World Superbike 2006 - Round Two

1623 - That's us done for today, hope you enjoyed the service. It will be up next time from the opening round of the Australian Superbike Championship at Eastern Creek early next month. See you there!
1611 - Big celebratory smoky by Bayliss to celebrate his win. He now leads the series on 75 points from Toseland on 74 while Corser's DNF relegates him to third place on 63. Barros' podium finish puts him in fourth position on the table with 55 points with Andrew Pitt in fifth with 45 points... First thing Barros asked when taking his helmet off was the condition of Corser and he was visually relieved when told he was fine.
1606 - Bayliss takes the win and is now the championship leader. Toseland comes second and is only one point adrift of Bayliss in the standings. Barros gets that third position from Haga, Pitt, Kagayama, Rolfo, Xaus, Nieto, Walker, Fabrizio, Abe, Neukirchner, Chili, Martin, Laconi, Clementi, Foret
1605 - Last lap board and Bayliss leads by 3.8 seconds from Toseland. Barros has a bit more than half a second over Noriyuki Haga now...
1604 - Bayliss now over 3.4 seconds clear of Toseland now... Haga doing everything he can to try and get close enough to challenge Barros for third but struggling to get on terms with the Brazilian... Toseland safe as houses in second place as the battle for third is unfolding more than 13 seconds behind him...
1601 - Over 2 seconds is the lead Bayliss enjoys over Toseland now... Barros maintaining half a second over the Yamaha men...
1600 - Bayliss ahead by over 1.5 seconds now
1559 - Again I get proved wrong and the Brazilian pulls half a second on them in just over half a lap... Can Haga or Pitt respond?
1558 - Barros up to third now... Don't think he will get away from the Yamaha men though...
1557 - Bayliss pulling away already... From turn four to the line he pulled out 7-tenths of a second... That certainly answers the question of whether he was just biding his time or not...
1556 - Bayliss to the lead now with six laps to run...
1555 - Haga, Barros and Pitt still tripping each other up and battling over third place...
1552 - Toseland still maintaining the advantage over Bayliss...
1551 - Bayliss still right with Toseland. If Toseland wins this one he will be the new championship leader while if Bayliss wins he will take that honour. Even with scoring no points from this race Corser will still be relegated to no lower than third in the championship standings...
1550 - Passing half distance now and Barros has got ahead of Haga and is now challenging Andrew Pitt for third place but this three-way battle is far from over and the trio will be shuffling positions for some laps yet as none looks to have the speed to break away...
1549 - We just got word that Troy Corser has had a precautionary medical check and has been given the thumbs up.
1547 - We just commented on how close that battle down the order was and we just saw the result of that when Lanzi clipped the back of another rider and went down taking down Muggeridge in the process... At Honda corner that unfolded..
1546 - Bayliss has responded to Toseland's speed by pulling the gap back to virtually nothing on that lap... Barros is stalking the Yamaha pairing of Haga and Pitt...
1545 - Toseland now has nearly half a second on Bayliss... Still more than half the race to go... A huge battle over 7th place unfolding further back with Muggeridge, Rolfo, Chili, Kagayama, Neukirchner, Martin, Lanzi, Xaus, Nieto, Laconi and Fabrizio all running nose to tail or side by side nearly all the way around the circuit.
1543 - Barros now closing on the Yamaha men and will quickly turn the Yamaha men's two-way battle into a three-way affair...
1542 - Toseland and Bayliss still close together. Nothing separates Haga and Pitt in their battle for third place.
1540 - That leaves the battle up front to Toseland and Bayliss with the duo separated by only two-tenths of a second in the Brit's favour. Pitt and Haga battling over the final spot on the podium at this stage with Barros a couple of second further down after that altercation with Troy Corser's head at MG Hairpin
1538 - Corser down! The reigning World Champion got flicked off hard at MG, he then dives out of the way of oncoming traffic and just made it before he got slammed... A lucky escape that one if you can attribute any luck to a highside that is! He is up and walking but that was a fairly nasty off and Barros actually clipped his helmet and spun him around... Think Troy will be in for some physio and maybe some neck adjustments after that one... Very nasty.
1536 - A 1m33.1 to Toseland on that second lap after putting in a 1m39 from a standing start on the first lap... Still less than a second covering the leading quartet... Bayliss in front of Corser this time around... Pitt has got the better of Haga for fourth place now...
1535 - Toseland continues to lead the way and Bayliss tucks in behind Corser for the run down the straight but the Suzuki man keeps him out as they tip into turn one...
1534 - Toseland to the lead at the entry to turn two to signal the start of lap two and Troy Corser follows him through to push the Yamaha man back to third place... Bayliss then pushes him back further to fourth place...
1533 - And away they go! Haga got off the line well and it is the Yamaha man that leads the field through the first turns from James Toseland, Troy Corser and Troy Bayliss as they run down to turn four now and the order remains the same... Then it is Pitt, Muggeridge, Barros, Walker and Martin.
1526 - ASC Sunday results and points from Aussie Supports at Phillip Island - S/STK R3 - SS R3 - SBK R3
1515 - World Superbike Race Two is up at 1530
1500 - Anthony also celebrated his 31st birthday today
1458 - Anthony Gobert's problem in that Supersport race stemmed from a bad vibration from the rear tyre that he rode with for a number of laps before deciding to pull in when the vibration got very bad. Anthony now heads to Europe to ride in the Spanish Championship for the remainder of the year on a GSX-R1000
1454 - It seems as though Supersport tyres not arriving were not the only problems for Michelin as yesterday Allerton chunked a tyre in the first race and thus had to use a new tyre for the short second race and his tyre in this third race had a massive chunk out of it. When questioned on the issue Allerton said that it was vibrating badly from the second lap and he knew it was bad but after some of the other front runners went down there was no way he was going to pull in and retire so just picked it up off the turns and tried to preserve it to the end.
1450 - The provisional three day crowd for the event has been released at 55,000. An increase of 3,000 over 2005.
1447 - Next up is the final World Superbike encounter which is up at 1530. Bayliss is going for the hardest available rear tyre Pirelli have available for the second race. He said he had tested the tyre he used in race one under a near full race simulation with no problems but that time around with 11 laps to go it cried enough.
1436 - Superbike Event Points (Non Championship Event) - J Stauffer 75 - Allerton 58 - Holland 50 -
1434 - Aussie Superbike Race Three - J Stauffer, Allerton, Holland, Etheridge, D Stauffer, Johnson, Gibson, Fergusson, Wicks, Higgins, Williams.
1432 - Allerton and Holland side by side pulling up at turn four but still Allerton ahead through the turn... Still Allerton through the Hayshed... Holland close at Lukey, Allerton has the inside line blocking at MG, Holland right behind him through turn 11.... Holland in the slipstream for the run to the line but the factory man has too much power... Jamie celebrates the win with a smoky on to the main straight followed by a mono... A perfect start to the year for Jamie on the 2005 machine while his brother gets pipped for fourth spot by Shannon Etheridge while using this round to get the 2006 Yamaha YZF-R1 SP up to speed. But at this round it was the 2005 YZF-R1 that emerged victorious...
1431 - Holland under Allerton at turn 11 but Allerton might have even left that gap on purpose and simply pulls back ahead down the straight to take the advantage into turn one...
1429 - Dan Stauffer back in front of Shannon Etheridge now... Allerton still holding off Holland but Holland will be sure to mount a challenge at MG Hairpin on the final lap... Two to run...
1428 - Jamie has it easy out in front now to the tune of over four seconds and just managing that gap while Allerton and Holland wage war over second place. Etheridge has got the better of Dan Stauffer for 5th place.
1426 - Holland up to second place now through turns 11 and 12 but Allerton blasts pasts him at the end of the straight... Holland will have to bide his time until the last lap I think...
1424 - Jamie now has a lead of 3.4 seconds over Allerton who is being haggled at every turn by Russell Holland. Next best is Dan Stauffer a further five seconds down and being challenged by privateer Shannon Etheridge...
1423 - Giles down and out in the gravel... Got up okay thankfully but that has left it to Jamie to take a perfect six from six across the Superbike and Supersport classes this weekend to make it a perfect 2006 debut for Team Yamaha... They will be wishing this would have been an Australian Championship points scoring event for sure... While the other teams will be extremely glad that it isn't!
1422 - Glenn Allerton is running third a couple of seconds behind the leading duo but Russell Holland is closing him down after a dreadful start...
1421 - Gilesy the fastest man on that last lap with a 1m36.08 but Jamie all over him on this next lap... And takes the lead into turn one with 7 laps to run...
1420 - Krusty down after losing the front.. Up in the dust and getting it going again but any chance of a podium out the window no matter where he rejoins the field... The Honda man lost the front at MG Hairpin and it just got away from him.. Giles in the lead now from Jamie Stauffer...
1418 - Jamie Stauffer the early lead from Giles and Fergusson around the back of the circuit for the first time but Fergusson gets the advantage over Giles around the back of the circuit and then noses ahead of Jamie Stauffer between turns 11 and 12 but into turn one Jamie takes the advantage up front again but Fergusson goes side by side with him out of turn two and on the run down to turn three and takes the lead on the run to turn four, Giles then pushes Jamie back to third place .
1417 - The wireless supposed broadband we got charged way too much for here just fell over again and caused us a break in transmission.
1404 - The final Aussie Superbike support race up next at 1420
1357 - Charpentier the winner, Curtain takes second and Parkes some 7 seconds adrift in third place ahead of Tiberio who had to fight to the line with Harms over 4th position. Brookes takes 6th, Stigefelt 7th, Thomas 8th, Zaiser 9th, Roccoli 10th.
1355 - The gap now 6-tenths now to the Frenchman and from here Kev might take the safe option for 20 points or hope for the Ten Kate man to make a mistake as he won't have the pace to bridge that gap again if the previous laps are anything to go by... He can match the pace but can't improve on it...
1353 - Kev nearly ran into Charpentier at MG Hairpin that time and lost some time getting out of it which gave the Frenchman the advantage he might need to make this race his for sure...
1351 - Curtain has a look up the inside at turn one but thinks better of it... Brookes still keeping his nose in front over that battle for 6th place...
1349 - Curtain still right on Charpentier's hammer... Looking like it will come down to a last lap gasp at MG Hairpin if the status quo remains over the next few laps...
1347 - Parkes losing more ground to Curtain and Charpentier now.. He set a new lap record on lap three of the race but his tyres must be torched now as he is lapping half a second slower than the leading duo but his third place still looks very safe...
1346 - Brookes is leading a heady battle for sixth that is being waged by a whole gaggle of riders including Stigefelt, Veneman, Zaiser, Thomas, Roccoli and Sanchini
1345 - Curtain staying on the tail of Charpentier but Parkes a second behind them now... Brookesy up to 7th... Now up to 6th...
1342 - Charpentier back into the lead... Curtain staying with him.... Parkes maybe losing touch a little unless he can pick up the pace. Gobert has entered pitlane with some sort of problem... They suffered some engine damage earlier in the weekend and may have suffered the same fate again perhaps...
1341 - Sofuoglu just went down at turn four but remounted to rejoin the race outside the top 15...
1340 - Curtain pulled 3-tenths out of Charpentier on that lap but the Frenchman closes up again early on the next lap... Parkes still right there also...
1339 - Curtain hits the front again as they commence the second half of this race... Gobert and Brookes are about to commence battle over 9th position...
1337 - Still Charpentier, Curtain and Parkes up front and Broc looking for a way past his team-mate by the look of it now as he reckons it his turn to have a crack at Charpentier...
1336 - Only 4-tenths of a second cover the leading trio still...
1334 - Charpentier closes again on that lap and pulls out of the slipstream to take the lead as they start lap eight.. Veneman has pushed Gobert back to eighth, Brookes is ninth and his machines was 8kph quicker than Goey's on that last run through the traps. Stigefelt is next best in tenth and his machine hit 283kph through the trap that time compared to Brookes (268) and Goey (260)
1333 - Curtain has 4-tenths on Charpentier now... Brookesy up to ninth...
1331 - Curtain is getting away from Charpentier... Charpentier has his hands full with Parkes...
1330 - Curtain takes the lead at MG Hairpin... Good run through 11 and 12... Will the Ten Kate blast past...? No Kev keeps the lead into turn one and Parkes is all over Charpentier also and we could see Yamaha go 1-2 here shortly... Sofuoglu up to 4th now
1329 - Tiberio still running 4th from Harms and Sofuoglu has pushed Goey back to 7th now. 263 down the straight for Gobert to be the second slowest machine in the field that time around...
1328 - Only 2-tenths covers the leading trio now... The Yamaha Germany men look to have the pace to challenge Charpentier here at Phillip Island.
1327 - Parkes closing to Curtain and Charpentier.. It looks as the battle for the win will unfold with these three riders only... Parkes quickest on that lap with a 1m36.3...
1325 - Curtain matching pace with Charpentier... Parkes still third.... Tiberio up to 4th, Harms 5th, Gobert 6th with half a second over Ten Kate man Sofuoglu... Goey that time 268 down the straight in the slipstream while the man ahead of him hit 280kph...
1323 - Curtain trying to go with Charpentier, Parkes third and as they come onto the main straight Goey is challenging for fourth but he is the slowest bike in the field through the speed trap... Goey maintaining in fifth... Thomas 8th.... Brookes 11th..
1322 - Charpentier leads them through turn one from Harms but Curtain quickly up to second and Parkes then up to third... Goey sixth at the first split... Brookes 9th... Andersen off in the gravel..
1321 - Coming around to form up on the grid now... When Curtain pulled up to the line earlier before the warm up he said he had a vibration in the front brake on the formation lap so the team was checking things over on the grid to make sure all was okay... I guess we'll see shortly...
1319 - World Supersport riders on their warm up lap now
1244 - The World Supersport race is up at 1320
1243 - World Superbike Race One Results and Championship Standings
1236 - As they get the last lap board the gap is 0.064 of a second.... Still Corser... Barros takes a different line at turn four... Could be setting up.... Still Corser around the back of the circuit..... Closes at Lukey... Corser has inside line at MG... Barros tucked in behind through 11.... Corser gets good drive this time... A little wide at 12.... But he holds it and takes a brilliant win... Apologies for doubting him... Corser the winner from Barros, Toseland third, Haga fourth, Rolfo fifth, Bayliss sixth, Xaus seventh, Nieto eighth, Pitt ninth and Walker rounds out the top ten.
1235 - Only a couple of laps to run now and the battle for the win is going to be all the way to the line between Corser and Barros... The Suzuki man still keeping his nose in front...
1234 - Corser smoking it out of turn 11 that time around...
1233 - Corser has motor on Barros, the Brazilian can be right on the pipe of the Suzuki all the way around 12 but can't stay with Corser down the straight unless he stays right in the slipstream but won't have the power to pass on the straight... Bayliss back to fourth now...
1232 - Barros pulled alongside Corser at the end of the main straight but didn't challenge Corser for the line to turn one... The front tyre of Barros' Honda looking to move a little on the entry that time... So maybe rear grip might not be the only problem in this race as the laps wind down...
1231 - Corser and Barros are the main men now... Corser sliding his Suzuki around.... Barros looking relatively tidy but still getting on it hard...
1230 - Barros through on Bayliss also and the Suzuki and Honda man are now leaving Bayliss dwindling in their wake
1229 - Muggas in the pits... Corser to the lead!
1228 - Bayliss lost 1.6 seconds to his pursuers on that lap... The gap now down to 2.0 seconds... Corser and Barros have left Toseland behind to the tune of 1.5 seconds..
1227 - They have pulled another four-tenths at the first split on this lap... At the second split down to 2.6 seconds... Must be some sort of major drama with the #21 Ducati...
1226 - Bayliss could have some sort of problem....? The gap back to Corser and Barros now down to 3.7 seconds...
1224 - Corser and Barros have narrowed the gap to Bayliss now... The gap back to 4.8 seconds... They have also pulled a few more tenths over Toseland...
1223 - Barros piling the pressure on Corser now but not showing a wheel to the Suzuki man just yet...
1221 - Bayliss now managing his advantage at 5.5 seconds... Corser still holding out Barros and Toseland just a further couple of tenths behind.. Rolfo and Xaus are now within six seconds of 5th placed Haga and running a better pace...
1220 - Rolfo and Xaus running 6th and 7th have broken away from their group a little, Walker running 8th ahead of Pitt and Muggas...
1219 - Haga started off well but has drifted back from the front group steadily lap by lap and if he is not careful Rolfo will catch him before this race ends... Craig Jones unfortunately ends his race in the grass again this weekend he got spat over the highside on the exit of four in a crash that looked quite strange... The young Brit got up and walked away but could have been favouring his wrist but hopefully nothing too bashed up in there
1218 - Barros all over the back of Corser and looking for a way through. Toseland just over half a second adrift of that pair now...
1217 - 5.5 seconds is Bayliss' lead now. Pedercini has retired, Foret returned to the pits with some sort of problem but headed out again... Iannuzzo just pitched it into the gravel but got up ad walked away fine
1216 - The battle for 6th still going hard but Rolfo has a small advantage over Muggas, Walker, Pitt, Laconi, Xaus, Chili, Kagayama and Martin. This group running in close formation with plenty of fireworks going off in the middle at nearly every turn...
1215 - Lap 7 of 22 and the riders already battling for grip.... Corser was quoted earlier as saying as his tyres are good for about six laps before they start to go away and that second place will go to the one who conserves that grip the best or instead rides the best on completely shagged out tyres... My money is on Barros...
1214 - James Toseland gets too out of shape at turn four and runs wide allowing Corser and Barros through and relegating himself to fourth in that one turn...
1213 - James Toseland wagging the tail of his Ten Kate Honda through turns 11 and 12 that time around.... How much is that tyre tearing up at this early stage...? Bayliss has 4.4 seconds on them now...
1212 - Bayliss leads by 3.8 seconds... Toseland still holding out Corser, the Suzuki has his hands full with the Honda of Alex Barros...
1211 - Barros up to 4th now after dispensing with Haga... Now his sights are set on Corser and Toseland...
1210 - Good battle for 6th too with a huge swag of riders in on that action... Muggeridge, Walker, Pitt, Rolfo, Laconi, Chili, Martin Kagayama... You could throw a blanket over the lot of them...
1209 - The gap between Bayliss and his pursuers now out to over 2.8 seconds... Corser back ahead of Haga, the battle for 2nd is where the excitement is going to be.... The protagonists Toseland, Corser, Haga, Barros..... My tip? Barros might be the one to take that second step on the podium by race end...
1208 - Haga looking to challenge Toseland now and Barros now the one hounding Corser...
1207 - Bayliss disappearing already... Will he break the record again on this one...? No he doesn't, 1m32.842 the time... Haga gets Corser for 3rd and the quickest rider in that battle for 2nd on that last lap...
1206 - Barros is closing on the battle for second, the Brazilian was faster on that last lap than Toseland, Corser and Haga and he will be mixing it up with them shortly...
1205 - Toseland lights it up out of 12 as he struggles for drive to stay ahead of Corser and the Suzuki. Bayliss has 1.5 seconds on them as they start lap three... New lap record to Bayliss on that second lap with a 1m32.402... Barros 5th, Pitt 6th, Walker 7th, Muggas 8th...
1204 - Corser still looking for a way past Toseland but the Briton is maintaining good pace, Haga looming dangerously on his tail...
1203 - Toseland up to second between turns two and three, Bayliss pulling away already... Toseland still in front of Corser, Toseland runs a little wide before Lukey but maintains second position, through 11 and 12 Bayliss with a few bike lengths as Toseland, Corser and Haga run nose to tail on to the main straight... Bayliss has an 8-tenths lead as they cross the stripe to start lap two
1202 - And they are away and it is Bayliss leading them through turn one with Corser and Toseland in behind
1159 - Lorenzo Lanzi has been ordered to start from the back of the grid... Riders on their warm up lap now...
1145 - Riders assembling on the grid now for the normal pre race happenings. Going down for a look see...
1100 - Pit walk and other things on now so a bit of a break happening now until we have the opening World Superbike race getting underway at 1200, 22 laps of Troy versus Troy is our prediction but something tells me that Troy B rather than Troy C will be the victor here today
1045 - Aussie Supersport Event Points (Non Championship)

J Stauffer 76
Greedy 56
O'Halloran 54
Seaton 50
Campbell 41
Goldsmith 40
Fergusson 38
Staring 37
Aitchison 37
Waters 34

1041 - Jamie the clear winner yet again and Waters gets the slipstream to the line to take second place from Fergusson on the line by 2-hundredths of a second, O'Halloran 4th, Allerton 5th, Staring 6th, Greedy 7th, Seaton 8th.... But of course with the penalties to the Michelin runners that order will become Stauffer, O'Halloran, Greedy
1040 - Waters has the pace but Fergusson the racecraft and he won't let the Kwaka man through...
1039 - Waters is catching Fergusson and will challenge the Honda man for second on this last lap...
1038 - Great battle for fourth with O'Halloran, Staring, Greedy and Allerton to the protagonists...
1036 - Well that fastest lap didn't last long as Jamie just went through to lower the mark to a 1m37.61.... 3 laps to run...
1035 - Waters just put in a fastest lap of the race in third place with a 1m37.757 but is 2.4 seconds behind Jamie and 1.6 seconds adrift of Adam but now has a second over Greedy who has got back ahead of Allerton
1034 - Allerton up to 4th place now after battling with Greedy... Waters has made third place his...
1033 - Jamie has a lead of 0.642 of a second as they cross the line to signal five laps to run. A number of riders put in 1m37s on that lap as the pace gets hectic
1032 - Jamie just put in a 1m37.76 to pull half a second on Krusty... Six laps to run now...
1031 - The battle for third unfolding around a second behind Jamie and Adam is being fought out by Staring, Waters and Greedy
1030 - Jamie gets the lead from Fergusson on the run to turn one with seven laps to go and holds it through the early part of the lap and through the Hayshed it's still Jamie..
1029 - So Fergusson in the lead now from Jamie Stauffer but Stauffer all over the Honda man through turns 1, 2, 3 and then we get down to Honda and... Krusty still holds the lead... Still Krusty through the Hayshed and up over Lukey, Jamie did a 1m38.2 on his second lap. Of course we must remind you that Fergusson will get a 30 second penalty for a non homologated tyre so the results are moot but at the moment we are interested in what is happening on the track and not in the post race paperwork...
1027 - Jamie Stauffer up to third place now and Fergusson reeling in Aitchison as they go around Siberia for the second time it is Aitchison, Fergusson, Stauffer... Stop the press.... Aitchison down at the Hayshed, he is up and okay but will be out of the race
1025 - Jamie gets a good run off the line as did Judd Greedy and it was Greedy who held the advantages they tipped into turn one with Mark Aitchison in close behind, Aitchison underneath him at turn four, Fergusson running third as they go around Siberia. Aitchison pulls a lot of ground through the back section of the circuit and has a number of bike lengths over Greedy by the time they get to MG... Krusty gets Greedy between turns 11 and 12 and sets out after Aitchison but he will have his work cut out for him...
1023 - Aussie Supersport riders wrapping up their warm up lap now
1013 - Next up we have the final Aussie Supersport support race
1012 - Results from Supersport Warm Up
0958 - Results from Superbike Warm Up
0951 - World Supersport machines on track for their 20 minute warm up now
0943 - Morning warm up done and dusted now with Bayliss on top from Lanzi, Corser, Toseland, Barros, Martin, Haga, Pitt, Nieto, Laconi, Muggeridge Kagayama, Clementi, Walker, Rolfo, Fabrizio, Chili, Xaus
0940 - Bayliss did a 1m32.339 that time around.
0938 - Bayliss still leading Lanzi around by his nose and the Ducati hit 314kph down the chute that time around, Bayliss on another flyer now, only a tenth behind his best at the first split
0933 - This is indeed a rare occasion at Phillip Island, there is virtually no wind, as in the flags are completely limp! Bayliss and Lanzi the two fastest bikes down the main straight thus far in this session at 313kph
0930 - Bayliss just led Lanzi around for a lap to help the Italian down to a 1m32.7, much faster than he has been all weekend
0927 - Bayliss just blitzed it again to lower the mark to a 1m31.908, we expected to see a 1m31 this weekend but didn't expect morning warm up to be the session that produced it!
0926 - Bayliss just did a really aggressive lap to set a 1m32.41 as the fastest thus far, Corser 2nd quickest at 1m32.7 then it is Toseland, Haga, Pitt, Nieto, Barros, Laconi, Fabrizio, Walker with 12 minutes to run
0921 - World Superbikes out on their 20 minute warm up session now. Conditions cool and overcast today which is a stark difference from the previous two days
0920 - Australian Superstock Race 3 has been run and won and the results were - Trounson, Broadfoot, Bonthorne, Higgins, Kokshoorn, Nicholson, Sciberras, Cowie, Mather, Mortiel, McConnell, McLinden, Corcoran, Dix, Griffin, Smibert, Burns, Baker, Mutton, Frandsen \