Superbike

The changing conditions throughout the first day of practice and qualifying disrupted proceedings so badly that no rider completed more than nine laps in the afternoon timed session. Qualifying had started dry, but after about ten minutes or so, the first rain shower fell, causing the field to scurry back to their garages.

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.

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.

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.