Last year’s race at Magny-Cours saw young German Max Neukirchner drafted into the team as a replacement for the injured Yukio Kagayama and he acquitted himself well by taking fourth place in the first race. The debut might have been ever better if he had not tangled with Troy Bayliss (Ducati) when he was on course for a superb podium.

Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner took a gritty pair of fourths in the twelfth round of the Superbike World Championship at Vallelunga today. Despite not having a perfect bike set-up, the young German battled his way through both 24 lap races and took the best results he could. Team Suzuki Alstare rider Yukio Kagayama was disappointed to finish ninth in the first race, but improved to end race two in seventh.

After yesterday's appalling conditions, today dawned dry and fine and it was down to business as usual for Team Suzuki Alstare riders Yukio Kagayama and Fonsi Nieto and Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner.

Today’s atrocious conditions hindered Team Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama and Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner, and none were able to finish in the top ten.

The twelfth round of this year’s Superbike World Championship takes place at the Vallelunga circuit, near Rome, this weekend and Fonsi Nieto, Yukio Kagayama and Max Neukirchner are all looking for good results after disappointment in the wet at Donington in the last round.

The Suzuki Alstare engine development chief, Bruno Bailly, visited during his portuguese holiday the Portimao circuit, still under construction a few weeks before the race week-end planned on November the 2nd 2008. For the opportunity, he played to be a spy and took several pictures to show where the works are now.

The recent rain-sodden World Superbike Championship round at Donington saw Alstare visited by of the UK’s most popular TV soap stars, Stuart Manning. Twenty-nine year old Stuart is a regular in Hollyoaks, one of UK’s best loved daytime TV series, on Channel 4, which takes place five times a week.

Team Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama and Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner were happy to leave Donington Park after a difficult weekend, but unhappy with the results.

The bad weather continued at Donington today and Max, Fonsi and Yukio continued to suffer with grip problems throughout the day. This morning’s qualifying session was very wet and Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama struggled to get into the top sixteen for Superpole right from the start.

Donington was awash with rain today and a soaking wet, slippery track greeted the riders in both sessions. Team Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama and Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner took things cautiously, finishing 16th, 19th and 23rd, mainly due to problems with lack of rear grip.

After the five week break, Team Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama and Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner are ready to attack in Donington.

One of the reason why people around the world love Superbike is the possibility for them to buy the same bike as those they see in action during famous and spectacular races.
In the hope of getting the same feeling as the the ones riders have on the tracks, some fans decide to have their superbike replica improved.
They modify the livery as well as the engine capacities.