Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

Say what you like about World Superbike becoming a Ducati Cup, the lap times have been consistently getting wasted by at least some of the top men this year (without recourse to an instant extra 30 hp or so of their new rivals in MotoGP either). Neil Hodgson again did a demolition job on the current best lap of the track In Superpole. His new flying lap achievement eamed him his third such success of the 2002 season. Faster than the previous best rider (Ben Bostrom) throughout his final timed lap, the English rider's new pinnacle of 1:26.502 was well inside the previous best lap. "It was a good Superpole lap but it wasn't spot on: Hodgson said. "The team had drummed into me that Colin (Edwards] was really fast through the first split, so if I wanted pole I had to make the first sector count. I pushed so hard, but the rest of the lap was nothing special. Nobody remembers second or third, so I wanted pole. I'm sure Colin gave 100 percent today, but I'm also sure that he has the championship in the back of his mind. After last year, I know the importance of a good start here. After being on pole, I made two really bad ones and ended up eighth and fifth into tum one in the two races. I didn't realize how 'follow my leader' the ci~cuit was, and I think I was a little bit too relaxed. This year though, I'm aiming to be first into tum one, with everyone else behind me." Castrol Honda's Colin Edwards rode his boots off to get pole position and only missed out on doing so by hundredths of a second, setting his best mark of the weekend with a 1:26.595. "I put In a good lap and thought that I might have got pole, but when I finished I couldn't see any reaction from the crowd, so I figured that I hadn't got it: Edwards said. "I'm feeling good about tomorrow, I've taken three out of four wins here and I like the track. The crowd is awesome and there are a lot of American flags being waved out there. The track itself reminds me of the circuits when I was growing up - some rough patches, and Mickey Mouse chicanes - but I seem to ilow with the circuit, so it's okay with me." Third in final grid classification, L&M Ducati's Ben Bostrom was in good form again, albeit just outside the 1:26 bracket and fully .664 of a second from Superpole. "It's good to be out here riding again: Bostrom said. "I like the layout of the circuit. It's a good little race track. I'm looking forward to the race, and I'll be aiming to keep up with the boys on Sunday. The Dunlop guys have been working really hard to catch back up with the Michelins, but we'll have to see what happens in the race. After 10 laps, you'll be able to see which rider of which tire Is going to fade out." Eaming the right to start fourth was late bloomer Ruben Xaus, who rode aggressively for an Important front-row start. "My Superpole lap was quite good, the quickest I have been all weekend, so it's better late than never - and good to be on the front row," Xaus said. "My long run times are not perfect, but not bad, and I think I can gain some places in the race. The start wil) be Important, and I will try and follow Colin like last year, and try to push him as much as possible - maybe even try to win!" Noriyukl Haga's PlayStation 2 Aprilia took him to fifth place, a marked improvement in his eighth place after regulation qualifying. Ducati Infostrada's Troy Bayliss, the reigning World Champion, messed up his chances of taking the Superpole win· or even a front-row start - after running wide and onto the dried trackslde earth on the exit of one corner. "Row two Is obviously not where I wanted to be for the race tomorrow, and I find myself in a position .similar to last year," Bayliss said. '1 still have a few things to try in Sunday morning warm-up, which is a bit of a pain, but you can't have it all your own way. These things bring out the best in you, so hopefully we'll come up with something in the morning." (Abovel Toseland (521 had another solid weekend and now lies seventh In the championship points standings. positions. ninth in race one was contrasted with an eventual 15th in race two, blamed bay for most of race one, and Haga at on technical problems. With no big twins to play with, Lav- object lesson in concentration. ilia and Walker made do with each other's company in a game of oneupmanship that at least alleviated the two brought the NCR Parmalat rider generally static boredom of much of the Oschersleben event in the leading results, given his level of non-factory Thrilling it was not, although the speed and craftsmanship shown by Hodgson to keep Bayliss at bay for almost all of race two, was an Broc Parkes' lightning start in race into focus once more, and a pair of 10th places was adjudged good Jumping from 12th to seventh was a sterling performance from Pier-Francesco Chili, especially since he was on a privateer Ducati NCR machine. Taking a second-row start position. despite a somewhat scrappy Superpole lap, James Toseiand was eighth. First of the four.-cyJinder competitors was Alstare Suzuki's Gregorio Lavllla, who nipped into ninth Just ahead of another four, the Kawasaki IX- 7RR of Chris Walker. Steve Martin was the first PireUi rider home, 11th on his DFX Ducati machine.. He headed off his similarly equipped rival Brae Parkes, Lucio Pederdni and Marco BorcianL Fifteenth and last in the competition was Martin's teammate Alessandro AntoneUo, who was induded because Kawasaki's Eric Bostrom suffered a broken scaphoid in a practice crash and could not ride. Another rider who failed to make Superpole (despite q,ualifying for it) was Juan Borja, who suffered an injury to three of his fmgers when he crashed in the afternoon untimed qualifying session. Martin would also not ride, due to damaged cruciate ligaments. The factory Benelli of Peter Goddard missed out on Superpole qualification, as did the official Kawasaki of Hitoyasu Izutsu, but both riders started the race from the fifth row of the grid.. machinery. The battle of the four-cylinder machines raged In both races, with Gregorio Lavllla (101, and Chris Walker (gl going at It. In race two, Walker's motor went sour on the last lap, but he managed to cross the finish line before partdng It against the pit wall. In the lower points-scoring positions, the still unfit Hitoyasu lzutsu and his Kawasaki held off the factory Benelli of Peter Goddard in race one, but neither rider finished the second outing. For Goddard and Co., in the Benelli camp, race one was a new high-water mark. "I got a great start in race one and then lost a couple of places and settled into 12th. I was able to hold Pedercini off for the entire race and kept 12th place to the flag. That's our best-ever finish and I'm really happy about that," said Goddard, a rider cue I • n _ _!IS • SEPTEMBER 1 1, 2002 11

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