YbOd Y notice the bizarre
thing about Troy Corser's
Alstare Corona Extra Suzuki?
Or, specifically, its sponsor
aint job? Yes, that's right,
it's already got a crown on it. Then again,
the lead rider has a crown of his own as
well - the 1996 World Superbike crown,
that is. And after his fourth and fifth race
wins of the year at Valencia - in his fifth
and sixth attempts - and with no finish
lower than third to his credit, some are
already polishing up the new crown, the
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MAY 4,2005 • CYCLE NEWS
200S World Superbike Championship
crown, for Corser.
We know this is dangerous talk. and
just to prove the point, as Corser was
running amok in Europe again and
American-based serial thriller Mat Mladin
was on the winning trail in America, fourfrom-four British Championship leader
Ryuichi Kiyonari was head-butting one of
Mallory Park's less well protected areas
and knocking himself out of contention
for either race. And many had "King Kiyo"
crowned after being undefeated around
such different racetracks as Brands Hatch
and Thruxton.
We've had three very different circuits
- and some results - in World Superbike
now. The only difference this weekend
was that Corser's Alstare Corona Extra
Suzuki partner in podium crime, Yukio
Kagayama. let his possible crown slip a bit.
being gifted a third after Norick Abe
crashed in race one and only taking seventh in race two. The unceremonious end
to his previous podium perfection was
partly down to the huge change in track
temperatures between morning and
afternoon - from 22 C (72 F) in race one
at noon to 40 C (104 F) at 3:30 p.m. - and
an off-track tour in race two.
With crowns being prepared and slipping up to now. the third option was obviously to break a crown, and in morning
warmup, Regis Laconi fell down (or was
pushed by backmarker Bernat Martinez)
and he almost cracked his very own
crown. Banned from racing in either 23lap event (many were relieved lest Regis'
toughness overcame sense and safety),
