WSBK: Portimao - Shane Byrne Testschnellster

November 6, 2008 ; NEWS, WorldSBK

Team Sterilgarda GMB Racing closed yesterday a two day of testing at Portimao. Shane Byrne and Alex Polita, the two riders chosen by Marco Borciani to face the Superbike 2009 season, took to the track after the last round of the 2008 World Superbike, in which the Italian team showed to be one of the most competitive of the championship. The two days of testing were helpful especially to start to build the feeling between the team members and the riders, a feeling which is really cared by Borciani. As well, excellent times comes from the testing: Shane Byrne cut one tenth off the record of the track and Alex Polita was able to follow his new team-mate separated by less than one second.

SHANE BYRNE | DUCATI 1098 RS09 | 1’43.6: “I’m really glad with the result come from this first testing. The bike resembles the one by which I won the BSB title. So it was easy to get in the saddle of Sterilgarda’s bike especially because I felt immediately a member of this team. We did an hard work on a very funny track which gives to the rider wonderful emotions”.

ALEX POLITA | DUCATI 1098 RS09 | 1′44.5: “I found quickly a good pace thanks to the guys of the team and to my new team-mate who made me immediately comfortable. I got a good feeling with the Superbike from the first lap. It’s like an elder sister of the bike I’ve ridden until last Sunday. There are more things to set, that means I will have the opportunity to tailor the bike on me, as I’ve started to do in the Superstock thanks to the team which taught me so much”.

1. [67] Shane Byrne GBR Sterilgarda DUCATI - 1:43.6
2. [19] Ben Spiess USA Yamaha Italia - 1:43.9
3. [3] Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia - 1:44.1
4. [66] Tom Sykes GBR Yamaha Italia - 1:44.5
5. [NN] Nagasuka JAP Yamaha - 1:44.5
6. [53] Alessandro Polita ITA Sterilgarda DUCATI - 1:44.6
7. [91] Leon Haslam GBR Stiggy Honda - 1:44.6
8. [44] Roberto Rolfo ITA Honda - 1:45.0
9. [55] Règis Laconi FRA Honda - 1:45.4
10. [57] Lorenzo Lanzi ITA Honda - 1:46.3

Pressetext GMBRacing

.

WSBK: Portimao - Doppelsieg für Troy Bayliss

November 2, 2008 ; NEWS, WorldSBK

Troy Bayliss fand mit dem Doppelsieg in Portimao ein perfektes Ende seiner Karriere.

Troy Bayliss today took part in his last ever Superbike races at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve and triumphed in both Race 1 and Race 2 on board his Ducati 1098 F08, taking in dominant style the 51st and 52nd Superbike wins of his career, his third double win of the 2008 season. Troy Bayliss, three times World Superbike champion in 2001, 2006 and 2008 today retires from Superbike racing and celebrates a career that has seen him tally up a total of 52 race wins and 26 poles over nine seasons, 11 of the race wins achieved during this 2008 season. He concludes the 2008 season with an 118-point advantage over second-placed rider Corser. Ducati, who took the manufacturers title at the last round in Magny-Cours, finish with an 83 point advantage over second-placed constructor Yamaha. In Race 1 Troy got a flying start and led from the start. The chasing pack fought it out behind him, allowing Troy to build up a significant lead and, although tyre wear was beginning to affect his performance in the final stages, no-one could catch the Australian champion and he thus took a comfortable win. Unfortunately Ducati Xerox team-mate Michel Fabrizio came off in the opening lap, ending his race before it ever really began. Race 2 again saw Troy get off to a blistering start and, with his bike set-up in such a way that he later declared it to be the best bike he has ever ridden, he could do no wrong, winning his 11th race of the 2008 season, the 52nd win of his Superbike career. The success of Race 2 tasted all the sweeter due to team-mate Michel Fabrizio’s second place finish, his seventh podium place of the season. Michel quickly progressed from tenth to third position in the early stages and moved up by default to second position when Xaus fell during lap 9.

Troy Bayliss (Race 1 - 1st, Race 2 - 1st): “This was the perfect end to my racing career, to finish with pole and a double win, an absolute fantastic result. We had a dream start today. I was a little hesitant before Race 1 because none of us had done a lot of laps here so we weren’t sure for the tyres but I think everyone was pretty much on the same rear. The gap behind me got bigger and bigger which surprised me but I heard that there was a big battle behind me which worked to my advantage. I was grateful for that lead though because by the end the rear was finished and Carlos was catching me. We changed a few things for the second race and I have to say that bike in Race 2 was the best bike I’ve ever ridden in my career. I’ve been doing this for many years and it was a long way to come but I got here, and now I’m at the end of my career. I have a great team behind me and I thank all of them and the sponsors because you can’t do this without those guys. My career’s come to an end; I’ve won the championship and finished my career in one piece so it’s incredible really. I wish Michel lots of luck for next season and thanks to everyone who’s supported me over the years.”

Michel Fabrizio (Race 1 - DNF, Race 2 - 2nd): “I am of course extremely happy with the Race 2 result and I hope to be able to continue to improve next season, and live up to Troy’s reputation. Unfortunately in the first race I came off, and sadly Max (Biaggi) was caught up in too but that’s racing and sometimes these things happen. In Race 2 I was very determined and managed to make up several position in the initial laps. I pushed until the very end and took second place, my seventh podium of the 2008 season and a great way to finish the year. I will miss Troy so much, he is a fantastic person, an unbelievable rider and he has been the perfect team-mate.”

.

WSBK. Portimao - Die Superpole

November 2, 2008 ; NEWS, WorldSBK

Troy Bayliss gewinnt zum Abschluss seiner Karriere in Portimao die 26. Superpole seiner Karriere.

The last Superpole session of the 2008 World Superbike championship, held today at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal, was declared wet with the onset of rain just minutes before the start. Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) was one of few riders to go straight out in the first minutes of the 50-minute session and he immediately set the fastest time, a time that was unbeatable once the rain intensified. Team-mate Michel Fabrizio followed a similar strategy and recorded the fifth fastest time before the heavy rain prevented further fast times being set. In the second qualifying session that took place this morning Michel was consistently lapping fastest, registering a quickest lap of 1m43.6s, to qualify first for Superpole. Troy had a more difficult session and qualified for Superpole in eventual twelfth place, though rectified this setback during the Superpole to qualify in first position for tomorrow’s races. Troy’s Ducati 1098 today carried a special commemorative livery, with suit to match, to celebrate having won his third World Superbike championship title at Magny-Cours three weeks ago.

Troy Bayliss - 1:58.5: “The whole weekend has been strange and the weather has been a bit up and down. The track is dirty and wet too so it’s not been easy. I’m very glad I went straight out and got a few good laps in very early at the start of the Superpole session. I was pretty happy with the wet setting and didn’t need to go out again because it then started to rain more heavily half way through the session and no-one could match my time. I am happy to take my last ever Superpole; the 1098 has been working well as has the team, I have to thank them for all their hard work this weekend, and this season, without them I wouldn’t have taken the title.”

Michel Fabrizio - 2:02.7:  “I am sorry I didn’t do one more lap before coming back into the box because in doing so I would probably have put myself on the front row for tomorrow but anyway, I’m pretty happy. We have gone well all weekend, I was fastest in the qualifying sessions and with the unstable weather at least we know that we are set up pretty well for both the wet and the dry. My confidence has grown in each session and I’m feeling positive. I’d prefer a dry day tomorrow of course but I guess we have to wait and see.”

1. [21] Troy Bayliss AUS Xerox DUCATI - 1:58.548
2. (35) Cal Crutchlow GBR HMPlant Honda - 2:01.023
3. (65) Jonathan Rea GBR Honda - 2:02.027
4. [3] Max Biaggi ITA Sterilgarda-Go11 DUCATI - 2:02.107

5. [84] Michel Fabrizio ITA Xerox DUCATI - 2:02.779
8. [111] Ruben Xaus SPA Sterilgarda-Go11 DUCATI - 2:03.023
12. [96] Jakub Smrz TCH Guandalini DUCATI - 2:05.250

Foto/Text: DUCATI Corse Press

.

WSBK: Portimao - Ergebnis des 2. Qualifyings

November 1, 2008 ; NEWS, WorldSBK

1. [84] Michel Fabrizio ITA Xerox DUCATI - 1:43.609
2. [11] Troy Corser AUS Yamaha Motor Italia - 1:43.955
3. [10] Fonsi Nieto SPA Alstare-Suzuki - 1:44.056
4. [76] Max Neukirchner GER Alstare Suzuki - 1:44.088
…
9. [96] Jakub Smrz TCH Guandalini DUCATI - 1:44.499
10. [111] Ruben Xaus SPA Sterilgarda-Go11 DUCATI - 1:44.521
13. [21] Troy Bayliss AUS Xerox DUCATI - 1:44.647
16. [3] Max Biaggi ITA Sterilgarda-Go11 DUCATI - 1:45.128

.

WSBK: Portimao - Das 1. Qualifying

Oktober 31, 2008 ; NEWS, WorldSBK

Michel Fabrizio beendet das erste Qualifying zum Saisonabschlussrennen in Portimao mit Platz 3.

The Ducati Xerox riders Troy Bayliss and Michel Fabrizio today took part in the first ever Superbike sessions to be held at the new Autodromo Internacional do Algarve in Portugal. Despite a very wet surface, both factory riders were out on track during the morning’s free practice session, with Bayliss topping the time sheets and team-mate Fabrizio recording the fifth fastest time of the morning. In the afternoon, after further rainfall, a slippery track which began to dry throughout the session meant that the Ducati Xerox riders had to make a careful tyre choice. Small setbacks during the session left Bayliss in tenth position at the close of today’s first qualifying session while Fabrizio made better progress to finish the session in third position, taking a provisional place on the front row for Sunday’s races.

Michel Fabrizio - 1:57.4: “We were using an intermediate rear and rain front tyre which was probably not the right choice but anyway we made good progress throughout the day and I’m satisfied with how things have gone. Today the track surface, although very wet, is already better than it was last week during testing when it was really dirty. I’m feeling confident and today we’ve made a good start, I’d say everything’s going well.”

Troy Bayliss - 2:00.0: “Everything has gone ok. It’s the first time we’ve experienced rain here as last week’s test sessions were on a dry track. We had a few little hiccups during the afternoon’s qualifying session and it didn’t quite run to plan, and then we got caught out on a rain tyre at the end of the session when we should have been on an intermediate. Anyway these things happen and I’m still feeling confident about the way things are going. Overall I’m pretty happy.”

1. [11] Troy Corser AUS Yamaha Motor Italia - 1:55.791
2. (91) Leon Haslam GBR HMPlant Honda - 1:57.214
3. [84] Michel Fabrizio ITA Xerox DUCATI - 1:57.440
4. [111] Ruben Xaus SPA Sterilgarda-Go11 DUCATI - 1:58.115
5. (35) Cal Crutchlow GBR HMPlant Honda - 1:58.327
…
10. [21] Troy Bayliss AUS Xerox DUCATI - 2:00.012
14. [3] Max Biaggi ITA Sterilgarda-Go11 DUCATI - 2:00.288
15. [96] Jakub Smrz TCH Guandalini DUCATI - 2:00.362

Foto/Text: DUCATI Corse Press

.

WSBK: Portimao - Zeitplan

Oktober 31, 2008 ; NEWS, WorldSBK

Zeitplan WSBK Portimao: 31.Okt. - 2. November 2008 (MEZ):
Freitag: 10:30 - Freies Training 1; 14:15 - Qualifying 1
Samstag: 11:00 – Qualifying 2; 14:45 - Freies Training 2; 16:00 – Superpole
Sonntag: 9:20 - Warm Up; 12:00 – Rennen 1; 15:30 - Rennen 2

TV-Übertragungen (Eurosport):
Samstag: 17:00 - Superpole (live); 1:00 - Superpole (Aufz.)
Sonntag: 08:30 - Superpole (Aufz.); 12:30 - Superpole (Aufz.)
13:00 - Rennen 1 (live); 18:00 - Rennen 2 (Aufz.)
Superpole und beide Rennen im Livestream auf ‘Superbike TV’

.

WSBK: Portimao - Last Race

Oktober 31, 2008 ; NEWS, WorldSBK

> Troy Bayliss - The Legend (1024 x 768)

.