After yesterday’s rainy conditions at the Nurburgring World Superbike 11th round in Germany, today’s sessions took place in the dry, although the wind and cloud cover kept the temperatures well down.

Yukio Kagayama, Karl Muggeridge and all the riders had to begin today’s morning qualifying session with a dry set-up for the first time this weekend and while Kagayama could fall back on his and the team’s knowledge, Muggeridge had to start from fresh to find a good set-up and post a top-20 time in just 45 minutes.

It was always going to be a tough task, but he rode superbly and managed to set the eighth-quickest time. Unfortunately things didn’t go so well in Superpole 1 and he failed to get into Superpole 2 by just one place.

Kagayama did manage to get into Superpole 2, but was unable to advance any further.

Yukio Kagayama – 13th, 1:56.901:

“As it was dry this morning, we began with the dry set-up from our last race in Brno, but it didn’t work as well as we wanted so we had to start making changes. In the afternoon untimed session we tried some different spring settings to improve the bike, but maybe our direction was not so good because I could not go any faster.

“Superpole today was like the rest of the season and although we have tried many different ideas and changed many things this year I don’t think we have solved the problem. It is frustrating for sure, but tomorrow is race day and my job is to race as hard as I can and do my best. This I will do, as usual.”

Karl Muggeridge – 17th, 1:57.515:

“Basically, we had to start afresh this morning because of the dry conditions and as it was my first time on the bike in the dry we had to do a lot of work in a very short time. So I was quite happy about what we achieved in such a short space of time.

“I think that we changed a few too many things in the afternoon session and maybe I put too much pressure on myself in Superpole. I felt unsure about what was happening on the bike. Then it became harder to go faster and so I couldn’t get into Superpole 2. We will consolidate our good findings in the warm-up tomorrow morning and get the bike back into a state where I can ride hard and push for a good result.”

Final Superbike Qualifying: 1 Haga (JPN-Ducati) 1:55.489, 2 Rea (GBR-Honda) 1:55.749, 3 Haslam (GBR-Honda) 1:55.776, 4 Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati) 1:55.927, 5 Spies (USA-Yamaha) 1:55.938, 6 Corser (AUS-BMW) 1:56.296. 13 Yukio Kagayama (JPN-Suzuki Alstare Brux) 1:56.901. 17 Karl Muggeridge (AUS-Suzuki Alstare Brux) 1:57.515.

SUPERSTOCK 1000 QUALIFYING:

Team Suzuki Alstare Brux rider Claudio Corti was unlucky towards the end of final qualifying this afternoon when his rear tyre was too far gone to cope with a drying track.

The qualifying session had started in the rain, but the rain later stopped and some parts of the track began to dry out a bit as the end of the session approached. With two laps or so to go, a mostly dry line had appeared, but by then his rear tyre was shot and the Italian was unable to take advantage of the situation.

Claudio Corti - 13th, 2:19.519:

“It’s a big shame that the track didn’t dry out more quickly because if that had happened I would’ve been much further up the grid. By the time there was a dry line, my rear tyre was gone and I couldn’t go any faster. It was a shame because this morning’s practice was good and we were able to find a good dry set-up. So, if I can make a good start, I think I have a chance of a good result. Whatever happens tomorrow, I am ready for the fight and will battle all the way to the flag.”

Final Superstock Qualifying: 1 Baz (F-Yamaha) 2:12.833, 2 Simeon (B-Ducati) 2:14.283, 3 Barrier (F-Yamaha) 2:14.867, 4 Antonelli (I-Yamaha) 2:16.218, 5 Mahr (A-Suzuki) 2:17.434, 6 Giugliano (I-Suzuki) 2:17.584. 13 Claudio Corti (I-Suzuki Alstare Brux) 2:19.519.

Published by; Paul.v.D. (webmaster@gsx-r.eu)

Team Suzuki Alstare Brux riders Yukio Kagayama and Karl Muggeridge took things steadily in practice and qualifying today at a rain-lashed World Superbike Championship round at Nurburgring.

Qualifying was blighted by heavy rain and hailstones and the standing water on many parts of the 5.148 kilometre circuit caused many problems. In the end, Muggeridge finished 15th fastest and Kagayama 17th.
Jonathan Rea (Honda) splashed his way to the day’s quickest lap, with fellow Briton Tom Sykes (Yamaha) second and Aussie Troy Corser (BMW) third.

Karl Muggeridge – 15th, 2:14.073:

“Despite the conditions, today has been good and it has been great working with this bunch of guys and I’m happy how the day went. My biggest problem today was entering the corners and every time it felt like the back end was coming round. But we have some solutions to try tomorrow and we’ll see what happens then.  This track has two different parts – an old part and a newer part – and the interesting thing is that the grip feels better in the old part!  There was a lot of standing water around this afternoon and when I crashed it was when the back came round suddenly at a downhill corner. I managed to save it at first, but then the front gripped and I was down. Fortunately I wasn’t hurt, but it has given the mechanics some extra work to do on the bike.”

Yukio Kagayama – 17th, 2; 14.214:

“I did not want to take any chance or do anything stupid in the rain, so I was steady in both practice and qualifying. There was a lot of water in many places on the track and it was difficult to know the grip level in those areas so I used caution. Basically, I feel today was not so bad, but I did not have a lot of feel from the front end and that made entering the turns not so easy. I hope it is dry tomorrow because I think we can make a lot of improvement in better conditions.”

Friday WSB Qualifying: 1 Rea (GBR-Honda) 2:11.278, 2 Sykes (GBR- Yamaha) 2:11.781, 3 Corser (AUS-BMW ) 2:12.086, 4 Fabrizio (ITA-Ducati) 2:12.354, 5 Haga (JPN-Ducati) 2:12.635, 6 Byrne (GBR-Ducati) 2:12.819. 15 Karl Muggeridge (AUS-Suzuki Alstare Brux) 2:14.073. 17 Yukio Kagayama (JPN-Suzuki Alstare Brux) 2:14.214.

WORLD SUPERSTOCK:

Team Suzuki Alstare Brux rider Claudio Corti rode with caution and ended the first day of practice at a soggy Nurburgring with the seventh fastest time.

Series leader Xavi Simeon (Ducati) took provisional pole with Javi Fores (Kawasaki) second and Sylvain Barrier (Yamaha) third.

Claudio Corti – 7th, 2:21.801:

“It was not so easy out there today and the conditions made it hard for all of us. I did not want to risk anything today so I rode fairly cautiously and so I am not bothered about my lap times because I know I can improve – wet or dry. I had no big problems but the grip level was different in different parts of the track and it would’ve been so easy to crash.  We tried some new suspension today, but the front was more of a dry set-up than wet, so it wasn’t right for the conditions. I am confident of improvement tomorrow and I am hoping that it will be dry so I can push a lot harder.”

Friday Superstock Qualifying: 1 Simeon (BEL-Ducati) 2:15.737, 2 Fores (ESP-Kawasaki) 2:18.226, 3 Barrier (FRA-Yamaha) 2:18.844. 7 Claudio Corti (ITA-Suzuki Alstare Brux) 2:21.801.

Published by; Paul.v.D. (webmaster@gsx-r.eu)

Team Joe Rocket Suzuki rider Josh Waters kept his championship challenge on track at the fifth round of the Australian Superbike Championship at South Australia’s Mallala Motorsport Park on Sunday.

A drama-packed event started positively with Waters continuing his, and the all-new GSX-R1000K9’s form, by topping the timesheet in Friday’s practice with the first sub-1:06 lap for a Superbike.

Qualifying also bode well for Team Joe Rocket Suzuki with Waters and reigning New Zealand Superbike Champion Robbie Bugden securing front row starts, and three-time Australian Superbike Champion Shawn Giles leading row two in fifth place.

Sunday’s main event looked set to demonstrate the pedigree of Australia’s Superbike talent and the racing did not disappoint: Race one saw Waters set a new Superbike lap record for the 2.6km South Australian circuit, clocking 1:05.803 on lap four and underlining the pace of the new GSX-R1000K9s in only their second race meeting since debuting at Sydney’s Eastern Creek Raceway just three weeks previously. However, the depth of the domestic series’ talent pool was demonstrated with Wayne Maxwell claiming victory over his team mate Glenn Allerton by 0.291sec. Team Joe Rocket Suzuki riders Waters, Bugden and Giles finished third, fourth and fifth respectively.

In race two, Waters set out to reverse the race one results and was challenging Maxwell for the lead when a hi-tensile aftermarket bolt in his Suzuki GSX-R1000’s gearshift linkage broke with less than two laps remaining. With his Suzuki stuck in second gear and revving to the limiter, the 22-year-old continued to circulate, hopeful of collecting enough championship points to stay in touch with series leader and defending champion Allerton. Waters was able to cross the finish line in third place, behind Maxwell and Allerton, and thus minimise any points’ damage. The top five was rounded out by Bugden and Giles who repeated their race one order. With a 36pt tally from two third placings, Waters finished the day third overall and maintained second in the championship points table, 11 adrift of series leader Allerton.

Waters, who is in his first season of Superbike racing, had entered the round just seven points adrift of Allerton, so the eventual 11-point gap keeps him in contention for the Superbike Championship. “The new bike is awesome and I felt I was riding well enough to take a win today,” said Waters. “I made a small mistake in the first race which let Wayne and Glenn open a gap, but I was ready to have a go for the win in race two. “It’s been a positive day to be only 11 points off the Championship lead – I can’t thank the team and my team mates enough.”

Allerton leads the seven-round series with 217 points to Waters’ 206. Maxwell lies third on 198, with Giles fourth (165) and Bugden fifth (154), giving Team Joe Rocket Suzuki three riders in the top five.

In the Australian Supersport Championship 22-year-old Troy Herfoss, on his first visit to the circuit, put in an astonishing performance to qualify his Team Joe Rocket Suzuki GSX-R600 second-fastest alongside reigning champion Jamie Stauffer, and then recorded two fifth placings to finish fifth overall for the round. Herfoss, the 2008 US Supermoto Champion and in his first full season of road racing, proved how quickly his learning curve is developing by running at the front of the field in both Supersport races against far more experienced opposition.

Stauffer took overall round honours in the Australian Supersport Championship from Bryan Staring, courtesy of the bonus point for pole position, with Shannon Johnson third. Stauffer and Staring shared a win and second apiece. The next round of the 2009 Australian Superbike Championship is at Victoria’s Phillip Island Circuit on October 16-18 where the sixth round of the national championship will run alongside the MotoGP World Championship.

Phil Tainton - Team Manager:

“It’s been another great weekend for the team – and could have been even better if not for the bolt holding the gearshift linkage on Josh’s bike breaking. It was a brand new hi-tensile bolt so you can’t plan for those sort of things. “A new Superbike lap record to Josh, our three riders in the Superbike top five, the pace of the new GSX-R1000K9s in only their second race meeting, and Troy proving he can mix it at the front of the Supersport field made for a pretty good weekend all round. “Troy’s performances continue to impress, as he’s only in his first full season of road racing and still learning every time he goes out there. The four riders who ended up finishing ahead of him in the Supersport races have all won Australian road racing championships, so to lead all of them at some stage needs to be acknowledged.”

 Joshua Waters:

“I couldn’t believe it when I went to change gear and the lever wasn’t there. The linkage bolt must have broken as I went into Turn One with two laps remaining because when I came out of Turn Two and tried to select third there was no lever. “I was comfortable on the bike all weekend, and was going to have a go at Wayne Maxwell out of Turn Three and up the back straight. There were parts of the circuit where he was stronger than me, but there were parts where I was faster. “We’ve come away with a lap record and I’ve only lost four points to the championship lead – it could have been a lot worse.”

Shawn Giles:

“I’m happy to come away with two fifths and remain fourth in the championship, but the bike was capable of more than me this weekend. “To be honest it was a bit frustrating for me as I struggled with race fitness across the weekend. It’s the first time I’ve been to a physically demanding track since my crash at Queensland Raceway last year, and Mallala caught me out a bit as I wasn’t expecting it to be so hard on my body. “I had a bit of trouble with my ankle on Thursday and Friday, but the guys at Racesafe strapped that for me and it was a lot better on Saturday and Sunday. Then I got some arm-pump due to the heavy braking, which I never get. The Racesafe guys sorted me out again, so I owe them big thanks.

“I’m looking forward to Phillip Island now, as it’s a track that flows and is a track I enjoy riding at. The new K9 will be awesome there – just as it’s been at Eastern Creek and Mallala.”

Robbie Budgen:

“The new 2009 bike is fantastic. Last round at Eastern Creek I got faster and faster across the weekend and this weekend it’s been even better as we continue to dial it in. “Qualifying third fastest, and running at the front in both races in only my second outing on the K9 proves the bike is up to the job. I feel really comfortable on the new bike and fourth overall is a great result. I feel I can run with the leading group now. Bring on the Island.”

Troy Herfoss:

“I was happy with my qualifying result and with my lap times, and my race pace was good. I could run with the leaders in the early laps, but it was hard to stay with them for the full race distance. “I’m happy with two fifths in the two races and fifth overall, but I know there’s more to come. The team gave me a bike that was capable of winning this weekend, and I feel I’m able to run with the front guys on circuits I know. “It was my first time at Mallala and it took me a little while to get up to speed. Mallala is quite a tricky circuit with lots of hard braking. I just need to get some more experience, but that’s coming with every outing – it was only my sixth road race meeting.

“I’m looking forward to the next two rounds at Phillip Island, as it’s a track I’ve raced at before.”

AUSTRALIAN SUPERBIKE CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS:

Superbike Overall Results: 1 Wayne Maxwell; 2 Glenn Allerton; 3 Josh Waters (Suzuki GSX-R1000); 4 Robert Bugden (Suzuki GSX-R1000); 5 Shawn Giles (Suzuki GSX-R1000); 6 Craig Coxhell; 7 Jamie Stauffer; 8 Dan Stauffer; 9 Grant Hay; 10 Chris Trounson.

Superbike Championship Points (after 5 of 7 rounds): 1 Glenn Allerton 217pts; 2 Josh Waters (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 206; 3 Wayne Maxwell 198; 4 Shawn Giles (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 165; 5 Robert Bugden (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 154; 6 Craig Coxhell 146; 7 Jamie Stauffer 135; 8 Dan Stauffer 126; 9 Kevin Curtain 116; 10 Chris Trounson 87.

Supersport Overall Results: 1 Jamie Stauffer; 2 Bryan Staring; 3 Shannon Johnson; 4 Scott Charlton; 5 Troy Herfoss (Suzuki GSX-R600), 6 Ben Attard; 7 Cole Odendaal; 8 Chas Hern (Suzuki GSX-R600); 9 Chris Quinn; 10 Ben Burke.

Supersport Championship Points (after 5 of 7 rounds): 1 Bryan Staring 230pts; 2 Jamie Stauffer 213; 3 Ben Attard 157; 4 Shannon Johnson 140; 5 Troy Herfoss (Suzuki GSX-R600) 128; 6 Scott Charlton 123; 7 Chris Quinn 115; 8 Christian Casella 114; 9 Cameron Keevers 105; 10 Jed Metcher 99.

Published by; Paul.v.D. (webmaster@gsx-r.eu)

Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing’s Alastair Seeley clinched the National 1000cc Superstock Championship title at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire; the Ulsterman doing so in fine style on his 2009 GSX-R1000, taking win number nine of the season to maintain his one 100% record in the Championship.

This is TAS Racing’s second British Championship title in only three years, having won the Supersport series in 2007 with yet another Irishman, Michael Laverty.

Seeley’s season in Relentless Suzuki by TAS Racing livery can be described without fear or favour, as faultless and masterful. The County Antrim rider has recorded 15 race wins without defeat since joining the Moneymore-based Suzuki team at the end of April, again proving the pedigree of Suzuki’s current range of GSX-R machinery.

Seeley has recorded clean sweeps at three rounds this season on the 2009 GSX-R1000: Donington Park, Brands [2] and Cadwell Park – topping the time sheets in all three qualifying sessions whilst adding six fastest laps and four circuit lap records to his CV.

He can also boast an outright circuit lap record at Kirkistown in Northern Ireland, again recorded on his Superstock GSX-R1000 Relentless Suzuki during an Irish Superbike round. Seeley has recorded six wins from six starts in the Irish series to date, again, all posted on his Superstock machine.

Alastair Seeley:

“I really didn’t expect that this weekend and I didn’t expect Brogan to DNF. I didn’t even know he was out of the race, which I suppose wasn’t a bad thing as I was just concentrating on reeling the laps off. It’s been a great year so far and I just couldn’t fault the effort of the team or the 2009 GSX-R1000. I’m well chuffed for Philip and Hector Neill as they gave me the chance at the start of the year, and also a big thanks to Ian Glen, Suzuki GB and Relentless for putting their faith in me.”

George Cheeseman - Suzuki GB Marketing Manager:

“We knew that Alastair was in command of the National 1000cc Superstock Championship, but we didn’t expect to be clinching it today at Cadwell Park; that really is an absolutely fantastic result for Suzuki. We have always known how good the 2009 GSX-R1000 is out of the crate, but Alastair has done a sterling job for Suzuki this season and his results and overall performance are the icing on the cake.”

Philip Neill - Team Principal:

“Obviously, it goes without saying, that without the support of Suzuki GB and our title sponsors Relentless, we just couldn’t contemplate this type of success. Ian Glen from Beacon Security also played his part, digging deep when we needed him to, so that Alastair could join our team – so thanks Ian. Thanks also to all the boys in the team, as that’s what this sport is: a team effort.

“It has been very pleasing to work with Alastair this year. His youthful enthusiasm and great attitude for the job is a rare trait in a motorcycle racer and I very much believe he can now go all the way.

“People are now going to get excited, wondering what we will do next with Alastair. Basically we need to take stock of the situation and make sure we now make the best decision for both parties, but yes it has been a wonderful season. It’s not the time to be throwing Alastair into any deep water, as the only way to go racing is fully prepared. We have a lot of thinking to do.”

Pictured: Seeley with Team Principal Philip Neill

Published by; Paul.v.D. (webmaster@gsx-r.eu)

Sylvain Guintoli rode his Worx Crescent Suzuki to two strong top-10 results today at the ninth round of the British Superbike Championship at Cadwell Park.

In difficult circumstances – his first ride back from injury on a tight and technical track he’d not raced before – Guintoli again impressed the Worx Crescent Suzuki team, as well as the fans, as he fought hard to finish eighth place in the first race and seventh in the second.

Sylvain Guintoli:

“I could feel I was race-rusty in that first race as three times I was on the grass when trying to make passes early in the race. I had to ease off and that actually helped as I got faster. At the end, I was catching Karl Muggeridge very quickly, but it was right at the end and I ran out of laps and corners to make the pass.

“With less mistakes in that second race I was a lot closer on time to the leaders but I had to be careful how hard I could ride as for sure this is not a good time to fall again on my leg. As it is, I can really feel it now and I’m glad I get two more weeks to rest my leg before the next round at Croft.

“For me it was still a good weekend and I’m really excited to be back. I’ve got back into the racing and I’m looking forward to being more competitive still when I get to Croft.”

Jack Valentine – Team Manager:

“It would be easy to get carried away as to what was possible this weekend. As it was, Sylvain gave a very strong account of himself and we feel very happy as a team and very positive about what’s yet to come.

“I think it’s typical of Sylvain that he rode so hard today. He can’t yet be 100% bike-fit and there’s no question he’s riding in pain with his leg, but there he was on this tough tricky track, pushing on, trying to make passing places where they don’t exist – it’s no surprise he went grass tracking!

“All the same, we’re delighted that Sylvain could ride so well so soon and he’s clearly very happy with the bike. We’ve two solid results under our belt and now Croft to look forward to – a track that should very much suit Sylvain.”

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli:

Race one result:

1. Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha)
2. Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +7.384s
3. James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) +7.651s
4. Ian Lowry (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +8.133s
5. Simon Andrews (Confused.com Kawasaki) +17.793s
6. Julien Da Costa (Confused.com Kawasaki) +18.126s
7. Karl Muggeridge (HM Plant Honda) +25.398s
8. Sylvain Guintoli (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +25.522s
9. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +25.979s
10. Gary Mason (Quay Garage Honda) +28.760s

Race two result:

1. James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha)
2. Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +4.099s
3. Simon Andrews (Confused.com Kawasaki) +4.584s
4. Julien Da Costa (Confused.com Kawasaki) +5.435s
5. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +6.843s
6. Chris Walker (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) +12.836s
7. Sylvain Guintoli (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +13.239s
8. Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) +14.833s
9. Gary Mason (Quay Garage Honda) +15.100s
10. Tommy Bridewell (Team NB Honda) +16.684s

Championship standings (after 9 rounds):

1. Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha) 399.5
2. James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) 302
3. Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) 258
4. Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) 120.5
5. Simon Andrews (Confused.com Kawasaki) 119.5
=12. Sylvain Guintoli (Worx Crescent Suzuki) 94

Publishes by; Paul.v.D. (webmaster@gsx-r.eu)

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Rizla Suzuki racer Loris Capirossi missed a podium position at today’s Czech Republic Grand Prix by less than a second as he battled to the line to try and repeat his third place from last year.

Capirossi had a fantastic first lap that saw him storm into sixth place from ninth on the grid. He stuck with Toni Elias and Andrea Dovizioso for the whole race and although he made a couple of attempts to get past them he never found the opportunity to make an overtaking manoeuvre stick. When Jorge Lorenzo crashed whilst leading, the trio of riders knew a podium was up for grabs and they all fought to take that third place. On the last lap Capirossi used his wealth of experience to try and get through, but narrowly missed out on the line, bringing his Rizla Suzuki GSV-R home in fifth to equal his best result of the season.

Team-mate Chris Vermeulen didn’t have such an eventful race. After getting blocked on the first lap and losing a lot of places, he found himself relegated to 15th after starting from 11th. He fought his way past a couple of riders and also benefitted from a crash between two other riders, to bring his bike home in 11th place and score some much needed championship points.

Today’s race was held in hot and sunny conditions with temperatures reaching 29ºC. A huge crowd of over 138,000 people baked in the sun as World Champion Valentino Rossi coolly took his fifth win of the season to strengthen his lead in the title race.
Rizla Suzuki will now stay in Brno for a day of testing tomorrow before it heads over the Atlantic to the Indianapolis Grand Prix on Sunday August 30th.

Loris Capirossi:

“Overall it has been a good day for us because we have been able to fight the whole weekend and were nearly rewarded with a podium. We had a big problem with chatter and we managed to resolve that for the race. We made the right choice of tyre today, but a couple of times I nearly lost the front which meant I didn’t quite have the right feeling and that caused me to lose a bit of time. I managed to clean off the tyre by riding a bit less aggressive and then I was able to push again right till the end of the race. I lost out a bit to the other guys in front of me on acceleration and it was then difficult to overtake on the brakes because I was never quite close enough – even though I was faster through the corners. I really want to say a huge thank-you to the whole team because their effort this weekend was fantastic. I also want to thank Suzuki for giving us the chance to comeback with a better package; this is a really good thing and will help us for the rest of the season.”

Chris Vermeulen:

“I got quite a good start, but on turn one I got blocked and was then passed by a few people – that’s what you get I suppose when you start from the fourth row of the grid! I then got pushed very wide on the first lap and lost a few more places. Everybody was going very quickly and it took me quite a few laps to get past the guys in front that I had more speed than and by then the main pack was well away in front. I am a bit disappointed with my own performance and I couldn’t get down to the lap-times I expected to do. I kept pushing till the end and gave it 100% and caught up to De Puniet and Toseland near the end, but there was not enough laps left to get past. We got some points from today, but it hasn’t been a great weekend again for us. We have made a significant step with the bike and I am looking forward to the test tomorrow and then getting to some good tracks for me and Suzuki.”

Paul Denning – Team Manager:

“We’d hoped that the changes that Suzuki introduced here in Brno would help our performance – and despite a difficult weekend with a number of problems – it was certainly the case for Loris. We have managed to get back to a more competitive situation and that is a positive to take away from here. The gap in pace to the factory Yamahas was far too big, but aside from that Loris’s speed was quite competitive and the result was helped by an awesome first lap by him to force his way into the top six. The podium was in sight and Loris was apologetic to the team and frustrated that he couldn’t get there, but we now need to keep concentrating on the performance of the GSV-R on this 22-lap run, because it gives us some great data for the rest of the season.

“Chris had a difficult race, as he has been unable to find a comfortable rhythm all weekend. The team is now really glad that we have a test tomorrow where Chris and Loris will run through a significant test programme, but more importantly we need to boost Chris’s confidence and give him a positive outlook for the next few races.” 

Cardion AB Grand Prix Ceske Republiky Race Classification:  Valentino Rossi (Yamaha) 43′08.991: 2. Dani Pedrosa (Honda) +11.766: 3. Toni Elias (Honda) +20.756: 4. Andrea Dovizioso (Honda) +21.418: 5. Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) +21.538. 11. Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) +40.776.

World Championship Classification: 1. Rossi 212: 2. Jorge Lorenzo (Yamaha) 162: 3. Casey Stoner (Ducati) 150: 4. Pedrosa 135: 5. Colin Edwards (Yamaha) 112: 9. Loris Capirossi (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) 77: 10. Chris Vermeulen (Rizla Suzuki MotoGP) 72.

Published by: Paul.v.D. (webmaster@gsx-r.eu)

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Mat Mladin won his seventh AMA Superbike Championship with two races remaining in the series at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia, on Sunday afternoon.

Mladin finished second in Saturday’s race and then clinched the title when he finished ninth in Sunday’s race. Mladin’s career with Suzuki has spanned 13 racing seasons and in that time the Australian’s record-setting ways have been remarkable. With Suzuki, he now has an unprecedented seven AMA Superbike championships and an astounding 78 AMA Superbike wins.

Additionally, Mladin has a record number of career pole positions with 62 and he is also the only rider to take every pole position in a single season – 10 out of 10 in 2005. Finally, he also holds the record for being the rider with the most AMA Superbike wins in a single season – 12 victories in 2007. With plans to retire at the end of this year, Mladin and Suzuki have truly been formidable.

Rockstar Makita Suzuki team mate Tommy Hayden fared very well at VIR. The Kentucky rider finished fifth in Saturday’s race and then improved upon that significantly on Sunday by bringing home a second-place finish. This result is Hayden’s ninth AMA Superbike podium finish of the season.

Rockstar Makita Suzuki’s Blake Young struggled a bit, finishing sixth on Saturday and seventh on Sunday. Even so, the rookie Superbike rider ran with the frontrunners during both races.

Mat Mladin:

“It’s nice to get the championship done and all wrapped up… My Rockstar Makita Suzuki guys are fantastic and it’s been a pretty amazing run. We’ve won a lot of championships as a team and over the last 10 years it’s been pretty amazing from the first one I won in 1999 all the way through to this year. What with Ben Spies winning three over the last few years, it’s hard to believe that there will be that many championships won in a 10-year span again by one manufacturer. It’s been nice to be a part of it and it’s been fun building it.”

Tommy Hayden:

“Definitely today was a lot better for me. I got a lot better start on the Rockstar Makita Suzuki GSX-R1000 and I put myself in a lot better position. Also, my crew did a great job overnight and that’s when the biggest improvement we made all year happened, from Saturday to Sunday. So my hat’s off to them – they definitely gave me a bike that I was a lot more comfortable on today and I could push and ride it the way I wanted to. Also, congratulations to Mat – he’s had an awesome career and he’s been a great team mate, I’ve learned a lot. I have big shoes to fill now with him gone but I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully, I can keep up the standards that he’s set over the last few years.”

Blake Young:

“It was a good weekend for us in that we learned a lot. I think that we have the potential to run up front but we missed the set-up a little bit this weekend. But sometimes that’s how it goes and we’ll try to take what we learned this weekend and apply it to the last two races at New Jersey.”

AMA Superbike Top 10 Finishers:

1. Josh Hayes (Yamaha)
2. Tommy Hayden (Rockstar Makita Suzuki)
3. Ben Bostrom (Yamaha)
4. Larry Pegram (Ducati)
5. Aaron Yates (Jordan Suzuki)
6. Taylor Knapp (Suzuki)
7. Blake Young (Rockstar Makita Suzuki)
8. Neil Hodgson (Honda)
9. Mat Mladin (Rockstar Makita Suzuki)
10. Jake Holden (Honda)

Posted by; Paul.v.D. (webmaster@gsx-r.eu)

Suzuki Motor Corporation is pleased to announce that Spaniard Alvaro Bautista will be joining its official MotoGP team in a two year agreement to contest the 2010 and 2011 MotoGP World Championships.

Bautista was Spanish 125cc champion in 2003 and crowned 125cc World Champion in 2006. He moved up to the 250cc class in 2007 and earned the ‘Rookie of the Year’ title for his impressive results. Bautista was runner-up in the 2008 title race and he is currently in contention for this season’s 250cc championship, sitting in second place with six races remaining. Since his Grand Prix debut in 2002, Bautista has scored 43 podiums including 16 victories (eight in each class). The 24-year-old hails from Talavera de la Reina in Spain, a town approximately 130kms west of Madrid.

Suzuki is very pleased to have achieved the signing of one of the brightest young stars in Grand Prix racing and looks forward to developing a strong relationship and exciting races with Alvaro Bautista.

That Chris Vermeulen is seeking, it is no secret to his. That Sunday, he also clearly marks during the interview with RTL motorsport. But there was also told that the new regulations that help to test Suzuki too little possibility of love. Multiple engines to work, you can double the data. This is the great advantage of including Yamaha and Honda, with their so-valled satellite teams.

However, this means an additional financial input from the address of Suzuki and it is just whether they are ready is?

The fact is that this season is anything but expected. The new engine seems a good step forward to be. Capirossi Rossi seemed to have been very content with yesterday and the results showed that the same show. But more about that in the report of the race at Brno.

Posted by: Paul v D. (webmaster@gsx-r.eu)

The Worx Crescent Suzuki team experienced the highs and lows of racing today at Brands Hatch as Tommy Hill battled hard to secure a 4-7 scorecard on this the second day of racing on the Grand Prix circuit.

After placing fifth in yesterday’s first race there was a real sense of push to make the podium, however continued grip issues meant this didn’t come.

In the first race, Hill put together another strong performance, holding fifth early on before pushing hard in the latter stages to overcome Karl Harris for fourth and then close in on Stuart Easton to finish barely a second off the podium; it was another case of needing just a few more laps. However, in the final race of the weekend, it all went away from Hill as he suffered grip issues right from the start. Despite grabbing third into the first turn, he struggled to make the lap times he’d made in the earlier races and so dropped back to finish seventh.

Tommy Hill:

“This wasn’t the worst day, but it wasn’t the best either. We made progress in the first race today and being so close to getting the podium really fired me up for that second race. But right from the start I knew it wasn’t to be as I’d lost a load of feeling in the front. I knuckled down and I really didn’t want to lose places but it was a very difficult race. Definitely, these are not the results we come racing for.”

Jack Valentine - Team Manager:

“We were happy with the race one performance today. Tommy made his best time of the weekend and despite still struggling for grip we made progress.

“The momentum didn’t carry, though. We made some small changes for that second race but they shouldn’t have had the effect we saw. We’ll have to make a detailed analysis of the data now and see what’s needed to improve. We’re a team that expect to challenge for top three, so a result like this is a setback.

“We are all the same very pleased with Tommy’s work-rate; he works well with the team and in that first race we again got so close to the podium. So it’s a matter of more hard work on all our parts to be ready for the next round at Cadwell Park at the end of the month.”

MCE Insurance British Superbike Championship in association with Pirelli:

Race two:

1. Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha)
2. Broc Parkes (Kawasaki World Superbike) +4.534s
3. Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +7.775s
4. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +8.713s
5. James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) +10.072s
6. Karl Harris (Hydrex Honda) +12.688s
7. Karl Muggeridge (HM Plant Honda) +15.025s
8. Steve Brogan (HM Plant Honda) +16.575s
9. Graeme Gowland (Motorpoint/Henderson Yamaha) +19.466s
10. Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki World Superbike) +19.561s

Race three:

1. Leon Camier (Airwaves Yamaha)
2. Broc Parkes (Kawasaki World Superbike) +2.272s
3. James Ellison (Airwaves Yamaha) +11.587s
4. Stuart Easton (Hydrex Honda) +13.884s
5. John Laverty (Buildbase Kawasaki) +21.338s
6. Karl Muggeridge (HM Plant Honda) +21.395s
7. Tommy Hill (Worx Crescent Suzuki) +21.891s
8. Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki World Superbike)
9. Ian Lowry (Relentless Suzuki by TAS) +26.534s
10. Michael Rutter (MSS Colchester Kawasaki) +27.405s

Published by ; Paul.v.D. webmaster@gsx-r.eu