (Ducati)

Britain's Silverstone circuit is the venue for this weekend's fifth
round of the 2006 Superbike World Championship.

So far the season has been a case of so near but so far for the Yamaha
Motor Italia squad. In the eight races run so far this year, Noriyuki
Haga has twice finished on the third step of the podium and never
finished lower than fifth place. One DNF (crashing on the final lap while
contesting the lead at the first race in Qatar) puts Haga fifth in the
championship, although the Japanese star knows he now needs to start
winning races if he is to stop the so far dominant Troy Bayliss (Ducati)
from running away with the championship.

Silverstone has proved a successful track for Haga in the past. He took
a first and second position there in 2004 and gave the still-developing
Yamaha YZF-R1 its first ever world superbike podium finish at last
year's race. With the R1 now developed into a consistent front runner, the
Yamaha Motor Italia squad sees Silverstone as a great opportunity to
make their presence felt in the championship.

"I have done well at Silverstone in the past so I am looking forward to
racing there again this weekend," says Haga. "The last round at Monza
was not so bad. I don't normally get on the podium there so to finish
third in race two was a good result for me and the team. Silverstone is a
track that we know suits me and the R1. We got our first podium there
last year and we should be able to fight with the fastest riders again
this year."

Team-mate Andrew Pitt lies one place behind Haga in the championship
standings. The Australian has also been very consistent this season and
is looking to forget a nightmare outing at the British track last year.
Pitt struggled to come to terms with the shorter International layout
used for the first time last year and picked up a nasty leg injury
during practice.

Despite this, Pitt insists a top three finish is not out of the
question this year, commenting: "I was a little disappointed not to be on the
podium at Monza, because the improvements we've made to the bike means
that this is a realistic target for us at every circuit. Silverstone
wasn't the happiest of races for me last year and I'm not a big fan of
the shorter circuit we use now. But at the end of the day it's just
another race and you go there with the same target as always, which means
getting on the podium."

Yamaha Motor France rider Norick Abe arrives in Silverstone in the
championship's top ten, despite failing to score in Monza. The Japanese
star had a tough weekend in Italy, missing Saturday's practice session and
bravely riding but failing to score in the races. Rapidly improving
team-mate Shinichi Nakatomi had his best result in Monza with a tenth in
race one and will be looking to continue his superbike education at the
short and technical British circuit.

In the Supersport World Championship Yamaha Motor Germany's Kevin
Curtain will look to get his season back on track after the heartache of
retiring through mechanical problems in Monza. The Australian remains
second overall in the championship, 31 points behind defending world
champion Sebastien Charpentier (Honda).

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Team Klaffi Honda - Silverstone WSBK - Preview

On the upcoming weekend (May 36th – 28th) World’s Superbike Championship enters its next round at Silverstone. With a length of 2.231 m (3.561 km) Silverstone is one of the shortest tracks of the whole Championship. It is a challenge for the riders to get this course under control. The radius of the bends is rather short and the last chicane before the start-finish is like a combination of two real hairpin bends. 45 km/h there is the maximum speed. - So the Silverstone round is guaranteed to provide extra thrills to the spectators.

Alex Barros: “The last time I raced at Silverstone was in 1987. I know the old course. The course for Superbikes is a combination of the old and the new. So the whole track is completely new for me and I don’t know what to expect. So Silverstone will be surprise for me.”


Team Manager Klaus Klaffenböck: “Silverstone is a new race track for Alex. But this is no problem for him. Also Monza was new for Alex and he achieved two excellent results. I’m sure he may show a similar performance at Silverstone. During the last weeks we had a lot of discussions concerning the traction control. At Silverstone we will not have traction control on Alex bike but we are still looking to get it as soon as possible.”

[shropslad]

got 2 VIP tickets,,,,,,,,,bring it on

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Home comforts for Jones and FPR at Silverstone

Foggy PETRONAS Racing’s Craig Jones is aiming to make the most of home
advantage at this weekend’s fifth round of the Superbike World
Championship at Silverstone.

The rookie star is familiar with the shorter international circuit,
having raced there on numerous occasions in the British Supersport
championship and in the World Supersport championship last year.

And his familiarity of the Northamptonshire track will provide a
welcome break from having to learn new circuits during his first year in
World Superbikes.

Craig said: “I think it will make a big difference for me that I know
the circuit so well. The other riders will also know it, but at least at
Silverstone I will be on a level playing field going into the weekend.
I should be on my pace straight away and I have gone well there in the
past. I was on the front row of the grid for last year’s World
Supersport race and held the lap record in 2004, so I am looking forward to
building on the progress we made with set-up at Valencia and giving the
home support something to cheer.”

Following a dreadful weekend at Monza in the previous round, the team
has been focused on improving the reliability of the engine over the
intervening weeks.

Craig’s team-mate, Australian Steve Martin said: “Those reliability
problems were specific to Monza and we are confident of having a
trouble-free weekend and two good races here. I didn’t perform as well as I
could have done last year so I am looking forward to the chance of
redeeming myself at Silverstone. At the start of last season I was having a lot
of problems with chatter, which were really exposed at this circuit. We
have solved those problems now so I am confident of knocking a couple
of seconds off last year’s times and lifting everyone’s spirits after
Monza.”

Circuit information: Silverstone, UK

Pole position: Right
Circuit length: 3.561km
Corners: 5 left, 7 right
Finish line length: 491m

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Free practice

1 Walker C. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'36.563 17
2 Fabrizio M. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'37.797 23
3 Haga N. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 1'38.120 19
4 Bayliss T. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 1'38.350 16
5 Laconi R. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'38.555 17
6 Toseland J. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'38.555 28
7 Neukirchner M. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 1'39.111 27
8 Nieto F. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 2. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'39.152 22
9 Corser T. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'39.289 19
10 Muggeridge K. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'39.557 25
11 Gimbert S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 1'39.576 19
12 Pitt A. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 1'39.694 25
13 Hill T. Virgin Mobile Yamaha. Yamaha YZF R1 1'39.694 14
14 Brookes J. Kawasaki Bertocchi. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'40.534 26
15 Kagayama Y. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra.Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'40.580 21
16 Abe N. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 1'40.614 28
17 Nannelli G. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'40.640 23
18 Lanzi L. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 1'40.731 23
19 Xaus R. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 1'40.745 19
20 Martin S. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 1'40.795 20
21 Clementi I. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 1'40.800 23
22 Rolfo R. Ducati SC - Caracchi. Ducati 999 F05 1'40.800 25
23 Iannuzzo V. Celani Team Suzuki Italia. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'40.827 24
24 Borciani M. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 1'41.761 21
25 Jones C. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 1'42.402 16
26 Barros A. Klaffi Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'42.482 15
27 Foret F. Alstare Eng. Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'46.566 22
28 Nakatomi S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone 2. Yamaha YZF R1 1'47.309 24

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Superpole challenge after Silverstone misfortune for FPR

Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Craig Jones and Steve Martin came through
an eventful first day of qualifying at Silverstone with work to do
challenge for Superpole positions.

Both riders suffered bruising in high-side crashes at the Brooklands
hairpin, where many riders perished during the first day of qualifying
for the fifth round of the Superbike World Championship.

Craig bounced back from his morning mishap on a greasy section of the
circuit, which caught out a number of riders throughout the day, to
overcome further set-backs and finish just 0.6 seconds off the Superpole
pace.

Steve was taken to the medical centre mid-way through the afternoon
session but returned to the track, although still in clear discomfort.

Just two seconds separated the field at the shortest circuit on the
calendar, with Troy Bayliss again leading the way, and the battle for
Superpole positions tomorrow morning is expected to be intense, with
variable weather conditions also a factor.

Craig, 24th fastest, said: “Every time I was getting into a rhythm
there was an interruption. I was black-flagged for no reason, next there
was a red flag when Steve crashed, and then we had to test something for
tomorrow right at the end of the qualifying session when I felt I could
have gone quicker. While a lot went wrong, we still came out with a
decent result which is not too far off the Superpole pace. And I have been
concentrating on set-up today so I can chase times a bit more tomorrow.
I am not too focused on making Superpole, as I don’t need to be on the
first four rows to have a good start. But this year is all about
learning for me and it would be nice to try a qualifying tyre. We are going
to concentrate on gearing overnight and try and shorten the bike so that
I have more grip through the twisty sections.”

Steve, 27th fastest, said: “Things were looking good in the afternoon
when I hit a patch where seven riders went down in the afternoon, so
something was wrong with the track there. It was a massive high-side and I
landed on my back and couldn’t really walk straight after. It is
difficult to get back in a groove after a crash like that, particularly on my
second bike. Hopefully it will be dry tomorrow so that we can make
further improvements but it is going to be tough to make Superpole
tomorrow, although this is the kind of place where a little set-up change can
make a big improvement.”

Friday qualifying times, Superbike World Championship round 5,
Silverstone, Great Britain: 1 Bayliss 1:27.011; 2 Corser 1:27.068; 3 Nieto
1:27.205; 4 Haga 1:27.364; 5 Toseland 1:27.418; 6 Pitt 1:27.539; 7 Kagayama
1:27.599; 8 Muggeridge 1:27.648; 9 Walker 1:27.656; 10 Laconi 1:27.721;
24 Jones 1:28.866; 27 Martin 1:29.199

Friday free practice times: 1 Walker (PSG1 Kawasaki) 1:36.563; 2
Fabrizio (DFX Treme) 1:37.797; 3 Haga (Yamaha Italia) 1:38.120; 4 Bayliss
(Ducati Xerox) 1:38.350; 5 Laconi (PSG1 Kawasaki) 1:38.555; 6 Toseland
(Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:38.555; 7 Neukirchner (Team Pdedercini)
1:39.111; 8 Nieto (PSG1 Kawasaki) 1:39.152; 9 Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona
Extra) 1:39.289; 10 Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) 1:39.557; 20
Martin (Foggy PETRONAS Racing) 1:40.795; 25 Jones (Foggy PETRONAS Racing)
1:42.402

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WSB : Strong showing for Yamaha in first Silverstone qualifyingRound: 5 - United Kingdom
Circuit: Silverstone
Date: 26 May 2006
Temp: 17şC
Weather: Dry

Yamaha Motor Italia rider Noriyuki Haga shone in first qualifying at a
damp and windy Silverstone today, ending the day in fourth place with
team-mate Andrew Pitt an equally strong sixth.

Morning practice took place in wet conditions and although the track
was mostly dry for the one-hour afternoon qualifying, the tricky
conditions caught out many big name riders and led to two stoppages caused by
riders crashing.

Haga, who gave the Yamaha YZF-R1 its first world superbike podium
finish at Silverstone 12 months ago, looked comfortable in both the wet and
dry conditions, setting the third fastest time in the rainy morning
session. The Japanese rider declared himself happy with the basic set-up
of his Yamaha but will work overnight with his team to further improve
the machine ahead of Sunday's two 28-lap races.

Pitt made a big improvement in the closing stages of the session to end
as the day's sixth fastest rider at one of his least favourite
circuits. Having spent the session experimenting with the set-up of his YZF-R1,
the Australian effectively switched back to his base settings to jump
up the grid.

With quarter of an hour to go Yamaha Motor France's Sebastien Gimbert
topped the leader board. The Frenchman had suffered a spectacular crash
in the morning practice, when he slid off his R1 going down the
start-finish straight. The accident wrecked his machine and left him with
abrasions on his back. Despite the handicap he finished the day 11th.
Yamaha Motor France's Japanese duo had tougher days, with Norick Abe 16th
and Shinichi Nakatomi 20th on his first visit to the circuit. Local
wild-card Tommy Hill was 12th on another YZF-R1.

Grid positions will be decided in tomorrow's superpole session for the
top 16 riders from qualifying. With rain a strong possibility tomorrow
morning, the superpole participants could well be decided on today's
times. Fastest rider today was championship leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati),
ahead of world champion Troy Corser (Suzuki) and Fonsi Nieto
(Kawasaki).

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"Not so bad although I am a little bit angry not to get pole as I had a
small problem on what should have been my fastest lap. The feeling with
the bike is already good in both the wet and dry but we will work more
tomorrow to try and make it better for the races."

Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"The track was a bit patchy: you'd go in on the dry but then hit a wet
bit, but it went ok for us and I'm quite happy. We started the session
off well but got a bit lost with the changes we made, before going back
to basics to get the lap time. We've still got a bit of a problem with
the bike wheelying too much but that's the only point where I think I'm
losing some time."

Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France)
"I am happy with how things have gone today. The times are very close
with just 0.7 second between me and the pole. It was good to be at the
top of the timesheets but at the end I went out to test the race tyre
rather than going for an improved time.

Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France)
"This morning the feeling with the bike was not so good, but then I
have never been able to feel comfortable with the superbike in wet
conditions. The afternoon was not so bad but the conditions were quite
strange, with many riders going down at one corner. Every lap I would see
someone else go down there and as a result I was not able to fully attack
that corner until the very end. I am still having some problems with the
right hand I injured in Monza. This might cause me some problems in the
race, as there is a lot of hard braking at this circuit. I am happy to
be in the top 16 as I will be in superpole if it rains tomorrow
morning, although I hope it is dry and I can show my best."

Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France)
"I had a crash at the same corner as all the other riders and this
meant I could not be as high as I like. I went out on a different tyre
option and it caught me out but I am not injured and hope we can have some
dry conditions tomorrow."

Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator - Yamaha Motor Italia)
"A good day. Nori's lap times are very consistent and he seem to be as
fast as anyone, while Andrew made just a few changes to the set-up we
have used at Monza and Mugello, suggesting that he has found a base
setting that really works for him. He started out by following Toseland for
a few laps but found that he could pass and go faster on his own.
Compared with last year he is looking very strong and I'm pleased because
both the riders are happy with their set-ups and seem to have good tyre
life around this circuit."

Round: 5 - United Kingdom
Circuit: Silverstone
Circuit Length: 3619
Lap Record: 1' 27.130 (Regis Laconi, 2005)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 26.679 (Yukio Kagayama, 2005)
Date: 26 May 2006
Temp: 17şC

Session 1 :
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. 1st Qualifying
1 T. Bayliss Ducati AUS 1' 27.011
2 T. Corser Suzuki AUS 1' 27.068
3 F. Nieto Kawasaki ESP 1' 27.205
4 N. Haga Yamaha JPN 1' 27.364
5 J. Toseland Honda GBR 1' 27.418
6 A. Pitt Yamaha AUS 1' 27.539
7 Y. Kagayama Suzuki JPN 1' 27.599
8 K. Muggeridge Honda AUS 1' 27.648
9 C. Walker Kawasaki GBR 1' 27.656
10 R. Laconi Kawasaki FRA 1' 27.721
11 S. Gimbert Yamaha FRA 1' 27.730
12 T. Hill Yamaha GBR 1' 27.807
13 R. Xaus Ducati ESP 1' 27.810
14 A. Barros Honda BRA 1' 27.940
15 M. Fabrizio Honda ITA 1' 28.078
16 N. Abe Yamaha JPN 1' 28.246
20 S. Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 1' 28.503

WSS : Curtain and Parkes shine in Silverstone gloom
Round: 5 - United Kingdom WSS
Circuit: Silverstone
Date: 26 May 2006
Temp: 17şC
Weather: Cloudy

Yamaha Motor Germany riders Kevin Curtain and Broc Parkes gave a good
showing on the opening day of supersport action in Silverstone, ending a
damp day second and third on the overnight grid.

After a morning of rain, supersport qualifying started in damp
conditions. Running dry weather tyres the fastest men lapped around two seconds
off lap record pace in the difficult conditions. Despite a clear dry
line having formed around the circuit, the riders were faced with
standing water streaming across the circuit at several points and the mental
problem of a light drizzle being blown into onto their visors.

Fastest in the session was championship leader Sebastien Charpentier
(Honda), who set a best lap of 1:30.516 - one-and-a-half seconds off his
own lap record. Curtain set a best of 1:30.711 in the closing stages of
the session, with Parkes a further three-tenths behind on 1:31.001.
Both YZF-R6 riders declared themselves happy with their day's work,
believing that they would have set quicker times had a red flag not stopped
the session prematurely. Wild-card Pere Riba (Kawasaki) completes the
provisional front row with Yamaha Team Italia rider Massimo Roccoli
leading the second row. Spaniard David Checa was 13th fastest on the Yamaha
GMT94 YZF-R6 with Gianluca Vizziello 15th on the other Yamaha Team
Italia machine.

Round: 5 - United Kingdom WSS
Circuit: Silverstone
Circuit Length: 3619
Lap Record: 1' 29.027 (Sebastien Charpentier, 2005)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 28.750 (Sebastien Charpentier, 2005)
Date: 26 May 2006
Temp: 17şC

Session 1 :
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. 1st Qualifying
1 S. Charpentier Honda FRA 1' 30.516
2 K. Curtain Yamaha AUS 1' 30.711
3 B. Parkes Yamaha AUS 1' 31.001
4 P. Riba Kawasaki ESP 1' 31.492
5 M. Roccoli Yamaha ITA 1' 31.657
6 M. Lagrive Honda FRA 1' 31.692
7 X. Fores Yamaha ESP 1' 31.963
8 J. Stigefelt Honda SWE 1' 32.136
9 K. Fujiwara Honda JPN 1' 32.320
10 Y. Tibero Honda FRA 1' 32.450
11 M. Sanchini Yamaha ITA 1' 32.533
12 K. Andersen Suzuki NOR 1' 32.595
13 D. Checa Yamaha ESP 1' 32.649
14 B. Veneman Suzuki NED 1' 32.732
15 G. Vizziello Yamaha ITA 1' 32.755
16 M. Berger Kawasaki FRA 1' 32.920
17 J. Enjolras Yamaha FRA 1' 32.995
27 A. Corradi Yamaha ITA 1' 34.645
29 V. Ivanov Yamaha RUS 1' 35.041
30 B. Martinez Yamaha ESP 1' 35.154

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Team Klaffi Honda - Silverstone - Qualifying I

A new race track for Alex Barros – on the first day at Silverstone the Brazilian rider of Team Klaffi Honda was busy to get the course under control. And this was not so easy, because after some heavy rainfalls the whole track was wet in the morning and the conditions were not so perfect. Even at the beginning of the first qualifying session some sections of the track were still very slippery and hazardous.



Alex Barros: “This was my first practice here under dry conditions though it was slippery in the beginning. The track is new for me and I had some problems. There are still some things we have to try and to optimize. – The Silverstone race track is not so much a technical but a physical challenge. I have to improve myself and I hope it will be dry tomorrow.”

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Qualifying I

1 Bayliss T. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 1'27.011 19
2 Corser T. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'27.068 27
3 Nieto F. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 2. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'27.205 30
4 Haga N. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 1'27.364 25
5 Toseland J. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'27.418 30
6 Pitt A. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 1'27.539 26
7 Kagayama Y. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'27.599 29
8 Muggeridge K. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'27.648 27
9 Walker C. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'27.656 25
10 Laconi R. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'27.721 26
11 Gimbert S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 1'27.730 28
12 Hill T. Virgin Mobile Yamaha. Yamaha YZF R1 1'27.807 33
13 Xaus R. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 1'27.810 29
14 Barros A. Klaffi Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'27.940 30
15 Fabrizio M. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'28.078 29
16 Abe N. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 1'28.246 33
17 Lanzi L. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 1'28.290 25
18 Clementi I. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 1'28.492 26
19 Neukirchner M. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 1'28.492 19
20 Nakatomi S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone 2. Yamaha YZF R1 1'28.503 28
21 Brookes J. Kawasaki Bertocchi. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'28.561 31
22 Nannelli G. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'28.766 25
23 Rolfo R. Ducati SC - Caracchi. Ducati 999 F05 1'28.835 30
24 Jones C. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 1'28.866 28
25 Foret F. Alstare Eng. Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'28.909 32
26 Iannuzzo V. Celani Team Suzuki Italia. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'28.980 30
27 Martin S. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 1'29.199 19
28 Borciani M. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 1'30.533 6

Qualifying II

# Nat./Rider Team Bike Sess 1 Sess 2 Best Laps




1 Bayliss T. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 1'27.011 1'27.011 19
2 Corser T. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'27.068 1'45.726 1'27.068 32
3 Nieto F. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 2. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'27.205 1'46.955 1'27.205 34
4 Haga N. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 1'27.364 1'46.090 1'27.364 32
5 Toseland J. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'27.418 1'27.418 30
6 Pitt A. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 1'27.539 1'51.876 1'27.539 35
7 Kagayama Y. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'27.599 1'48.928 1'27.599 35
8 Muggeridge K. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'27.648 1'27.648 27
9 Walker C. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'27.656 1'58.930 1'27.656 28
10 Laconi R. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'27.721 1'51.550 1'27.721 38
11 Gimbert S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 1'27.730 1'27.730 28
12 Hill T. Virgin Mobile Yamaha. Yamaha YZF R1 1'27.807 1'27.807 33
13 Xaus R. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 1'27.810 1'27.810 29
14 Barros A. Klaffi Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'27.940 1'45.802 1'27.940 45
15 Fabrizio M. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'28.078 1'52.640 1'28.078 40
16 Abe N. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 1'28.246 1'51.269 1'28.246 38
17 Lanzi L. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 1'28.290 2'03.992 1'28.290 31
18 Clementi I. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 1'28.492 1'28.492 26
19 Neukirchner M. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 1'28.492 1'28.492 19
20 Nakatomi S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone 2. Yamaha YZF R1 1'28.503 1'53.912 1'28.503 35
21 Brookes J. Kawasaki Bertocchi. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'28.561 1'48.087 1'28.561 43
22 Nannelli G. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'28.766 1'28.766 25
23 Rolfo R. Ducati SC - Caracchi. Ducati 999 F05 1'28.835 1'48.392 1'28.835 50
24 Jones C. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 1'28.866 1'28.866 28
25 Foret F. Alstare Eng. Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'28.909 1'56.677 1'28.909 46
26 Iannuzzo V. Celani Team Suzuki Italia. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'28.980 1'56.065 1'28.980 41
27 Martin S. Foggy Petronas Racing. Petronas FP1 1'29.199 1'29.199 19
28 Borciani M. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 1'30.533 1'30.533 6
FRE PRACTICE
1 Fabrizio M. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'40.859 21
2 Barros A. Klaffi Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'41.622 18
3 Brookes J. Kawasaki Bertocchi. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'41.951 24
4 Hill T. Virgin Mobile Yamaha. Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.073 13
5 Corser T. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'42.116 16
6 Haga N. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.699 14
7 Lanzi L. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 1'42.842 17
8 Bayliss T. Ducati Xerox. Ducati 999 F06 1'42.917 10
9 Nannelli G. D.F.X. Treme. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'42.949 15
10 Walker C. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'43.054 15
11 Toseland J. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'43.474 16
12 Muggeridge K. Winston Ten Kate Honda. Honda CBR 1000RR 1'43.539 22
13 Xaus R. Sterilgarda - Berik. Ducati 999 F05 1'43.822 16
14 Gimbert S. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.826 15
15 Laconi R. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'43.840 20
16 Neukirchner M. Team Pedercini. Ducati 999 RS 1'44.058 22
17 Nieto F. PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse 2. Kawasaki ZX10R 1'44.155 21
18 Kagayama Y. Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'44.548 13
19 Rolfo R. Ducati SC - Caracchi. Ducati 999 F05 1'44.600 20
20 Pitt A. Yamaha Motor Italia WSB. Yamaha YZF R1 1'45.195 13
21 Abe N. Yamaha Motor France-Ipone. Yamaha YZF R1 1'45.778 23
22 Foret F. Alstare Eng. Corona Extra. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'48.276 20
23 Iannuzzo V. Celani Team Suzuki Italia. Suzuki GSXR1000 K6 1'50.111 12

[KUCIAR666]

Rain stalls FPR progress at Silverstone

Atrocious weather conditions at Silverstone prevented progress for
Foggy PETRONAS Racing in qualifying for tomorrow’s races.

A full wet final qualifying session left Craig Jones and Steve Martin
unable to better yesterday’s times, set in the dry, and in 24th and 27th
positions on the grid for the fifth round of the Superbike World
Championship.

Steve, recovering from a heavy crash yesterday in which he suffered a
badly bruised hip, took the opportunity for further recuperation, while
Craig opted not to take unnecessary risks with better weather forecast
tomorrow.

British wild card Tommy Hill secured a shock pole position when he
mastered the conditions for the wet Superpole session.

Craig said: “It’s very frustrating because I know that I could have
matched the time that would have had me in Superpole yesterday, although
others would probably have also made progress if the conditions had
allowed. I really wanted to be in Superpole because I know that I am fast
around here. But it is not a massive difference between 16th and 24th
and I am confident I can make up those positions at the start and then
get my head down.”

Steve said: “It’s a pity it was wet but in one way it worked in my
favour because it provided an extra day’s rest, as I knocked myself about
yesterday. I think that landing on my hip might have damaged the tendons
around that joint and I am pretty sure I have broken a toe. But I am
confident I will be all right by tomorrow and I still think there is a
chance I can battle for points in the dry or wet, as my ideal time
yesterday was in the mid 28s.”

Superpole results, Superbike World Championship round 5, Silverstone,
UK: 1 Hill 1:38.001; 2 Bayliss +0.253; 3 Walker +0.264; 4 Haga +0.545; 5
Fabrizio +0.898; 6 Barros +1.081; 7 Xaus +1.387; 8 Muggeridge +2.022; 9
Laconi +2.041; 10 Corser +2.180; 11 Pitt +2.551; 12 Gimbert +2.180; 13
Nieto +2.573; 14 Toseland +3.003; 15 Abe +4.068; 16 Kagayama +4.261

Saturday qualifying times: 1 Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra)
1:45.726; 2 Barros (Klaffi Honda) 1:45.802; 3 Haga (Yamaha Italia) 1:46.090;
4 Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki) 1:46.955; 5 Brookes (Kawasaki Bertocchi)
1:48.087; 6 Rolfo (Ducati SC Caracchi) 1:48.392; 7 Kagayama 1:48.928; 8 Abe
(Yamaha France) 1:51.269; 9 Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki) 1:51.550; 10 Pitt
(Yamaha Italia) 1:51.876

Saturday free practice times: 1 Fabrizio 1:40.859; 2 Barros 1:41.622; 3
Brookes 1:41.951; 4 Hill 1:42.073; 5 Corser 1:42.073; 6 Haga 1:42.699;
7 Lanzi 1:42.842; 8 Bayliss 1:42.917; 9 Nannelli 1:42.949; 10 Walker
1:43.054

[KUCIAR666]

Team Klaffi Honda - WSBK Silverstone - Alex Barros 6th in the grid

Non stop rain, immense slops and spray, which turned riding into a real blind flight.

Those were the conditions during the second qualifying today. Some of the riders nearly preferred to stay in their pit garages but Alex was out and did a 1’45.802 lap time. Only Troy Corser (1’45.726) was faster than the Brazilian rider of Team Klaffi Honda.
Only some minutes before Superpole the rain stopped but the surface of the track was still completely wet. At 4 pm the riders started for a “Wet Superpole”. The 16 fastest riders had 50 minutes during which they could do 12 laps to improve their lap times and the positions in the starting grid.
Alex did a 1’39.082 lap time – which means starting position 6 in the second row for tomorrow. Winner of the Superpole was wild card rider Tommy Hill.
Alex Barros: “I hoped to be in the front row but I don’t do. I feel very well with the Fireblade today. The set up is perfect and the machine improved a lot. For tomorrow I hope it will be wet. This is what I prefer. If it is dry this would be a disadvantage for me because I only had one hour to be out under dry conditions. But whether it is dry or wet - a race is a race – we will see.”


Results Superpole and Starting Grid

1 Hill T. Yamaha 1'38.001

2 Bayliss T. Ducati 1'38.254

3 Walker C. Kawasaki 1'38.265

4 Haga N. Yamaha 1'38.546

5 Fabrizio M. Honda 1'38.899

6 Barros A. Klaffi Honda 1'39.082

7 Xaus R. Ducati 1'39.388

8 Muggeridge K. Honda 1'40.023

[KUCIAR666]

WSB : Wild-card Tommy puts Yamaha on Silverstone pole
Round: 5 - United Kingdom
Circuit: Silverstone
Date: 27 May 2006
Temp: 11şC
Weather: Wet

Yamaha-riding British wild-card Tommy Hill, who normally competes in
his national championship, had a sensational world championship debut,
taking pole position on his Virgin Mobile Yamaha YZF-R1 at Silverstone
today.

For the first time this year superpole was run under wet weather
regulations, giving each rider 50 minutes and 12 laps in which to set their
qualifying time, rather than the usual one flying lap in dry conditions.

The 21-year-old former British R6 Cup champion did all his laps in one
stint, riding spectacularly to head the times for much of the superpole
session. Hill slid off on his final lap while try to improve his pole
position time of 1:38.001. Despite the slip-up, no other rider could
knock the Virgin Mobile Yamaha rider from the top of the time sheets and
he will start his first ever world superbike races from the front of the
grid tomorrow.

Yamaha Motor Italia rider Noriyuki Haga grabbed a front row start at
Silverstone, powering his YZF-R1 to the fourth fastest time at the
British circuit. The Japanese star has been consistently strong in both the
wet and dry, although he was forced to use his spare machine for the
superpole after his number one machine developed a a vibration in the
preceding free practice session. Haga used all his experience to stay
upright in the slippery conditions and get a valuable front row start at a
circuit where he has excelled in the past.

With the rain stopping and the sun making its first appearance of the
day the track prior to the session, the Yamaha Motor Italia duo stayed
in the pits until 20 minutes into the session in the hope that the
conditions would improve.

With heavy rain falling throughout the day, the riders have been unable
to work on improving the settings for what are expected to be dry
conditions for tomorrow's races.

Haga's team-mate Andrew Pitt was a disappointed 11th after superpole.
The Australian rode strongly in the dry conditions, going into superpole
as the sixth fastest rider, but the rider and his team could not find
an ideal wet weather setting and Pitt struggled for grip in the wet
superpole session.

Yamaha Motor France riders Sebastien Gimbert and Norick Abe completed
the five YZF-R1 riders competing in superpole. Gimbert crashed on his
first lap in superpole, his third tumble of the weekend, but came back to
12th on his spare machine. Abe, no fan of the wet conditions, finished
15th after superpole - improving his position from regular qualifying
by one position.

Shinichi Nakatomi will start the race from 20th position after failing
to make the top 16 in yesterday's opening qualifying session. The
Japanese newcomer is making his first visit to the historic British circuit
and is looking to score some more championship points despite having
completed only one session in dry conditions.

Tommy Hill (Virgin Mobile Yamaha)
"I can't believe that I'll be starting my first world superbike races
ahead of the guys that I am used to watching on television! I'm not sure
what to expect from the races and I think that it'll only really sink
in when I'm sitting on the grid tomorrow. It was probably just as well
that I crashed as we are so far down the pit lane that I couldn't read
my lap board properly. I was feeling really comfortable and I would
probably have stayed out even longer if I hadn't come off and been
penalized for doing too many laps! It's great to be here and riding on the same
tyres as everyone else. I like the wet but it'll be nice for the fans
if it's dry tomorrow as we have had so many wet races in the British
championship this year. In the dry I'd love to get a top eight but for now
I'm just enjoying what we've achieved today."

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"This circuit has no grip and is very scary in the rain. We waited a
while to see if the track would dry but it was still very slippery out
there. I almost crashed many times so I am really happy to be on the
front row. We have a good setting for wet or dry, so I think I can make a
good race tomorrow. I hope for sunshine but this is England and no-one
ever knows what the weather will do here!"

Andrew Pitt (Yamaha Motor Italia)
"We are struggling for rear grip in the wet and it didn't matter what
we did we couldn't improve the situation. We've got a good set-up for
the dry so I'm hoping that there's no rain tomorrow. It will be tough
from the third row of the grid though."

Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha Motor France)
"Not so bad but I was not feeling 100 percent after the crash in
superpole. I have had quite a few crashes this weekend and need to rest up
and get ready for the race."

Norick Abe (Yamaha Motor France)
"I am still trying to find a good feeling with the superbike and the
Pirelli tyres in rain conditions, so I was not pleased that qualifying
was wet today. The forecast for tomorrow is dry so I am hoping that we
can have some good races."

Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Motor France)
"I'd have liked at least one more hour in dry conditions today as it
has been difficult trying to learn the circuit in these conditions. I
have never ridden at Silverstone before and it was difficult to find out
about the circuit while I am still learning the characteristics of this
bike and the wet-weather Pirelli tyres."

Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator - Yamaha Motor Italia)
"Nori is running strongly in both conditions and is ready to fight at
the front tomorrow. His bike developed an unusual vibration before the
superpole so we decided not to risk anything and switch to the spare
bike. The set-ups are almost identical so this was not such a problem.
Andrew had some problems with the back of the bike coming around when he
backed off the throttle and this has dropped him back a little. Tonight
we will follow the weather forecast. It looks like being dry but we
will prepare a wet weather bike and a dry weather bike for each rider. In
case of a dry race we already know which front tyre to use and will
have the 20 minute warm-up to make our final decision on the rear."

Round: 5 - United Kingdom
Circuit: Silverstone
Circuit Length: 3619
Lap Record: 1' 27.130 (Regis Laconi, 2005)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 26.679 (Yukio Kagayama, 2005)
Date: 27 May 2006
Temp: 11şC


Session 2 :
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. 1st Qualifying 2nd Qualifying
Superpole
1 T. Hill Yamaha GBR 1' 27.807 N/A 1' 38.001
2 T. Bayliss Ducati AUS 1' 27.011 N/A 1' 38.254
3 C. Walker Kawasaki GBR 1' 27.656 1' 58.930 1' 38.265
4 N. Haga Yamaha JPN 1' 27.364 1' 46.090 1' 38.546
5 M. Fabrizio Honda ITA 1' 28.078 1' 52.640 1' 38.899
6 A. Barros Honda BRA 1' 27.940 1' 45.802 1' 39.082
7 R. Xaus Ducati ESP 1' 27.810 N/A 1' 39.388
8 K. Muggeridge Honda AUS 1' 27.648 N/A 1' 40.023
9 R. Laconi Kawasaki FRA 1' 27.721 1' 51.550 1' 40.042
10 T. Corser Suzuki AUS 1' 27.068 1' 45.726 1' 40.181
11 A. Pitt Yamaha AUS 1' 27.539 1' 51.876 1' 40.552
12 S. Gimbert Yamaha FRA 1' 27.730 N/A 1' 40.574
13 F. Nieto Kawasaki ESP 1' 27.205 1' 46.955 1' 40.729
14 J. Toseland Honda GBR 1' 27.418 N/A 1' 41.004
15 N. Abe Yamaha JPN 1' 28.246 1' 51.269 1' 42.069
16 Y. Kagayama Suzuki JPN 1' 27.599 1' 48.928 1' 42.262
20 S. Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 1' 28.503 1' 53.912

WSS : Rain means no improvements for supersport riders
Round: 5 - United Kingdom WSS
Circuit: Silverstone
Date: 27 May 2006
Temp: 14şC
Weather: Wet

Heavy rain throughout the day meant that the grid positions for
tomorrow's world supersport round at Silverstone were decided by the times
from Friday's damp session.

No riders improved their times in the soaking conditions, although
Yamaha Motor Germany riders Broc Parkes and Kevin Curtain both took to the
circuit for a handful of laps to test some components and their wet
weather settings. Sebastien Charpentier (Honda) will start from pole
position, with Curtain and Parkes alongside him in second and third place
respectively. Yamaha Team Italia rider Massimo Roccoli heads the second
row, in fifth, with Xavi Fores seventh on his privately-entered YZF-R6.

Dry conditions are predicted for tomorrow's race, with the supersport
competitors having had no practice in completely dry conditions.







Round: 5 - United Kingdom WSS
Circuit: Silverstone
Circuit Length: 3619
Lap Record: 1' 29.027 (Sebastien Charpentier, 2005)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1' 28.750 (Sebastien Charpentier, 2005)
Date: 27 May 2006
Temp: 14şC


Session 1 :
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. 1st Qualifying 2nd Qualifying
1 S. Charpentier Honda FRA 1' 30.516 N/A
2 K. Curtain Yamaha AUS 1' 30.711 1' 55.269
3 B. Parkes Yamaha AUS 1' 31.001 1' 46.493
4 P. Riba Kawasaki ESP 1' 31.492 N/A
5 M. Roccoli Yamaha ITA 1' 31.657 1' 46.085
6 M. Lagrive Honda FRA 1' 31.692 1' 56.255
7 X. Fores Yamaha ESP 1' 31.963 1' 58.969
8 J. Stigefelt Honda SWE 1' 32.136 1' 48.307
9 K. Fujiwara Honda JPN 1' 32.320 1' 51.224
10 Y. Tibero Honda FRA 1' 32.450 N/A
11 M. Sanchini Yamaha ITA 1' 32.533 1' 49.784
12 K. Andersen Suzuki NOR 1' 32.595 1' 46.573
13 D. Checa Yamaha ESP 1' 32.649 1' 45.873
14 B. Veneman Suzuki NED 1' 32.732 1' 47.055
15 G. Vizziello Yamaha ITA 1' 32.755 1' 47.946
16 M. Berger Kawasaki FRA 1' 32.920 1' 48.332
17 J. Enjolras Yamaha FRA 1' 32.995 1' 46.427
27 A. Corradi Yamaha ITA 1' 34.645 N/A
29 V. Ivanov Yamaha RUS 1' 35.041 1' 58.005
30 B. Martinez Yamaha ESP 1' 35.154 1' 53.001

[shropslad]

Le mans last weekend,, silverstone this weekend,,witnessed some great racing with great pals. Where next ??

[Gerrard]

I can't say I like the short track at Silverstone.
The faster longer tracks make better racing.....well to me anyway.
Zippo

[KUCIAR666]

Bruising experience for Foggy PETRONAS Racing at Silverstone

Foggy PETRONAS Racing riders Craig Jones and Steve Martin finished the
fifth round of the Superbike World Championship battered and bruised
after a harrowing race day at Silverstone.

Craig crashed on the first lap of the first race and, although he took
his place on the grid for the re-start, he decided not to go out on the
warm-up lap because of concussion, which also forced him to miss the
afternoon race.

Steve, still recovering from injuries sustained in a heavy crash on
Friday, suffered another painful high-side in the 20-minute morning
warm-up session and struggled throughout the first 19 laps of the first race
before he was black-flagged when smoke was seen from his bike.

The second race did not provide any respite for Steve, who was forced
to retire after nine laps when his engine over-heated.

Craig said: “I was really looking forward to this race and felt good in
morning warm-up. I think I would have finished in the points but the
crash was partly my fault, although a whole host of things popped up in
front of me that I had no control over. I now just want to make a real
go of it at the next round in Misano, which is another track I enjoyed
testing at.”

Steve said: “I was struggling physically in the first race but I also
had a problem with the preload adjustor, which meant that the back of
the bike was sinking and made it really hard to ride. Then oil from the
adjustor got onto the muffler and I was black-flagged when they saw the
smoke from that. Although it wasn’t serious I guess it is in everyone’s
interests to show the black flag in those circumstances. In the second
race the bike was getting hotter and hotter and I didn’t know how hot
it would go before something major happened so I had to come in. I’m
looking forward to the next couple of weeks because my body is pretty
battered.”

Race two results, Superbike World Championship round 5, Silverstone,
UK: 1 Bayliss; 2 Haga +1.585; 3 Toseland +12.058; 4 Pitt +14.561; 5
Barros +16.826; 6 Corser +21.230; 7 Xaus +22.056; 8 Walker +22.549; 9
Muggeridge +22.708; 10 Nieto +34.025; 11 Abe +34.739; 12 Hill +35.112; 13
Kagayama +35.518; 14 Laconi +36.322; 15 Fabrizio +47.850

Race one results: 1 Bayliss (Ducati Xerox); 2 Haga (Yamaha Motor
Italia) +0.890; 3 Toseland (Winston Ten Kate Honda) +1.705; 4 Xaus
(Sterilgarda Berik) +8.285; 5 Pitt (Yamaha Italia) +12.303; 6 Walker (PSG-1
Kawasaki) +23.716; 7 Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki) +25.483; 8 Muggeridge +26.049;
9 Barros (Klaffi Honda) +29.650; 10 Abe (Yamaha France) +32.208; 11
Nieto (PSG-1 Kawasaki) +39.607; 12 Hill (Virgin Mobile Yamaha) +41.550; 13
Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) +41.935; 14 Kagayama (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra)
+50.385; 15 Nannelli (DFX Treme) +52.726