Press Release
SBK OFFICIAL TEST - PORTIMAO - 23rd, 24th and 25th JANUARY
Portimao, Sunday 25th January 2009
Byrne Supremacy Remains On Changeable Final Day
The last day of World Superbike Championship official testing at Portimao was once again affected by adverse weather conditions, and thus the absolute best times of the entire test were largely set on the second day, leaving Shane Byrne as the new track best pace setter on his private Sterilgarda Ducati.
"I didn't expect to be fastest in the test to be honest but I'm not surprised" declared ?Shakey'. "The bike's working really well and the relationship and feedback with the team and my engineer is great. This Superpole formula is not new for me, we tried something similar in the last few BSB races. It's really exciting and spectacular and I'm sure it'll look good on TV as well".
Only two top riders improved their weekend times today, Troy Corser, who was finally ranked an impressive 11th on the all-new BMW four-cylinder, and Max Biaggi on the vee four Aprilia, who went 18th.
With new rules in place for both Superpole qualifying and flag-to-flag races each was given a trial run today.
In Superpole there will now be 20 riders in the qualifying group, which then drops to 16, then eight in the final 12-minute session, which determines the pole setter. The top 20 riders from this weekend's sessions went forward to practice this discipline today, with great success, and the new format of final grid qualifying is anticipated with relish by all.
The flag-to-flag practice was included in the very last practice session of all three days, with riders coming in to change to their spare bikes when the signal was given, without any interruption of the simulated race session.
Many of the top teams now leave Portimao to get to Phillip Island well in advance of the race, to undergo their own private test sessions before the start of the season, in just over one month's time.
Superbike - Overall Best Times
1. Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'43.294; 2. Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.484; 3. Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'43.487; 4. Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'43.546; 5. Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'43.657; 6. Neukirchner M. (GER) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'43.674; 7. Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'43.767; 8. Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'43.951; 9. Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.115; 10. Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.170; 11. Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'44.261; 12. Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'44.425; 13. Laconi R. (FRA) Ducati 1098R 1'44.546; 14. Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'44.610; 15. Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'44.704; 16. Polita A. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'45.108; 17. Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 1'45.179; 18. Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 1'45.199; 19. Roberts B. (AUS) Ducati 1098R 1'45.278; 20. Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.393; 21. Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.446; 22. Lavilla G. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.672; 23. Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'45.679; 24. Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'45.820; 25. Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'46.128; 26. Rolfo R. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'46.916; 27. Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 1'46.971
Supersport
After less than ideal weather conditions intervened on the final day of Supersport testing the best times for all 29 riders were set on the second day, leaving Spaniard Joan Lascorz (Provec Motocard Kawasaki) the fastest rider of all. The all-new Kawasaki ZX-6R was followed home by the Yamaha R6 of class rookie Cal Crutchlow (Yamaha World Supersport Team), then 2007 World Champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) who was fastest today, but third quickest overall. Miguel Praia (Parkalgar Honda) was half a second from the quickest testing time in fourth, while 2008 champion Andrew Pitt (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) rounded out the top five. The first ranked Suzuki was the Pioneer Hoegee GSX-R600 of Barry Veneman, seventh, while the top Triumph 675 was Gianluca Nannelli's BE1 triple, ninth but third in today's changeable sessions. High winds were also a feature, with riders having to allow for their changes of direction and intensity, which also held down lap times today. The highest lap count, over all three weather affected days, was 114 for Patrick Vostarek's Czech Intermoto Honda.
Supersport - Overall Best Times
1. Lascorz J. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'45.214; 2. Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R6 1'45.264; 3. Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.397; 4. Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.757; 5. Pitt A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.817; 6. Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 1'45.960; 7. Veneman B. (NED) Suzuki GSX-R600 1'45.971; 8. Pirro M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'46.018; 9. Nannelli G. (ITA) Triumph Daytona 675 1'46.024; 10. Foret F. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'46.036; 11. McCoy G. (AUS) Triumph Daytona 675 1'46.220; 12. Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 1'46.561; 13. Vizziello G. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'46.633; 14. Roccoli M. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'46.712; 15. Aitchison M. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1'46.911; 16. Harms R. (DEN) Honda CBR600RR 1'47.041; 17. Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 1'47.095; 18. West A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1'47.270; 19. Günther J. (GER) Honda CBR600RR 1'47.508; 20. Vostárek P. (CZE) Honda CBR600RR 1'48.131; 21. Holland R. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 1'48.311; 22. Szkopek P. (POL) Triumph Daytona 675 1'48.331; 23. Smrz M. (CZE) Triumph Daytona 675 1'48.364; 24. Vos A. (NED) Honda CBR600RR 1'48.459; 25. Dell'Omo D. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'48.849; 26. Lai F. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'49.149; 27. Pradita Doni T. (INA) Yamaha YZF R6 1'51.338; 28. Guerra Y. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R6 1'51.480; 29. Morillas Cuenca J. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R6 1'53.407
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PRESS RELEASE | Portimao WSBK official test
The first meeting of 2009 Superbike World Championship confirmed Team Sterilgarda as one of the most promising team of the contest. After three days of testing on Portimao track, the team's latest signing Shane Byrne recorded the quikest time. As well the British was the fastest rider during the first four testing sessions, both on wet and dry track and today he has confirmed his score in the simulation of the new Superpole. The BSB champion has immediately found a great feeling with the bike, also thanks to the hard job of the team which has worked according to Shakey's precious guidelines. Byrne has left the Portuguese track with the belief of having found an excellent basic set-up.
Good job done by Alex Polita too. The 'Pirate' focused his work especially on getting a good feeling with the Superbike machine, which is very different from the Superstock bike by which he grabbed the third final place in the last championship. Unfortunately an hitch at the front of his machine has partially prevented the session and it has been fixed only at the end of the Superpole.
Shane Byrne | Ducati 1098 RS: "The last three days of testing have been really useful. I got a good feeling with the bike and I was able to test different solutions especially on the set-up and on the suspension. The team did a really good job and they made the bike more suitable for my riding style: as consequence we recorded excellent times. Being the quickest rider for three days in a row is a big satisfaction and it allows me to hope for the future".
Alex Polita | Ducati 1098RS : "My priority was beginning to get a good feeling with the bike and starting to realize its reactions to the changes. I was able to do the work partially, I would have been able to get a better feedback with more time. Unfortunately all the morning sessions were wet and in addition I got an hitch at the fork which was fixed only at the end of the week-end. Anyhow it has been an helpful week-end and I will carry on my testing in Australia, where the championship will start".
Marco Borciani | Team Manager: "I'm really satisfied with the job done. I would like to congratulate with both the riders for their professionalism and the way they faced this testing. The three days of test have been really hard both for the team and the riders but it allows us to view the future with optimism. I got very impressed by Shane's ease to find the feeling with the bike. As well Polita did a good job although the hitch at the fork influenced partially his work".
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Team Suzuki Alstare news
2009 Superbike World Championship
Official WSBK tests - January 23-25, 2009
Autodromo Internacional Algarve
Circuit: 4.592 kms
MAX SECOND IN ?NEW SUPERPOLE'
The first official WSBK test of 2009 took place at the superb 4.592 kilometre Autodromo Internacional Algarve in Portugal with difficult conditions during the three days. Dry track time was very limited, with heavy rain showers causing problems throughout. The three-day tests also witnessed a try-out of the new Superpole procedure, in which three separate sessions are used to determine the grid positions.
Team Suzuki Alstare rider Max Neukirchner rose to this new challenge by blasting his 2009 GSX-R1000 K9 to the second fastest time in the new Superpole, just a tenth of a second behind Shane Byrne (Ducati). And Yukio kept the Suzuki Alstare flag flying by posting the seventh quickest lap of the new procedure to end up on what would have been the second row of the grid.
Max (best lap - 1:43.965 in ?Superpole', 1:43.674 overall in tests)
Over the three days we've tried a lot of different things to do with chassis, traction control, wheelie control, engine etc., and have learnt a lot about the new bike. For me, like all of us, the biggest problem has been the rain and the fact that we have not been able to do as many laps in the dry as we would have liked, but our understanding of the bike is a lot better. The lap times are very close, so this year's championship is going to be really hard and it's going to be important to be consistent. I think the 2009 bike handles better and I have a better feeling for it in the corners, but it's not really easier to ride yet because we are going much faster! Overall I am happy because our knowledge is improving and I think we are in pretty good shape for the year ahead.
Yukio (best lap - 1:44.586 in ?Superpole', 1:44.425 overall in tests)
Generally, I feel that the conditions have been difficult and I wanted more dry track time. The conditions changed many times and every time we made a change to the bike, the conditions would change and we would have to change the bike again! The track's grip level in the wet was not so bad, but this year I can push a bit harder in the wet because the 2009 bike is less hard work in the rain. This bike has good potential and all we need is more time to understand it better and then we will improve a lot. I am not happy about my lap times and the weather, but I am happy because of all the good work we've done and the progress we are making.
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THE DUCATI XEROX TEAM CONCLUDES THREE-DAY PORTIMAO TEST
Portimao (Portugal): Sunday 25th January 2009: Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) have today concluded the Pirelli tyre development tests taking place at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve.
The morning session was red-flagged early on and subsequently cancelled due to oil on the track. In the afternoon, and on a drier surface, Superbike teams took part in a mock-up of what will be the Saturday afternoon track schedule on race weekends, completing a half-hour free practice session before trying out the new-look Superpole. Superpole will now consist of three 12-minute sessions, with the fastest 20 riders competing in Superpole 1, the fastest 16 at the end of Superpole 1 progressing to Superpole 2 and the fastest 8 at the end of Superpole 2 continuing on to Superpole 3, thus establishing the race grid. This was followed by a simulation of the "flag-to-flag" scenario that would be implemented during in a race in case of rain.
Both Noriyuki Haga and Michel Fabrizio have found the three-day test of benefit and both look forward to travelling to Phillip Island for the opening round of the 2009 championship.
Michel Fabrizio
"The new-look Superpole seems great, it was just a shame that today's weather was as it was but this test of the new format was definitely useful. It's clear that the riders now have to work well with the team, it's more about strategy with this new Superpole but it's good that changes are made to the regulations. Overall this has been a strange weekend, I feel like I only found feeling with the bike this afternoon. Of course the weather hasn't helped us but I finally found a good tyre today and worked a lot on the race setting, running the tyres for a lot of laps and choosing not to take riskes just to record the fastest time. Now I am looking forward to Phillip Island, a track that I love and where the weather will surely be better!"
Noriyuki Haga
"Unfortunately we have not had good weather over these three days. I am however very happy with the work we've done, we've found the direction to take with the settings and I've enjoyed every exit I've made. The new Superpole is strange, and when the weather is like it was today, with rain coming on during the three Superpoles, it complicates things. We can have a plan but we cannot plan the weather! Now I'm looking forward to Phillip Island, and feel nearly ready to race. The Phillip Island tests, just a week before the race, will be useful too of course."
OVERALL TIMES: Byrne (Ducati) 1m43.2s; Spies (Yamaha) 1m43.4s; Haga (Ducati Xerox) 1m43.4s; Sykes (Yamaha) 1m43.5s; Checa (Honda) 1m43.6s; Neukirchner (Suzuki) 1m43.6s; Smrz (Ducati) 1m43.7s; Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) 1m43.9s .....
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Yamaha World Superbike Team on top form in Portimao despite bad weather
Ben Spies
The first test of 2009 for the Yamaha World Superbike Team at the Portimao circuit in Portugal was hampered by bad weather for the duration of the three days. Despite this setback both new riders performed well, fine tuning their set ups for the upcoming test and first race of the 2009 World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island in Australia.
Young American three-time AMA Superbike star Ben Spies was consistently on the pace, and finished the test second fastest with an overall time of 1'43.484, less than two tenths of a second off fastest rider Shane Bryne. Spies team mate, Young rising British star Tom Sykes, took advantage of the test to catch up on time missed due illness at the previous test in South Africa and flew up the times, ending the test an impressive fourth, less than a tenth of a second from his team mate with a time of 1'43.546.
This was only the third outing for the riders on the M1 derived 2009 Yamaha WSB YZF-R1. The advantage of the revolutionary cross plane crankshaft and uneven firing interval resulted in more grip and smoother torque delivery for Spies and Sykes, enabling both riders to achieve faster times in the dry and in the wet. With more fine-tuning to come the team are looking to be serious contenders in the 2009 WSB Championship. From the South Africa test to Portimao, the Yamaha team achieved a big power output, clearly demonstrated when the R1 claimed the maximum top speed of all teams at the Portugese test.
Ben Spies, Yamaha World Superbike Team
"For sure it was good to be here and get more time on the bike and work with the team, the rain was a bit dodgy so it's been frustrating to get some decent track time. In the first of the new format Superpole test sessions on the last day we were quickest, unfortunately for the second session it rained and I didn't want to do anything silly so didn't push too hard. We worked on some settings over the test and got down to some pretty quick times. We got to try a few things with the bike and made a big step up, taking half a second a lap off, but the weather didn't allow us to get more. The bikes got good straight line speed now and we're continually improving. I'm very confident we've got what it takes to win. The team have been great, we're working really well together. I'm looking forward to getting to Australia and getting stuck in again!"
Tom Sykes
Tom Sykes, Yamaha World Superbike Team
"Yesterday when we had a bit more stable weather I had two hours good track time. We used the time wisely and chipped away every time went out, a bit of improvement with everything and I got a nice feeling with the bike and got fast consistent laps so was more than happy. I'm very satisfied with how the test has gone, we've made up for lost time in South Africa, I was a little behind before but have caught up! I'm looking forward to getting to Australia. A couple more questions we need to answer with the bike then we're ready for the race!"
Massimo Meregalli Yamaha World Superbike Team Manager
"The test went well, unfortunately the weather was bad every day and we only had two practices in the dry. But anyway, no matter what the conditions we were in front, in the top five. We didn't test as much as we would have liked to here, we didn't make a lot of changes but in the end the guys performed brilliantly and worked well with the team. There's still stuff we have to fix, but considering we have a new bike and new riders we are pretty satisfied and confident. We know we still have a lot of jobs to do but we will get them done. In the end we have only had three months with this new bike so we have done a great job! We will have more performance from the bike in Phillip Island. Tom did a really good job yesterday, looking to find a good set up without pushing too much and Ben was consistently fast and on the pace. In the end to be in the front with both riders is very positive!"
