Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

tinue as Muggeridge jumps to 37 points, three ahead of Fujiwara, and seven aloft of Foret . " I'm well hap py wit h that," C urt ai n said . " T he co nd it io ns were difficult, not so much fr o m the water but rather t he dirt that had b e en washed onto th e circu it from the downpo ur. It was t ough be ca use the spray left my visor all brown an d made visibility d ifficul t . I cou ld've possi bly pushed a bit har d er, but the points are in the ba nk, and t hat is more importa nt at the e nd of t he season t han going for a w in and potentially crashing ." eN SANTA MONICA CIRCUIT SAN MARINO, ITALY RESULTS: APRIL 18, 2004 (RO UND 3) S/BK QUALIFYING : I. Steve Martin ( I:36 .623); 2. Regis Laconi ( I:36.848); 3. Pterfrancesco Chili ( I:37.237) ; -4 . Lucio Pedercini (I :37.4 38); S. Maur o Sanchinl (1:37.515 ); 6 . Troy Corser (1 :37 .613); 7. Chri s Vermeulen ( 1:37 .891) ; 8. Ch ris Wa lker ( 1:] 8 .3 18); 9. l eo n Haslam (I :38.398); 10. Mar co Bor cian i (I :38 .445); I I. Noriyuki Haga (I :38. 908): 12. Gianluca Nannelh ( 1:38.9 11); 13. Piergiorgio Bont empi (1:38.923); 14. Garry McCoy (I :39.S6S); 15. Gianmaria Uverani (I :39.958); 16. Ivan Clementi ( 1:40 . 170); 17. Luca Pinl ( 1:4 3.040); 18 . Warwick Roland ( I:4 3. 109); 19. Giuseppe Zanni ni (I :43.377); 20. James Toseland (I :4 3.584 ); 2 1. Serg iO fuertes ( 1:-4 3.6-1 5); 22. Giancarlo De Matt eis ( 1:4-4. 068 ); 23. Alessio Velini ( 1:-44.37-4); 24. Jiri Mrkyvka (I :44.768); 25. Doriano Romboni ( I:4 5.004 ); 26. Ivan Seta ( I:-46. 55 1); 27. Berto Camlek ( I:4 7.027). S/BK RACE ONE : I. Regis Laconi (Due); 2. Troy Corser (Pet ); 3. Pierfrancesco Chili (Due); 4. No riyuki Haga (Due); 5. Chris Vermeulen (Ho n); 6. Ch ris Walker (Pet); 7. Steve Mart in (Due ); 8. Gianluca Nannel h (Due); 9 . Pie rgio rgio Bonte mpi (Suz); 10 . James Toseland (Due); II. Leo n Haslam (Due); 12. Ivan Clementi (Kaw) ; 13. Alessio Velini (Yam); 14. Ivan 5ala (Suz); 15. Gianmar ia Liverani (Due); 16 . Giancar lo De r-tan ets (Due); 17. Giuseppe Zannin i (Due); 18. Warwick No wland (Suz); 19. Jiri Mrkyvka (Due); 20. Bert e Camlek (Yam); 2 1. Marco Bcrclanl (Due). Time: 28 min.• IB.586 sec . Dist a nce : 17 laps. 42 .79 miles Average sp eed: 90 .69 mph Ma rg in of victory: 1.944 sec . Fastest lap : Regis Laccnl. lap 14. 1:38.339 S/BK RACE TWO: I. Pie rfrancescc Chili (Due ); 2. RegiS Lacon i (Due); 3. 5teve Martin (Due); 4. Noriyukl Haga (Due); 5. Leon Haslam (Due); 6 . James Tose land (Due); 7. Troy Corser (Pet); 8 . Lucio Pederc ini «Due); 9. Luca Pini (So2); 10. Marco Borclan l (Due ): II. Mauro Sanchini (Kaw); 12. Chr is Ve rmeule n (Ho n); 13. Chris Walker (Pet ); 14 . Gianmaria Liverani (Due); 15. Pier gio rgio Bontempl (Suz) ; 16. Jiri Mrkyvka (Due ); 17. Garry McCoy (Due); 18 . Sergio Fuert es (Suz); 19. Giuseppe Zannini (Due); 20. Ivan Sala (Suz). T ime: -44 min.• 29.370 sec . Distance : 25 laps. 62.93 miles Average s peed: 84 .86 mph Margin o f victory: 1.484 sec. Fastest lap: Pierfra ncesc o Chili. lap 25. 1:42.99 7 SJBK C'SHIP POINTS ST AND INGS (After 3 of II rounds) : I. Pierfrancesco Chili (97/1 win); 2. James Toseland (77/1 win); 3. (TIE) Regis Laconi (70/2 wins )/Chris Vermeulen (70); 5. No riyukl Haga (69); 6. Garry McCoy (5511 win) ; 7. Steve Martin (54 ); 8 . Ch ris Walker (52); 9. Marco Borcian i (49) ; 10. Troy Corser (48) ; I I. Leon Haslam (40); 12. Mauro Sanch ini (32); 13. Gianluca Nannelli (26); 14. Ivan Cleme nti (18); 15. Piergiorg io Bonte mpi ( 14). S/SPT Q UALIFYING: I. Sebastian Charpentier ( 1:40.422) ; 2 . Brock Parkes ( I:40 .66 2); 3. Stefano Cruciani (I :4 1.356); 4 . Karl Mugger idge ( I:4 1.365); 5 . Antonio Carlacc i (I :4 1.523); 6 . Kevin Curtain ( I:4 1.606); 7. Katsuaki Fujiwara ( I:4 1.6 16); 8 . Matt hieu Lagrive (I :4 1.827); 9. Alessio Corradi ( I:4 1.9 17); 10 . Walter Tortor oglio ( I:4 1.96 7); II . Matt eo Baioccc ( I:42. 112); 12. Vittorio lannun o ( I:42. 145); 13. Jurgen Van Den Go orbergh ( 1:4 2.4 39); 14 . Maurizio T um minello ( 1:42 .6 16) ; IS. Lorenzo Lanzi ( I:42.666); 16. Giovanni Bussei ( I:42.685); 17. Christian Kettner ( I:42.80 7); 18. Max Neukirchner (1:4 3.0 70) ; 19. Step han Cha mbon ( 1:43. 3 18); 20. 2 Fabien Foret ( I:4 3.7 18); 2 l. Denis Sacchetti ( I:4-4. 9 1); 22. Steve Brogan ( 1:44 .34 7); 23 . Massimo Roccoli ( 1:44. 76 3); 24 . N icky W imbauer ( 1,4 5.328); 25 . Eli Chen (1,4 7.870) . S/SPT: I. Karl Muggeridge (Hon) ; 2. Kevin Curtain (Yam); 3. Jurge n Van Den Goorbergh (Yam); 4. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Suz); 5 . Alessio Corradi (Ho n); 6 . Lorenzo Lanzi (Due); 7. Stephan Chambon (Suz); 8 . Gio vani Busse! (Due); 9. Vittorio lar m uzzo (Suz); 10. Walter To rt oroglio (Suz); II . Massimo Roccoli (Yam); 12 . Antonio Car lacci (Yam); 13. Mattieu Lagrive (Suz): 14. Denis Sacchetti (Ha n); 15. Eli Chen (Ha n); 16. Nicky Wimbauer (Yam). Time : 42 mrn., 11.937 sec . Distanc:e : 23 laps. 57.89 miles Average s p e e d : 82 .31 mph Margin of victory: 3.708 sec . Faste st lap: Brcc Parkes. lap 14. 1:47.789 S/SPT C'S H IP P OI NTS STAN DINGS (After 3 of 10 rounds): I. Jurge n van den Goorbergh (57/1 win); 2. Kevin Curtain (47) ; 3. Karl Muggeridge (3 7/1 w in); 4 . Katsuaki Fujiw ara (34 ); 5 . (T IE) Fab ien Fore t/ Lore nzo Lanzi (30): 7. Stephane Chambon (26); 8. Jos h Brookes (25/1 w in); 9 . (TIE) Alessio Cor radiNittori o lannuzzc (20) ; II. Broe Parkes ( 13); 12. Sebas tian Charpentier ( I I); 13. Max Neukirch ne r ( 10 ): 14. (T IE) Wer ne r DaemeniMatt ieu Lagrive (9). UPCOMING ROUNDS: Round 4: Monzo, It ly, Moy 16 o Round 5: Oschersleben, Germony, Moy 30 I , Brief'Y·.• Continued from page 23 moldy growth was fo und in so me of the riders ' leathers, which usually travel with the crates. Nothing too hideous was reported, but Petronas had to replac e some exposed wheel bearings. Former 250cc GP man and sometime World 5upe rbike rider Doriano Romboni, now a regu lar in the Italian Champio nships, was in attendance with his Giesse Racing Yamaha RI . One of five wild card riders in Superbike, bringing the total up to a very healthy 2B, he q ualified 25th . The only non qualifier was the Xerox-sponsored rider in the 5cuderia Caracchi Ducati team, Miguel Praia, from Po rtugal. The funny and unimaginab ly bizarre pr e ss co nference at th e Aussie round (centered around a sheep-shearing contest) was followed up at Misano by... nothing . There was no Thursday press co nference scheduled. A new initiative was a press con ference inside the press office, making the postaction routine for the top three in each session or race: TV interv iews , press room interview and then an appearance at another nowEuro -race initiative, a Co rona beer-sponsored mobile rig for the traditional World 5uperbike public area interviews, done mostly for the benefit of those who have paid the extra fee to get paddock access . The Corona rig - a semiconverted and qu ite flash truck wit h a stage out the side - will also be used fo r promotional purposes at the Athens Olympics this sum mer. An article in a British magaz ine so infuriated the World 5uper- bike owner, FG5port, that it issued a press statement to re fute allegations about a 12,Ooo-Euro "bond" made between any team in the championship and the organizers. The allegation was that each team has to put up the money, and should they or their riders talk badly about the Pirelli tires then they wou ld forfeit th is money. FGSport strongly den ied th is is the case , but the teams w ho were willing to speak about it claimed that there is a paragraph in the contract wit h the organizers that they could not make negative statements a bo ut the t ires or face a possible fine. Some put the punishment for the tran sgression at SOoo euros, but ot hers stated that it was "limitless. to As there have been occas ional comments that could only be thought of as negative but no one yet has transgressed enough to warrant a fine, the po int remains - thankfully - academic. What was seen as a distinct pos itive answer to the question of Ducati's lon g-te r m pla ns fo r Superbike racing came to light in Misano. The Superbike arm of Ducati has nearly always - in a way - been farmed out to Davide Tardozzi and Co. by way of a contract to run the team for the factory. Feel Racing, the company that does all this, is now relocating its operations out of Ducati 's factory - primari ly fo r reasons of space - to a unit 2km from the Borgo Panigale factory. With MotoGp, custo me r bikes to prepare and now the retum to Supersport racing, Ducati's high-tech but smallish raceshop facility at the home factory was simply becoming inadequate. Building the new space for the Superbikes' specific needs was acknowl edged by a Ducati spokesman as a declaration of intent to stay in for the long haul with a factory effort. Franco Fame, a legendary figure in Ducati's racing history for many years, was honored with a special plaque presented to him on Saturday at Misano. He had been an integral part of the Ducati back room staff,but in the past few years, after many of the old faces made way for the newer generation , Fame went to work for the Caracchi team , where he isstillan important part of the operations and a figurehead of respect. A Caracchi team press re lease read , "Xerox Ducati Franco Fame, long-time Ducati rider and race engineer, has been awarded today by Ducati Motor R&D director, Gianluigi Mengo li, in the Ducati Fila hospitality unit for 50 years of success with the Italian manufacturer. Bo rn in Bologna in 1934, October IS, Fame joined Ducati Factory aged 17, in 19S I, first as tester and then as rider scori ng a series of international wins from 19S4 to 1967 . As chief engineer, Fame followe d al the Ducati sporting life, www.cyclenews.com including the 1972 Imola 2oo-M win and endurance racing, as 0 well as Mike Hailwood's triumph in the 1978 1 M F I -IT race , often suppo rted by his friends Rino Caracchi and Giorgio Nepoti from Scude ria NCR. In Wo rld Supe rbike , Fam e was technical manage r for the factory Ducati team that awarded eight Manufactu rers' titles in the I990s. Since 200 I he has jo ined the Stefano Caracchi's NCR Ducat i satellite outfit . A touched Franco Fame re membered his most significant wins, as the victory at lmo la's 196 1 Conchiglia d'O ro Shell leading the factory bikes of Phillis and Degner as well the first tests of the new engine four valves. original ance stor of successful bikes in Superb ike arena. The first victory of Fame on a Ducati happened in 1954, May 16, just half a ce ntury of success that, with the win of Garry McCoy in Phillip Island at last April 28 on the Xerox Ducati Nortel Networks, justifies the sentence ''A victory 50 years long." Former FP-I rider Ja mes Hayd o n, now a TV commentator for the World Superbike organ ization , has a one-off ride in the British Superbike Ch am pionship planned after the injury to regular ETI D ucati team rider Stuart Easto n at Brands. Using Shane Byrnes ' 2003 machines (basicallyTroy Bayliss' old FOls), Haydon will ride at Snetterton the weekend after Misano. Easton had had to have extensive skin grafts on his right forearm, but the ETI ride fo r Haydo n is at present a one-off. The A1sta re Suzuki S u persport team has inherited some new Suzuki staff to help with the development of the new GSX-R6oo . The new engineer was involved in Moto GP in 2003 . Pirelli , who had scheduled a test at Misano to develop its available tire choices for the pecul iar nature of the Santa Monica circuit, had its plans undone a month ago, due to snow and then rain on the scheduled test days . Normally the available choice is three fronts and th ree rears, but for this race only there were five rears and four fronts to choose from . The usual tire totals of 4300 or so for all three classes (Superbike, Supersport and Superstock) thus ran to a whopping 5900 for Misano. By a cruel blow of fate , only some of those dry choices were used , with most riders having to use either of the full wet cho ices or intermediates in practice. Said Pirelli racing manager Giorgio Barbier, "T here is one interesting point after the starting point of the control tire. Some people were under the impressio n that we would have the same three tires all season long. But that has not been the case. Ifwe had the opportunity, like in Valencia and Australia , to test before the race, we could have known which ones to bring, but now we have arranged a bigger range of solutions . In Supersport, we have brought eight different so lutions so far th is season and in Superbike 18 for all teams to choose from . We also have one dual-compound solution fo r th is track, becau se it's all left-handers." Normally the problem at Misano - usually run in June 's crucible-style temperatures - is excessive left-side tire wear, but in the cold and dismal first two days , it was proving to be less of a factor. Fo ur Pierfra nce sco Chili fans, bedecked in oversized Frankie T-shirts and construction safety helmets w ith outlandishly large foam rubber number sevens on top, virtually camped out behin d his pit garage at the weekend in Misano. The Kawasaki Bertoc chi Superbike team was re po rted to have received new factory cranks at Misano after some encouraging results so far for the fledglingWorld Superbike machine. No official Kawasaki racing kit exists fo r the Superbike at present, much less official Kawasaki teams, but as the ZX-IO will be competed on in the Suzuka 8-Hour, there is a development program in place for the machine. Akira Yanagawa is reputed to be testing the World Superbike race kit in Japan right now. The moming warm-up at Misano had a couple of dramas, one for Le on Hasl am, whose bike started emitting steam at one stage, and one for Sergio Fuertes, who cras hed . C YC LE NEWS • A PRI L 28, 2004 25

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