Team Alstare Suzuki rider Max Neukirchner continued his good run of form with a hard fought for fourth place in race one at the Miller Motorsports Park today, before following it up with tremendous runner-up spot in race two. He was at the forefront in both races, had to give way to Carlos Checa (Honda) both times, but knows that his next victory is only a matter of time. Troy Corser (Yamaha) and Michel Fabrizio (Ducati) were second and third in race one and Fabrizio again took third spot in race two, behind Checa and Max. Team Suzuki Alstare riders Fonsi Nieto and Yukio Kagayama finished fifth and eighth respectively in race one and then reversed the positions in race two. Series leader Troy Bayliss had a day to forget - he crashed out of race one and finished out of the points in race two after being forced to pit and have his gearlever repaired.
Max - Race 1: 4th, Race 2: 2ndI’m very happy today, but I am destroyed! It’s been a hot, long, hard day and the the races were very tough. Early in race one Biaggi braked too late for the first turn and I had to change direction, which cost me some time and places. I was also very close to Bayliss when he crashed and I think I’m lucky not to hit him or his bike. I soon settled into a rhythm and began to charge again, but in the latter part of the race I had some front tyre problems and I couldn’t attack the fleaders as I wanted. We changed the bike a little for race two, because I had been having some problems entering the turns in the first race, and the bike was better, but Checa got away again and was too far ahead to catch. Considering the problems we had at the start of the weekend, I am happy. I have the best team in the paddock. They worked so hard for me and I want to thank them for these good results.
Fonsi - Race 1: 5th, Race 2: 8thRace one was not so bad and, to get fifth, considering that I had to start from the fourth row of the grid, was quite good. Also, when Haga crashed, I had to go off the track to avoid hitting him and because of that , I lost time and positions. After that, I really had to work hard to get back into the top six. I used the same bike in race two, but we made some small adjustments to the front forks and the feeling was better, especially on the brakes and into the turns. However, it came with a little loss of traction. I didn’t get a good start and later I had trouble with Laconi, who made me go wide a few times. Funnily enough, my last lap in the race was the fastest! Today, I gained a place in the championship, but I know we can do a lot better.
Yukio - Race 1: 8th, Race 2: 5thMy start in the first race was not so good and I couldn’t slipstream anybody going into the first turn because there was not enough space to do it. I was 15th at the end of lap one and had to do a lot of work on the brakes to catch the leaders again. It was not so good towards the end, because the tyres were worn out, but I tried my best. I wasn’t happy with eighth position and knew it should be better.
In race two, I changed to a softer front tyre and the feeling was improved and I was able to use the brakes better. It took me a little while to understand how my bike was performing and after 10 laps I had a good rhythm and was running consistent times. At Miller, it seems that the grip level doesn’t change with temperature variations and the grip at the end was good enough for me to set my fastest lap on the last lap! One lap before the end, I overtook Nori. I knew he was riding with a broken collarbone, and was probably in pain, but I also knew I had to pass him. As I went past, I said ‘Sorry, Nori.’ I felt bad, but I know, that if the circumstances were reversed, he would’ve done the same!
Circuit: 4.907 kms
Conditions: Dry, mostly sunny 27-28C
Results:Race 1:1. Checa (E-Honda)
2. Corser (Aus-Yamaha)
3. Fabrizio (I-Ducati)
4. Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki)5. Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare)6. Smrz (CZ-Ducati)
7. Muggeridge (AUS-Honda)
8. Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare)9. Biaggi (I-Ducati)
10. Kiyonari (J-Honda)
11. Lanzi (I-Ducati)
12. Sofuoglu (TUR-Honda)
13. Lavilla (E-Honda)
14. Xaus (E-Ducati)
15. Holland (AUS-Honda)
Race 2: 1. Checa (E-Honda)
2. Max Neukirchner (D-Alstare Suzuki)3. Fabrizio (I-Ducati)
4. Biaggi (I-Ducati)
5. Yukio Kagayama (J-Suzuki Alstare)6. Haga (J-Yamaha)
7. Kiyonari (J-Honda)
8. Fonsi Nieto (E-Suzuki Alstare)9. Laconi (F-Kawasaki)
10. Lanzi (I-Ducati)
11. Muggeridge (AUS-Honda)
12. Badovini (I-Kawasaki)
13. Tamada (J-Kawasaki)
14. Sofuoglu (TUR-Honda)
15. Lavilla (E-Honda)
Championship Points: 1. Bayliss 194
2. Checa 166
3. Max Neukirchner 1444. Fonsi Nieto 1265. Haga 122
6. Corser 121
7. Xaus 92
8. Fabrizio 87
9. Biaggi 85
10. Kiyonari 80
11. Yukio Kagayama 73
