Biaggi and Melandri head the field at Misano
Misano Adriatico (Italy), 5 June 2012 – The eni FIM Superbike World Championship
comes to Italy for the third time this year at a crucial point in the season,
with the San Marino Round at the Misano World Circuit the venue for what
promises to be one of the hottest rounds of the year, and not just because of
the encroaching summer weather. After six of 14 rounds the top of the table is
an extremely hard-fought affair, with Max Biaggi (Aprilia Racing Team) in the
lead since the opening round of the season, followed by Marco Melandri (BMW
Motorrad Motorsport) in second, equal on points with Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing
Team). The top 5 (Biaggi, Melandri, Sykes, Rea and reigning champion Checa), on
five different manufacturer machines (respectively Aprilia, BMW, Kawasaki, Honda
and Ducati), are all within 30 points of each other, and with eight rounds and
16 races left, there are plenty of points on the board for the current situation
to change dramatically every weekend.
Misano
hosts World Superbike for the 21st time. The first edition dates back to 1991
when the wins went to Texan Doug Polen on a Ducati, the Italo-American pairing
the combination to beat at the time. This year’s edition will be the 304th round
in 25 years of World Superbike, the 602nd and 603rd races in the history of the
production-based racing series.
Points
leader Biaggi’s win in Australia has so far been his only victory, but the
Italian has defended his lead with a sequence of solid results on his Aprilia
RSV4; two years ago Biaggi’s double win launched him on the path to his world
title. With two wins at the last two circuits (Donington Park and Miller
Motorsports Park) Marco Melandri (BMW Motorrad) has rapidly caught up with his
compatriot, and is now just 18 points behind. After giving BMW its first
historic win, the man from Ravenna is now giving a couple of thoughts to the
title, a target that just a short while ago appeared to be off-limits. BMW has a
good record at Misano, where Troy Corser scored the German manufacturer’s first
pole position in 2010 and then finished third. In Superbike Melandri’s
experience is limited to last year’s edition on a Yamaha, the Italian finishing
second in race 1 and crashing out in race 2.
Equal on
points with Melandri is British rider Sykes who came close to a podium here last
year. The Japanese manufacturer had its last win at Misano way back in 1994 with
American Scott Russell. The team’s second rider continues to be the 19-year-old
from France Loris Baz who has replaced the unfortunate Joan Lascorz, scoring
encouraging results in the last two rounds.
The two
previous rounds have also re-launched the title hopes of Jonathan Rea (Honda
World Superbike Team), who is now just 19.5 points behind Biaggi. At Misano in
2009 Rea was virtually unbeatable but after this showing the young northern
Irishman has not had much luck, missing the 2011 races due to an injury from a
crash in the warm-up. The 2012-spec CBR1000RR has taken on a new lease of life
and Rea has become one of the challengers for the title.
The top
5 is completed by 2011 champion Carlos Checa (Althea Racing), 30 points behind
Biaggi following two untimely crashes at Donington Park and Miller Motorsports
Park. Misano will offer the Spaniard the chance to get back into contention,
because Ducati has always gone well here, with 28 wins and 71 podiums in 40
races. Checa was untouchable last season, and he began his run-in to the title
at the Adriatic Riviera circuit.
The FIXI
Crescent Suzuki team is the only one unable to score the big win so far despite
the team’s big commitment and the talents of Leon Camier and John Hopkins.
Misano is a special place for Hopkins who finished third behind Casey Stoner and
Chris Vermeulen in the 2007 MotoGP race, again on a Suzuki.
Misano
is an abrasive track on tyres and Pirelli, sole Superbike tyre supplier since
2004, has made a big effort by bringing a total of 12 solutions for teams,
including three for the front and five for the rear slicks, in addition to the
usual intermediate and rain solutions and the Superpole qualifying
tyre.
At their
home round, all eyes will also be on the Italians, in particular top rookie
Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing), the 22-year-old from Rome and 2011 Superstock
1000 champion who has already stepped onto the podium with a second place in the
Netherlands and who started from the front row in the previous Utah US Round.
Misano could also prove to be positive for the BMW Italia pairing of Michel
Fabrizio and Ayrton Badovini, while Niccolò Canepa (Red Devils Roma Ducati) and
Lorenzo Zanetti (Pata Racing Aprilia) are both looking for their big
breakthrough.
Points (after 6
rounds of 14): 1. Biaggi 160.5; 2. Melandri
142.5; 3. Sykes 142.5; 4. Rea 141; 5. Checa 130.5; 6. Haslam 103; 7. Guintoli
95; 8. Laverty 86; 9. Giugliano
64; 10. Smrz 61.5; etc. Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 195.5; 2. BMW 176; 3.
Aprilia 171; 4. Kawasaki 148.5; 5. Honda 145; 6. Suzuki 48.5.
World
Supersport
The
World Supersport ‘wild bunch’ are back in action again with another chapter in
the battle between Kawasaki and Honda; Turkey’s Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki
DeltaFin Lorenzini) is on top with 81 points, and the Honda men, Sam Lowes
(Bogdanka PTR) and Jules Cluzel (PTR) are right behind. Thirty-nine year-old
Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Intermoto Step) is not far off the top either, just 26
points behind his fellow Kawasaki runner.
Experience tends to favour Sofuoglu who in Supersport has already
conquered two world titles and 18 race wins, but 22-year-old Lowes and
24-year-old Cluzel have both broken the victory ice this season and after a good
start for the Turk they have now caught him up. Kenan is back to full form since
his nasty early season crash during Imola testing, and can count on the Kawasaki
DeltaFin Lorenzini’s specific experience at the track, which is close to its
Mantova base.
Broc
Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products Honda) hopes finally to be in a position to
kick-start his season, while Alex Baldolini (Power Team Team by Suriano Triumph)
is sixth on 38 points. Massimo Roccoli, who scored his only World Supersport win
here in 2006, will be one man to watch as he steps in for the injured Vladimir
Leonov on the Yakhnich Yamaha.
Points (after 5
rounds of 13): 1. Sofuoglu 81; 2. Lowes 76; 3. Cluzel 64; 4. Foret 55; 5. Parkes
42; 6. Baldolini 38; 7. Quarmby 34; 8. Morais 27; etc. Manufacturers: 1.
Honda 111; 2. Kawasaki 106; 3. Triumph 51; 4. Yamaha 43; 5. Suzuki 6.
Superstock 1000
After a
two-round break the Superstock 1000 category is back on the scene at Misano,
with Romagna rider Lorenzo Savadori (Barni Racing Team Italia Ducati) leading
the way; on his home track therefore Savadori will have a chance to increase his
lead over Frenchman Sylvain Barrier (BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet), who has slid
down to second place, three points from the top, following his crash at Monza.
The new Ducati Panigale machine is also going well in the hands of Eddi La
Marra, third overall just five points behind his team-mate. Meanwhile the
Kawasaki MRS team has replaced Loris Baz, who has been promoted to the official
Superbike team, with his compatriot Jeremy Guarnoni.
Points (after 3
rounds of 10): 1. Savadori 53; 2. Barrier
50; 3. La Marra 48; 4. Reiterberger 35; 5. Baz 30; 6. Bergman 28; 7. Massei 23; 8. Baroni 20; etc.
Manufacturers: 1. Ducati 61; 2. BMW 59; 3. Kawasaki 50; 4. Honda 23; 5
Aprilia 11.
Superstock 600
Riccardo
Russo (Team Italia FMI Yamaha) has ruled the European Superstock 600 roost so
far this season in the championship reserved for the under-22s. The 19 year-old
Italian has won two out of three rounds, but has been unable to outpace Dutchman
Michael van der Mark (EAB Ten Kate Junior Team Honda), who is just seven points
behind. Russo also leads the Italian championship and as a result is being
watched closely by paddock insiders, as this entry-level category continues to
produce interesting young talent.
Points (after 3
rounds of 10): 1. Russo 61; 2. Vd Mark 54;
3. Calero Perez 50; 4. Duwelz 42; 5. Chesaux 26; 6. Egea 24; 7. Vitali 20; 8. Schacht 18; etc.
KTM
European Junior Cup
Talented
youngsters get another bite of the cherry this year as the European Junior Cup
comes into its own, this time on KTM machinery. The 14 to 19 year-olds are
racing on identical 690 Duke bikes, with the overall winner getting a chance to
move into Superstock at the end of the year and continue his or her career. The
previous round at Monza was cancelled because of bad weather so the third round
sees the youngsters virtually start from scratch, with Poland’s Adrian Pasek
leading the points thanks to his win at Assen.
Points (after 2
rounds of 8): 1. Pasek 25; 2. Hartog 20; 3. Wielebski 16; 4. Demoulin 13; 5.
Patterson 11; 6. Lewis 10; etc.
Coppa dei due
Paesi (Two-Nations Cup)
Misano
will also be the venue for the first of three rounds of the Coppa dei due Paesi,
the trophy reserved for Italian and Russian riders. Afterwards the Trophy will
head to Brno (July 22) and Moscow (August 26). The 31 riders entered (with
several wild-cards from different countries) will race on Superstock 600
machines. In 2011 the first edition of the Coppa dei Due Paesi was won by
Russia’s Vladimir Leonov who is now one of the protagonists of this year’s
Supersport World Championship.
For further information:
Julian Thomas
Press Office Associate Manager
Cell. +39 340 0993623
Email: julian.thomas@infrontsports.com
Press Office Associate Manager
Cell. +39 340 0993623
Email: julian.thomas@infrontsports.com
Nino
Barra
Press Office & PR ItaliaCell. +39 339 4688138
Email: nino.barra@infrontsports.com
Press Office & PR ItaliaCell. +39 339 4688138
Email: nino.barra@infrontsports.com
Valentina
Conti
Sponsorship & Int’l PR Associate Manager
Cell. +39 388 3032059
Email: valentina.conti@infrontsports.com
Sponsorship & Int’l PR Associate Manager
Cell. +39 388 3032059
Email: valentina.conti@infrontsports.com
In 2011 the FIM Superbike
World Championship achieved the following:
- A worldwide TV audience of 462 million
- Live broadcasts on 95 television networks covering 173 countries
- 3,106 broadcast hours
- Approximately 1,000,000 race spectators
- 3,779,237 contacts on the official website www.worldsbk.com
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