News: James Toseland Short-listed for BBC Sports Personality of 2007

News: James Toseland Short-listed for BBC Sports Personality of 2007 2007 World Superbike Champion James Toseland has been short-listed for the prestigious 2007 BBC Sports Personality of the Year award. He shares nomination for the award with nine other British sports stars including Formula 1 runner up Lewis Hamilton, rugby players Jonny Wilkinson and Jason Robinson, runner Paula Radcliffe and tennis player Andy Murray. The winner will be decided by a phone vote during the TV show which will be watched by millions on Sunday evening.

SBK: Team Grillini Enter Superbike Championship with Loic Napoleone

SBK: Team Grillini Enter Superbike Championship with Loic Napoleone Team Grillini are preparing to make their World Superbike debut with promising young Franco-Italian Loic Napoleone, whose ill-fated 2007 season followed two promising years in Superstock600 and Superstock1000. Napoleone will ride a Yamaha YZF-R1 prepared by Robby Moto with Ohlins suspension and EFI electronics. The team’s target for the year is to finish in the points and to take part in Superpole.

Makoto Tamada to Ride in WorldSBK Championship for Kawasaki PSG-1
Makoto Tamada to Ride in WorldSBK Championship for Kawasaki PSG-1 Makoto Tamada will be the Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse team’s new rider, riding the ZX-10R at Regis Laconi’s side in the 2008 World Supebike Championship. Agreement between the rider and the Japanese firm was reached on Friday 30th November.

Testing: Nieto and Neukirchner Beat Valencia Lap Record

Fonsi Nieto and Max Neukirchner tested the 2007 Alstare Suzuki GSX-R1000s for the first time at the Ricardo Tomo circuit today. Neukirchner recorded more than 70 laps and Nieto more than 80 while tailoring the riding positions and gathering basic set-up information. Both riders also beat the current lap record, with Nieto posting a time of 1:35.5 and Neukirchner a time of 1:35.0. Neukirchner's time was better than Biaggi's best race lap earlier in the season. Fonsi Nieto: "This test was all about me getting comfortable with the bike, so we did a lot of work with the handlebars, levers, footpegs etc. My initial feeling is that the bike is very good and I have a lot to learn. I started with the Biaggi settings, but I didnt get on with them, so we've changed them quite a lot - more in the Kagayama direction I guess. The Alstare Suzuki feels more of a racebike than my bike of last year and it has a lot of potential. I am not thinking about lap times at this test, because I want to learn this bike first. The Alstare team are great to work with and everybody is very friendly. I am getting to know them all very quickly and already we have a very good relationship. The World Superbike Championship is not an easy race series by any means, but I am really looking forward to this new challenge." Max Neukirchner: "I know I've ridden the Alstare Suzuki before, but this is a different situation for me here. We spent most of the time getting the bike right for me. That meant changes to the riding position, bars, levers, footpegs, etc. I enjoyed riding the bike in the last race of the year, but now it's time to get the bike dialled in for me properly. There is a lot to do, but we are all working well and making good progress, so we are all pretty happy at this stage. I know most the Alstare guys from before, but I am working with some different mechanics this time, so I have to get used to them and they have to get used to me. I'm already enjoying myself with the team and I think we will leave Valencia in a positive frame of mind."

WSS: Team Yamaha Spain Sign David de Gea for 2008

Team Yamaha Spain have today announced the signing of David de Gea for their 2008 World Supersport campaign. De Gea, winner of several Spanish championships, will join the team to start testing once the 2007 national championship ends. Team manager Dani Devahive, Juan Carlos Gutierrez of Yamaha Motor Spain, sponsor Fincas Olesa and De Gea himself are all enthusiastic about the agreement and the chance of great results in 2008 that it brings. Dani Devahive has declared himself very happy with the announcement as he knows the great potential of De Gea and after the good results and the experience gained in the 2007 season, has no target other than winning races

WSS: Aitchison and Clementi Line Up for Triumph Italia BE1 Racing

Triumph Italia BE1 Racing have secured the services of Mark Aitchison, one of the most promising young riders on the international scene, for the 2008 World Supersport season. Aitchison was runner up in the 2006 Australian Supersport Championship before moving to Superstock in 2007, where he finished fifth. Mark will compete alongside expert Ivan Clementi, who returns to World Supersport after a season riding the Triumph Italia BE1 Daytona 675 in the Italian championship, finishing with a second place in the final race of the season.

STK1000: Claudio Corti Stays with Yamaha Motor Italia

Yamaha Motor Italia have announced the renewal of their agreement with Claudio Corti, who will ride their Yamaha YZF-R1 in the 2008 Superstock1000 World Cup. Corti has signed a one year contract with the team and will receive top level technical support. During 2008 Yamaha Motor Italia will also run Corti in some rounds of the CIV Italian Superbike Championship, to increase his experience of riding at the highest level. Claudio Corti: "I am truly happy to have renewed with Yamaha Motor Italia. I had many other offers but chose to stay with them because they assured me there would be the potential to take the Superstock1000 title. I can’t wait to start testing for 2008." Claudio Consonni, General Racing Manager: "We discovered Claudio three years ago and know that he is a rider with a great future. We’re counting on him a lot and we think that 2008 will be the season that it all comes together."

2008: Matteo Baiocco Moves to O Six Kawasaki
Team O Six Kawasaki will enter in the FIM Superstock1000 World Cup next year with one of the leading riders of the class. Team manager Luca Letteratis has confirmed that Matteo Baiocco has moved to O Six Kawasaki for the 2008 season. Baiocco was finished the 2007 Superstock1000 World Cup season in third place after taking wins at the two Italian rounds of Monza and Misano.

2008: Team Sterilgarda Go Eleven and Max Biaggi Reach Agreement

Team Sterilgarda Go Eleven reached agreement yesterday, 30th October, with Max Biaggi for the 2008 World Superbike Championship season. The Roman rider will pilot the new Ducati 1200 twin, riding alongside the now confirmed Ruben Xaus to form a team able to run at the highest level. The first test in Sterilgarda Go Eleven colours for Biaggi will probably be in December on a track yet to be announced. With the signing of Biaggi - four times 250 World Champion and third in the 2007 World Superbike Championship – Sterilgarda Go Eleven are making a real step up in the technical and image stakes, taking a front running role in next season’s races

WSS: Team Hannspree Honda Althea Confirm Gianluca Nannelli

Team Hannspree Honda Althea have made their first official signing. The team managed by Slavatore Giorlandino has confirmed that Gianluca Nannelli will ride for them in the 2008 World Supersport Championship. Craig Jones is expected to ride alongside Nannelli; an official announcement is expected shortly. The team has lined up just one rider, Roberto Rolfo, for the World Superbike Championship. Hannspree Honda Althea team have organised two sessions between now and the end of the year; the three riders will be at Calafat from 25 to 28 November and at Jerez from 17 to 19 December.

2008: Team Sterligarda Sign Allessandro Polita for STK1000

Following the confirmation that Ruben Xaus will ride for Team Sterilgarda in World Superbikes, the team have now announced that Allessandro Polita will ride for them in Superstock1000. The 23 year old Italian will campaign a 1200 Ducati in the championship which he won in 2006 on Suzuki. For Polita it marks a return to Superstock1000 after a disappointing year in SBK following a fractured wrist which compromised his season. Allessandro Polita: "I have chosen Team Sterilgarda GMB because it’s a team that has demonstrated great professionalism while keeping a family spirit. The fact that they’re an important partner for Ducati further convinced me that it was a good choice. I can’t wait to get on the new 1200 and am sure that the team will do everything to go for the title that I won already in 2006." Marco Borciani: "Allessandro is a great rider that I really rate, and I’m confident that we’ve created the right conditions in order for us to work together. With him in the squad we are going for the STK1000 championship and for this we will put in the best technical conditions to try and achieve this objective."

2008: Kawasaki PSG-1 Sign Ayrton Badovini

Ayrton Badovini, winner of the final Superstock1000 race of the 2007 season at Magny Cours, will be contracted to Kawasaki PSG-1 next year. The 21 year old Italian will either ride directly for the Kawasaki PSG-1 team alongside Regis Laconi, or possibly for the satellite Pedercini team. Team principal Pierguido Pagani is very happy with the signing after Badovini’s good performance during testing on the Kawasaki ZX10R at Mugello last week

2008: Guandalini enter SBK with Jakub Smrz and Ducati 1200
Team Guandalini will enter the World Superbike Championship next season, with Czech rider Jaku Smrz and the new Ducati 1200 twin. The Bologna team is also looking into entering the FIM Superstock World Cup and will continue to participate in the Italian CIV series with Norino Brignola.

Interview: Niccolo Canepa, FIM Superstock1000 World Cup Winner

How hard has it been to win this championship? "Right from the start we knew it was going to be difficult. A new bike, a new set-up to find on all the circuits, and many strong adversaries; all these things mean it’s not going to be easy. We began well, with a win at Donington and a podium at Valencia, but from then one it was much harder." How did things change? "For sure having to learn everything gave me a bit of extra nervous energy and once I was "overtaken" it allowed me to concentrate on the races. The win at Brands Hatch was a turning point; it gave me the impetus to attack the series after the summer break in the last three races of the season." It was a thrilling finale at Magny Cours; in the final corners it looked as though it might slip through your fingers… "It was one of the most intense races. Unfortunately I made a mistake and lost ground on Badovini and Corti. I know that if Corti won I would have lost the title but I didn’t give them a single centimetre until I caught them. But there wasn’t time to attack, and Badovini won." Who were your toughest opponents? "For sure Corti, perhaps Baiocco until halfway through the championship, Simeon - who went very well - and Aitchison. All tried to win, and this made the championship closely balanced until the end." What is your next objective? "I’d like to move to SBK and it looks to me as though Ducati are trying to find a satisfactory solution. Otherwise I’ll do another year in STK1000 and try and win another title."

Interview: Michel Fabrizio on Qatar’s Losail Circuit

The Losail circuit in Qatar will host the first round of the SBK World Superbike and World Supersport championship this weekend. We asked DFXtreme Honda rider Michel Fabrizio to explain the track and its key characteristics. What type of circuit is it? "I must confess that it’s one of the tracks that appeals to me the most. Losail is a completely technical and riders’ circuit in the first part, then fast in the second part. Personally I appreciate the final three corners, taken in third or fourth gear; a real spectacle for us riders." What are the critical parts of the circuit? "Nothing in particular, the only thing is that you must watch your corner exit line as there is often sand on the track. Because of the enormous amount of run-off you can push hard on the rest of the track, a very important aspect." Which corners are good for overtaking? "There are many, because the track is wide. I’d say you could try it almost anywhere, even where Haga slid into Kagayama last year, with not much risk." Which element of the bike does the circuit stress the most? "For sure, the front tyre; that will wear out quickly. If you make mistakes, it can be hard work at the end of the race. Not that there aren’t problems with the rear tyre, and then I love to ride with the back sliding round." What result would you be happy with? "I’d be satisfied if I ended up where I did last year; fifth and seventh." How have the winter tests gone? "Decidedly well. We’ve worked through everything and we are on the way to finding a good general set-up for the bike and we’re working on the electronics. So I’m comfortable; I think I’ve got a competitive bike in my hands."