Bostrom and Foggy test Ducati Superbikes at Imola

Ducati Corse teammates Ben Bostrom and Carl Fogarty  finished two days of testing at Imola today. This was the first test for Bostrom since joining the World Superbike team for 2000.

Weather conditions were terrible for the tests, according to Ducati, it rained on the first day which left the track slick for the second day. No lap times were given, other than to say Fogarty was ten seconds slower than he was previously at Imola. The pair never used a slick during the entire tests: they were on rain or intermediate tires the entire time.

Foggy, the current World Superbike champion, tested a new version of the Ducati 996 Superbike engine. It featured a single injector and a new cylinder head, all of which was tested this season by Casoli in the Italian championship.

Foggy commented, "I haven't ridden a 996 since Sugo, but the new engine appears to be more powerful than the one used in the last round. Track conditions did not allow me to push hard and the cold made it more difficult to get the best impression. Even in the cold however I felt that the bike was a lot faster, and first impressions are positive."

Bostrom did 70 laps on the World Superbike machine, and spent much of the time having it fitted for his form (he's about six to eight inches taller than their ex-rider, Troy Corser).

He commented, "I would have liked the track to have been dry to sort out a few things, but the general feeling with the bike is very good. I just need a few dry days now in the next tests to complete the work." Bostrom used the '99 version of the 996 Superbike.

Both Foggy and Supersport rider Rueben Xaus crashed during the test. Both were reportedly unhurt.
 

--Dean Adams