SpidermanSS
05-09-2007, 08:05 AM
SETUP REPORT - 09/05/2007
Yamaha Motor Italia Looking for Success at Home Round
The World Superbike Championship's next stop this coming weekend is the
historic circuit of Monza in Italy for the sixth round in the 2007 series. The
championship first came to the circuit in 1990 and this year will be its 14th
visit.
The Monza circuit is located northeast of Milan and was built in 1922 by 3,500
workers with funding from the Milan Automobile Club. Monza is the fastest track
to appear on the World Superbike calendar with riders often reaching speeds of
over 300kph on the start/finish straight. As well as hosting the WSB
Championship, the circuit features on the Formula 1 calendar.
The circuit actually consists of three tracks - GP, Junior and the Speed track
which includes the oval banking for which the circuit is famous - though WSB
uses the GP circuit. The track has been modified many times over the years to
increase safety and provide better facilities for race teams and spectators.
The last modification was in 2000 when amendments were made to the two chicanes
to improve safety. Grandstand seating was also increased in 1997 to 51,000.
Monza is the home circuit for the Yamaha Motor Italia Team, who will be hoping
for better luck than at Assen. In a weekend of mixed fortune at the last round
Haga took second in race one but failed to finish race two. Corser had an
equally turbulent time crashing out of third on the penultimate lap when fluid
was sprayed on the rear tyre. Despite pain from the injuries he received in the
accident Corser went on to finish fourth in race two and take away some much
needed points.
Haga finished third and fourth last year at Monza. Though he is yet to win
there Haga goes to Monza determined to provide the team with a win following
his second place at Assen.
"Even though Monza is the team's home circuit it is not my favourite track
because it has a long start/finish straight but not many corners. This makes it
more of a machine's track than a rider's track," says Haga of the circuit.
"After the disappointment of Assen though, the show must go on. I need to win
at Monza to keep my championship fight alive and to erase the bad memories of
the last round. I am always looking to win and nowhere more so than at Monza."
Monza was a good round for Corser in 2006 with second and third position
finishes in addition to taking pole position and setting a new Superpole
record. He also won there in 2005. For 2007 Corser goes to Monza with the
opportunity to take his 40th pole of his Superbike career.
"I've been checked out by a sports therapist and nothing's broken from the
crash in Assen, there's just a lot of deep bruising. I've had worse in a lot of
other crashes so I'll be fine for Monza," he says of his injuries. "Monza
should be a good race. The circuit is all about speed and the bike has enough
of it so I'm confident of what we can achieve there. I've got a good history at
that place. As for my 40th pole, well I'd love to get it at Monza for the team
but my focus is more on getting on the front row. Pole would be an added bonus.
The race is the most important thing."
The Yamaha World Supersport Team also had a mixed round at Assen with Parkes
crashing out of the race in second place when he lost the front on the
penultimate lap. Steve Martin stood in for Kevin Curtain who is recovering from
a leg injury sustained at Valencia, and finished in a credible tenth place
considering he had only had three hours on the bike prior to the race.
Parkes goes to Monza knowing he needs to finish on the podium and claim points
to get him back in contention for the championship. He has shown his capability
at Monza finishing second previously.
"We need to get some points on the board and I am aiming for some wins now to
get myself back into the championship fight. We were heading in the right
direction at Assen until the crash," he says. "There are still eight rounds to
go and catching Sofuoglu is going to be tough but not impossible. If I had got
second at Assen then I would have been third in the championship now. It's that
tight so I'm confident I can move up the championship board if I can get a good
finish. Anything can happen when everyone is this close in the points."
Regarding Monza, Parkes says, "I like Monza and even though the last couple of
years there haven't been great for me I have finished second there in the past
so I know I can do it again. Monza is all about horsepower and set-up and we've
got a few more chassis and suspension adjustments to try that we didn't get
time to do at Assen."
The Yamaha World Supersport Team had been hoping to welcome back Kevin Curtain
at Monza but his recovery is taking longer than expected. He is still resting
in Australia where he is seeing a specialist following an accident at Valencia
in mid April when he cut the muscle in his right thigh. Kevin is making a good
recovery and is now walking without crutches though he has recently got an
infection in the wound which has delayed his return to the championship.
Following a course of antibiotics it is hoped that he will be back for the
Silverstone round later this month but he may need a further operation on the
wound if the antibiotics don't work.
WSB rider Steve Martin stood in for Kevin at the last round in Assen but has
not been released by the DFX squad for the Monza round. Instead, 250 GP race
winner Anthony West will be stepping in to Curtain's shoes for Monza. Yet
another Australian, West is racing in the 2007 250 GP Championship though he
has raced in the World Supersport Championship previously at Brands Hatch in
2004. His biggest challenge this weekend will be to get used to the four-stroke
engine characteristic against the two-stroke he is used to. The weight of the
bike will also be a difference for him with the 600cc bike much heavier than
the 250cc machine.
"I'm excited to be riding in Kevin's place this weekend though I wish him well.
It will be good to ride a different bike in a different championship and at a
track that I have never been to before. My GP season hasn't been great so far
so this will be a good chance for me to have a really good race," he says.
"Though I have ridden four-stroke bikes before, it's quite a while since I
slung my leg over one. I would like to finish in the top five this weekend."
Massimo Roccoli, riding in the Yamaha Team Italia squad, went to Assen boosted
by a win in the national Italian championship at Mugello the week before.
Although he qualified in fifth Roccoli finished the race in 14th due to a wrong
tyre choice. Roccoli goes to Monza determined to put in a good performance
throughout the whole weekend.
Yamaha had great success in the FIM Superstock 1000 Cup at Assen, walking away
with first, second and third place on the 2007 new YZF-R1. Pirro took his first
Superstock win after moving up this year from the 125 MotoGP World
Championship. Team mate Corti came second after being penalized for overtaking
under a yellow flag and Belgian rider Didier van Keymeulen took the third
podium space.
Pirro and Corti go into this third round both on 45 points and are second and
third in the championship respectively. Van Keymeulen lies in seventh but with
only a small points margin up to the Yamaha Team Italia riders. All three
riders will be targeting the top spot at this weekend's round ensuring some
close race action.
Track length: 5792m
Track opened: 1922
2006 winner: Bayliss (Ducati), Bayliss (Ducati)
2006 fastest lap: 2'00.061 (Haga, Yamaha)
WSB lap record: 1'59.696 (Bayliss, Ducati)
Circuit tel: +39 039 24821
Circuit website: www.monzanet.it
Yamaha Racing Communications