The multi-day test for Ducati Corse riders Regis Laconi and James Toseland, where they were joined by Ducati Austin rider Eric Bostrom at Mugello, ended with Laconi fastest, and Bostrom lapping about as fast as Toseland. The test, according to Corse sources, was an effort to try and shake whatever is slowing down the Bostrom/Ducati Austin effort loose and fix it. The set-ups and procedures that the team has been using checked out, seemingly canceling out any question about the team.

Bostrom put in a great deal of laps on a Michelin-shod Ducati Corse Superbike but was unable to lap significantly faster than the World Superbike riders, even though they were on the slower Pirelli rubber. At that point, Corse engineers were curious as to the competitiveness of the Michelin tires on the 999 and decided to gamble a bit.

As an experiment on the final day of the test, the team brought Ducati Briel World Supersport rider Lorenzo "Fonzi" Lanzi to the test and unleashed him on a Michelin/999. Lanzi has decent track knowledge at Mugello, is twenty-two years old and is a former European, 250 Italian 250 and 250GP rider. He finished tenth in the World Supersport race at Brands one week ago, but has finished as high as fourth in World Supersport this season.

The gamble paid off as Lanzi lapped about a second and a half faster than Bostrom, setting a fast time of 1:54.9 versus Bostrom's 1:56.6. It was only the second time Lanzi had ridden a Superbike, and, admittedly, at a track he is quite familiar with.

Is this fellow Eric Bostrom's new team-mate? America, meet Lorenzo 'Fonzi' Lanzi. image: thanks david james

Corse sources say that they still support Eric Bostrom (27) and want to help him regain his competitive edge on the 999, but that with only two rounds of the AMA series remaining, at the same time they're looking for some decent results to carry into the off-season. Thus, Lanzi will be jumping on a jet next week and traveling to the US so he can join the team and test a 999 at Virginia International Raceway on August 11-12.

Will the Italian race the final two rounds of the series, at Road Atlanta and VIR? That hasn't been decided, but if he circulates with decent speed at the VIR test next week, then it's a very good bet that Lanzi will be racing an Austin Ducati soon.