Press release: Coming back to Thessaloniki's Drive Park this weekend the FIM SuperMoto World Championship sees this and the remaining two Grand Prix of the 2009 season get underway in just five weeks.
The pressure remains high among the competitive S1 and S2 rankings including S1 series leader Van Den Bosch and S2 series leader Adrien Chareyre both from France.
In the S1 class Hermunen, Lazzarini, Thomas Chareyre and Seel complete a close top five. In the S2 class instead Gozzini and Delepine seem the only ones left with a chance of troubling defending Champion Adrien Chareyre.
Karanyotov and Monticelli lead the S3 and Open European Championships respectively.
S1
Having made a winning comeback at Latina, Thomas Chareyre extended his winning streak by taking victory at a fog plagued GP of Andorra. The Husqvarna CH Racing Superider is desperate to cut the gap from Championship leader VDB as the French countrymen are now separate by 41 points.
Van Den Bosch of 747 Motorsport - TM Racing Factory is experiencing a wonderful maiden season onboard the blue machine. Taking back to back podiums after winning round one of the series VDB constantly kept the red plate as he is on route to his fourth World Title.
Other Husqvarna CH Racing representative Hermunen of Finland is holding the runner up spot, something the Finn did not expect at his maiden season in the World circus.
HM Honda Racing's Lazzarini follows in fourth place but the Italian has not been able to repeat his winning performance of Mallory again. On the other hand the storming comeback of Thomas Chareyre has put Lazza into trouble as the advantage over the Frenchman has progressively reduced.
Both VDB and Lazzarini though enjoyed a podium finish last year in Thessaloniki where Hiemer took the overall and the S1 World Title. Unfortunately the German is not yet ready to enter a Grand Prix due to a severe off season crash.
2008 S1 PODIUM:
1. Bernd Hiemer
2. Thierry Van Den Bosch
3. Ivan Lazzarini
2008 S1 SUPERPOLE: Thomas Chareyre
S2
Adrien Chareyre of Husqvarna CH Racing has been the absolute dominator of this 2009 season, winning each of the four Grand Prix's and enjoying an actual advantage of 27 points over runner up Gozzini. The Italian of 747 Motorsport - TM Racing Factory instead has been taking podium finishes but has not yet been able to beat Chareyre in the overall, something he desperately needs to do if he wants to keep his Championship hopes alive.
As Adrien Chareyre won the overall last year at Thessaloniki, Gozzini was sidelined by a flat tyre and missed both the podium and his chance to grab the S2 Title.
The other two podium finishers of 2009 Pignotti and Mariani will not line up in Andorra. The former is now retired and coaches Team Italy racing the SMoN last weekend, when team member Mariani crashed and dislocated his left shoulder.
Delepine of Cross 2R instead is on a high having taken his third consecutive podium in Andorra. The Belgian now gives Gozzini chase for the runner up spot in the Championship.
Battling for the fourth spot in the Championship are Italy fellow Superiders Gaspardone and Borella. The former is pumped after topping the individual S2 classification at the SMoN but he has just one single point of advantage over young gun Borella.
Collecting his best season result in Andorra with fourth overall, Iddon will be looking for his first podium finish this weekend at Thessaloniki where he won heat two last year.
2008 S2 PODIUM:
1. Adrien Chareyre
2. Attilio Pignotti
3. Lorenzo Mariani
2008 S2 SUPERPOLE: Adrien Chareyre
UEM
There are just three rounds to go before the end of the UEM series with Thessaloniki being the first of this three race run.
Winning again at Andorra Bulgarian Karanyotov built on his Championship lead as the Bulgarian is 42 points ahead of Janina Wuerterle while her brother Kevin sits in third.
A bad day in Andorra saw Open series leader Monticelli's advantage cut down to seven points. Runner up Porfiri and third placed Dall'Era, who won at Pas de la Casa, are now a lot closer.
More photos available at
www.supermotos1.com/galleryinfo.aspx TIMETABLESaturday:
EC Open & S3 Free Practice 1 8:55-09:15
EC Open & S3 Free Practice 2 10:30-10:50
S1 & S2 Free Practice 1 12:00-12:30
Greek Championship Free Practice 12:35-13:10
Greek Championship Time Practice 1 13:15-13:50
S1 & S2 Free Practice 2 14:00-14:30
EC Open & S3 Qualifying Race 15:00
Greek Championship Time Practice 2 15:20-15:55
Greek Championship Race 1 16:00
Greek Championship Race 2 16:25
S1 & S2 Time Practice 16:50-17:30
Greek Championship Race 3 17:35.
Sunday:
EC Open & S3 Warm-up 9:10-09:30
S1 & S2 Warm-up 9:40-10:00 with Superpole immediately after
ECSM Open & S3 Race 1 11:15
Greek Championship Warm Up 11:45-12:10
Greek Championship Race 1 12
S1 & S2 Race 1 14:15
Greek Championship Race 2 14:45
Greek Championship Race 3 15:10
S1 & S2 Race 2 16:15.
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