WSS'09 Round 12: Imola, race day

Monday, September 28, 2009

Team ParkinGo Triumph BE1 Racing reached their goal as both riders rode a spectacular race and finished just one tenth of a second from each other in aggregate. Chaz Davies took fourth place at his debut in WSS, while a sore but stoic Garry McCoy finished fifth.

The race started with Mark Aitchison's crash which made McCoy lose precious seconds and contact with the front runners. The Aussie ended lap one in ninth place, 3,6 seconds behind the leader. He later recovered a few positions thanks to a very good pace climbing up to sixth place just before the red flag was displayed and the race was interrupted due to oil spillage from Lascorz' machine.

Chaz Davies did not get a good start either as he ended lap one in seventh place before the red flag. In that same lap, McCoy slipped and sustained a painful hand injury. He was rushed to the mobile clinic but decided to race anyway in the second heat. McCoy started part two of the race strongly but was unable to show his maximum potential due to the pain in his hand under braking. He crossed the line in sixth place but succumbed to Davies on aggregate time in the last lap. The former 500cc Grand Prix winner remains Triumph’s leading rider in the world championship, holding a clear eighth position with 82 championship points.
Rookie Chaz Davies finishing just in front of McCoy after improving the forecarriage setup, has established himself as one of the best as he managed to battle with the top riders through the entire race.

The Welshman's performance was even more impressive considering that Friday’s first practice session was impacted by a slippery surface caused by a car race held on the previous weekend, giving him just 60 minutes to practice in anger ahead of the race. It was also the first time he had made a standing start to a race in 2009, having spent the earlier part of the year competing in the American national championships, where rolling starts are used.

The series now moves on to Magny Cours in France next weekend for the penultimate round of the 2009 series.
 
 
GARRY McCOY |  Triumph Daytona 675 | 5th: "It was a very difficult race and I really had to give 110%. In the first section, everything went well and I was battling with Foret for the podium. Unfortunately, I crashed on the oil leak from Lascorz' bike  just before the red flag was displayed. I injured myself very badly and it hurt a lot but fortunately I was rushed to the mobile clinic where they assisted me in no time. It was an ordeal when I had to brake but I grit my teeth and scored an important result result which allowed me to climb to eighth place in the standings".
 
CHAZ DAVIES |  Triumph Daytona 675 | 4th: "I'm very happy with the result. I improved a lot this weekend and I wish to thank the entire team for a great job done. However, my goal is to do even better but for this to happen, I'll have to do well in practice and at the start too. After two years in the U.S., it's really hard to wait for the light to get green but it's nice too. I can't wait to get back on the track at Magny-Cours in four-days time".
 
GIULIANO ROVELLI - TEAM MANAGER: "It was the best round of the season for the team, both riders were great. However, if it wasn't for the injury, Garry could've scored another podium for us. Chaz, on the other hand, showed his skills in just three days and I'm delighted to have signed him. He's a great addition to the team who is now stronger than ever".
 
Race Standings:
 
1  54 Sofuoglu K. (TUR) Honda CBR600RR 35'51.342 (156,936 kph)
2  50 Laverty E. (IRL) Honda CBR600RR 5.372
3  99 Foret F. (FRA) Yamaha YZF R6 6.450
4  23 Davies C. (GBR) Triumph Daytona 675 15.847
5  24 McCoy G. (AUS) Triumph Daytona 675 15.944
6   1 Pitt A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 16.001
7  21 Fujiwara K. (JPN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 27.097
8  13 West A. (AUS) Honda CBR600RR 27.835
9 117 Praia M. (POR) Honda CBR600RR 32.846
10   9 Dell'Omo D. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 33.315
11  51 Pirro M. (ITA) Yamaha YZF R6 33.576
12  33 Migliorati C. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX-6R 44.958
13 199 Four O. (FRA) Honda CBR600RR 59.645
14  77 Veneman B. (NED) Honda CBR600RR 1'06.270
15  40 Gentile F. (ITA) Honda CBR600RR 1'14.735
 
Riders Standings:
 
1 C. Crutchlow GBR 210
2 E. Laverty IRL 208
3 K. Sofuoglu TUR 153
4 J. Lascorz ESP 138
5 F. Foret FRA 115
6 A. West AUS 104  
7 A. Pitt AUS 104
8 G. McCoy AUS 82
9 M. Aitchison AUS 71
10 M. Roccoli ITA 62
11 K. Fujiwara JPN 61
12 M. Pirro ITA 54  
13 B. Veneman NED 51
14 M. Lagrive FRA 38
15 G. Nannelli ITA 31
...
20 C. Davies GBR 13