Tag: Philip Island

Carlos Checa held off the charge of his old rivals Max Biaggi

Phillip Island, Australia, Sunday, February 27, 2011 - First day of World Superbike Championship 2011 on Australia's Phillip Island circuit, where - in both races the rider Max Biaggi SUOMY , winner of last season, scored two superb second places behind Carlos Checa (Althea Racing). Good Race 1 of Michel Fabrizio, who made a spectacular recovery.

Yes it's that time already. Who won? Was it a Brit? Was Biaggi seen without a hat? Best read on to find out.

Phillip Island saw Carlos Checa (Ducati Althea Racing) stake his claim as number 1 favourite for the Superbike wins in the opening round on Sunday.

BOGDANKA PTR Honda’s James Ellison shrugged off the effects of Wednesday’s keyhole surgery on his left knee to claim ninth in the first qualifying session for the opening round of the World Supersport Championship at Phillip Island in Australia.

The Phillip Island circuit south of Melbourne, Australia will be the scene on Monday and Tuesday for the final session of pre-season testing in view of the opening round of the FIM Superbike and Supersport World Championships, taking place here next weekend.

SPOILER ALERT don't read this unless you've seen the races, and what races they were!

After four tests sessions over two days, Michel Fabrizio posted the quickest time of all at the official pre-season tests at Phillip Island, a 1’31.650, set on the final morning on his Ducati Xerox machine, with Shakey a 100th of a second behind him.

Repsol Honda RC212V riders Dani Pedrosa and Nicky Hayden are ready for one of the biggest challenges of the MotoGP season – the Australian Grand Prix at Phillip Island. The Victorian track is the fastest of them all, with the quickest lap times nudging 180km/h (112mph). Pedrosa comes into this race fresh from his third-place finish in last Sunday’s Japanese GP, his first podium with his pneumatic-valve RC212V and Bridgestone tyres.

The first race of the second round of the World Superbike Championship at Phillip Island today recorded one of the most dramatic starts. Straight after the lights went out, Ducati rider Michel Fabrizio stalled on the front row and got badly hit in the back by two other riders, causing a red flag situation and confusion in the field. HANNspree Ten Kate Honda’s Carlos Checa got taken out by another rider while teammate Sofuoglu managed to make a narrow escape through the grass. Checa was then left on the track for minutes before medics brought him back to the paddock, giving him just 40 seconds to get ready and back onto the starting grid for the re-start the session. Checa, whose boots and leathers were still half done as he left the grid for the second time, managed to finish the messy race in 6th place, followed by Kiyonari at 9th, who put in a great performance and secured his first top 10 WSB finish.

Rizla Suzuki MotoGP makes the long trip to Phillip Island in Australia for round 16 of the MotoGP World Championship, the only race held south of the equator this season. The Team is having its best season since the introduction of the four-stroke regulations and is heading to Australia still on the crest of a wave, despite disappointing results at the last two races. John Hopkins and Chris Vermeulen sit in fourth and fifth places respectively in the riders’ championship, having both scored points in excess of their highest ever tallies in one season. Rizla Suzuki MotoGP is in a close third position in its own title race with Suzuki in fourth in the constructors’ championship despite having the joint smallest representation on the MotoGP grid. The team’s haul of seven podiums - so far this year – is also the best by Suzuki in the modern four-stroke era.

The Ducati Marlboro Team goes into the Australian Grand Prix following last month's historic Japanese GP where Casey Stoner secured the 2007 MotoGP riders' World Championship and Loris Capirossi won the race to complete a Motegi hat-trick. With the riders' title now won, the Bologna-based squad is out to secure the constructors' crown and the teams' championship, both of which it currently leads.