2006 Superbike World Championship
Round 11, Imola, Italy - Preview
Team Alstare Suzuki aiming for a big finish in Imola.
The penultimate round of this years Superbike World Championship
takes place at the undulating 4.933 kilometre Imola circuit
and Team Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra riders Troy Corser and
Yukio Kagayama will be going all-out to end the season in
style. For both riders, this year has been somewhat of a roller-coaster
ride, but both are determined to take podiums in Imola and
then Magny-Cours one week later. Last year, Imola was a scene
of celebrations for Team Alstare because it was there that
Troy was crowned world champion after the second SBK race
was cancelled due to a flooded track. Troy’s runner-up
spot in race one and the cancelled race two was enough for
Suzuki to take their first ever World SBK title. Yukio fell
in that race, but remounted to finish fifteenth.
TROY
I still think I can finish in the top three this year and
that’s what I’ll be shooting for at Imola and
Magny. It’s been a real up and down year - literally
in some cases - but I’m aiming for strong consistent
finishes in the remaining races and a good end to the season.
I had mixed feelings last year when the second race was cancelled
last year because I would’ve liked to have taken the
title in normal conditions. But our team had worked so hard
over the winter months and we were all set from the very first
race - and so our title was well-earned. It’s not going
to be so easy these last few races because Bayliss and his
Ducati are working so well - particularly his traction control.
Also, Imola is a ‘home’ race for Ducati because
their factory is just down the road, but that’s a big
incentive for me and the rest of the boys to put one over
them. That’s what I’ll be trying to do, for sure.
YUKIO
I do not have such good memories of Imola last year, so I
will be doing my best to get two good results this time -
maybe podiums. Ever since midseason, when I was fully fit
again, I have been feeling good on the bike. There have been
changes to the bike from last season and it has not always
been so easy to get a really good set-up at some racetracks.
I think my riding style has changed a little during the year
and I have learnt how to be more patient. It is not my natural
style, but if it works of course I will use it. It’s
always a bit of a problem when you have back-to-back races
(Imola and then Magny), but I want to take podiums in all
the four races and end the year in a big way.
2005 results
Race 1: 1 Vermeulen (Aus-Honda), 2 TROY CORSER (Aus-Alstare
Suzuki Corona Extra), 3 Haga (J-Yamaha), 15 YUKIO KAGAYAMA
(J-Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra),
Race 2: Cancelled due to torrential rain and flooded track.
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