HM Plant

Chris Walker finished third in the second World Superbike leg at Laguna Seca after a spectacular battle for the lower podium positions behind runaway race winner Ruben Xaus. However, there was no such joy for his HM Plant Ducati team-mate James Toseland who crashed out of second place on lap 17.

Walker repeated Toseland’s success from the first race to give the HM Plant Ducati team a superb double podium in California. The popular Nottingham rider inherited second place from his younger team-mate after an incident at the infamous Corkscrew bend, but had to give way to championship leader Neil Hodgson in the closing stages of another scintillating 28-lap Superbike race.

“I’m delighted to be back on the podium for the third time this season,” said Walker who retained his sixth place in the championship overall. “It’s been a long haul back from the injuries I sustained at Sugo in April, but I’m regaining my confidence with every event.

“That was a brilliant race and I really enjoyed dicing with the leading pack once again. I guess that I had a bit of luck and things went my way, but I’m pleased with the result. I would like to thank the team for all of their hard work and everyone else who has supported me. We have made a lot of progress this weekend and we can take many positive things with us to the next round.”

Toseland’s emotions were in stark contrast to those of the first race: “It was all going so well and then I had my second podium finish of the day taken away from me. I’m obviously very disappointed, but I’m pleased for Chris at the same time. On a positive note, I’ve strengthened my position in the championship overall and we’re going to the next round in top form.”

The HM Plant Ducati team will next appear in the ninth round of the Superbike World Championship in front of their home fans at Brands Hatch on 25-27 July.

Ducati

Ruben Xaus (Ducati Fila) put the seal on a great days' racing at Laguna Seca circuit in California in front of 92,000 spectators with a win in race 2 after crashing out of the lead in the first race. Championship leader Neil Hodgson twice finished runner-up to increase his lead in the standings over his team-mate to 122 points.

Chili (PSG-1 Ducati) scored a hugely popular win from Neil in race 1, his first since Donington 2001, after a first lap crash involving Hodgson, Frankie, Bostrom, Yates and Corser had forced a restart, while the victory in race 2 went to Ruben, who took control on lap 4 to lead to the flag for his third win of the year.

"I think that the races offered us a different scenario from qualifying, where we suffered a little, but in the end the Ducati 999 F03 performed really well" declared Ducati Corse CEO, Claudio Domenicali. "The bikes have benefited from the depth of development which goes into the Michelin tyres and the Shell Advance motorcycle oils supplied to the team. With Michelin we have often found Laguna Seca a difficult track, but in the last two years their tyres have been well up to the situation, while the oils Shell Advance supplied us with this weekend are designed to excel under the hot and dry conditions of this track".

"I was leading the first race pretty easy and my lap times were consistent" declared Ruben Xaus, "but I had a really hard tyre and I pushed it too much at the slowest corner of the track and crashed. Races are like that, but the second race I wanted to show everyone I am the fastest and the winner here. I found in the morning warm-up that I had the right tyre to last 28 laps and be capable of running 26 lows and that gave me the power for the race. I could have won two races but that's OK, I know I'm getting better and better all the time".

"My second place in race 1 is one of the best I've ever earned because it was a really difficult race" declared Neil. "I've not felt comfortable all weekend with the set-up but in the race I just took my time. It's difficult to pass round here and you have to wait for people to make mistakes, so thankfully people made mistakes! Race 2 was probably the most eventful race in my career, I've never seen so many crazy things happening, especially on the first lap. I nearly crashed then Frankie somersaulted and then James crashed in front of me and I ran off the track into the gravel. Thankfully I finished second, points are everything because I want to win the championship".

Mat Mladin

The high intensity of four days of riding and competing at the highest levels took a physical toll on Australia’s Mat Mladin as he was forced to ease his pace in the opening leg of the Laguna Seca round of the Superbike World Championship, finishing just off the winners podium in fourth place.

Mladin had been the star of the meeting leading into today’s two 28-lap races, having already set pole position and taken a race win the day before in the American AMA Superbike Championship race aboard his Yoshimura Suzuki GSX-R1000, before claiming pole position for the SWC races yesterday afternoon.

Exhausted after completing the opening race, Mladin and his team agreed that it was in the interest of his safety and fitness that he should withdraw from the second SWC race.

“Half way through the first race I just had nothing left in the tank,” said Mladin afterwards. “There was just too much on for us with having to be out there for so many practice and qualifying sessions as well as the 28-lap races, it just took so much out of me. For us the whole weekend revolved around winning the AMA race yesterday and that’s what we did, it was the first time that I’ve won at Laguna so it was great. It put us back on top of the points table and even though we were running strong in the SWC races, the AMA is the one we are after.”

“Even to back up for Superpole after the AMA race was tough,” added Mladin. “Today I felt good for the first ten or fifteen laps, but then I just basically ran out of gas myself. It was very draining. I was that fatigued after the race and then when I heard about Eric’s (Bostrom) injuries I basically said that that was enough. We had a talk about it and made the decision. As much I wanted to have done well in those races, the workload just caught up with me. I train 3 to 4 hours a day at present and feel that I’m in the best condition that I’ve ever been in, but that goes to show you how physical it is out there under those conditions.”

“It was still a good weekend for us though. We got to see where the World Superbike guys are at and how the guys in the AMA compare to them so I guess it shows that the AMA is a world class championship if so many of us are near the front of SWC qualifying and in the race.”

“Also to do well at Laguna was a real buzz. The crowd was fantastic. I could hear them cheering after the AMA race and they were even louder when I took Superpole. It was a great feeling that’s for sure and I’d like to thank them for their support.”

He led the opening SWC race for a total of six laps as a number of riders fell out of contention in the hectic pace of the opening laps which saw the track temperature soaring above 50°C. The opening race was forced to undergo a restart after four riders fell heavily on the entry to the fast Turn One on the opening lap. Those who fell included World Superbike points leader Neil Hodgson (Fila Ducati), Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1 Ducati), Australian Troy Corser (Foggy Petronas) and American wild card riders Eric Bostrom (Team Kawasaki) and Mladin’s teammate Aaron Yates, who appears to have been the initial rider to fall.

In an amazing twist, Chili went on to score his sixteenth career SWC victory, finishing ahead of Hodgson and fellow Englishman James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati). Victory in race two went to Spaniard Ruben Xaus (Fila Ducati) ahead of teammate Hodgson, with Chris Walker (HM Plant Ducati) third. Hodgson continues to lead the championship with a total of 355 points, with Xaus second on 233.

Mladin’s attention is now focussed on the upcoming double-header round of the American AMA Superbike Championship scheduled for the Mid-Ohio Sports Car complex on the weekend of July 26 & 27. After taking victory in the AMA race, Mladin heads to Ohio holding a six-point advantage over Eric Bostrom, with six AMA races remaining.

FG Sport

The Italian and Spanish National anthems blasted out of the PA system at Laguna Seca, as first Pierfrancesco Chili and then Ruben Xaus scored a victory for their respective Ducati teams.

Pierfrancesco Chili (PSG-1) took his win in race one, after 28 hard fought laps of the 3.610km Laguna Seca circuit - even surviving a first lap melee which was sufficiently severe to bring out the red flags for the race to be stopped. Chili himself, Neil Hodgson (Ducati Fila), Troy Corser (Foggy Petronas FP-1) and Eric Bostrom (Kawasaki) were all involved after Aaron Yates (Yoshimura Suzuki) fell at turn one. Bostrom was forced to withdraw with a dislocated right shoulder and a compressed thorax, but all other riders took part in the second start.

The full distance re-start was led by four riders at various stages, although early pace men Regis Laconi (NCR Ducati) and Ruben Xaus Ducati) fell in separate incidents. Laconi claimed to have fallen on a piece of fairing or screen from the earlier crash, after he strayed off line on his privateer machine.

The departure of that pair of leaders gifted Chili a lead of two seconds over Hodgson, and despite Hodgson pressurising for most of the last few laps, the race was taken by Chili, 3.068 seconds ahead of the Englishman.

Hodgson’s compatriot and former team mate James Toseland (HM Plant Ducati) had an eventful start before the first flash of the green lights. He stalled in pitlane, had to return to the pits, was allowed to start from pitlane - but not fast enough to catch up with the mass of riders on the start.

The crash and restart was therefore some form of blessing for Toseland, who ran out third in the ‘real’ race, after Mat Mladin dropped from the lead. The Australian rider finished fourth overall, top wild card. He elected not to race in the second event, blaming tiredness after his busy weekend.

Fifth in race one was HM Plant teamster Chris Walker, a good result from a third row start; Aaron Yates was secure in sixth.

Giovanni Bussei (Austin Ducati) was another wild card finisher, in seventh and a total of eight retirements left only 13 finishers, with Troy Corser the top Foggy Petronas rider in eighth. James Haydon’s three-cylinder machine crashed when fluid got on his rear tyre.

In the second race of the day Chili was an early crasher, highsiding and hurting his right ankle on lap one, but Ruben Xaus was untouchable, proving to be easily the fastest man on track, and a clear 13 second winner. It was his third win of the season, after scoring a double at the previous Misano round.

His team-mate Hodgson secured his second podium spot and an important 20 points. Hodgson may have had to settle for 16 points and third place but when Toseland crashed ahead of him, on the exit of the Corkscrew section, Hodgson managed to rejoin the race. Hodgson actually dropped to fifth after avoiding Toseland, and had to fight back to second place.

Chris Walker gave the HM Plant team two different riders in podium positions, while Laconi scored fourth place. Gregorio Lavilla (Alstare Suzuki) was hurting from a first race crash, but was a battling fifth nonetheless. Another race full of incident for Giovanni Bussei put him sixth, despite running off the track and down the slope of the Corkscrew in the later stages.

Only ten riders finished an even more combative and crash-ridden race than the first, with Juan Borja (DFX Pirelli Ducati), Mauro Sanchini (Kawasaki Bertocchi), Marco Borciani (DFX Pirelli Ducati) and Lucio Pedercini (Pedercini Ducati) the last few points scorers.

In the championship standings Hodgson extended his impressive lead even more, despite Xaus’ cavalier win, and left Laguna with 355 points, with four rounds remaining. Xaus is second with 233, Toseland third with 233 and Laconi fourth on 187.

The next round of the championship takes place at Brands Hatch, on July 27.

Troy Corser

Troy had a frustrating day at Laguna Seca, ending with a DNF in the second race after a hard-fought for eighth in the first. Laguna Seca was always going to be a difficult track for Troy and the Petronas FP1, but after the first race, Troy was thinking of another top eight finish in the second.

But a broken spark plug cap ruined Troy's chances of a pair of good finishes and left him thinking of what could've been. Troy made a good start in race one, but was then involved in a five-rider melee at turn one and was forced to take to the gravel trap. His Petronas stalled and Troy appeared to be out of the race, but the red flag was put out and Troy was able to make the re-start. He rode consistently in the re-start and ended up eighth. Italian Frankie Chili (Ducati) won the 28-lapper after race leaders Ruben Xaus (Ducati) and Regis Laconi (Ducati) crashed out. Second was series leader Neil Hodgson (Ducati), with James Toseland (Ducati) third.

Troy made a good start in the second race, but his Petronas FP1 started running hot after about three or four laps. He tried to carry on, but when the bike went onto two cylinders he knew his race was over, so he pulled into the pits to avoid further damage. Ruben Xaus won the race, after taking command after three laps, with team mate Hodgson second and Chris Walker (third).

Troy - "I feel a bit frustrated because I really thought I could leave here with a pair of top eight finishes and that would've been a good result considering qualifying. I suppose I was fortunate that the first race was red-flagged because that would've been a no-score otherwise. I had nowhere to go in the pile-up, but I kept the bike upright and went into the gravel. The bike stalled and I couldn't get it started again, so it's just as well there was a re-start. The gear lever had to be replaced because it was so badly bent, but that was all. The tyres worked consistently, but I was losing the back end running into corners, so it took me a few laps to change my lines and adapt. I got a good start in race two and overtook a few riders into turn one, but it wasn't long - maybe three or four laps - that the temperature gauge began moving erratically. The water temperature went up to about 115 C and some of it sprayed over me, but I wanted to keep going. The suddenly the bike went onto two cylinders and slowed dramatically, so I had no choice but to pull in. It was a shame because I'm sure I could've had another top eight finish."

Suzuki

Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra rider Gregorio Lavilla took an extremely hard-fought for fifth in the second race after a hard and painful crash in race one. The Spaniard was highsided at one of the fastest parts of the course and badly bruised his right hip (the one he broke in Monza a couple of years ago), right foot and hand and had difficulty in walking after the crash. Nevertheless he started the second race and amazingly got up into third place before he ran out of strength. He continued to fight for a podium, but could not prevent being overtaken by Chris Walker (Ducati) and Regis Laconi (Ducati) in the final part of the race. The first race was won by Italian Frankie Chili (Ducati) after Ruben Xaus (Ducati) and Regis Laconi crashed out. Second was series leader Neil Hodgson (Ducati), with young Briton James Toseland (Ducati) third. Ruben Xaus took command after just three laps and from then on in; he was never headed on the way to the chequered flag. Second was his team mate Hodgson, with Chris Walker
(Ducati) third.

GREGORIO LAVILLA Race 1: DNF Race 2: 5th - "I was so determined to get a result in the second race after my crash in the first. Nothing was going to stop me from a finish and although I was in third position for a while, I knew I couldn't keep Walker and Laconi behind me. At the end of the race, I was dead! I hurt my right hip, foot and hand and gave myself a good battering all over. Because of this, I couldn't move around on the bike like I wanted to. And Laguna Seca is a very physical circuit and you need to move around a lot. Because my number one was badly damaged in the first race crash, I had to use my spare bike and it was a bit different, so all in all I am pretty happy with such a good finish. In the first race, I had made a really good start (in the second start) and was comfortable in third place. But the bike was losing grip almost from the beginning - I had never ridden a bike quite like it - as it was spinning everywhere. Maybe we should've changed the rear tyre after the race was red-flagged on the first lap. Maybe the change of temperature affected it more then we realised. But I highsided and that was the end of the race for me. - A real pity because I was confident of a good result."

Yoshimura Suzuki USA rider Mat Mladin led the first race for six laps and looked a podium contender, but faded a little and ended up fourth. His team mate Aaron Yates was involved in the first lap five -rider pile-up, but made the re-start and finished sixth. Mladin did not start the second race (under the weather and unable to give 100% -according to the Yoshimura Suzuki USA press release). Aaron Yates was in fourth place in race two, but crashed out of contention at the last corner after 24 laps.