Brno, CZ | WSBK 2009 (Spoilers)

Circuit Website: http://www.automotodrombrno.cz/go/main.asp?catid=240&langid=2
Circuit Weather: http://www.bbc.co.uk/weather/5day_f.shtml?world=4141
Google Maps: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=...1,16.45252&spn=0.010416,0.027466&z=16&iwloc=A

WSBK 2008 Results: http://sbk.perugiatiming.com/pdf_frame.asp?p_S_Campionato=SBK&p_Anno=2008&p_Round=CZE
WSS 2008 Results: http://sbk.perugiatiming.com/pdf_frame.asp?p_S_Campionato=SSP&p_Anno=2008&p_Round=CZE



EVENT TIMING (GMT+2)

Friday
08.30-10.00 SUPERSTOCK 600 / 1000 TECHNICAL/SPORTING CHECKS
10.00-12.00 WSBK / WSS TECHNICAL/SPORTING CHECKS

12.45-13.45 WSBK FREE PRACTICE
14.00-14.45 SUPERSTOCK 1000 FREE PRACTICE
15.00-16.00 W SUPERSPORT FREE PRACTICE
16.15-17.15 WSBK QUALIFYING PRACTICE
17.30-18.00 SUPERSTOCK 600 FREE PRACTICE

Saturday
09.00-09.30 SUPERSTOCK 1000 FREE PRACTICE
09.45-10.30 W SUPERSPORT FREE PRACTICE
10.45-11.30 WSBK QUALIFYING PRACTICE
11.45-12.15 SUPERSTOCK 600 FREE PRACTICE
12.25-12.50 PIT WALK PIT WALK
13.00-13.45 W SUPERSPORT QUALIFYING PRACTICE
14.00-14.45 WSBK FREE PRACTICE
15.00-15.12 WSBK SUPERPOLE (1)
15.19-15.31 WSBK SUPERPOLE (2)
15.38-15.50 WSBK SUPERPOLE (3)
16.10-16.40 SUPERSTOCK 1000 QUALIFYING PRACTICE
16.55-17.25 SUPERSTOCK 600 QUALIFYING PRACTICE

Sunday
09.00-09.10 SUPERSTOCK 1000 WARM UP
09.20-09.40 WSBK WARM UP
09.50-10.10 W SUPERSPORT WARM UP
10.40 SUPERSTOCK 1000 RACE (12 LAPS KM. 64.836)
11.10-11.30 PIT WALK PIT WALK
12.00 WSBK RACE 1 (20 LAPS KM. 108.060)
13.25 W SUPERSPORT RACE (18 LAPS KM. 97.254)
14.30 SUPERSTOCK 600 RACE (9 LAPS KM. 48.627)
15.30 WSBK RACE 2 (20 LAPS KM. 108.060)

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A look back at Brno - The last three editions

2006 - The star of the Championship, Troy Bayliss, was out at the first turn after a collision with Laconi and thus the fight for the win was wide open. A group formed of Toseland, Kagayama, Haga and Pitt took the lead, but after a handful of laps Toseland and Kagayama parted company, fighting for the win alone. Yukio had the upper hand and on the fifteenth lap attacked and passed James. On the following lap he had one and a half seconds over Toseland and started to pull away for the win. Behind Kagayama and Toseland, Fabrizio took third, his first Superbike podium, obtained with a broken collarbone.


In race 2 Haga rocketed away at the start and after five laps had an advantage of a couple of seconds over his rivals, a group composed of Toseland, Corser, Bayliss and Kagayama. Bayliss however dropped off soon: he opted for a softer compound that gave him traction problems. Troy was forced to race in the middle of the pack and in the closing stages Lanzi gave him the eighth place for an extra point in the World Championship standings. Among Haga's pursuers Kagayama was in a class of his own: he passed Toseland and Corser and on the fifteenth lap he started chasing Noriyuki. It took him only a couple of laps to recover his 2.5 seconds deficit and when he arrived on his back, Haga waved him past: he was in trouble with his tyres and he wasn't able to fight for the win. Kagayama then took the double and on the last lap there was a spectacular fight for second place that saw Haga, Corser and Fabrizio involved. The Italian was behind his more experienced rivals but in the last couple of turns he was able to pass them and score his best career result, a second place.


2007 - Biaggi came to Brno for the first time in the World Superbike Championship as the king of the circuit, boasting a scoreboard of seven wins collected in the 250 and MotoGP classes and he confirmed his state of form by qualifying in second. He was beaten only by a spectacular Haga, the only man to go below the two minutes mark in the history of the circuit with an incredible lap in Superpole. In race 1 after a few laps Toseland, Biaggi, Haga and Kagayama formed a group that fought for the lead. Haga maintained the lead until traction problems sent him back and thus Toseland remained in front, followed closely by Biaggi. Everyone expected Biaggi to attack in the last laps, but his rival was perfect and Max couldn't make his move, Toseland won, Biaggi behind him and further back Kagayama and Haga. A memorable moment involved Troy Bayliss: the Aussie had setup problems and was fighting for a lowly tenth place when he was rammed by Muggeridge and both ended their run on the gravel trap. Troy right after the collision went to Muggeridge and... thanked him because he wasn't having much fun so far back in the pack.


The start of race 2 was delayed for a few drops of rain, the race was declared wet, but the tarmac was practically dry (everyone was on slicks). Biaggi was not so sure about the conditions, he didn't take any risks in the first laps and he fell in seventh place, while out in front the two Yamahas of Haga and Corser were able to make the difference and set off in formation, pulling away from the rest. After five laps however Corser's engine expired and Haga was left alone with a couple of seconds over Toseland and Biaggi; the Italian had recovered the positions he lost at the start and sat behind the Honda Ten Kate machine, which he was able to pass on the eleventh lap. Haga's pace was good and everyone expected a win by the Japanese rider, but after ten laps a problem that often afflicted the Yamahas hit Noriyuki: lack of traction. His lap times increased dramatically and he was passed by Biaggi and then Toseland. Soon afterwards Max changed pace and pulled away, winning by a good margin over Toseland. Behind them was Fabrizio, who passed Haga four laps from the end. Biaggi won the race with three stitches in his left hand, after he had been hit by a stone raised by Toseland's bike in race 1 that pierced the fairing of his Suzuki.


2008 - Going into Brno very few people would have placed their bets on the Ducati Xerox squad, given the hard times they had had in the past at the Czech track, but the 1098 worked wonders and was also able to turn the tables in Brno. Bayliss took pole in front of Corser, Fabrizio and Biaggi, and with three Ducatis in the four top spots, the outcome of the race seemed pretty clear. In race 1 Biaggi took the lead at the first corner, only to be repassed by Corser soon afterwards. The duo kept on changing places in front with Bayliss right behind, overlooking the whole affair. After a handful of laps Biaggi managed to hit the front for good, just as Neukirchner joined the company, but he wasn't a factor as he started dropping back after ten laps or so. The tyres started to tell and after a couple more laps also Biaggi had trouble with his front and on the twelfth lap both Bayliss and Corser passed him. Bayliss had saved his tyres and recorded some impressive laps leaving Corser behind. The Ducati rider had so much in reserve that he was even able to set the fastest lap of the race three laps from the finish, when pretty much everybody else was struggling for front-end grip. Corser came home second, while Biaggi eventually fell into the clutches of Fabrizio and Kiyonari and was passed by his fellow countryman at the penultimate corner, losing third place.


Race 2 was a repetition of race 1, with Biaggi taking a cautious approach: he changed the front compound to a harder one and stayed on Bayliss' and Corser's tail to save his rubber. Corser led the first laps, then Bayliss took the lead by lap 9 and led the group of the front runners, who included Corser, Biaggi and Neukirchner, the German after ten laps dropped back like in race 1. Bayliss five laps from the end accelerated abruptly and left Corser and Biaggi to fight for second. The Roman was able to pass on the penultimate lap, but on the last lap Fabrizio came from behind and again pipped him completing the Ducati Xerox 1-2. Biaggi was third confirming that the 1098 had no rivals on this track. Compared to the 999 the new 1200 cc engine had more grunt that helped Bayliss & Co. considerably out of the corners and up the hills of the Czech track. The four cylinders were left powerless and Bayliss' lead in the Championship became huge: the Australian left Brno with 79 points over Neukirchner and 91 over Corser. The leitmotiv of the season continued as the rivals of Bayliss kept on having highs and lows: Checa was never in the game, soundly beaten by Kiyonari and also suffering a traction control failure in race 2, while Haga wasn't able to match Corser's pace in the races. In race 2 he came into the pits before the start claiming that the engine was not working properly and swapped bikes starting thus from the back. That maybe was a case of paranoia as the team said afterwards that there weren't any problems on his bike.

source: press release by Infront Sports
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-jim

 

Thanks again for the threads, it can't be said too many times. :up:

 

+1 x 100

 

Wonder how Haga is doing? Even if he races, I can't see him being 100%.

 

Took you long enough!

 

Anybody going???
I feel like a complete idiot....
I made plans to go to a music fest near Prague Saturday night and then just last night realized that this race was in Brno. I don't know how I missed this... anyway. I'd like to try to just 'show up' at the track on Sunday. Does anyone know if it's at all possible to buy general admission tickets at the gate? If so, will they accept Euro's or will I need crown (or whatever it is)?
If anyone's been there, and has insight, it would be appreciated. If anyone is going it would be cool to try to meet. I bought a pre-paid Polish cell so I could PM you my number to try meet. I've never seen a WSBK race. I know nothing of the cost or format or anything.
Sorry if this is a bit of a threadjack, but it seemed like the best place for those who are intersted in this race.

 

Never been there. Considering how hard they're pushing the Euro for a event like this I'm almost positive they'd accept Euro. As for tickets, the crowds at Brno usually aren't huge so you should be able to get away with getting tickets at the gate.

Gotta Polish cell phone? What you doing in my part of the 'hood?

 

FP1

1 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2'01.353
2 Hopkins J. (USA) Honda CBR1000RR 2'01.399
3 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 2'01.573
4 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2'01.616
5 Corser T. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 2'01.733
6 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 2'01.761
7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 2'01.829
8 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 2'01.881
9 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 2'01.951
10 Lanzi L. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 2'02.032
11 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 2'02.071
12 Tamada M. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX 10R 2'02.087
13 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 2'02.136
14 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 2'02.331
15 Lagrive M. (FRA) Honda CBR1000RR 2'02.393
16 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 2'02.395
17 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 2'02.570
18 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 2'02.668
19 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 2'02.689
20 Nieto F. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 2'02.710
21 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 2'03.168
22 Polita A. (ITA) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 2'03.549
23 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 2'03.847
24 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 2'03.865
25 Iannuzzo V. (ITA) Honda CBR1000RR 2'04.077
26 Checa D. (ESP) Yamaha YZF R1 2'04.250
27 Resch R. (AUT) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 2'05.556
28 Cihak M. (CZE) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 2'06.820

 

wow look at Hopper!

 

Near Krackow (Tychy actually) for work.

 

Spies and Hopper 1-2 with Nori hurting and Spies takes over the lead in the championship!!!

 

It's only practice of course but still, seeing an I've-barely-tested-this-bike-and-been-in-a-bed-most-of-the-season John Hopkins timing quicker than Ben Spies is pretty impressive.

 

almost a guarantee

 

Is this the first time Ben has seen Brno other than video games?

 

Let's go HOPPER!!!!!!

 

Ben Spies for President

 

Bet he'd win all the poles.

 

Thats one lame ass joke, but I love it.

 

And I should have said "polls" but anyway lol.

 

Or Poles...