Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

liiii!iiil,~iijiiiiiiiiiiii-~w:o~r~ld;superbike Championship Series RACE ONE: I. Troy Corser (SUI); 2. Yukio Kagayama (Suz); 3. Regis Laconi (Due); 4. Andrew Pitt (Yam); 5. Noriyuki Haga (Yam); 6. James Toseland (Due); 7. Ivan Silva (Yam); 8. Chris Vermeulen (Hon); 9. Karl Muggeridge (Han); 10. Norick Abe (Yam); II. Giovanni Bussei (Kaw); 12. Marco Bordani (Yam): 13. Fonsi Nieto (Due); 14. Chris Walker (Kaw); 15. Steve Martin (Pet); 16. Ben Bostrom (Han); 17. Garry McCoy (Pet); t8. Mauro Sanchini (Kaw); 19. Gianluca Vizziello (Yam); 20. Miguel Praia (Yam). Time: 37 min., 10.394 sec. Distance: 18 laps, 60.408 miles Margin of victory: 3.065 sec. Average speed: 96.909 mph Fastest lap: Lap 12. Yuldo Kagayama. 2:02.135. RACE TWO: I. Yukio Kagayama (Suz); 2. Regis Laconi (Due); 3. Troy Co~r (Suz); 4. Chris Vermeulen (Han); 5. Pier-Francesco Chili (Han); 6. James Toseland (Due); 7. Norick Abe (Yam): 8. Max Neukirchner (Han); 9. Andrew Pin (Yam); 10. Sebastian Gimben. (Yam); II. Noriyuki Haga (Yam); 12. Lorenzo Lanzi (Due); 13. Fonsi Nieto (Due); 14. Giovanni Bussei (Kaw); 15. Mauro Sanchini (Kaw); 16. Garry McCoy (Pet); 17. Giantuca Viz::ziello (Yam); 18. Miguel Praia (Yam). Time: 37 min...062 sec. Distance: 18 laps. 60.408 miles Margin of victory: 2.454 sec. Average speed: 97.360 mph Fastest lap: Lap 3. Sebastian Gimben., 2:01.852. WORLD SUPERS PORT: I. Katsuaki Fujiwara (Han); 2. Sebastien Charpentier (Hon); 3. Michel Fabrizio (Han); 4. Kevin Curtain (Yam); 5. Fabien Foret (Han); 6. Brock just behind Abe in race one, and still in the points in race two, was a fine day's work from the unfancied Bertocchi Kawasaki. Lorenzo Lanzi, recovering from his first race bruising with Gimbert and Neukirchner, was 12th in race two, Haga I Ith, and Fonsi Nieto (who plainly knocked Marco Borciani off his DFX Yamaha) was 13th in the second race, as he had [also1been in the first. Fighting against a recalcitrant bike so far, Nieto apologized to Borciani, stating that his rear end came round when he put it down too many gears in one go and overhauled the slipper clutch's abilities to cope with his 250 style. Mauro 5anchini had the pleasure of points in race two, for 15th, while Garry McCoy just missed out in both races. "I am pretty happy because at least we got to finish both races and gather as much information as possible," McCoy said. "I am sure we will have a forward direction on the bike with the new things that we have to test in Valencia. It's hard to get a good start with so many guys in front of you, and I pretty much sat where I was after that in the second race. I still had a little bit of a clutch problem, and that upsets the chassis. The first part of the first race was really difficult. The clutch was slipping way too much, and I had to brake without any engine braking. I went in a different direction for the restart and knew I would have too much grab, which tends to lock up the rear wheel. I also suffered chatter at the front and couldn't really keep any corner speed. But it was good to go out and mix it with the guys and find all these things from pushing harder." His fellow Petronas rider Steve Martin secured a point in race one, a lot more than some had given the triple new-boys (more novelty some say) before the races started. "It was a shame not to finish the second race, as I really earned that point, but I am really happy with the way the bike is handling," Martin said. "I can't really say that it has been a bad weekend, and I am 28 MARCH 9, 2005 • really looking forward to our next two tests. I got a great start and was carving through people on the first lap of the second race. I got into a good rhythm and was then fending them off for the whole race. At the restart of the first race, I got behind a train of guys and was then stuck behind Nieto, who made it very difficult for me to get past. Once I passed him, I was able to close the others down but not able to get past Garry." Spanish-based Qatari rider, La Glisse Yamaha's Talal AI Nuami, a late re-entry despite his lack of a suitable qualifying time, did not become the mobile chicane many had feared, retiring after 15 laps of race one and only eight in the second. Even his inclusion was a new and positive step back to a full and increasingly fulsome recovery for World Superbike. It can even be argued that the 2005 SBK Series has had the same affect on itself as the MotoGP Series did with the introduction of four-strokes. Just as MotoGP became a magnet for talent and new teams with ambition, SBK is undergoing a similar force. With new riders from GPs, British Superbike, Spanish CEV, AMA and - most noticeably - its own Supersport championship, SBK is pulling in new talent to its egalitarian world of spec tires and 200 horsepower for all. We may not see the real face of the 2005 series until Phillip Island, or even Valencia, but it is a new face for sure. eN LOSAIL CI~CUIT DOHA, QATA~ RESULTS: FEB~UA~Y 25-26, (ROUND 1 OF 12) 2005 SBK QUALIFYING, I. Reg;' Laconl (2,01.593); 2. Troy Corser (2:01.6'11); 3. Sebastian Gimbert (2:01.889): 4. Yultio Kagayama (2:02.643); 5. Andrew Pitt (2:02.670): 6. Jose l~is Cardoso (2:02.745): 7. Noriyu~i Haga (2:02.766); a. Chns Vermeulen (2:02.960): 9. Ivan S.1va (2:03.049): 10. Pier·Francesco Chili (2:03.100): II. Chris Walker (2:03.138): 12. Giovanni Bussel (2:03.189); 13. James Toseland (2:03.357); 14. Max Neukirchner (2:03.67 I}; IS. Norick Abe (2:01.354): 16. Marco Borciani (2:05.0-4 t); 17. Lorenzo Lanzi (2:03.314); 18. Karl Muggeridge (2:03.532); 19. Fonsi Nieto (2:03.956); 20. Steve Martin (2:0-4.0-45); 21. Gianluca Vizziello (2:04.587); 22. Miguel Praia (2:04.627); 23. Ivan Clementi (2:04.630); 24. Mauro Sanchini (2:04.689); 25. Garry McCoy (2:04.991); 26. Lucio Pedercini (2:05.182); 27. Alessio Velin! (2:05.777); 28. Ben Bostrom (2:08.199); 29. Talal An Nuami (2:11.590). CYCLE NEWS .. Parkes (Yam); 7. Stephane Chambon (Hon); 8. Javier For-es (Suz); 9. Gianluca Nanneili (Due); 10. Tatu Lauslehto (Han): II. Andrea Berta (Due); 12. Tomas Mlksocsky (Hon); 13. Pawel Szkopek (Han); 14. Matteo Baiocco (Kaw). Time: 37 min. 54:4 I 4 sec. Distance: 18 laps. 60.408 miles Margin of victory: 3.06S sec. Average speed: 95.034 mph Fastest 1

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