Monza WSBK

[TheFamousEccles]

Monza!

Some wandering friends of mine are going to be there this weekend. Lucky bast**ds! I would love to go to Monza for a race meeting - any race meeting. And ride the track, do a ride day that would be cool.

Its a pity Parkes is injured, I reckon the Kawasaki might have figured for a place, maybe? And Spies is going to take to the place like a duck to water. He's my tip for the double if he can keep it upright.

[Roby44]

Use your stimulation money from Mr Rudd towards a trip! :) That is if you have got it.. I haven't as yet.. :(

[patnicholls]

Can't remember on which site I read it, but I believe Broc will be back.

I seem to remember Ayrton Badovini getting a top ten last year on the Pedercini Kawasaki, so Parkesy could be reasonably competitive if he is back.

[Rod Richardson]

Superpole 1 2 3

1 19 Spies 1'45.156 1'44.999 1'44.073
2 84 Fabrizio 1'44.939 1'44.843 1'44.270
3 9 Kiyonari 1'45.200 1'45.019 1'44.642
4 76 Neukirchner 1'45.823 1'45.100 1'44.900
5 41 Haga 1'45.096 1'45.484 1'44.865
6 65 Rea 1'45.503 1'45.100 1'45.170
7 3 Biaggi 1'46.169 1'45.094 1'45.605
8 71 Kagayama 1'46.271 1'44.907 1'45.861
9 7 Checa 1'45.818 1'45.166
10 66 Sykes 1'45.893 1'45.383
11 11 Corser 1'46.520 1'45.543
12 55 Laconi 1'46.024 1'45.663
13 23 Parkes 1'46.484 1'46.368
14 111 Xaus 1'47.259 1'46.571
15 67 Byrne 1'46.261 1'46.593

[Rod Richardson]

Superpole lap times 1................ 2................. 3

1 19 Spies.............. 1'45.156......1'44.999......1'44.073

2 84 Fabrizio...........1'44.939......1'44.843.......1' 44.270

3 9 Kiyonari.............1'45.200......1'45.019....... 1'44.642

4 76 Neukirchner.....1'45.823......1'45.100.......1'44. 900

5 5 41 Haga.............1'45.096......1'45.484......1'44. 865

6 65 Rea..................1'45.503......1'45.100......1 '45.170

7 3 Biaggi.................1'46.169......1'45.094..... .1'45.605

8 71 Kagayama........1'46.271......1'44.907......1'45.8 61

9 7 Checa................1'45.818.......1'45.166

10 66 Sykes.............1'45.893.......1'45.383

11 11 Corser............1'46.520.......1'45.543

12 55 Laconi.............1'46.024.......1'45.663

13 23 Parkes............1'46.484.......1'46.368

14 111 Xaus.............1'47.259.......1'46.571

15 67 Byrne..............1'46.261.......1'46.593

[Rod Richardson]

Supersport Qualifying 1st 15

1….. Crutchlow…………..1'49.706
2….. Lascorz……………...1'49.739
3….. Foret ……………...…1'49.803
4….. Laverty ……….…….1'50.006
5….. Aitchison …………..1'50.407
6….. Sofuoglu …………..1'50.636
7….. Pitt …………...….….1'50.733
8….. Nannelli ……………1'50.798
9….. McCoy ……….….….1'50.828
10… Fujiwara …………..1'50.861
11....Lagrive……….…….1'50.907
12… Pirro………….…..….1'51.281
13… Battaini.….…………1'51.429
14… Roccoli.…….…….…1'51.517
15… Praia…………………1'51.682

[Wim_Impreza]

Yes, it will be again exciting racing today and off course slipstreaming. :)

Great to see Xavier Siméon on pole in FIM Superstock 1000. In Superstock 600, wildcard Ferruccio Lamborghini - what a name :p - took the pole.

[tha_jackal]

wow, terrible crash in SBK race one at turn one :(

tamada -hit-> roberts -hit-> hill -hit-> corser

roberts had to bail out after being hit from behind by tamada and his bike, after hitting hill, continued across the track and collected neukirchner..

looks like roberts and neukirchner havn't made it back to pits.. something about an ambulance.. :(

corser was so close to being crushed by hill's bike! crazy...

[The Phantom]

Commentators saying that someone - either Neuk or Roberts - *may* have a broken femur. Otherwise all involved are relatively ok.

Neuk did not restart race 1, I don't think Roberts did either.

The re-started race 1 was something else!

WSS on now, 6 laps to go, another cracking race.

Nice work on the pre-race results, Rod!

[CaptainRaiden]

What a heartbreak for Spies in race one. What was it? Ran out of fuel? Engine died? I'm sure he'd get his revenge in race two. Anyway, Fabrizio finally wins one!

Can't watch Supersport and Race 2 on Eurosport, because of the stupid Giro d'Italia. :rolleyes:

Apparently Nori was hit on the arm by a bird causing him to slip way back in the field. The loss of feeling in his arm lead to his crash soon after. Bad luck Nori. I remember him being hit by a bird some years ago, maybe Motogp days?
Well done Spies and Fabrizio. Unfortunately we didn't get to see Fabrizio on the podium or at the press conference.
He should be ok for the next round unlike Max Neukirchner, that's a real shame.
Thrills a minute in the SS race.

... I meant to write 'Nori should be ok for the next round' ........

[leopard]

Yep Ben would have won both races, bike failure on the first race was a great pity cost him dear. His overall performance excellent. Great for BEN ...

Something important highlighted from Monza was Sterilgarda move to Yamaha from previously their long partnership empowering Ducati. Despite their appearance on the Ben's bike YZF looks very busy as they provide less space on the fairing and hence Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati was more elegance, the move was deemed a right decision for the more effective sponsorship. More source is here (http://www.motogpmatters.com/news/2009/05/06/sterilgarda_to_sponsor_yamaha_s_world_su.html).

Let's compare

http://static.panoramio.com/photos/original/8822569.jpg

with this one

[leopard]

with this Yamaha Sterilgarda (http://images.yamaha-racing.com/photo/high/P20090509191727921.jpg)

[leopard]

From backside Ducati also had better looking (http://www.osimobikers.it/GIRLS/misano_sbk_07/girls_sterilgarda_7.JPG)

[patnicholls]

Decent races, although obviously overshadowed by the injuries to Max N which will probably keep him out for the rest of the season (broken femur and dislocated foot). Terribly unlucky as obviously it wasn't his fault - just a pretty horrific accident. The WSB website today reports that Max has successfully undergone the surgery and will be flying home to continue to recuperate. As a big fan of his - as well as he being my lead rider in the Fantasy League - I wish him all the best for a complete recovery. Makoto Tamada (broken wrist) and Brendan Roberts (heavy bruising) will both miss next weekend's trip to Kyalami too after the accident, with Roberts being replaced by Gregorio Lavilla.

It was one piece of bad luck apiece for Nori and The Ben (as he is now to be known, this very heart-warming story will explain it: http://www.worldsbk.com/en/news/latest-news/474-spies-finds-a-friend-in-world-superbike.html) - The Ben running out of fuel in race one and Nori being hit on the arm by a bird in race two which caused him to drop back and then crash a couple of laps later.

I think on balance the WSB weekend probably belongs to a rider who doesn't get a lot of love from many quarters, Michel Fabrizio. He certainly blows hot-and-cold in terms of his form but this season he's gaining some consistency with all his finishes being in the top six so far (although had a double DNF at Losail due to electrical woes - a track he's previously gone well at when on the DFX Honda). He's clearly not an outright title contender as things stand but could certainly be third and looks to be a common sight in the lead group, something that often couldn't be said for Lorenzo Lanzi when he was in that seat.

Other riders who certainly deserve a mention for good performances this weekend include Kiyo and Jonathan Rea for Ten Kate, Tom Sykes with another decent pair of sixth places who's steadily working his way towards the leaders, and Ruben Xaus who scored BMW's best result yet too. Ditto a mention for Matteo Baicco and Luca Scassa, two of the lesser lights getting in the points at home on Kawasakis.

Supersport - another great win from Cal, although Fabien Foret was probably inadvertantly to thank for messing about and putting some distance between Cal and himself, Eugene and the excellent Joan Lascorz who's giving Kawasaki fans something to cheer about (as well as making Katsuaki Fujiwara up his game after a lacklustre 2008). It wasn't a great day for Ten Kate who seem to be a little at sea this year so far, although not out of it by any means just yet. Non-finishers included Robbin Harms (broken collarbone in practice; Michael Laverty will replace in South Africa), Anthony West (who? :p ), Mark Aitchison and Massimo Roccoli so some lesser names got a few points including ex-250 man Franco Battaini in 11th on a wild-card Kawasaki.