Sharing
race Wins with Noriyuki Haga
Britain's Toseland takes SBK Superbike Crown
at Magny Cours
Magny Cours, France, Oct.1-3rd, 2004: TOSELAND THE
NEW SBK KING: Thanks to a first race win and second place
in race two, 23-year-old Briton James Toseland (Ducati Fila
999F004) secured the World Superbike title for 2004, after
a rollercoaster season of disappointment and elation. His
crown is an early birthday present, as James turns 24 on 5
October. Heaping fulsome praise on his team and family, Toseland
is the third British rider to take the World Superbike crown,
after four-time winner Carl Fogarty and last yearís
champion Neil Hodgson.
Ducati
Corse team mates James Toseland and Regis Laconi were set
to battle each other for the title at Magny
Race
Preview: Laconi, Toseland, Vermuelen prepare for battle at
Magny Cours
The
finish line is finally in sight in whats has been the most
exciting World Superbike season ever.: New technical and tyre
supply regulations have made the 17th season of World Superbike
one of the most exciting and closely contested ever. After
the latest full drama action, at the penultimate round at
Imola on 26 September, three riders enter the final hurdle
of the championship race - at the Circuit Nevers Magny Cours
in central France - with more than realistic chances of lifting
the world title. For Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila), James Toseland
(Ducati Fila) and Chris Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda) the ultimate
spoils are very much up for grabs, and even fourth placed
rider Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati Koji) has a purely mathematical
chance of lifting the title.
One thing is certain this year, on Sunday evening there will
be a new name on the World Superbike roll of honour, as none
of the top contenders has ever won the SBK series outright
before. Leading the championship table is Regis Laconi, who
took the title lead back last weekend after the latest of
his seven race wins. On 295 points Laconi is also on home
turf at Magny Cours. In second place currently, Toseland has
found additional pace and mountains of Yorkshire grit in the
last few races, and is only four points behind, with a possible
50 for any rider who wins both races. In third place now,
after a spectacularly dramatic last race, in which he scored
second and sixth after a huge crash in warm up, Chris Vermeulen
is still well capable of catching his opponents, aided by
his fast four-cylinder machine. His total of 282 is only 13
from the lead. Taking the title seems impossible for Haga
now, the Japanese rider being some 41 points behind Laconi.
Of the championship contenders, all four are under 30 years
old, with Vermeulen 22 and Toseland 23 ñ a good sign
for the future direction of the class.
Magny
Cours, positioned in central France, will provide a magnificent
backdrop for the final round. It was the culmination of the
season last year, and the 4.411km track is a very well appointed
venue, with vast grandstands and a high level of fit and finish.
None of the current riders has won at the venue before, adding
still more uncertainty to the potential outcome of the races
themselves.
Pierfrancesco
Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) is currently a strong fifth in the title
hunt, having dropped out of an early season lead due to the
occasional fall and technical problems. The 40-year-old fighter
would like nothing more than to sign off this season with
his second win.
Garry McCoy (Ducati Xerox SC 999RS) has been a winner in 2004,
and was back to more expected form at Imola, posting a pair
of fifth places. He currently enjoys a 15-point advantage
over another top Aussie privateer, Steve Martin (DFX Ducati).
In the same team as Haga, the Renegade Koji outfit, Briton
Leon Haslam has been a podium finisher in 2004 (race two at
Oschersleben) and will be out to score a similar level of
success on his 999RS.Troy
Corser and Chris Walker have one more 2004 adventure to play
out on the 900cc, three-cylinder Petronas FP-1. The unique
machine, with backwards-slanting cylinder heads, reverse exit
exhausts and distinctive engine note has pushed each rider
to a single podium finish in 2004 so far. Corser currently
sits ninth in the championship battle, Walker 11th. Splitting
them is the second DFX Ducati of Marco Borciani.
In a field of interesting entries, machine diversity will
be much in evidence in France. The Bertocchi Kawasaki ZX-10
duo of Mauro Sanchini and Ivan Clementi, with Suzuki represented
by the privately entered Zongshen team, on GSX-R1000s ridden
by Warwick Nowland and Piergiorgio Bontempi. Sebastien Gimbert
(Yamaha France R1), Carl Berthlesen, Berto Camlek, Laurent
Brian and Giovanni Bussei will be wild card riders in France,
as will Polish duo Pawel Szkopec and Andrzej Pawelec.
Karl
Muggeridge has been crowned 2004 World Champion for his Ten
Kate Honda team one race early, but behind him the competitive
Supersport spirit is burning with its usual incandescence.
Only three riders have beaten Muggeridge this season, and
of those two will be out for win number two at Magny Cours.
Jurgen van den Goorbergh (Yamaha Italia R6), is one of them,
his team-mate Fabien Foret the other. Third placed rider Broc
Parkes (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) could well overtake van den
Goorbergh for second, as could current fourth placed rider
Sebastien Charpentier (Klaffi Honda CBR600RR). On the entry
to the race, van den Goorbergh has 119 points, Parkes 115
and Charpentier 104.
Regis Laconi polishes the asphalt at Magny
French
Wild Card Gimbert Quickest on Friday in Provisional Pole
Friday Practice: GLORIOUS GIMBERT: Local
hot-shot Sebastien Gimbert, following on from his impressive
showings at the Brands Hatch round two months ago, propelled
himself to the top of the provisional qualifying sheets at
Magny Cours. Riding in his home race, Gimbertís machine
is a Yamaha France YZF-R1, a true privateer entry. His time
of 1:42.599 beat even the best of the factory Ducatis in this
most important round of the year.
Despite
some ups and downs the Ducati Fila pairing of Regis Laconi
and James Toseland enter the final round of the championship
in first and second place respectively. After one day in France,
and with the benefit of a pre-race test session behind them
earlier in the year, Laconi and Toseland are neck and neck,
in both championship and qualification times. Only 0.026 seconds
separates Toseland from provisional pole, with Laconi only
0.87 seconds from his countryman Gimbert.
Aussie
privateer Steve Martin worked hard on his set-up to take the
final slot on the overnight front row, another high point
in the season of the DFX Ducati squad. His team-mate Marco
Borciani secured ninth fastest time of the day.
Foggy
Petronas duo Chris Walker (Foggy Petronas FP-1) and Troy Corser
(Foggy Petronas FP-1) were competitive during the opening
exchanges, their unique three-cylinder machines pushing them
up the order, Corser going fifth fastest and running only
0.233 seconds from the fastest time of the day. Walker was
less than half a second shy of provisional pole, making the
most of the experience gained from testing at Magny Cours.
Chris
Vermeulen (Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR), his Ten Kate Team and
the CBR1000RR Honda have had their work cut out for them on
the first day of qualifying at each round this year, as all
are novices in the premier SBK class. The opening day at Magny
Cours was a challenging experience for Vermeulen and co, as
the 22-year-old Aussie rider is still carrying wrist, hip
and ankle injuries from Imola, and the whole team is trying
to cure a lack of rear end traction. Nonetheless Vermeulen
went seventh fastest, after his first run out on a qualifying
rear tyre.
Swan
Song? Troy Corser put the FP-1 on the Pole at Magny Cours,
his 2nd pole of the season. On a clear race track in Superpole
where he can keep up his momentum, Troy can go quickly on
the 900cc 3-cylinder bike. But in a race among bigger 1000c
bikes blocking his fast line in the corners, the smaller engined
bike is left behind in accelerating out of the corners. the
race the engine.
Troy
Corser turns 30, puts Foggy Petronas on Pole
Superpole Saturday 2nd: Having been fourth
fastest in regulation qualifying, Foggy Petronas FP-1 rider
Troy Corser did not seem a likely candidate to secure the
Superpole win. A small error on his own behalf led to a peculiar
line on the approach to the last series of corners before
the final chicane at Magny Cours. This small error proved
a stroke of good fortune, allowing Corser to swing through
the final section at a higher pace than normal, taking his
30th career pole in SBK with a 1í41.547. It is his
second pole of this season, the first coming at Oschersleben.
Such
is the competitive nature of the 2004 championship and the
diversity of homologated machinery in SBK in general, that
no fewer than four different manufacturers were represented
on the post Superpole front row. For the first time since
2001, there was only one Ducati in the first four places.
Chris
Vermeulen looked to have won Superpole but for Corserís
outstanding lap time. Nonetheless the Aussie rider on the
Ten Kate Honda is in good starting position as he goes for
the championship win. Fourteen points behind leading rider
Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila) Vermeulen was in trouble in the
early practice sessions, could only finish seventh fastest
in regulation, but took second in Superpole. His Imola injuries
are not hampering his performance too much and the Superbike
rookie enters the final round with a fighting chance of the
overall title.
In the
internal battle between series leader Regis Laconi (Ducati
Fila 999F04) and his team-mate James Toseland, round one at
Magny Cours went to Toseland, who secured third place and
a front row start. Laconiís ragged Superpole lap put
him fifth fastest, on the second row, a fact which will make
both his races tougher than desired in front of his vociferous
home crowd.
The
front row was blessed by the presence of a Yamaha privateer,
the current World Endurance Champion Sebastien Gimbert, on
a Yamaha France R1. Fastest in both regulation qualifying
sessions, Gimbert is no stranger to the Pirellis used in World
Superbike, running the Italian rubber in domestic and World
Endurance competitions. His pace electrified the local crowd,
in what was a dry but overcast day.
Soon-to-be
2004 World Superbike Champion Toseland explodes the Ducati
999F05 out of a corner.
Race
Day Crowns Toseland World Champion in the Final Race
Sunday
Oct 3rd: In celebration of his birthday in just 2
days on October 5th, British rider did what he had to do in
the final rounds of this years World Superbike Champiuonship,
coming on strong to fight off his 4 close rivals the race
before at Imola, and holding off his close Ducati Corse team
mate Regis laconi to clinch the 2004 Championship in today's
final race. The final points gap to Regis Laconi was Toseland
with 336 to Laconiís 327, the Frenchman
secured
two third places in front of his home crowd
RACE
ONE: James Toseland (Ducati Fila) enjoyed a win in
the first race, after some tough times in qualifying and the
partisan support for the local hero Regis Laconi (Ducati Fila).
Toseland had to keep the charging Noriyuki Haga at bay, maintaining
a good race pace right to the flag, after 23 laps of unbridled
tension. Noriyuki Haga (Renegade Ducati Koji) was second while
Regis Laconi eventually rued his tyre choice to take third,
and lose his championship lead. Chris Vermeulenís retirement
for technical reasons put the Ten Kate Honda rider out of
the championship challenge. Local wild card Sebastien Gimbert
gave the crowd something else to cheer about, finishing fourth.
Laconi
(55) tries to hang with Toseland (52) in the openi9ng laps
Race One, but a bad tire choice would relegatee him back to
3rd behing Haga (41) who is moving up here past Vermuelen
(17).
RACE
TWO: With Vermeulen once more out of the running
in the later stages, the race for podium places was a tense
three rider affair, with Haga and Toseland swapping places
at the front, as Laconi struggled to get to grips with the
speed of the other main Ducati protagonists. Haga pushed hardest
at the end, earning third place in the series from the double
non-finisher Vermeulen, after securing his sixth win of the
season. In third, Laconi could not improve his pace to stay
competitive with the leading two, over two seconds down at
the flag.
After
some astonishing race wins in their combined rookie seasons
in SBK, the Ten Honda team and rider Vermeulen were in with
realistic championship chances at Magny Cours. Finishing neither
race, due to electrical problems, was a blow to them but Vermeulenís
overall fourth is an impressive entry to the premier class
of production-derived racing.
Local Wild Card rider Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha France) took
a fourth place double at his home track, rewarding the faith
in those who agreed that he should race at Magny Cours, rather
than at the final round of World Endurance at Vallelunga.
He finished the series overall 18th.
Pierfrancesco
Chili (PSG-1 Ducati 998RS) went sixth and fifth to secure
fifth place in the championship, after two races spend heading
up fights in the group immediately behind the leaders.
Steve
Martin ripped his DFX Ducati to fifth in race one, an ultimately
lonely affair, bit his big twin suffered a technical DNF in
race two, dropping out on lap 11. Leon Haslam (Renegade Ducati
Koji) was a fine seventh and sixth, heading up a Petronas
rider each time. He was voted rookie of the year in the SBK
class, and finished the year ninth overall. Garry McCoy could
only manage a ninth, times two, but nonetheless was sixth
in the series.
Superpole
winner Troy Corser could only score a DNF and a seventh in
what may be his final Petronas ride, while Chris Walker (Petronas
FP-1) was eighth in each race. Corser was the top three-cylinder
rider of the year, finishing ninth overall.Word has it Corser
will join an expanded Ten Kate Honda superbike team next year
alongside Vermeulen.
Champions of the World! In the foreground team manager Davide
Tardozzi and Team Director Paolo Ciabatti flanked by James
Toseland and the Ducati Corse Superbike team.
SUPERBIKE
Race 1:
(Laps 23 = 101,453 Km)
Pos /Rider /Nat. /Team /Time /Gap
1 / J. TOSELAND / GBR / Ducati Fila / 39'29.197 /
2 / N.HAGA / JPN / Ducati / 39'29.689 / 0.492
3 / R. LACONI / FRA / Ducati Fila / 39'32.999 / 3.802
4 / S. GIMBERT / FRA / Yamaha France / 39'37.024 / 7.827
5 / S. MARTIN / AUS / D.F.Xtreme Sterilgarda / 39'43.023
/ 13.826
6 / P. CHILI / ITA / PSG - 1 Corse / 39'54.538 / 25.341
7 / L. HASLAM / GBR / Renegade Ducati Koji / 39'58.190
/ 28.993
8 / C.WALKER / GBR / Foggy PETRONAS Racing / 40'01.653
/ 32.456
9 / G.MCCOY / AUS / XEROX - Ducati Nortel Net. / 40'11.650
/ 42.453
10 / S. DUTERNE / FRA / Zongshen / 40'20.152 / 50.955
11 / P. BONTEMPI / ITA / Zongshen / 40'31.389 / 1'02.192
12 / L. PEDERCINI / ITA / Pedercini / 40'38.744 / 1'09.547
13 / S. CRUCIANI / ITA / Kawasaki Bertocchi / 40'44.406
/ 1'15.209
14 / A. VELINI / ITA / Pedercini / 40'45.088 / 1'15.891
15 / P. SZKOPEK / POL / Szkopek Agip RT / 40'53.171 /
1'23.974
Fastest Lap 5° Steve Martin 1'42.312 155,208 Km/h |
Race
2 :
(Laps 23 = 101,453 Km)
Pos /Rider /Nat.
/Team /Time /Gap
1 / N.HAGA / JPN / Ducati / 39'34.329 /
2 / J. TOSELAND / GBR / Ducati Fila / 39'37.484 / 3.155
3 / R. LACONI / FRA / Ducati Fila / 39'40.119 / 5.790
4 / S. GIMBERT / FRA / Yamaha France / 39'49.082 / 14.753
5 / P. CHILI / ITA / PSG - 1 Corse / 39'51.836 / 17.507
6 / L. HASLAM / GBR / Renegade Ducati Koji / 39'55.632
/ 21.303
7 / T. CORSER / AUS / Foggy PETRONAS Racing / 39'55.805
/ 21.476
8 / C.WALKER / GBR / Foggy PETRONAS Racing / 40'11.950
/ 37.621
9 / G.MCCOY / AUS / XEROX - Ducati Nortel Net. / 40'19.812
/ 45.483
10 / W.NOWLAND / AUS / Zongshen / 40'27.881 / 53.552
11 / S. DUTERNE / FRA / Zongshen / 40'29.825 / 55.496
12 / S. FUERTES / ESP / MIR Racing / 40'33.605 / 59.276
13 / P. SZKOPEK / POL / Szkopek Agip RT / 40'46.053 /
1'11.724
14 / M.PRAIA / POR / XEROX - Ducati Nortel Net. / 39'43.578
/ 1 Lap
15 / B. CAMLEK / SLO / Inoterm Racing Team / 39'52.795
/ 1 LapFastest Lap 2° Noriyuki Haga 1'42.475 154,961
Km/h |
Riders
Championship Standings:
1 TOSELAND 336, 2 LACONI 327, 3 HAGA 299, 4 VERMEULEN 282,
5 CHILI 243,
6 MCCOY 199, 7 MARTIN 181, 8 HASLAM 169, 9 CORSER 146, 10
BORCIANI 130,
11 WALKER 128, 12 CLEMENTI 85, 13 SANCHINI 79, 14 NANNELLI
72, 15 BONTEMPI 68.
Manufacturers Standings:
1 DUCATI 530, 2 HONDA 289, 3 PETRONAS 200, 4 KAWASAKI 129,
5 SUZUKI 101.
 |
Ten
Kate and Muggeridge
Dominate in Supersport
Karl Muggeridge (Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) had another
close race with is team-mate Broc Parkes but nonetheless
he triumphed yet again, taking his seventh race win
of the season (a full status WSS championship record).
Parkes could not quite take his first race win, and
in third place Sebastien Charpentier was once more defeated
by the combination of Muggeridge and Ten Kate power.
Lorenzo
Lanzi was a fighting fourth, ahead of lead Yamaha rider
Jurgen van den Goorbergh. The final rundown of places
in Supersport shows Muggeridge on a towering 207 points,
from Parkes on 135, van den Goorbergh on 130, Charpentier
on 120 and Lanzi with 82.
Karl
Muggeridge's follows in Ten Kate team mate Chris Vermuelin's
boots, last year's 600cc Supersport champ, as one of
the hottest new rising stars in road racing. It might
be expected that Karl would move up to the World Superbike
class for 2005 to join Chris, but word has it that former
World Superbike champ Troy Corser will be Chris' teamate
|
SUPERSPORT:
RACE : (Laps 22 = 97,042 Km)
Pos /Rider /Nat. /Team / Time /Gap
1 / K. MUGGERIDGE / AUS / Ten Kate Honda / 38'34.820 /
2 / B. PARKES / AUS / Ten Kate Honda / 38'35.242 / 0.422
3 / S. CHARPENTIER / FRA / Klaffi Honda / 38'35.628 /
0.808
4 / L. LANZI / ITA / Ducati Breil / 38'47.913 / 13.093
5 / J. VD GOORBERGH / NED / Yamaha Italia / 38'51.667
6 / A. PITT / AUS / Yamaha Italia / 38'52.569 / 17.749
7 / C. COXHELL / AUS / Yamaha Motor Deutschland
8 / M.NEUKIRCHNER / GER / Klaffi Honda / 39'02.197
9 / M.LAGRIVE / FRA / Moto 1 / 39'18.029 / 43.209
10 / M.BAIOCCO / ITA / Lorenzini by Leoni / 39'21.326
11 / M.ROCCOLI / ITA / Lorenzini by Leoni / 39'21.507
12 / B. VENEMAN / NED / Team Suzuki Nederland / 39'21.814
13 / C. KELLNER / GER / Yamaha Motor Deutschland
14 / J. LINDSTROM / SWE / Klaffi Honda / 39'42.269
15 / P. DONISCHAL / FRA / Moto 1 / 39'45.146 / 1'10.326
Fastest Lap 4° Broc Parkes 1'44.457 152,020 Km/h |
on
the expanded Ten Kate Superbike team. Will Karl be happy
to stay in Supersport next year with the Number One
plate, or will he going shopping for a Superbike ride
as the hottest new prospect on the planet? Stay tuned....
Supersport
Riders Championship Standings:
1 MUGGERIDGE 207, 2 PARKES 135, 3 VD GOORBERGH 130,
4 CHARPENTIER 120,
5 LANZI 82, 6 CURTAIN 69, 7 FORET 66, 8 CHAMBON 64,
9 NEUKIRCHNER 63,
10 FUJIWARA 55, 11 CORRADI 44, 12 PITT 36, 13 KELLNER
30, 14 LAGRIVE 27,
15 BROOKES 25.
Supersport
Manufacturers Standings:
1 HONDA 212, 2 YAMAHA 176, 3 SUZUKI 103, 4 DUCATI 95,
5 KAWASAKI 40. |
