2008 World Superbike Championship Round 11 - Donington Park

2008 World Superbike, Round 11 - Donington Park, England - September 7, 2008

Race Results
Bayliss and Kiyonari Share the Wins in Donington World Superbike Round

Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) and Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) powered to the two wins in the eleventh round of the 2008 Superbike World Championship, which was held in front of 45,000 spectators at Donington Park, England.

In difficult track and weather conditions, the Australian won the first race, but then crashed out in the second, leaving his Japanese rival to take his third win of the year.

Race 1
Bayliss's chief rivals for the title were all eliminated and the Australian went on to break his jinx at the Leicestershire track.

The race was interrupted for the first time when Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia) deposited oil on the track, while Max Neukirchner (Alstare Suzuki), Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Kiyonari crashed out.

The second podium slot went to British wild-card Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki) ahead of Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati), who moved onto the podium after team-mate Ruben Xaus had crashed after the red flags had been brought out for rain.

Gregorio Lavilla (VentAxia Honda) had a good run to finish fourth ahead of Yukio Kagayama (Suzuki Alstare) and Jakub Smrz (Guandalini Ducati), while Roberto Rolfo (Althea Honda) missed a chance for a good result when he crashed out of fourth overall and Corser notched up his sixth crash of the weekend.

Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox): "I've been coming to Donington since 1998 and so am pretty happy with that race win. All weekend everything has been going great, we've had mixed conditions but we've been strong in both dry and wet. I was basically racing my lapboard the whole time because of the aggregate time and could have settled for second but I haven't won here before and so really wanted the win".

Tom Sykes (Rizla Suzuki): "I was a bit disappointed they stopped the first part because I felt my pace was a bit stronger than Troy's. In the second part the bike got off the line well, but then I made a mistake and misread one of the flags and also had a moment. But Troy was too quick today, he broke me with his fast laps so congratulations to him".

Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati): "I was already in the pit taking off my leathers and someone from the organization called me onto the podium so it was a bit of a surprise for me to take third place. My team made a very good change between the two parts and actually everything was very good, we made a good job".

2008 World Superbike Round 11 - Donington Park, Race 2 (Courtesy World Superbike)

Race 2
Kiyonari was back at the front in the second race after his crash in race 1. The Honda rider took his third win of the season, holding off a late surge from Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda).

The final podium slot went to a battered and bruised Corser, who finished his difficult weekend with a gutsy third place. James Ellison (Hydrex Bike Animal Honda) was fourth, ahead of Italians Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) and Biaggi.

The race was held in the pouring rain, and the tricky conditions caught out Bayliss (Ducati), who crashed while in second place. Race 2 was again disappointing for Neukirchner and Checa, while Haga was black-flagged for not coming in for a ride-through penalty.

Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda): "It was very difficult for me, the race was hard and I made a few mistakes because I pushed very hard. At the start of the race it was just too wet, which made things even more difficult, but I had a good setting and a good machine. The last ten laps were even tougher because Cal was getting closer and closer all the time!"

Cal Crutchlow (HM Plant Honda): "We thought maybe in the dry we would have the advantage because we had a race here before, but it's a fantastic result for myself and the team, we've both put a lot of effort in this weekend. To come out in the second race after having a technical problem in race 1 is fantastic, all credit to our guys, but I'd like to dedicate that result to Jonesy".

Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB): "This is one of the toughest weekends we've had, the conditions out here were quite slippery in practice, qualifying and the races. I had six highsides before the first race and another one there, so I'm pretty sore. But thanks to the guys, they've done a great job repairing the bike and getting it back on the track".

2008 World Superbike Round 11- Donington Park - Sep 7, 2008

Race 1

1 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 29'55.384

2 Tom Sykes Suzuki GBR 0'1.266

3 Max Biaggi Ducati ITA 0'28.636

4 Gregorio Lavilla Honda ESP 0'33.566

5 Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 0'35.966

6 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 0'36.034

7 Fonsi Nieto Suzuki ESP 0'36.442

8 Leon Haslam Honda GBR 0'41.633

9 Karl Muggeridge Honda AUS 0'42.075

10 James Ellison Honda GBR 0'43.476

11 David Checa Yamaha ESP 1'12.578

12 Ayrton Badovini Kawasaki ITA 1'13.147

13 Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 1'34.664

14 Shuhei Aoyama Honda JPN 1'56.726

Race 2

1 Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda JPN 40'26.508

2 Cal Crutchlow Honda GBR 0'2.261

3 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 0'9.727

4 James Ellison Honda GBR 0'20.227

5 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 0'27.475

6 Max Biaggi Ducati ITA 0'28.051

7 Gregorio Lavilla Honda ESP 0'30.922

8 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 0'38.353

9 Carlos Checa Honda ESP 0'50.196

10 Tom Sykes Suzuki GBR 0'57.346

11 Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 1'3.093

12 Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 1'6.697

13 Roberto Rolfo Honda ITA 1'8.057

14 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 1'15.276

15 Regis Laconi Kawasaki FRA 1'38.848

Best Lap

Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 1'31.814

Rider Standings as of September 7, 2008

1. Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 359

2. Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 258

3. Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 254

4. Carlos Checa Honda ESP 240

5. Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 230

6. Fonsi Nieto Suzuki ESP 192

7. Max Biaggi Ducati ITA 192

8. Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda JPN 190

9. Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 172

10. Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 156

11. Yukio Kagayama Suzuki JPN 120

12. Jakub Smrz Ducati CZE 105

13. Gregorio Lavilla Honda ESP 105

14. Lorenzo Lanzi Ducati ITA 99

15. Karl Muggeridge Honda AUS 71

21. Shinichi Nakatomi Yamaha JPN 32

26. David Checa Yamaha ESP 12

28. Sebastien Gimbert Yamaha FRA 7

Manufacturer Standings as of September 7, 2008

1. Ducati 439

2. Yamaha 366

3. Honda 335

4. Suzuki 329

5. Kawasaki 69

FIM Supersport World Championship
Joshua Brookes (Hannspree Stiggy Motorsport Honda) scored his first win of the season, when he got the better of his fellow Australian, Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) with a terrific battle in the final stages.

Thanks to this win, Brookes moves into second place, 32 points behind Pitt. A Honda 1-2-3 was completed by Northern Ireland's Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate), who held off Barry Veneman (RES Software Suzuki) for fourth.

South African Hudson Kennaugh (Raceways Yamaha) scored a good result in fifth, while Team Stiggy wrapped up a good day with sixth place for Robbin Harms, the Dane coming home ahead of Joan Lascorz (Glaner Motocard.com Honda) and Didier Van Keymeulen (RES Software Suzuki).

Before the race, a tribute was held on the grid to Craig Jones, the British rider who lost his life in a crash at Brands Hatch.

Results: 1. Brookes J. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 34'53.607 (152,188 kph); 2. Pitt A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 0.872; 3. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR600RR 4.846; 4. Veneman B. (NED) Suzuki GSX-R600 5.066; 5. Kennaugh H. (RSA) Yamaha YZF-R6 8.604; 6. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 8.990; 7. Lascorz J. (ESP) Honda CBR600RR 15.660; 8. Van Keymeulen D. (BEL) Suzuki GSX-R600 16.674.

Points (after 10 of 13 rounds): 1. Pitt (Honda) 169; 2. Brookes (Honda) 137; 3. Rea (Honda) 133; 4. Parkes (Yamaha) 119; 5. Jones (Honda) 100; 6. Foret (Yamaha) 97; 7. Lascorz (Honda) 92; 8. Veneman (Suzuki) 61.

2008 World Superbike Qualifying - Donington Park September 6, 2008

Superpole

1 Troy Bayliss Ducati AUS 1'42.013

2 Ryuichi Kiyonari Honda JPN 1'42.353

3 Carlos Checa Honda ESP 1'42.486

4 Ruben Xaus Ducati ESP 1'42.573

5 James Ellison Honda GBR 1'42.582

6 Max Biaggi Ducati ITA 1'42.619

7 Tom Sykes Suzuki GBR 1'42.624

8 Troy Corser Yamaha AUS 1'42.875

9 Cal Crutchlow Honda GBR 1'43.125

10 Michel Fabrizio Ducati ITA 1'43.172

11 Noriyuki Haga Yamaha JPN 1'43.218

12 Leon Haslam Honda GBR 1'43.387

13 Chris Walker Honda GBR 1'43.492

14 Max Neukirchner Suzuki GER 1'43.895

15 Gregorio Lavilla Honda ESP 1'43.915

►Race Preview

As the five-week summer break in the World Superbike Championship calendar comes to an end this coming weekend at Donington Park, Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) will each have particularly good recent memories to draw on. Haga won race two at this classic venue last year and Corser scored a double podium, each riding for the current Yamaha squad.

In fact the Donington circuit has played a pivotal role in each rider's career in their early years of international competition and more recently. Haga came to European prominence with his first ever double win at Donington in April 1998, again while riding for Yamaha. He now has 30 WSB race wins to his credit, four of them so far in 2008.

Corser's first WSB race weekend in Europe took place at Donington way back in 1994, he scored a race two podium in that event. After almost 300 rides in WSB Troy now has 33 WSB race wins to his credit and a quite remarkable 123 podium finishes.

Currently Corser is only 10 points from second place in the overall championship chase, while Haga is fifth, only 12 points from Corser.

The Donington circuit is effectively a track of two halves. One is the main section from the start-finish to the exit of Coppice corner, which features sweeping corners and constant changes of elevation and camber. Smoothness and conservation of momentum are rewarded on this part.

The final section of the Melbourne loop features one slow chicane, and two short straights with tight off-camber hairpins at the end, all of which demand good acceleration in low gears and strong braking performance to score the quickest lap times.

With vast experience of this venue, Donington holds no fears for the likes of Corser and Haga, particularly as they will have the option of running full electronic suspension this weekend, provided by official partner Öhlins.

Technically speaking - Donington according to Massimo Meregalli (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team Manager): "We will have one important technical advance to try at Donington, because we will have Öhlins electronic suspension to use for the first time in a race scenario.

The feeling we had with the suspension in Vallelunga during a summer test was very good, so we asked Öhlins for the possibility to get two sets for the last few races of this season. They have gone ahead and made it happen. In the end they have completed a great job to make us not only two sets but also some spares, so we can use them right through from Donington to the end of the season.

We are expecting that we can do better with this suspension than the conventional set-up. They should assist Troy in particular, as he used this system at Vallelunga and he was very happy with it. It should be good at some braking points at Donington, where we should really find an improvement with this type of system.

We will run one bike for each rider on normal suspension and one with the new electronic system. We left all our equipment and machines with Yamaha UK after the previous round at Brands Hatch, so other than the suspension the only new things to see this weekend will be our unique race day livery, designed by a Yamaha Livery Design competition winner in partnership with MCN.

The winning Yamaha livery design will be revealed in the WSB paddock on Saturday evening at 18.00pm. We are all rested and ready to fight after our summer break, and keen to get back to business."

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