World Superbike News

Troy Bayliss

At round eleven, of the Hanspree World Superbike Championship at Donington Park, Leon Haslam, Cal Crutchlow and James Ellison will all be racing as Wild-Card riders.

Ellison, currently running in sixth and riding the Hydrex-Bike Animal Honda in the British Superbike Championship, is to use a World Superbike engine while the HM Plant Honda riders in BSB, Crutchlow and Haslam are still waiting for the team decision on what they will be riding with.

For Crutchlow and Haslam, Donington is considered to be their home circuit ,while Ellison has done well in both Grand Prix and domestic Superbikes at this track.

Crutchlow, is currently second in the Championship and recently competed in the Suzuka 8 hours, where he finished in sixth place, while Haslam, running in fourth in the Championship, finished the endurance race in ninth place.

The BSB riders are going to have a tough weekend against the World Superbike men, and Troy Bayliss already had his eye on another winning double for his final season in the sport.

Then, of course, there is the likes of Troy Corser, Noriyuki Haga, Max Biaggi, Max Neukirchner, to name a few, all fighting for those important points.

Craig Jones - RIP

World Supersport rider, Craig Jones, 23, was hospitalised on Sunday after an horrific accident in the British leg of the Championship.

The Honda rider from Peterborough, suffered serious head injuries when fighting for the lead at the Brands Hatch track, he lost control of his bike at Clarke curve and was hit by Andrew Pitt on the Ten Kate Honda, who had know where else to go to avoid Jones.

Jones suffered serious head injures in the crash and was treated at track before being airlifted to hospital where despite intensive medical attention, the young rider died during the early hours of this morning.

Such a sad ending for such a talented rider, condolences to his family, friends and team, he will be missed,  RIP Craig Jones.

Round ten of the World Superbike Championship took place today at Brands Hatch with Ryuichi Kiyonari on the Hanspree Ten Kate Honda taking victory in both races.

Race One

Kiyonari was way back in seventh place by the end of lap one, but by lap seven he was on the tail of championship leader Troy Bayliss on the Xerox Ducati.

Noriyuki Haga on the Factory Yamaha, crashed out at Surtees on lap seven, passing his place to Kiyonari.

The British Superbike rider, Tom Sykes, racing as a Wild-Card, kept up with the leaders at the early part of the race and by lap nine had worked his way into ninth place on the Suzuki.

On the next lap, Sykes retired from the race with technical problems, discovered to be caused by a hole through the radiator.

Here are the results;

Pos – Rider – Team - Time

1 - Ryuichi Kiyonari - Hannspree Ten Kate Honda - 36′18.607
2 - Troy Bayliss - Ducati Xerox Team - 36′18.744
3 - Max Biaggi - Sterilgarda Go Eleven - 36′18.787
4 - Yukio Kagayama - Team Suzuki Alstare - 36′24.340
5 - Fonsi Nieto - Team Suzuki Alstare - 36′25.106
6 - Carlos Checa - Hannspree Ten Kate Honda - 36′25.591
7 - Max Neukirchner - Team Alstare Suzuki - 36′26.907
8 - Troy Corser - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB - 36′29.339
9 - Jakub Smrz - Guandalini Racing - 36′35.154
10 - Roberto Rolfo - Hannspree Honda Althea - 36′35.176
11 - Lorenzo Lanzi - R.G. Team - 36′36.973
12 - Michel Fabrizio - Ducati Xerox Team - 36′40.915
13 - Kenan Sofuoglu - Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Jr. - 36′45.395
14 - Gregorio Lavilla - Ventaxia VK Honda - 36′45.463
15 - Chris Walker - Ventaxia VK Honda - 36′51.484
16 - Karl Muggeridge - D.F. Racing - 36′56.936
17 - David Checa - Yamaha France Ipone GMT 94 - 37′05.475
18 - Makoto Tamada - Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse - 37′07.024
19 - Noriyuki Haga - Yamaha Motor Italia WSB - 37′17.593
20 - Vittorio Iannuzzo - Team Pedercini - 37′24.635
21 - Luca Morelli - D.F. Racing - 37′27.983
22 - Jason Pridmore - Alto Evolution Honda Superbike - 37′28.082
23 - Christian Zaiser - Grillini PBR Team - 37′40.821

RT - Régis Laconi - Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse - 32′21.573
RT - Ayrton Badovini - Team Pedercini - 23′49.290
RT - Sébastien Gimbert - Yamaha France Ipone GMT 94 - 17′37.426
RT - Tom Sykes - Rizla Suzuki - 13′02.348
RT - Tristan Palmer - Lloyds British - 10′31.201
RT - Shuhei Aoyama - Alto Evolution Honda Superbike - 4′39.276

Race Two

In race two, Troy Bayliss on the Xerox Ducati took the lead from the off, but was caught and passed by Noriyuki Haga by lap six.

By the next lap, the reigning British Superbike Champion, Ryuichi Kiyonari on the Ten Kate Honda was up to second place as Bayliss went backwards, finishing the race in eleventh place.

Tom Sykes, again putting in an impressive ride, move up to fourth place but couldn’t hold back the pack behind him, although still finishing in an impressive seventh place.

Haga and Kiyonari, left the rest of the riders behind as they battled it out for that number one position.  Both riders took some brave but skilled moves to overtake until lap eleven, when Ryuichi made it stick and leaving Haga unable to regain the lead.

Max Neukirchner on the Suzuki, was on a late charge as he passed Bayliss, Sykes and Fabrizio to take fourth place behind Troy Corser.

Here are the results;

Pos – Rider – Team - Time

RT - Karl Muggeridge - D.F. Racing - 24′53.413
RT - Vittorio Iannuzzo - Team Pedercini - 22′25.034
RT - Tristan Palmer - Lloyds British - 13′36.783
RT - Christian Zaiser - Grillini PBR Team - 6′08.350

Troy Bayliss on the Xerox Ducati, took the pole position today in the Superpole session at Brands Hatch ahead of tomorrows race.

Noriyuki Haga on the Yamah YZF-R1, was in second followed by Ryuichi Kiyonari on the Honda CBR1000R in third.

Jakub Smrz, the Czech rider, took fourth place for his Ducati team ahead of Yamaha Italia Motor WSB rider, Troy Corser.

An impressive sixth place for Wild-Card rider, Tom Sykes, on the Suzuki GSX-R1000 followed by Max Biaggi on his Ducati.

The afternoon session was declared a wet session, limiting the riders to a maximum twelve laps in a fifty-minute period.

Here are the results;

1 Bayliss T. AUS Ducati 1098 F08 1′25.656
2 Haga N. JPN Yamaha YZF-R1 IT 1′25.679
3 Kiyonari R. JPN Honda CBR1000RR 1′25.840
4 Smrz J. CZE Ducati 1098 RS 08 1′25.960
5 Corser T. AUS Yamaha YZF-R1 1′26.021
6 Sykes T. GBR Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′26.166
7 Biaggi M. ITA Ducati 1098 RS 1′26.169
8 Neukirchner M. GER Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′26.226
9 Kagayama Y. JPN Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′26.501
10 Nieto F. ESP Suzuki GSX-R1000 1′26.688
11 Checa C. ESP Honda CBR1000RR 1′26.751
12 Fabrizio M. ITA Ducati 1098 F08 1′26.807
13 Lavilla G. ESP Honda CBR1000RR 1′27.148
14 Lanzi L. ITA Ducati 1098 RS 08 1′27.217
15 Xaus R. ESP Ducati 1098 RS 08 1′27.246
16 Muggeridge K. AUS Honda CBR1000RR 1′27.580

This weekend the World Superbike Championship is at Brands Hatch in Kent for the round ten and today was the first qualifying session.

Ryuichi Kiyonari on the Hanspree Ten Kate Honda, only days after winning the Suzuka 8 Hours, took the provisional pole position ahead of Noriyuki Haga on the Yamaha Motor Italia WSB, who had earlier taken a tour through the gravel.

Yukio Kagayama, the Suzuki Alstare rider, took third place followed by Max Biaggi on the Sterilgarda Go Eleven Ducati to complete the provisional front row.

Jakub Smrz on the Guadalini Ducati was in fifth place ahead of Gregorio Lavilla on the VentAxia VK Honda in sixth and Troy Corser, the second Yamaha Motor Italia WSB rider in seventh.

In eighth was Karl Muggeridge on the DFX Honda followed by the wild-card entry Tom Sykes on the Rizla Suzuki and Fonsi Nieto on the Factory Suzuki Alstare.

Here are the results;