VOL. 52 ISSUE 29 JULY 21, 2015 P95
Briefly...
Leon Haslam made his 200th
World Superbike race starts in race
one at Laguna Seca, as the 2010
season runner-up has been a long
time fixture in the championship. He
has won four races, scored two Su-
perpoles and made 36 podium ap-
pearances, pre Laguna.
Davide Giugliano, who runs his
hero Kevin Schwantz's race number
of 34 on his official World Super-
bike Ducati, unveiled a special neo-
Schwantz replica helmet at Laguna
Seca, and did a photo shoot with
the Texan legend at Laguna to show
it off before the track action got un-
derway.
The Aprilia riders were rubbing their
hands in glee at their prospects for
the final five rounds of the 2015 sea-
son, as this is the point when both
Marco Melandri and eventual cham-
pion Sylvain Guintoli started their im-
pressive 2014 winning streak. Jordi
Torres, a World Superbike rookie and
first time rider at Laguna, learned the
circuit quickly, going fourth fastest in
combined pre-Superpole qualifica-
tion and then third in Superpole.
Althea Racing Ducati's Niccolo
Canepa was on strong form on both
opening days of the Laguna event,
and put it down to a number of fac-
tors. "The bike is much better than
what I used at the beginning of the
season and I know that this track is
good for me and for my riding style.
I know that I can make a good week-
end. I feel more confident on the
bike than in Misano and everything is
working better." He finished seventh
in Superpole.
DAVIES TALKS
LAGUNA SECRETS
For Davies, Laguna is simply the ideal
circuit for his Ducati's characteristics.
"It is one of the tracks that definitely
plays to our bike a bit more," said Davies,
before explaining why. "There are no big
straights here, not too many start-from-
nothing acceleration areas, except for the
last corner. It limits where we are hurting
a little bit. The track flows a bit so you
can keep that momentum higher, keeping
corner speed."
Acceleration is the main issue for the
Panigale in 2015, so making the most of the
available momentum is key for Davies. "You
do not have to be stopping the thing and
pulling it 'round that last part of the corners
here, picking it up and driving. That is
where our thing is struggling a little bit. Also
with the speed kicking through the gears. It
is only really here where it is important be-
cause some people only run a four-speed
gearbox at Laguna. Over the hill it is more
of a question of how much grip you have
to be able to hold it flat out. So this place is
definitely bit more suited to us."
Chaz Davies went into Laguna Seca
with a lot of confidence, feeling
his Panigale was well suited to the
technical track.
esting as Tom [Sykes]
was closing at times,
and then I had to kind of
react. The last few laps
he was pushing on pretty
hard and I was not want-
ing to do anything stupid.
Earlier in the race, when
the rain was still going,
and going and going, I
was just waiting to crash.
It did not seem to get wet
but at the same time I
had a few off throttle mo-
ments, but the lap times
continued on next page
