Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128350
Toseland, Laconi To SBK; Hodgson To AMA will compete in the 2005 AMA Superbike National Championship alongside Eric Bostrom. "This past week has been brilliant, first winning the MCN Man of the Year award and then having my position wi th Ducati Corse confirmed for 200S," Toseland said in a Ducati release. "It's fantastic to start the sea- son with the same team that I won the cham pionship with, and I'm hoping that our relationship will cont inue to be as successful. I learned an awful lot last year, and I fee l confident about retaining the World "I am really pleased to have this new challenge, above all because I will have the same Supersport team of mechanics with me," Lanzi said. "Once again I move up a category after a year, and for this reason it's not going to be easy, but I will be riding the 999RS, which is a very competitive bike, and we hope to get some good results." The final piece in the jigsaw for Ducati Corse's Superbike plans comes with the announcement that Hodgson will line up alongside Bostrom in the Parts Unlimited Ducati Austin team. "The AMA Championship poses a great challenge both to me, personally, and to Ducati, as they It - Neil Hodgson h aven ' t won . f or many years. " Championship . I can't wait to get started." Somewhat of a surprise is that champi onship runner-up Laconi will return to the team, though apparently Hodgson had that option and chose the AMA series. "I am very happy to be reconfirmed by Ducati - this is what I wanted," Laconi said. "Next year I will try and win the championship for sure . I came very close this year, but unfortunately I made some mistakes - even though I was nearly always the quickest rider out on the track ... c'est 10 vie! It's sure to be more difficult next year, but I know that Ducati will be working harder than ever over the winter to prepare an even more D ucali Corse has announced its 2005 road racing plans with word from Italy that World Superbike Champion James Toseland and his teammate from this year Regis Laconi will return to the team for the 2005 World Superbike Championship. In addition, Ducati has confirmed that Neil Hodgson will join the Ducati Austin team and 10 NOVEMBER 17, 2004 • CYCLE NEWS competitive bike for the 2005 season." A third Ducati 999 will also be raced in World Superbike by young Italian Lorenzo Lanzi. The 23-year-old from Cesena finished fifth in the World Supersport Series on a Ducati 748, and he'll now ride a 999RS for the satellite SC team, run by Stefano Caracchi. The Bologna, Italy-based team will also continue with the Supersport race pro gram of the Ducali 749R that Lanzi took to its debut this year. 40th Anniversary After a difficult year in MotoGP on a Desmosedici GP3, the 31-year-old Isle of Man resident will return to the 999 bike that he rode to the 2003 World Superbike Championship. "Having had a disappointing experience in MotoGp, it's such a relief to be back where I be long with Ducati Corse," Hodgson said. "The AMA Championship poses a great challenge both to me , personally, and to Ducati, as they haven't won it for many years . I would like to make history and be the first rider ever to have won the Britishand World Superbike Championships and the AMA Championship . Being back with the 999 Is going to be so natural for me, and I can't wait to start testing . The main thing that I have discoveredthis year is that I cannot race just to make up the numbers . I need to win!" Toseland, Laconi and Lanzi will be in action November 16-18 for three days of testing at Valencia, while Hodgson's first appearance for the AMA Superbike team is scheduled for January 3-5, 2005, for testing at Daytona International Speedway.