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.

Team Alstare Suzuki and everybody at Alstare’s headquarters in Belgium would like to send their sincerest condolences to the family and friends of racer Craig Jones who died as a result of an accident in the Supersport World Championship race at Brands Hatch on Sunday.

The unseasonal weather interrupted proceedings at Brands Hatch today, but somehow both 24-lap races took place with all riders on slick tyres. Race one was delayed because of a rain shower as the teams lined up on the grid, but the track dried out and the race got under away after fifteen minutes or so.

Just before the start of Superpole, rain began to fall on the Brands Hatch circuit and so the organisers decided that the 16-rider shoot-out would be a “Wet Superpole”, giving the riders 50 minutes and a maximum of twelve laps to set their fastest lap times.

Team Suzuki Alstare rider Yukio Kagayama mastered a bumpy track and blustery conditions in this afternoon’s qualifying at Brands Hatch to end the day with the third fastest lap time. His team mate Fonsi Nieto finished tenth and Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner fourteenth. Ryuichi Kiyonari (Honda) used his years of British Superbike Championship experience at the Kent circuit and took provisional pole position, just over a tenth of a second faster then Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha).

There was no fairy-tale second win in a row for Team Alstare Suzuki rider Yukio Kagayama at the Suzuka 8 hour this year, but he and team mate Kousuke Akiyoshi can be proud of their never say die attitude in one of the toughest road races of the year.