Thursday Sep 7 2006
Preview

Lausitz (Germany), Thursday 7th September: Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) took a major step forward towards winning a second World Superbike title just a few days ago at Assen, where the Dutch round of the championship was held. A win in the second race, with two DNFs for his closest rival Noriyuki Haga (Yamaha), took Troy's championship lead to 100 with three rounds and 150 points remaining.

"It has been pretty much on my mind this week" declared Troy about his chances this weekend. "I realise that if I have a good weekend here then I could wrap it up but maybe for the Ducati fans it would be better if I won the title at Imola! Seriously speaking, I am just thinking to get on my bike and plan to win like I always do! But now I'm here, we can start tomorrow like any normal weekend. This is my third time at the Eurospeedway, I haven't raced here for a few years, but we had a good test in the summer. I've had three wins and a second from four starts which is a good record and I enjoy riding here. Actually Lausitz is quite a hard track for us because it seems that the fours have more acceleration, but our bike works well over the full lap. It's not going to be easy this weekend, that's for sure".


After a difficult season that has netted him just two podiums, Lorenzo Lanzi hopes to recapture some of the form that took him to a sensational maiden World Superbike win just twelve months ago at the Eurospeedway.

"We come from the race at Assen, which could have gone better given the expectations we had during practice and qualifying" declared Lorenzo. "The Lausitzring race is a race that last year marked a major change in my career because it helped me to join the factory team. Luckily the weather looks good this weekend so we shouldn't have the same problems we had at Assen. Lausitz is not one of my favourite tracks and I won't have the surprise' factor anymore but we went well in testing and I'm sure I can do a couple of good races".

The Eurospeedway Lausitz is now a permanent fixture on the World Superbike calendar. Built as a tri-oval for Indycars with a twisty infield section, the imposing structure hosts the German round of the championship for the fourth time. Troy Bayliss has already won three races at the German track, in 2001 and 2002, while the other Ducati win went to Lorenzo Lanzi last year. Honda are the only other manufacturer to triumph at the Lausitzring, with Colin Edwards taking the honours in 2001 and Chris Vermeulen in 2005.

THE CIRCUIT
Name: Eurospeedway Lausitz
Length: 4.265 km
Pole Position: right
Finish line length: 650 metres
Race distance: 2 x 24 laps/102.360 km

CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS (after 9 of 12 rounds): Riders - 1. Bayliss (Ducati Xerox) 332; 2. Toseland (Honda) 232; 3. Haga (Yamaha) 230; 4. Pitt (Yamaha) 197; 5. Corser (Suzuki) 193; 6. Barros (Honda) 175; 7. Kagayama (Suzuki) 139; 8. Walker (Kawasaki) 123; 9. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 115; etc. Manufacturers - 1. Ducati 351; 2. Yamaha 299; 3. Honda 292; 4. Suzuki 282; 5. Kawasaki 181; 6. Petronas 13.

STATISTICS: Best lap: Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m39.019s (2005). Lap record: Xaus (Ducati) 1m39.679s (2002). Superpole: Lanzi (Ducati Xerox) 1m39.019s.

2005 RESULTS: Race 1 - 1. Vermeulen (Honda); 2. Haga (Yamaha); 3. Corser (Suzuki). Race 2 - 1. Lanzi (Ducati Xerox); 2. Vermeulen; 3. Haga.

TV COVERAGE: Eurosport (Pan European): Sunday 10 September - 1200 SBK race 1 (live), 1800 race 2 (delayed); British Eurosport (UK): Saturday 9 September - 1630 Superpole (delayed), Sunday 10 September - 1045 SBK race 1 (live), 1900 race 2 (delayed). Eurosport 2 (Pan-European): Sunday 10 September - 1530 SBK race 2 (live). La7 (Italy): Sunday 10 September - 1600 SBK race 1(delayed), 1700 SBK race 2 (delayed).