Superbike News
The Ducati World Superbike Privateer teams left with highly charged emotions at the end of the Miller race weekend in Salt Lake City Utah.
On the one hand, there was satisfaction with the teams having demonstrated a motorcycle-racing pace equal to or beyond that of the Factory race teams.
There were also great disappointments with both Carlos Checa and Jabuk Smrz forced to retire from both SBK races.
Luca Scassa and Shane Byrne were the two Ducati Privateer protagonist with solid racing finishes on the American Memorial Day weekend.
Althea Ducati
In Race 1, Carlos Checa was impeccable, making a great start that allowed him to quickly pass Biaggi and take the lead. Having held this lead for seventeen laps, in which he built a 1.6 second advantage over Max, the Spanish rider’s Ducati unexpectedly stopped due to an electronic problem, depriving Carlos of a near victory.
Race 2 sadly came to the same bitter end, when Carlos was leading with a two second advantage, again over Biaggi. During the eighth lap Checa retired from the race, with the team citing yet another mechanical problem.
Carlos Checa (Ducati 1098R) says: "Everything went well: the work, the preparation, the performance, the passion, the race, the team. Yet unfortunately the results did not come. It’s never happened before! We were strong and I will leave here with my head held high. I will immediately turn the page and concentrate on the upcoming tests in Misano and the next race, where I know we can do well. That’s racing…"
After a poor start in Race 1, Shane Byrne found himself in last position on the second lap. Lap by lap Byrne gained positions, until reaching Luca Scassa on the final lap. Lapping with similar times to the frontrunners, Byrne got past the Italian to finish in sixth position.
In Race 2 Shane was in eleventh position for a good part of the race and then, from mid-race, began to fight back places to eventually finish in seventh place.
Shane Byrne (Ducati 1098R) says: "The bike felt very good and I was happy with the set-up", said Shane. "I found that the level of grip varied between race 1 and race 2, it was better in the first. But I’ve taken some good points and this makes me more determined as we enter the second half of the Championship."
Genesio Bevilacqua (Althea Racing) says: "Our morale has taken a blow but Carlos’ laps as race leader have given us confidence. There are going to be days like these in racing but we’ll be back and fighting at Misano."
PATA B&G Ducati
In Race 1, after taking the pole position on Friday and qualifying fourth on the grid on Saturday, Jakub Smrz started with the right determination, but after less than one lap, his Ducati was forced to retire due to a broken engine.
In Race 2, Smrz (aka "Kuba") started very eager to do well but did not make a good start, losing several positions. The front-runners were building a consistent gap, while the group in contention for sixth to twelfth places stayed compact. The Czech was once again unable to finish the race due a technical problem, with three laps left in the race.
Jakub Smrz (Ducati 1098R) says: "We didn’t get any luck. I thought I could do well, everything was going my way until race 1, but once again we couldn’t achieve our goal . Next up is Misano which is another track I feel comfortable at, I hope to redeem myself in front of the Italian crowd".
Supersonic Ducati
Luca Scassa did not disappoint with a seventh place finish with Round 7 at Miller representing the team’s best result of the 2010 season.
In race 2, the Tuscan rider overcame an overheating problem with the clutch but carried out numerous overtaking finishing 10th, right on the heels of Factory rider Michel Fabrizio Ducati. With fifteen points, Luca Scassa brings the booty to forty points in the World Superbike championship consolidating sixteenth place overall.
Luca Scassa says: "I am extremely happy with this weekend because we all worked to the best of our ability. Forty championship points are nice will be equally divided with all the guys on the team and Ducati. The important thing is to continue to work to the best of our ability; we can take away the great satisfaction! "
Danilo Soncini says: "The team worked very well and we are a close group, we just need to improve in qualifying. We’ll be satisfied and happy with the results, my personal thanks goes to Luke and all the team, we are living a wonderful experience. "
Miller Superbike – Race 1
1 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 38’20.442 (161,26 kph)
2 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000 4.931
3 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 6.432
4 2 Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 8.576
5 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 11.150
6 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 11.243
7 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 12.432
8 50 Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 15.145
9 52 Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 16.091
10 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 16.502
11 35 Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 18.719
12 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 24.285
13 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 36.479
14 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 39.700
15 77 Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 41.253
16 95 Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 41.661
17 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 1’00.427
18 15 Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R
RET 7 Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R
RET 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R
RET 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R
Miller Superbike – Race 2
1 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 38’17.842 (161,442 kph)
2 2 Camier L. (GBR) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 5.899
3 35 Crutchlow C. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 7.363
4 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 8.842
5 11 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 9.473
6 50 Guintoli S. (FRA) Suzuki GSX-R1000 12.293
7 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 12.483
8 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 15.959
9 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 18.897
10 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 20.372
11 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 26.823
12 76 Neukirchner M. (GER) Honda CBR1000RR 30.344
13 77 Vermeulen C. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 33.337
14 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Kawasaki ZX 10R 38.772
15 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Honda CBR1000RR 44.994
RET 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R
RET 15 Baiocco M. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R
RET 52 Toseland J. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1
RET 95 Hayden R. (USA) Kawasaki ZX 10R
RET 7 Checa C. (ESP) Ducati 1098R
RET 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Suzuki GSX-R1000