Germany Supersport
Heading into Nurburgring for Round 11 of the 2010 World Superbike Championship, Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) now has only one realistic championship challenger, Eugene Laverty (Parkalgar Honda) after the accident suffered by Joan Lascorz (Kawasaki Motocard.com) at Silverstone.
Laverty has scored a fabulous six wins so far, but he is still behind three-time race winner Sofuoglu, by 17 points.
In fourth place ParkinGO Triumph BE-1’s Chaz Davies is 43 points ahead of his closest challenger, Gino Rea (Intermoto Czech Honda) who scored his first podium last time round at Silverstone.
Robbin Harms (Harms Benjan Racing Honda) is close behind Rea, with David Salom also right in there for fifth, on his Triumph. Michele Pirro (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda) will come back into the fray after suffering injury at the Brno round and missing out on the Silverstone round.
World Supersport Points (after 10 rounds of 13): 1. Sofuoglu 203; 2. Laverty 186; 3. Lascorz 168; 4. Davies 126; 5. Rea 83; 6. Harms 82; 7. Salom 80; 8. Lagrive 65; 9. Fujiwara 60; 10. Pirro 58. Manufacturers: 1. Honda 245; 2. Kawasaki 172; 3. Triumph 136; 4. Yamaha 16
SUPERSTOCK 1000: Ayrton Badovini (BMW Motorrad Italia STK) carried off the overall FIM Cup last time out at Silverstone, but at the home country of his machine’s manufacturer he will be out to keep his perfect win record intact. Second place in the championship is still a very live fight, with Maxime Berger (Ten Kate Racing Junior Honda), Michele Magnoni (Bevilacqua Corse Honda), Andrea Antonelli (Team Lorini Honda), Davide Giugliano (Team06 Suzuki) and Loris Baz (MRS Yamaha) all set to try and claim runner-up spot by season’s end.
Superstock 1000 Points (after 7 rounds of 10): 1. Badovini 175; 2. Berger 86; 3. Magnoni 84; 4.Antonelli 73; 5. Giugliano 62; 6. Baz 54; 7. Barrier 47; 8. Petrucci 43; 9. Bussolotti 37; 10. Mahr 35. Manufacturers: 1. BMW 175; 2. Honda 129; 3. Suzuki 78; 4. Ducati 59; 5. Yamaha 56; 6. Kawasaki 46; 7.KTM 30; 8. Aprilia 18.
SUPERSTOCK 600: Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Racing Yamaha) leads his fellow Frenchman Florian Marino (Ten Kate Junior Racing Honda) by 26 points, with only these two riders in the final fight for the championship now. Federico D’Annunzio (Martini Corse Yamaha) no scored last time out but is still third, on the same 70 points total as his team-mate Dino Lombardi.
Superstock 600 Points (after 7 rounds of 10): 1. Guarnoni 152; 2. Marino 126; 3. D’Annunzio 70; 4. Lombardi 70; 5. Fanelli 64; 6.Karlsen 51; 7. Calero Perez 51; 8. Lanusse 44; 9. Le Coquen 42; 10. Elliot 31.
TRIUMPH PARKINGO SERIES: The single make Triumph ParkinGO European Series continues apace in Germany, featuring identical Triumph Street Triple R machines, raced by a mix of experienced and amateur riders. The challenge of the Nürburgring is one that all the riders are eagerly anticipating, especially championship leader Fabrizio Perotti, who could win the title this time out if results go his way. Two rounds remain, at the Nürburgring and then the season finale at Magny-Cours on October 3rd.
THE CIRCUIT: The modern-day Nürburgring is a very different one from the nearby 20th century classic, the ‘Nordschleife’. Nevertheless, the 5.137km circuit that welcomes WSBK racing this weekend still has plenty of elevation changes, fast and slow corners and overtaking opportunities.
WSBK racing first started at the Nürburgring in 1998 and 1999, and returned in 2008 and 2009. High drama and close competition have been the keynotes of recent races at this venue, although being located in the Eifel Mountains the track can be subject to rapid and sometimes extreme changes in weather conditions.
