2008 World Superbike Championship Round 12 - Italy - Vallelunga

2008 World Superbike, Round 12 - Italy - Vallelunga - September 21, 2008

Race Results
Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB) scored a sensational double win in the twelfth round of the HANNspree FIM Superbike World Championship at the Vallelunga circuit near Rome in front of 82,000 spectators.

The Japanese rider, who hadn't won a race since Nurburgring, took the maximum points, while championship leader Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) wasted an opportunity to clinch his third title when he crashed out on the final lap of race 2, postponing the race for the title until Magny-Cours.

Race 1
Haga powered to his fifth win of the season, battling throughout the 24-lap race with an on-form Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati). 

The Italian tried everything to pass Haga but in the end had to settle for the runner-up slot. Third place went to Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB), while Max Neukirchner (Alstare Suzuki) recovered from a poor start to grab fourth place from Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) and Bayliss, who struggled after making a wrong choice of tire.

Seventh went to Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox), who ruined a good result in front of his home crowd with a poor start.  Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Honda Althea) stalled at the start but then was able to recover to finish eighth.

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB):  "I'm really very happy because this weekend my feeling with the bike was very good even though on Friday I had a big crash, but no problem.  Also my body is feeling much better now.  It was quite a tough race, 24 laps here is very long and I had pressure from Max but my bike was good and thanks also to my team for the win".

Max Biaggi (Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati):  "It was a nice race and a nice start and I tried to keep up with Haga in front and then when Corser arrived he was really trying hard.  Then I got back to Nori, but he was riding very good and it was tough for me, I was always behind him, I couldn't attack because I lost too much time going out of the curve".

Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB):  "We made a change from the morning warm-up and the bike felt pretty good even though it was a bit of a gamble.  In the infield section just before the last corner it jumped out of gear into neutral and I lost a bit of time.  In the end I pushed as hard as I could to the two guys up front but it was too much to make up.  I'm happy enough to get third because it's more points in the championship".

Race 2
After winning race 1 Haga then took the honors in the second encounter, but he had to work much harder this time around as Bayliss never let up for one instant.

The race was decided at the hairpin on the final lap, when Troy crashed out at low speed.  The Australian thus misses out on a chance to clinch the title with two rounds remaining, although now he needs just 21 points from the last four races to become champion for the third time.

Fabrizio scored a superb second place, which he snatched from Corser on the final lap.  Behind the top 3 Neukirchner and Checa again finished fourth and fifth, while Shinichi Nakatomi (YZF Yamaha) and Regis Laconi (Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse) finished eighth and ninth.

Biaggi and Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) tangled in a nasty-looking crash in the fast section just after the start of the race, the Italian coming away without any serious injury with the Turkish rider suffered bruising in the pelvic area.

Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB):  "Troy and I had a really big fight and I am sorry for Troy's crash, but I really enjoyed battling with him.  It was a great day for me and the team, a big thanks to everyone.  Now I have to think about the next round and I will try and push hard again".

Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox):  "Thank you Rome and Vallelunga for all the support they have shown me this weekend, this result is really good for me and also for my Ducati team.  I had a fantastic battle with Corser, it was difficult to catch him but I was gaining one-tenth of a second on him every lap and in the end I got him".

Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB):  "I'm a bit disappointed with another third place to be honest.  We changed the bike between the races and the rear tire seemed to work better at the beginning but towards the end though the last Esses I was losing too much time.  The result is good for the championship, it's a shame that Troy crashed, but congratulations to Michel, he was riding really hard".

FIM Supersport World Championship
Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) scored his third win of the season at Vallelunga, dominating the Supersport race from start to finish.

With this result Rea has reduced to 11 points the gap to points leader, team-mate Andrew Pitt, who crashed out from fourth place four laps from the end, while trying to pass Eugene Laverty (Yamaha World Supersport) for third.

The runner-up slot went to Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport), who still has a chance of the title despite being 30 points behind. 

Joan Lascorz (Glaner Motocard.com Honda) scored a positive fifth place, his best result for some time, the Spaniard finishing ahead of Barry Veneman (RES Software Suzuki) and Robbin Harms (Hannspree Stiggy Motorsport Honda).

Donington winner Joshua Brookes (Hannspree Stiggy Motorsport Honda) had a disappointing race, the Australian finishing twelfth after receiving a ride-through penalty for cutting the chicane.

►Qualifying

Yamaha Team Report - After the wet weather endured by all on the first day, warm and sunny conditions for the final qualifying sessions allowed the Yamaha Motor Italia World Superbike riders to easily make it into Superpole, and subsequently earn front row starts for Sunday's Vallelunga races.

Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) looked set to extend his record number of pole positions in WSB competition until Troy Bayliss finally just improved on his countryman's best time. 

Corser's 1'36.730 was only 0.124 seconds from Bayliss, offering the prospect of a close contest between these old adversaries on raceday.

Seventh away in Superpole qualifying, Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) improved his final qualifying position to third, with a 1'36.915 that put him just behind Corser. 

Weather conditions are expected to be dry on race day although track conditions are far less hot than they were during the team's successful test at Vallelunga in July.

Shinichi Nakatomi (Team YZF Yamaha) missed a ride in Superpole by only a few places, finishing his qualifying sessions 19th overall.  David Checa (Yamaha GMT94) replicated his 20th place in the wet on day one in the dry day two, while his team-mate Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha GMT94) was 2nd quickest.

Troy Corser (2nd - 1'36.730 - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team):  "I was going strong in free practice, we put a soft tyre on for qualifying and it went really well. I'm just happy to be on the front row to be honest, after we only had one day of testing in the dry. 

The track is a lot less hot than it was for our summer tests so we will make final choices of tires and set-up tomorrow. A good day for us, and we came so close to taking another Superpole win."

Noriyuki Haga (3rd - 1'36.915 - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team):  "I have a good feeling on the bike and I am so glad that it was dry today, even if I was fast in wet qualifying. 

After my big fall yesterday I did not want any wet track conditions.  With only one day of dry track practice we will still be checking our set-up in morning warm-up, but starting from the front row is always something to be positive about."

Massimo Meregalli (Team Manager, Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team):  "Today was a good day for both Noriyuki and Troy. 1st row is very important for us because here it is not so easy to overtake. Tomorrow during warm up we will decide on which tyre to use."

Shinichi Nakatomi (19th - 1'38.574 - Team YZF Yamaha):  "I have been testing here in July, but now my feeling is very different. We changed the tire and the settings, but I still do not have enough feeling.  I hope we can find a good set up for the race. So far, even if we changed the settings, my feeling is not so good."

Ruben Xaus, Vallelunga
 

►Race Preview

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Yamaha Team Report
After taking part in a successful official FGSport test at Vallelunga in July both Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) and Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team) will see nothing but opportunities at the final Italian round on the 2008 World Superbike calendar.

Corser, who moved into second place in the championship standings after the previous round at Donington Park, will be out to make up ground on long-term championship leader Troy Bayliss, with three rounds left to run.

Haga secured a podium finish of third for Yamaha in the second race at Vallelunga in the 2007 season and he goes for his fifth race win of 2008 this weekend. Corser finished that same 2007 Vallelunga race immediately behind Haga, and with the improvements made on the YZF-R1 racebike since that competition last year, much is expected from the Yamaha duo this weekend.

The Vallelunga test in July this year was the site of the first public test of Öhlins' variable electronic suspension, which was tried again during the largely wet Donington rounds. The team intends to use this technology once more this weekend, and through to the end of the season.

Vallelunga was only adopted into the World Superbike calendar in 2007 and the experiences learned in that meeting demonstrated that there was not enough paddock space available for all the support classes, and therefore the 2008 Vallelunga weekend will only feature the World Superbike and World Supersport classes.

The team will also be using some new engine parts at this race, developed to keep the competitiveness going right to the end of what has already been a classic year of racing, one which has delivered Corser nine podiums so far, and Haga seven.

Corser is keen to get back into action at Vallelunga and he is raring to have another two tries at scoring his first WSB race win for Yamaha. "We tested at this track earlier in the year; mostly evaluating our electronics package and some development tires.

The track's layout is pretty good. I don't think they have changed it from last year, when we had a fair result. The weather may be changeable for us this weekend, even though we expected earlier it would be good, but either way our bike is working well in wet or dry conditions.

In terms of set-up, we will probably start the weekend from where we ended testing, before we try anything different. My body is OK after my Donington falls, and the physiotherapy I have had has worked well, so I'm ready to race."

Haga stated. "I go into the Vallelunga race ready to score more points. Donington didn't turn out well, but I am determined to make a good raceday this weekend. We have tested at Vallelunga already this year, so that will help us to find good settings for the track."

David Checa, #194

Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Team YZF) scored points in the dry race at Donington, and this weekend he will be looking for some dry weather to meet the Vallelunga challenge. He is 21st overall, on 32 points.

David Checa (Yamaha GMT94) is currently 26th, after scoring well with an 11th place finish in race one at Donington. Sebastien Gimbert (Yamaha GMT94) is now two places behind Checa, but ready to take some more points if the opportunity arises.

Vallelunga according to Massimo Meregalli (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team Manager):  "We will start the race weekend in Vallelunga the same way as we finished the test there in July, because we were happy with that test. We will use the electronic suspension again, because we have had good results with it.

We will also bring some small changes in terms of engine parts. Nothing too radical, but still a small step forward. I think we can look forward to going to Vallelunga with good expectations of success, particularly after the strong test results and our usual high level of motivation to succeed. We know our bike can work well around Vallelunga, and at any other circuit."

Parkes Prepared for Championship Run-In
Broc Parkes (Yamaha World Supersport Team) has a clear goal to get back into championship contention at the forthcoming Vallelunga race, with three rounds remaining in the overall series.

The Australian rider is well placed to make his mark again after a strong testing performance at this venue close to Rome earlier in the summer, proving that he and his YZF-R6 can be a potent force at yet another circuit in 2008. So far Parkes has one win and two further podium finishes to his credit, as he sits fourth overall in the pre-Vallelunga standings.

Last year Parkes was fourth in the corresponding event, on the previous version of the R6, but this year he will be aiming for nothing less than a podium finish, and ideally the win at the 4.110km circuit.

Eugene Laverty will once more be with Parkes as he replaces injured regular rider, Fabien Foret. It will be his second race for the team in 2008 and the Ulsterman was 12th at the previous Donington event.

Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) is looking forward to another home round with understandable relish. Last year he was unable to finish the race and having missed the Vallelunga test this year, he will be looking to find a strong set-up early to keep up his charge for an overall top ten finish.

Parkes is fully ready for his Roman weekend after some poor luck in recent weekends, and ultimately wants to win his second race of the year. "I am looking forward to Vallelunga because we had such a good test there in July. We were very close to setting the best time, but the main thing was that we found a good race set-up on the second day.

The last round at Donington didn't go the way we wanted, so we will be out to get ourselves back into the top end of the championship again. I really want to get a good result. The Vallelunga track layout is a little bit tough but it is also a bit of a rider's track. When everything is working well anything can happen there."

Laverty is looking forward to his first experience of the Vallelunga circuit. "I have never ridden at Vallelunga but the team has been there for a two-day test so they have some information for the bike. That means I should be able to just jump on and concentrate on learning the track by myself. It seems to be a bit more like a typical British track and the first section, the fastest part, looks really interesting."

Wilco Zeelenberg, the Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager, said of Vallelunga. "Our test there was very positive and it should allow us to start race weekend in a good way. Then we need to carry on the good work right through to raceday. We struggled at the last race at Donington but Broc was really fast here in the tests.

We checked out the Donington data and all the equipment seems to be fine but I think we suffered from a lack of dry track time for Broc and our bike. Our bike was backing-in a bit under braking last time out, but I see no problems like that for Vallelunga because we were very fast and consistent in testing.

Gearing is critical at the fast parts of the Vallelunga circuit, we made good progress with fast cornering during the tests. Eugene is back with us again and he did well at Donington. He rode with his head as he got used to the bike in dry conditions and showed he can be fast."

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