Report - HRC

Kenan Sofuoglu (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) won his second race of the season after a dramatic weekend of Supersport action at Donington which saw Sofuoglu leave round three with a 27-point lead. During a strong day for Honda finishers, Robbin Harms was second, Katsuaki Fujiwara (Althea Honda Team CBR600RR) a battling third and Craig Jones fourth. Honda now leads the Manufacturers’ Championship by 22-points.

Sofuoglu’s team-mate Sebastien Charpentier (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR600RR) crashed in the first practice session of the entire weekend, and suffered injures to his collarbone and pelvis, and stretched ligaments in his pelvic and groin area - aggravating old injuries from a big mid-season crash in 2006. He was ruled out of the rest of the Donington weekend after medical examination, and is now in a fight to be fit before the next round at Valencia, on April 15.

Lorenzo Alfonsi (Althea Honda Team CBR600RR) was running strongly near the front in leg one but after being taken out at Coppice in leg two, he failed to score points.

Sofuoglu rode with assurance in the end, despite all the dramas and his race one clutch issue, and was strong enough to win by 0.767 seconds overall, after qualifying third. He now sits on 70 points, with Fujiwara second on 43, with Harms third on 39.

“I am really happy because I have been very lucky this weekend,” admitted Sofuoglu, who was nonetheless the fastest rider on show in any case. “I was experiencing a clutch problem in the first part of the race and I was thinking to myself ‘I cannot finish this race!’ I thought I would be joining the other championship title contenders with a zero point finish. Then I saw the red flag and I thought this is my chance. I was able to change the bike and pick up where I had left off. I started pretty well but then my forearms were really in pain and the last few laps were difficult. I had a small advantage from the first race so I managed to hold on and I got the win.”

Fujiwara was in position to win at one stage after a disappointing eighth place in qualifying, and finished only 1.3 seconds from the win. He scored a new lap record, 1’33.848, on lap 17.

"I am happy because we were close to Sofuoglu at the end,” said Fujiwara. “I changed both the front and rear suspension before the race because everybody was crashing in practice down the hill. The bike was too soft before and it was hard to open the gas. That made things better in the race and I am second in the championship now.”

Alfonsi was bitterly disappointed to not score, but was enthused by his strong showings in qualifying (6th) and his strong pace in leg one.

“I was in a good position at the re-start,” said Alfonsi, "and I knew that I could make a top eight position for sure. Then at Coppice corner I got hit by someone from behind and it knocked me off. I’m very disappointed with the result but pleased with our pace.”

Charpentier, speaking from France, is now in a fight to be fit for the Valencia race.

“I am bitterly disappointed because after the bad start to the season, I was aiming for this race to be the turning point,” said the 2005 and 2006 champion. “The crash I had was probably the slowest in my racing career so I can’t believe the shape I am in now. I am going to my doctor in Paris today for further treatment - he also treated me after my accident last year. I am aiming to be back as soon as possible.”

After the Donington round the championship moves to Valencia on April 15 and then Assen on April 29.

World Superbike Round 3 of 13

TOSELAND WINS AND LEAVES HOME ROUND WITH CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

James Toseland (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) scored a fine race-one win at Donington Park but was forced to stop in race two after an electronic gear-shifter halted his progress to a possible first career double win. Toseland was fourth on the grid and despite his no score in race two still leads the championship fight, with 115 points, over Max Biaggi on 110 and race two winner Noriyuki Haga, 88.

Toseland started the first race from the front row and after Troy Bayliss took the holeshot, Toseland worked hard to stay with the 2006 champion. Bayliss fell at Coppice corner, allowing Toseland a free run to the flag in the lead. He won by a final margin of 1.3 seconds, from Troy Corser and Max Biaggi.

In race two Toseland was leading when his machine appeared to stutter into Redgate corner, before slowing to a halt shortly thereafter.

Roberto Rolfo (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda CBR1000RR) proved that he likes Donington with a ninth place in race one, recovering from a fourth row start after experiencing braking problems that caused him to run off track in Superpole. In race two he went better still, finishing top Honda rider in seventh position. He is now ninth overall, on 36 points.

Karl Muggeridge (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR) slotted into the top ten in race two, with a ninth place finish, after an 11th in race one.
Josh Brookes (Alto Evolution Honda CBR1000RR) scored a 12th and a 15th place, securing points in both races. Muggeridge missed a second row qualifying slot after Superpole by one place, but Brookes was one of three top riders on the fourth row, after a non-finish in Superpole.

Michel Fabrizio (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) ran out 13th and 12th, and his team-mate Steve Martin (DFX Corse Honda CBR1000RR) battled hard for his single points score, in 13th in race two, after stopping to make adjustments to set-up in race one, before restarting five laps down.

For Toseland the sweetness of race one turned sour in race two, but he is philosophical because he still leaves Donington with another victory and the championship lead.

“After Troy fell in race one I had to concentrate to settle into my own rhythm, and try to set a hot pace,” said Toseland. “The early pace had taken me away from the group behind and it felt like a long race from then on. I was so relieved to win race one because of the pressure of riding in front in your home race, so it was just great to win again. In race two I had a problem with the quick shifter and it cut the engine and that was that. I thought I had hit the kill switch for a second but I didn’t. I felt really confident about winning the second race as well but a double win has eluded me again, even if I’m still leaving with the championship lead.”

Rolfo had to work hard after his bad luck with a brake problem in Superpole, but got the reward in race two, equalling his best result of the year and slotting in ninth in the championship.

“This was a complicated weekend because I was good in the rain in Friday and then in the dry session later on,” said Roby. “Then I had a problem with the brake in Superpole, and it was not so easy to start each race from row four. I pushed hard in race one and my rhythm was not so hot, but better in race two. I understood what I needed to do to improve for race two and I was happy with that race. My speed was the same as the top five riders, but I needed to be closer to the front at the start to get a better finishing position.”

Karl Muggeridge rode to a pair of assured finishes, and despite some issues with ultimate traction, scored well in each race.

“I finished two races in the points and we understand now that the suspension is not allowing the rear tyre to work as well as it could,” said Muggeridge. “So if we can find another half a second or so from that alone, that will bring us half way there. I tried hard but the tyre was spinning and spinning, but we can move on from here.”

Brookes had to fight hard to get his results, after starting on row four in each race.

“I went for a softer tyre in race two to get better lap times but the temperature is still too cold to run a soft tyre for any length of time,”
stated Brookes. “I did well at the start and felt comfortable and if things had stayed where they were then I would have been fast. But I got to about half distance and I started going backwards. We took the gamble, but it didn’t pay off.”

Fabrizio was forced into changes between races due to his first race tyre choice.

“I had a hard rear tyre on for race one and it was impossible to race hard with it,” said Fabrizio. “Between race one and race two we adjusted the suspension and put a softer rear in. The start was terrible but after a few laps my pace was good, as good as the guys well inside the top ten. But after about 16 laps the tyre went off and it was impossible to defend my position.”

Martin was frustrated at not being able to find a set-up but the changes made in the middle of race one had an immediate beneficial effect in race two.

“At least I finished both races, but not in positions anywhere near where I know we can be,” said Steve. “It may not seem like it from the results, but we have actually made some good positive steps forward today and the base setting of the bike now needs refining, along with a lot of work on the electrics and engine mapping, in order to achieve competitiveness with the overall bike package.”

Next stop for World Superbike, like World Supersport, is Valencia, on April 15 then Assen, on April 29.