2007 World Superbike Motorcycle Racing

Race Report
Ruben Xaus (Team Sterilgarda Ducati) won his first motorcycle race since 2003 at Magny Cours in dry but patchy conditions today at Valencia.  James Toseland took Race 2, putting him in the overall lead for the 2007 World Superbike Championship so far.

After two very different 23-lap races at Valencia local rider Ruben Xaus (Sterilgarda Ducati) and championship leader James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) scored a win apiece, with Xaus running clear in race one but Toseland having to fight for every inch of track in race two.

Both races were run in the dry, but the first race was a much trickier affair for all, as the many damp patches off line caught out a lot of riders.  In the championship standings, Toseland now leads Max Biaggi (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) by 13 points.

Race 1
Eventual winner Xaus was involved in a four-way fight for the win at one stage, but after he broke the challenge of Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) towards the end of a race held in drying conditions, he was a clear winner by almost two seconds.

Behind Haga, Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) was an impressive third, with early leader Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia) fourth, and championship leader Toseland fifth, fighting vibrations from a rear tyre which had spun on the rim.  Xaus's win was his tenth career SBK victory, and his first since Magny Cours race two, in the 2003 season.

Race 2
The leading group in a classic race two sometimes featured seven riders, but it finally settled down into a three way fight, with Toseland the victor from a slow stating Biaggi and frequent race leader Haga.  A mere 0.375 seconds covered the top three in the second outing, with another race leader, Xaus, slotting in fourth, some six seconds behind.

The Two Troys
Troy Corser experienced machine difficulties in race two and was forced away from a potential podium to ninth, but he maintained some degree of pressure on the leading bunch all the same, as he sits fourth overall on 101 points, 23 behind Haga.

Troy Bayliss, who had won Superpole and looked good for at least one race win at one stage, made mistakes due to an imperfect race set-up, but he scored strongly in both races only two weeks after having his throttle hand little finger amputated. He is fifth in the championship chase, on 90 points.  The man only three points behind him is his own team-mate, Lorenzo Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) with race one winner Xaus jumping up to seventh, on 83 points..

Yamaha Team Report
Noriyuki Haga brought 36 more points and two podiums home for Yamaha in today's World Superbike Championship round at Valencia.

Having battled to find the right set-up all weekend, Haga went out today and claimed second in race one, with Corser in fourth.  He then had an excellent second race, finishing in third after a race-long battle with James Toseland.

In race one Corser made a good start and took the lead by the first turn until lap six when it became evident that he had a grip problem.  He maintained as much pace as he could though, to stay in the four-way battle for top spot between Xaus, Haga, Bayliss and himself.  Eventually Haga and Xaus dropped Bayliss and Corser and continued the battle, with Haga taking the fastest lap on lap eight before taking the race lead.

Corser and Bayliss fought for third place until Bayliss broke free to re-join the top two runners.  A close race with Xaus, Haga and Bayliss saw all three of them dice for position but Xaus managed to take the win, with Haga second and Bayliss third.  Corser held on to fourth with a decent margin back to Toseland in fifth.

In Race 2, Nitro Nori lived up to his name getting the hole-shot off the line to take the lead.  Corser made a good start as well to follow up in second, with Xaus and Toseland again close behind.  By the end of lap one Toseland and Xaus had both passed Corser and by the end of lap three Bayliss had managed the same move, pushing Troy back to fifth.

Ruben Xaus made it past Haga on lap four and Toseland and Haga touched fairings as the Honda rider also squeezed through.  For the next ten laps all three riders swapped places at almost every turn until Bayliss ran briefly into the gravel after hitting the white line and dropping down to sixth.  Haga and Toseland continued to fight for the win, with Noriyuki leading again from lap 19 until a mistake let James through on the penultimate lap.

Noriyuki Haga (3rd - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team):  "In race two I had a good start, getting the hole-shot from the start line into first place.  During the race I was looking for a good pace - I was not concerned if someone came past me, I was watching them (Xaus and Toseland).  But they weren't carrying the same speed as me, and slowed down the pace. I was fighting side by side with Toseland but also looking to save my rear tire to push in the last five laps.

During the last two laps I had a good fight with Toseland for first place, and when I was planning to overtake James at the last corner I was not expecting Biaggi to be there, which prevented me from passing. For me, today was good but not perfect."

Troy Corser (9th - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team):  "In race one I had a problem with our mapping choice, which is why I couldn't keep the pace with the front runners.  But in race two the problem was different.  I had exactly the same tyre as I had in race one, but I had absolutely no grip. I don't know why.  I just can't believe my result today."

2007 World Superbike Results - Valencia, Spain

Circuit Length: 4005

Temp: 17

Crowd: 39,000

Weather: Cloudy

Race 1 - 23 Laps

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time

1 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 37'14.606

2 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 0'1.997

3 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 0'6.330

4 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 0'8.780

5 James Toseland Honda GBR 0'17.040

6 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 0'24.272

7 Michel Fabrizio Honda ITA 0'25.822

8 Max Biaggi Suzuki ITA 0'26.087

9 Joshua Brookes Honda AUS 0'28.778

10 Roberto Rolfo Honda ITA 0'32.754

11 Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 0'37.084

12 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 0'37.141

13 Giovanni Bussei Honda ITA 0'37.563

14 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0'38.544

15 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 0'53.049

Race 2 - 23 Laps

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time

1 James Toseland Honda GBR 37'35.825

2 Max Biaggi Suzuki ITA 0'0.287

3 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 0'0.375

4 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 0'6.637

5 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 0'7.991

6 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 0'10.210

7 Joshua Brookes Honda AUS 0'10.861

8 Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 0'14.366

9 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 0'15.511

10 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 0'19.716

11 Michel Fabrizio Honda ITA 0'25.287

12 Roberto Rolfo Honda ITA 0'26.437

13 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 0'34.992

14 Carmelo Morales Yamaha ESP 0'39.987

15 Giovanni Bussei Honda ITA 0'42.445

16 Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 0'43.467

Best Lap

Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time

Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 1'35.746

Rider Standings as of April 15, 2007

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Points

1. James Toseland Honda GBR 151

2. Max Biaggi Suzuki ITA 138

3. Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 124

4. Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 101

5. Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 90

6. Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 87

7. Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 83

8. Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 55

9. Roberto Rolfo Honda ITA 46

10. Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 37

11. Michel Fabrizio Honda ITA 33

12. Joshua Brookes Honda AUS 32

13. Fonsi Nieto Kawasaki ESP 30

14. Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 27

15. Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 25

18. Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 12

Manufacturer Standings 15/04/2007

Manufacturer Points as of April 15, 2007

1. Honda 160

2. Suzuki 138

3. Yamaha 134

4. Ducati 132

5. Kawasaki 53

 

Qualifying - Superpole
The challenging weather that started on Friday continued throughout today, making riding conditions very difficult and slippery.

A damp qualifying session this morning was followed by a wet Superpole, in which the top 16 riders go out at the same time for a maximum of 12 laps during a 50 minute session.

Troy Bayliss is on pole, followed by Ruben Xaus and Australian Joshua Brooks on his Honda.

Track conditions did not improve at all for Superpole this afternoon, with sunshine but no dry line anywhere on the circuit.  Troy Corser had a good start to the session moving up to third position from yesterday's provisional start position of sixth.  With such wet conditions, he then waited to see the progress of other riders.

Honda rider Joshua Brookes took third position on a flying lap, forcing Corser to try and reclaim it.  Unfortunately, conditions were too slippery and he was unable to succeed and so will start from fourth tomorrow.  Noriyuki Haga was one of the many to struggle with grip throughout the 50 minute session and moved down to ninth from fourth.  He managed a flying lap with less than three minutes to go to take seventh place Kagayama.

Troy Corser (4th - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team):  "This morning we went back to the Donington set-up and that seemed to help.  The engine and bike are working well and we have made some changes to the rear suspension set-up during the day.  Unfortunately, none of these changes have given us the extra grip that they normally would, and that we need. It's partly the geometry of the bike but we still have more work to do.

My objective for tomorrow is to stay upright, especially if the track is as slippery as it was today."

Noriyuki Haga (7th - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team):  "Today I tried some rain settings but I have not yet found the best set-up for this possibility - we still need to work on the best rear tire option as I can find good grip but no tire life, or good tire life but no grip.  I am happy with a second row qualifying position and that I didn't crash today in the wet!  Today's conditions were unbelievable with no grip anywhere.  Tomorrow I will push hard for a podium finish at the very least, whatever the weather."

Massimo Meregalli (Team Coordinator - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team):  "This is our first time in the rain here at Valencia with the new R1, so we have been concentrating on preparing the bike as good as possible.  Unfortunately, we haven't found the best set-up yet so tonight we will check all the data and see what we can improve for tomorrow.

I am very pleased with the front row position for Troy and the second row is fine for Nori, who has a history of making good starts."

Circuit Length: 4005
Temp: 24
Weather: Changeable
 

2007 World Superbike Qualifying - Valencia - April 14, 2007

Pos. Rider Manu. Nat. Total Time

1 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 1'51.982

2 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 1'52.085

3 Joshua Brookes Honda AUS 1'52.199

4 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 1'52.733

5 James Toseland Honda GBR 1'52.801

6 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 1'52.942

7 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 1'52.961

8 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 1'53.634

9 Michel Fabrizio Honda ITA 1'53.750

10 Karl Muggeridge Honda AUS 1'54.108

11 Giovanni Bussei Honda ITA 1'54.972

12 Max Biaggi Suzuki ITA 1'55.196

13 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 1'55.965

14 Fonsi Nieto Kawasaki ESP 1'56.275

15 Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 1'56.332

Qualifying - First Round
The first round of qualifying for the 2007 World Superbike Championship in Valencia, Spain had an interesting result, with Troy Bayliss on the pole with a time of 1:34.599 on his Ducati, followed by our old friend Ruben Xaus, also on a Ducati, with James Toseland in third.

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Max Biaggi and Yukio Kagayama finished the first day of qualifying at Valencia's Ricardo Tormo circuit with the fifth and 12th fastest times, giving Biaggi a provisional second-row start.

Throughout the day Biaggi struggled a little with finding a good set-up for his GSX-R1000 K7 but is hopeful of significant progress tomorrow.  His team mate Kagayama is still suffering the effects of his heavy fall at Donington two weeks ago, so took things very steadily today.

Friday WSB Qualifying: 1 Bayliss (Aus-Ducati) 1:34.599, 2 Xaus (E-Ducati) 1:35.023, 3 Toseland (GB-Honda) 1:35.147, 4 Haga (J-Yamaha) 1:35.440, 5 Max Biaggi (I-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:35.453, 6 Corser (Aus-Yamaha) 1:35.483, 7 Lanzi (I-Ducati) 1:35.709, 8 Neukirchner (D-Suzuki) 1:35.767, 9 Nieto (E-Kawasaki) 1:35.804, 10 Muggeridge (Aus-Honda) 1:35.814. 12 Yukio Kagayama (J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) 1:36.012.

Valencia Ricardo Tormo Race Circuit
The Ricardo Tormo Circuit will host its first international race of the season this coming weekend, with the fourth round of the World Superbike Championship coming to this popular track for its eighth consecutive year.

Valencia is a tight and twisty circuit built with spectators in mind.  The venue was designed to be a "circuit within a stadium" and this has been achieved with over 65,000 grandstand seats that allow spectators to view the track, and the action on it, from the one position.  The popularity of this circuit is evident, with over 3 million spectators visiting since its opening in 1999.

Valencia's complicated track, excellent facilities and favorable winter weather conditions make this circuit ideal for all kinds of racing.  It is in demand by national and international championships and is not restricted to just motorcycles.

Everything from trucks to Formula One cars use this circuit which means that grip levels can be unpredictable, causing conditions to change by the hour and requiring constant adjustments to the set-up of the bike.

Pirelli held their official tire test here in March, with Yamaha's World Superbike, Supersport and Superstock teams all taking part.  The data gathered at this test could be of a big help to put all the Yamaha teams in a good position for their race set-up this weekend.

The last round at Donington saw Noriyuki Haga take the team's first win of the season, showing the potential of the new Yamaha R1.  This was supported by Troy Corser's second and third finishes.  Haga goes into the fourth round in third place in the championship standings with 88 points with Corser just behind on 81 points.  Both riders want to win at this round, so the gloves will be off from the outset.

In 2006 Haga claimed two fifth places in Valencia but as he has won here previously in 2000 and 2004, he is keen to add another race win to his one from Donington.

"Valencia is one of my favorite circuits and I have won there before," he says.  "It is a technically challenging circuit though, and chassis and tire setup are very important there.  With the testing we have done there recently with Pirelli I am hopeful.  After winning at Donington I am feeling very positive and looking forward to winning again!"

Nori's teammate Corser is looking to take some race win glory himself this weekend, after just missing it at Donington.  Last year he took second place in both races and is looking to better that result this year.

"Valencia has a good layout and the weather is normally makes for good riding conditions, although it can get a bit windy and, depending on which way it blows, it can sometimes be a problem.  The track grip is different every time we go there because it depends on what's been racing there previously - trucks or Formula Ford - and what rubber they've left."

With regard to the bike, Corser says, "The bike feels good following the testing we have done there, although every team has done testing there so it's going to be a close race."

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