Various and sundry press reports from MMP:

HONDA RACING INFORMATION

USA World Superbike at Miller Motorsports Park
Sunday 1 June, 2008, World Superbike race report

Temperature Air: 27 to 28
Temperature Ground: 39 to 49

CHECA TAKES HIS FIRST AND HONDA'S 100TH WSB RACE WINS

Carlos Checa (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) scored his first ever World Superbike Championship race win at the all-new WSB venue of Miller Motorsports Park in America, and then followed it up with an even more impressive second victory in race two, taking Honda to 100 wins in this category of racing.

Checa had won his first career Superpole on Saturday, with a new track best of 1'48.193, but after an indifferent start to the first race he took the lead on lap four and was never headed from then on. The supposed 21-lap race actually ran to 20 laps, after the start was delayed for a few minutes, but Checa kept his nerve after two of his main rivals, Troy Bayliss and Noriyuki Haga, crashed out of contention in separate incidents. Checa himself had crashed in qualifying, but overcame his bumps and bruises to reassert his championship threat once more.

In the second race Checa hit the front on lap nine, and eased away to record a margin of victory of 3.5 seconds, easing up at the finish to take a maximum 50 points for his day's work.

Checa is now the clear challenger to long time leader Bayliss, who scored no points today, after one crash and one technical retirement. Bayliss has an unchanged 194 points to Checa's 166, a difference of 28 points, with more than half a season left to run.

Checa's race one success was Honda's first race win with the 2008 model CBR1000RR Fireblade, and both Karl Muggeridge (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) in seventh and Ryuichi Kiyonari (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) in tenth joined Checa in the upper regions of the results pages in the opener.

In race two Kiyonari was seventh, and he now sits tenth in the championship, on 80 points.

Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda Jnr CBR1000RR) qualified a disappointed 25th in his comeback ride, but went 12th in race one, 14th in race two.

Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Althea Honda CBR1000RR) rode injured at Miller, and finished race one 20th, race two 16th and remains on 20 points. He thought he would be more than fit to ride before practice, but he qualified only 28th overall after suffering great pain from his injured shoulder and arm.

Gregorio Lavilla (Vent Axia VK Honda CBR1000RR) recovered from a tough qualifying weekend, in which he was only 23rd, to record 13th in race one and then score another point for 15th in race two. He is now 12th, on 63 points.

Russell Holland (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) scored a point in race one after just missing out on Superpole by only one place. In race two he was forced to retire in the pits. Muggeridge went 11th in race two and is now 15th overall.

Luca Morelli was released from his contract with the Alto Evolution Honda team shortly before the start of the WSB race weekend in America and experienced American rider Jason Pridmore is his replacement.

Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR rider Shuhei Aoyama was as high as tenth in race one, but retired on lap 15, and was also forced out of race two. Pridmore had two eventful races, in 21st and 18th places at the end.

Checa said: "It's been fantastic to take a double win here in the USA. Just at the start of the first race I had some problems with my number one bike and had to use the second one. I felt I had a good start, but then saw the other riders in front of me I knew I had to work hard. When I saw Neukirchner in front I knew I could overtake him and take the lead. In the beginning it was difficult to make a gap, but then I made enough ground. It then was more difficult to control my mind than control the tyre. At the end of the race Corser was catching up and I had to concentrate and improve my pace. The last time I won a race was ten years ago and these are my first wins outside Spain. I would like to dedicate them to my friend Wayne Rainey."

Kiyonari said: "I had a good start in race one, but my first laps were too slow and I dropped back in the field. I did chase the front-runners and managed to gain some ground but it wasn't enough for a good result. For the second race we changed the front tyre and we tried a different setting. Again I had a good start and I worked hard to make my way forward, but in the last laps I lost the grip from my front tyre and I couldn't push any further."

Sofuoglu said: "It has been a hard weekend for me. I made a good start in race one, and made a big step forward from my 25th position on the grid to 9th spot in less than six laps. But then I lost my strength and concentration and I dropped back. I gained few points in the two races today but have learned a lot. I hope things will work better in the next race."

Rolfo said: "Race two was really better than the first one. I want to thank the Clinica Mobile doctors because I had a very effective treatment from them and I felt less pain. I did not start as well as in race one, but I found a good rhythm also because I rode the bike using my legs more than my arms. My Honda was really fast today and the team has worked extremely hard. I'd like to thank them for their help this weekend."

Aoyama said: "We are happier now with everything. This weekend we got a lot of improvements in the machine and we got a good amount of track time. We were in Superpole and did OK before the race. Today we had some problems with the technical package but this is racing. We have made big steps."

Pridmore said: "I got run off by another rider on turn one, then I ran of at turn five and that put me back more in race one. It was a big effort to catch back up. We only finished six seconds from 15th and that wasn't bad considering I was off the track twice."

The next race, at which the World Supersport Championship returns to the SBK calendar, is at the Nürburgring, Germany, on Sunday June 15.

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FABRIZIO STEPS UP TO THE PODIUM IN BOTH OF TODAY'S SUPERBIKE RACES AT MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK

Miller - Salt Lake City (USA) Sunday 1st June: Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) proves that he has taken a liking to America and the Miller Motorsports Park circuit, scoring two third place finishes here today in impressive style on board his Ducati 1098 F08 machine. A less than perfect start in both of this afternoon's races failed to deter the young Italian rider and he powered his way through the field in Race 1 and again in Race 2 to eventually earn third place finishes in both. Unfortunately the day was not so lucky for fellow Ducati Xerox rider Troy Bayliss who failed to finish Race 1 and completed Race 2 in 22nd position after a technical problem.

Troy Bayliss still leads the championship with 194 points while Michel Fabrizio gains 32 points at Miller today, moving him up to eighth place in the riders classification with 87 points.

Troy Bayliss (Race 1 - DNF, Race 2 - 22nd)

Having made a blistering start to both Race 1 and Race 2, Bayliss unfortunately came off during lap four of the first race and then suffered a technical problem with his 1098 F08's gear lever during the second.

"I am really disappointed with today's results of course. In race 1 I crashed in a similar way to how I went down yesterday, which was a bit strange. Having said that, my weekend had been going ok until Race 1 and I was feeling pretty positive ahead of Race 2. Although I got a good start, after a few laps something came loose with the gear shifter so I had to come in. We sorted it quickly enough that I thought I might as well go out and ride, even if it was impossible to get points. I was going well out there but I was too far behind to make up any places. It goes without saying that after all our hard work this weekend I'm really disappointed that we've given away 50 championship points in one weekend."

Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 - 3rd, Race 2 - 3rd)

In Race 1 Michel found himself going from fourth place on the grid down to fourteenth place before making an exceptional comeback to finish the race on the podium, in third place. Race 2 was almost an exact replica, as Michel once again dropped back to twelfth position before battling back to take an impressive third place on the podium for the second time today.

"Obviously I am extremely happy with today's results. In Race 1 I had a gear problem on the start-line which caused a race restart but thanks to the great work of my team I was able to start (the restarted Race 1) without incident. On the first lap I went right down to fourteenth position but worked my way up the field, stayed calm and was very satisfied to take third. In Race 2 I again had to make up a lot of positions and although I'm happy with third, I was hoping to be able to give Carlos more of a run for his money. It was hard work today, the heat and altitude here makes it a really physical challenge, and the last laps of both races were a struggle."
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Team Suzuki Alstare news
2008 Superbike World Championship
Round 6, Miller Motorsports Park, Salt Lake City, USA
Sunday June 1st
Circuit: 4.907 kms
Conditions: Dry, mostly sunny 27-28C

ANOTHER SUPERB PODIUM FOR MAX!
Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner continued his good run of form with a hard fought for fourth place in race one at the Miller Motorsports Park today, before following it up with tremendous runner-up spot in race two. He was at the forefront in both races, had to give way to Carlos Checa (Honda) both times, but knows that his next victory is only a matter of time. Troy Corser (Yamaha) and Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) were second and third in race one and Fabrizio again took third spot in race two, behind Checa and Max. Team Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama finished fifth and eighth respectively in race one and then reversed the positions in race two. Series leader Troy Bayliss had a day to forget - he crashed out of race one and finished out of the points in race two after being forced to pit and have his gearlever repaired.

Max - Race 1: 4th, Race 2: 2nd
I'm very happy today, but I am destroyed! It's been a hot, long, hard day and the the races were very tough. Early in race one Biaggi braked too late for the first turn and I had to change direction, which cost me some time and places. I was also very close to Bayliss when he crashed and I think I'm lucky not to hit him or his bike. I soon settled into a rhythm and began to charge again, but in the latter part of the race I had some front tyre problems and I couldn't attack the fleaders as I wanted. We changed the bike a little for race two, because I had been having some problems entering the turns in the first race, and the bike was better, but Checa got away again and was too far ahead to catch. Considering the problems we had at the start of the weekend, I am happy. I have the best team in the paddock. They worked so hard for me and I want to thank them for these good results.

Fonsi - Race 1: 5th, Race 2: 8th
Race one was not so bad and, to get fifth, considering that I had to start from the fourth row of the grid, was quite good. Also, when Haga crashed, I had to go off the track to avoid hitting him and because of that , I lost time and positions. After that, I really had to work hard to get back into the top six. I used the same bike in race two, but we made some small adjustments to the front forks and the feeling was better, especially on the brakes and into the turns. However, it came with a little loss of traction. I didn't get a good start and later I had trouble with Laconi, who made me go wide a few times. Funnily enough, my last lap in the race was the fastest! Today, I gained a place in the championship, but I know we can do a lot better.

Yukio - Race 1: 8th, Race 2: 5th
My start in the first race was not so good and I couldn't slipstream anybody going into the first turn because there was not enough space to do it. I was 15th at the end of lap one and had to do a lot of work on the brakes to catch the leaders again. It was not so good towards the end, because the tyres were worn out, but I tried my best. I wasn't happy with eighth position and knew it should be better.
In race two, I changed to a softer front tyre and the feeling was improved and I was able to use the brakes better. It took me a little while to understand how my bike was performing and after 10 laps I had a good rhythm and was running consistent times. At Miller, it seems that the grip level doesn't change with temperature variations and the grip at the end was good enough for me to set my fastest lap on the last lap! One lap before the end, I overtook Nori. I knew he was riding with a broken collarbone, and was probably in pain, but I also knew I had to pass him. As I went past, I said ?Sorry, Nori.' I felt bad, but I know, that if the circumstances were reversed, he would've done the same!

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Double top for Checa

It was a day of celebration for the HANNspree Ten Kate Honda team as Carlos Checa scooped the double victory at the sixth round of the HANNspree Superbike World Championship at Salt Lake City, USA today. It has been four years since the Superbike contingent has visited America.

Thirty-five-year-old Checa signalled his intent to score a good result at the Utah circuit by setting a blistering 1?48.193 lap on Saturday to clinch his first pole position ahead of Sunday's 20 and 21-lap Superbike races.

After a poor start from the grid in race one, Checa was back at the front of the pack by the fourth lap, and at half race distance had pulled out an impressive 3.667-second advantage on second placed Max Neukirchner. The experienced Spaniard then maintained his consistent riding style for the remainder of race distance to take his maiden World Superbike victory.

It was a similar story for Checa in the second race as another poor start initially hindered his progress from the grid. However, sheer determination enabled him to slot his HANNspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade into fifth position by the second lap and then lead the rest of the field by lap eight. In a case of history repeating itself, Checa then maintained his lead for the remainder of the 21-lap race to score his second victory of the day.

Meanwhile it had been a day of improvements for Checa?s HANNspree Ten Kate Honda team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari. The young Japanese rider began the day?s races from the fifth row of the grid, but managed to score tenth and seventh place finishes in races one and two respectively.

The third HANNspree Ten Kate Honda rider Kenan Sofuoglu also enjoyed a positive day at Salt Lake City with 12th and 14th place finishes. HANNspree Honda Althea?s Roberto Rolfo returned to racing at the American event after breaking his collarbone and scored 20th and 16th place finishes this weekend.

It had been a disappointing day for current championship leader Troy Bayliss. The Australian crashed out of the first race on lap five and retired from the second leg with technical problems so was unable to add to his overall points tally. Second placed Checa is now just 28 points adrift of the top spot.

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Kawasaki Riders Work Hard For Points
Salt Lake City, United States, 2 June 2008
Makoto Tamada and Régis Laconi (PSG-1 Kawasaki Corse Ninja ZX-10R) rode with conviction in the two Miller Motorsports Park races and each rider scored points at this new WSB venue.
Kawasaki Riders Work Hard For Points
In race one, shortened to 20-laps after a startline grid position delay involving backmarkers, Laconi looked set for a strong finish until a crash on lap five stopped him from capitalising further on his seventh place qualifying position. Tamada was a distant 19th in the race, after struggling to find a suitable set-up on his raceday machine.

In the second race, held over a full 21 laps, Laconi was a high as seventh until the pain from his first race crash started to affect his performance, and he had to drop back, finishing ninth. Tamada's suspension and machine settings were improved a little and the Japanese star worked his way from 21st on lap one to 13th at the finish, scoring three points.

In the overall standings, Tamada leads Laconi by one place and three points. The Kawasaki duo will get a chance to make up more ground at the Nürburgring, on June 15.

Regis Laconi: "I had a big highside crash in race one, at the first corner, and I don't understand what happened. I was pushing for sure, and the rear started spinning and never came back. I went high and I landed hard on my backside, stretching the tendon inside my thigh, and maybe hurting my sciatic nerve. My back was very sore and stiff after half race distance. It was impossible to do better after that. I did my best and it was a tough race for sure."

Makoto Tamada: "Race one was very bad for me. Lots of chattering and not a lot of grip from the front or rear. We tried a few small changes to things for today but it was not so good. These settings were not what we needed maybe but we did all we could."

After Miller the next round - including WSB, WSS and Superstock championships once more - will take place at the Nürburgring, in Germany, on 15 June.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
June 1, 2008

Big Day: Young Leads, West Podiums, Pirelli Sets Race Record

Rome, GA ? Holy jeepers, the AMA Supersport race at Miller Motorsports Park came to a crazy close and surprise finish with Cory West earning his first-ever pro-racing podium with a third place, on his M4 EMGO Suzuki shod with a pair of Pirelli Diablo Supercorsa shoes.

The launch off the Supersport grid was all Blake Young, West?s teammate, shooting into the front from his second-row starting position, though not getting credited with the lead until lap five. Young ultimately turned the second-fastest lap of the race and on the last lap again showed a wheel to the leading pair. But when entering the last turn on the last lap, Young?s bike suffered a mechanical problem, leaving him with a slow coast on a flat track to a distant flag. A distraught Young eventually crossed the line in sixth, while an ecstatic Cory West shot by to claim third by a matter of feet. The race was won by Jake Zemke.

West said, ?I was battling with bunch of guys during much of the race but some had trouble and went away and then I finally got away from the last couple of them. On the last lap, while coming through the final section, I looked over at the JumboTron and saw that my teammate Blake was sitting up, going slowly, so I went as hard as I could to the finish line.?

Other Pirelli riders finishing near the top include Attack Kawasaki?s Chaz Davies in ninth. Usual up-front finisher and teammate of Davies, Steve Rapp, had his shift lever broken off while battling for a top position, causing him not to finish, while M4 EMGO Suzuki?s Michael Barnes went off track, off bike, back on bike, back on track, and heroically finished 30th in a field of 40 bikes. For his historic podium, West used a set of Diablo Supercorsa DOT race tires in SC3 front and SC1 rear compounds.

Pirelli set a new race-lap record for all Superbikes at Miller. In the shared weekend at Utah?s world-class racing facility, World Superbike ran its two races on the Perimeter course, where AMA used to run, while the AMA used the long course. In SBK Race One, Carlos Checa brought the win home to his Hannspree/Ten Kate Honda team, in this Pirelli spec-tire series. Troy Corser finished second for Yamaha Motor Italia and third went to Michel Fabrizio for the Ducati Xerox Team. In SBK Race Two, Checa and Fabrizio again finished first and third, but this time with Max Neukirchner splitting the pair with his Team Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000. In Race Two Checa used his Pirelli Superbike Slicks to lay down a new Perimeter track record at 1:49.703, beating the fastest race time set by any AMA racer.

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Spies wins sixth straight, takes over AMA Superbike lead

TOOELE, Utah (June 1, 2008) - Ben Spies swept the AMA Superbike doubleheader at Miller Motorsports Park during the HANNspree Superbike World Championship/Honda Summit of Speed AMA Superbike combined event in Tooele, Utah.

It marked the sixth consecutive victory in the AMA Superbike Championship for Spies, his 24th career win in the series.

Perhaps most importantly to Spies, in terms of the championship picture, was the fact that he came into Utah nine-points behind Rockstar Makita Suzuki teammate Mat Mladin and, after a perfect weekend of scoring maximum points, including the pole and lap leader points, Spies now owns a 39-point lead. The championship is at the halfway point of the season. Mladin suffered a crash in Saturday's race and finished fourth in Sunday's round.

"I really couldn't have asked for a better weekend," Spies said. "Going into Utah trailing like we were, I was just hoping to even up the championship. We got a little lucky and now to have this kind of points lead coming out of there is a big bonus."

In race one Spies got a great start and led the race when Mladin crashed on lap two. With his chief rival out of the race Spies moderated his pace and went on to a 1.601-second victory over his good friend Jamie Hacking. Former World and British Superbike Champion Neil Hodgson was third.

The AMA riders utilized Miller Motorsports Park's 4.5-mile Full Course. It's the longest circuit the AMA Superbike Series has ever raced on.

Sunday's race showed improvement in Spies and his factory Suzuki. He shaved eight seconds off Saturday's race time, winning again over Hacking, this time by a convincing 6.898 seconds. Hodgson was third.

In spite of having a points lead equivalent to a race win, Spies says he will not alter his strategy in the coming rounds.

"It will help me sleep a little better at night," Spies said of his unexpected lead. "but this championship is far from decided. Too many things can happen with the way the AMA points are structured. That kind of lead can be lost in just two race weekends. I won't change a thing. I want to keep doing what I'm doing and see where we take it from here."

Spies earned yet another significant mark in the AMA record books on Saturday at Miller when he earned the pole with a time of 2:45.111 on the Full Course. It marked his 19th-career AMA Superbike pole, moving him past Doug Polen for sole possession of second on the All-Time AMA Superbike Pole Wins List.

Spies has found a wealth of success in Utah, having now won five of the six AMA Superbike races held at Miller Motorsports Park dating to the track's debut in 2006.

Next weekend the AMA Superbike Championship travels to Road America in picturesque Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. The four-mile, 14-turn Road America is considered by many to be the premier road racing circuit in the series.
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