Yamaha riders go back to the future in Germany
Noriyuki Haga and Troy Corser (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team)
approach the seventh round of the 2008 World Superbike Championship,
at the Nürburgring in Germany this coming weekend, safe
in the knowledge that they are as experienced at this circuit
as almost any of their peers. Both Yamaha factory riders have
raced on the 1998 and 1999 versions of the circuit, located
in the Eifel Mountains close to the Belgian border, and will
have little difficulty remembering the majority of the layout.
After an action-packed WSB round in the USA, Haga has had
to show grit and determination to participate in the German
round. His nasty collarbone fracture, plated and pinned in
California last week, did not stop Haga competing and scoring
ten more points than championship leader Troy Bayliss. Haga,
now sporting a steel plate and eight screws in his right collarbone,
will be out to score as many points as possible in Germany
without taking undue risks that may cause further complications
to his injury. Remarkably, Haga's fracture was his first significant
injury since taking up racing, almost 30 years ago!
A rejuvenated Corser had a one-up and one-down experience
in America, securing a close second place and a crash when
pushing for another podium finish, he approaches the Nürburgring
race safe in the knowledge that he won the last SBK race held
at this track, in 1999.
The circuit has been altered somewhat since Haga and Corser
battled it out in 1998 and 1999 (When Haga rode for Yamaha
and Corser Ducati) with the first corner now a hairpin, followed
by a stadium-style complex of corners, before the riders head
back out to a more familiar full circuit layout.
Haga is ready for another challenging weekend, as he goes
for win number three of the 2008 season. "We got back
from America on the Tuesday evening after my operation from
Doctor Ting in San Francisco. I was in so much pain right
afterwards but day-by-day the pain has got less and less.
I went to the hospital in Italy for checks and it all seems
OK. I expect to approach the German round pretty much like
any other race, and score good points, even though I need
to be a little careful. All of this is a new experience for
me anyway. It is the first time I have broken a bone in 29
years of racing! As for the track, I remember some of it,
but everybody will be finding their way around and I am a
quick learner. I am not worried about the track or anything
else this weekend."
Corser is looking for his first win of the year and his return
to podium status at Miller has buoyed him with confidence
to get the job done in Germany. "I have been there before
and a lot of guys haven't but it's been changed a bit anyway.
As I remember, it's a bit like Brno, lots of straights and
then up and downhill corners. We found a good setting with
the chassis when we went to America, and I hope that we can
get the same grip from the track surface that allowed us to
use our bike the way we wanted to in Germany as well."
Shinichi Nakatomi (Yamaha Team YZF) scored in neither American
round, but is ready to step up to improve once again, with
Yamaha GMT94 regulars Sebastien Gimbert and David Checa also
in the same situation, albeit in 23rd and 24th places in the
overall standings.
Technically speaking - The Nürburgring according
to Massimo Meregalli (Yamaha Motor Italia WSB Team - Team
Manager)
"The layout of the Nürburgring seems OK for our
bike and to be honest it will be almost a new track because
we were there quite a few years ago now. At the moment we
have no real data covering the circuit. We will work the same
way we did in Miller to find the best possible set-up in the
shortest space of time." "I think that Troy really
can repeat his Miller performance again in Germany. Last time
Troy raced here he won and he can take a lot from that. For
Noriyuki, it depends on the scale of his recovery from injury.
What he did in Miller was unbelievable, and after the operation
he should be even better. We should hopefully have good results
again." "Considering that the doctors in America
felt Nori wouldn't be able to race at all, anything is possible
here in Germany"
"It took some time for the bikes to come back from America,
but there will be some updates and adjustments for Germany.
We always put the bikes on the dynos in the workshop to check
everything is OK after each race and we took that opportunity
to adjust the engine mapping for Germany."
Germany Hosts the Return to Action in World Supersport
With the Supersport Championship not featuring on the Miller
Motorsports Park race schedule this year the championship
moves onto round six at an old favourite, the Nürburgring,
for the first time since 1999.
For Broc Parkes and Fabien Foret, from the Yamaha World Supersport
Racing Team, the interruption to the rhythm of the season
was unwelcome in some ways, but it has also provided the recently
injured Parkes with much-needed recuperation time for his
injured wrists, hands and forearm.
In the current standings, Foret is second on 71 points, only
six from the lead, while Parkes is on 65, in third place.
Parkes is sure his weekend in Germany will start on a high
note, as he has now made a good recovery from recent injuries.
"Finally my injuries are starting to heal up because
for the first couple of weeks there was only a slow improvement,
and that was an unpleasant surprise. The main thing is I have
improved a lot now. The strange thing is that I had more problems
with my sprained wrist than my broken radius bone, yet the
radius bone was the one that was fractured. But it's all good
now, and I'll be ready for the German race. I have raced at
the Nürburgring recently; we did a German Championship
race on a Superstock spec R1 in the Superbike class about
three years ago. That was on half the circuit, not the full
version we will use this weekend. The whole championship race
has changed now and I am really looking forward to this weekend
as I will be fully fit for the first time in a few races."
Foret, now a force to be reckoned with in the battle for
ultimate WSS glory after some early season misfortunes, said,
"I have never been to the Nürburgring before, but
I heard it is a nice track. I think most of us will be first-timers
there, so it will be the same. I'm not worried in any way
because it's easy to learn a new track. I can't make mistakes
any more so I will not push over the limit for the next races,
and I will be waiting for the right moment to win. I'm really
back in the championship again so I am in the position now
to give 100%, but no more. If I can win again, I will."
Wilco Zeelenberg, the Yamaha World Supersport Team Manager,
who grabbed a victory at Nurburgring himself in 1990 riding
in the GP 250cc class, explained how the team had made best
use of its time away from the racetrack. "We have had
some time off from actual racing but we have been pretty flat-out
anyway. We have had a lot of ideas for development and it
was time to try them out. We have lost some weight from the
bike, for example, and created some more working areas and
an office at the team headquarters. For the coming weekend
itself, the Nürburgring is a different track from before
in some places, so it will be a new experience for all of
us really. Broc is healing well now, and you can be sure each
of our riders will be ready for the German race."
Davide De Gea from the Yamaha Spain World Supersport Team
is battling to be fit in time to ride again in Germany alongside
regular rider Davide Salom. Massimo Roccoli (Yamaha Team Italia
Lorenzini by Leoni) is in 11th place overall going into the
German round.
FIM Superstock 1000 geared up for round four
The Nürburgring hosts the fourth round of the FIM Superstock
1000 Championship this year and Yamaha's officially supported
runners are already in the mix. Michel Pirro (Yamaha Team
Italia Lorenzini by Leoni) is currently fifth overall, and
is out to propel himself up the championship leader board
before approaching his home round in Misano at the end of
June, while Sylvain Barrier (Yamaha YZF Junior Team) and Claudio
Corti (Yamaha Motor Italia Junior Team) are looking to break
into the top ten as soon as possible. After Corti's misfortune
at Monza he is determined to make progress this weekend and
take some valuable points away from the German circuit.
Baz is ready for battle in the Superstock 600 European
Championship
Loris Baz (YZF Yamaha Junior Team) has already been victorious,
the 15 year old put in a fantastic performance at Monza, riding
with an ability way beyond his age. He hopes for more of the
same in Germany.
|
