Monza takes its toll on FPR
The intense demands of the Monza circuit took their toll
on the Foggy PETRONAS Racing team as Steve Martin and Craig
Jones were unable to complete a race.
Mechanical problems which had been evident during the two
days of qualifying persisted on race day, while championship
leader Troy Bayliss romped to victory in both contests to
extend his championship lead.
Team manager Jack Valentine said: “Monza has always
been a tough circuit for us and the nature of the circuit
again has highlighted some of the weaknesses that persist
with a bike which is still continually being developed. We
will get to work on solutions straight away to ensure that
we are in better shape for the next round at Silverstone.”
Craig and Steve stayed clear of the first race carnage at
the first chicane, where seven riders crashed, leaving Craig
in 14th place going into the first split before he pulled
in with an electrical problem, shortly before Steve retired
with an oil leak.
And, on a day littered with a total of 19 DNFs, the second
race was equally short as Craig, running a new gearbox, ran
off into the gravel and Steve had to pull in with further
mechanical issues.
Craig said: “In the first race I think Nannelli came
flying along the grass, went down and wiped everyone out in
front of me so I was the first through unscathed. I was able
to do my fastest lap of the weekend, a 50.8, and if the stability
problems hadn’t returned with the changes that we had
to make to improve handling after morning warm-up, I think
I could have lapped in the mid-49s. But then I had a problem
with the bike cutting out so I had no option but to come in.
We ran a different gearbox for the second race and, when I
changed down for Parabolica as normal, I ran out of track
but managed to keep the bike upright in the gravel.”
Steve said: “I was one of the first guys behind the
accident in the first race, so I had to brake and let everyone
get out of the way. Then I was able to lap at 49.4, my fastest
pace of the weekend, with clear air in front of me. But I
felt the back end siding round and could see oil on my boots
so I had to retire. In race two there seemed to be a problem
with the fuelling on the out-lap, which we tried to fix on
the line. The bike then got slower and slower in the opening
two laps and I had to park it up.”
Race two results, Superbike World Championship, Monza,
Italy: 1 Bayliss (Ducati Xerox); 2 Corser +1.916;
3 Haga +6.479; 4 Barros +10.227; 5 Toseland +11.910; 6 Pitt
+17.551; 7 Muggeridge +17.720; 8 Nieto +17.825; 9 Walker +22.873;
10 Rolfo +31.603; 11 Lanzi +31.610; 12 Nakatomi +34.282; 13
Foret +35.273; 14 Fabrizio +35.306; 15 Xaus +40.522
Race one results, Superbike World Championship, Monza,
Italy: 1 Bayliss (Ducati Xerox); 2 Barros (Klaffi
Honda) +3.982; 3 Corser (Alstare Suzuki Corona Extra) +4.216;
4 Haga (Yamaha Italia) +4.395; 5 Pitt (Yamaha Italia) +13.605;
6 Muggeridge (Winston Ten Kate Honda) +13.665; 7 Laconi (PSG-1
Kawasaki) +14.066; 8 Rolfo (Ducati SC Caracchi) +19.170; 9
Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) +25.729; 10 Nakatomi (Yamaha France)
+28.350; 11 Walker (PSG-1 Kawasaki) +29.639; 12 Gimbert (Yamaha
France) +30.354; 13 Foret (Alstare Engineering Corona Extra)
+43.838; 14 Alfonsi (PM Corse) +44.312; 15 Clementi (Team
Pedercini) +44.530
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