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SPEED Staff
SPEEDtv.com
SPEEDtv.com
07/16/2008 - 09:40 AM
Brno, Czech Republic
(Photo: Ducati Corse) ยป More Photos
The Superbike World Championship notches up an important benchmark this coming weekend at the Automotodrom Brno circuit in the Czech Republic as the production-based racing series reaches the #500 mark with Sunday's race 2. The championship got underway at Donington Park on April 3, 1988 and this weekend's round at Brno will see races #499 and #500. Even though the Czech Republic Round is the 252nd in the championship's history, on four occasions (1988 Le Mans, 2001 Phillip Island, 2005 Imola, 2007 Silverstone), only race 1 was held due to inclement weather conditions.
The 2008 championship meanwhile reaches the ninth round on Sunday, with the situation more wide-open than ever. Championship leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) scored two third places at Misano to increase his points lead by ten to 259, but the 39 year-old Aussie has not won a race since Assen and is determined to put things right at Brno, even though the Czech circuit has never been particularly kind to the Italian twin-cylinder machines. With his second win of the season at Misano, Troy's closest pursuer on 210 points has now become Max Neukirchner (Alstare Suzuki), who took over that position from Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda). The 25 year-old German is now a regular contender for the leading positions, and seven times on the podium this year is testament to the growth of a potential champion.
The 35 year-old Spaniard, third on 207 points, has suffered since his double win at Miller, a result that had been expected to be a turning-point in the Ten Kate rider's season. On a circuit he knows well from his MotoGP days, Checa will be aiming to improve on his mid-season slump of three fifth places and a seventh in the last four races. Another enigma surrounds Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB), currently placed fourth on 191 points. Prior to the last round Haga had notched up a dominant double win, but conditions at Misano were not conducive to a repeat performance and although the 33 year-old from Japan is having one of his best seasons ever, he is still lacking consistency in his results.
Yamaha Motor
The 30 year-old from Barcelona scored a well-deserved and popular win for the private Marco Borciani-run Ducati team at Misano and followed that up with quickest time in the recent SBK test at Vallelunga, so Xaus is on a roll and will surely be a factor from now until the end of the season. His teammate in the Sterilgarda Ducati squad, Max Biaggi had a lot to smile about at Misano as well, notching up a second place that hopefully has put his season back on the rails after a string of below-par performances. The 37 year-old from Rome is in eighth place on 117 points.
Rounding out the top 10 are the young Italian Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) with 111 points in ninth place and Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) on 94 points. Jakub Smrz (Guandalini Ducati) has also been going well recently and his current 14th place is no true reflection on how the 25 year-old Czech has been performing, something that he aims to put right this weekend. Following a disastrous home race at Misano, the Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse team's season needs to be put back into line and recent testing at Mugello will surely help both Régis Laconi and Makoto Tamada to move up from positions way outside the top 10.
Points (after 8 of 14 rounds): Riders - 1. Bayliss (Ducati) 259; 2. Neukirchner (Suzuki) 210; 3. Checa (Honda) 207; 4. Haga (Yamaha) 191; 5. Corser (Yamaha) 185; 6. Nieto (Suzuki) 151; 7. Xaus (Ducati) 148; 8. Biaggi (Ducati) 117; 9. Fabrizio (Ducati) 111; 10. Kiyonari (Honda) 94; etc. Manufacturers - 1. Ducati 323; 2. Yamaha 284; 3. Suzuki 257; 4. Honda 226; 5. Kawasaki 64.
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