Sterilgarda Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow was the fastest man on Saturday morning at Imola, but a damp track meant that nobody improved on their times set yesterday in the first session of qualifying. As a result, Carlos Checa still leads going into Superpole, ahead of Johnny Rea, Leon Haslam and Noriyuki Haga.
Results:
Douglas Beasley Daryl Beattie Roger Beaumont Leandro Beccheroni
Jacques Bernard Adrian Bernetic Manfred Bernsee Bruno Bertacchini
Morisuka Yamashita Kazuaki Yamashita Fuyuki Yamazaki Shunji Yatsushiro
Fuyuki Yamazaki Shunji Yatsushiro Ryuji Yokoe Toshimi Yorino
The BMW World Superbike squad has been in the news a lot recently, as the German team finalized their 2011 rider line-up, including the signing of 2010 WSBK title runner up Leon Haslam. But the German-language publication Speedweek has much less positive news about the BMW WSBK factory team, concerning the other side of their 2011 line-up. For Speedweek is reporting that BMW is having a clear-out of mechanics and management, ridding themselves of the non-German members of the WSBK crew.
Chief casualty is team manager Davide Tardozzi, who has reportedly been fired, and then banned from the BMW garage for the final round of World Superbikes at Magny-Cours this weekend. Rumors have been floating round the WSBK paddock for some time now that BMW were unhappy with Tardozzi, despite the Italian having been instrumental in improving the results for the German team. The remainder of the team is still under contract for the final race in France, but Speedweek is reporting that the non-German crew members are threatening to mutiny. They have yet to receive offers of a new contract for 2011, amidst complaints by BMW that the non-Germans are not present at team HQ often enough, the team also threatening not to pay their outstanding salary over the issue.
Mitsuo Akamatsu Takashi Akita Kousuke Akiyoshi Raffaele Alberti
Marc-Antoine Constantin Michele Conti John Cooper Mick Coopey
Filed under: Denny Hamlin, Chase for the Sprint Cup, Sprint Cup, NASCAR
Denny Hamlin believes he's improved as a driver through each the past two seasons.
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Stefano Bianco Fabio Biliotti Wilf Billington Hartmut Bischoff
Filed under: Tony Stewart, Chase for the Sprint Cup, FanHouse Exclusive, NASCAR
Editor's Note: FanHouse is teaming up with two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart for weekly, in-depth spotlight stories as he competes in the 10-week Chase for the Sprint Cup. Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet, is contending to become the first owner-driver to win NASCAR's most coveted title since the late Alan Kulwicki in 1992.
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Benedicto Caldarella Marcello Cama Paolo Campanelli Keith Campbell
Johnny Bengtsson Angelo Bergamonti Werner Bergold Jacques Bernard
Kenan Sofuoglu has taken the first steps towards securing his second World Supersport championship this weekend by dominating the first session of free practice at Imola. The Ten Kate Honda rider was nearly a second faster than his closest rival, teammate Michele Pirro, but more importantly, Sofuoglu was 1.2 seconds quicker than the man he has to beat to take the championship, Parkalgar Honda's Eugene Laverty. 4th fastest in FP1 was Intermoto Czech's Gino Rea, with Triumph's Chaz Davies just behind in 5th.
Results:
Franco Battaini Gerhard Bauer Manfred Baumann Alvaro Bautista
Filed under: Formula One
SINGAPORE (AP) -- Ferrari's Fernando Alonso has won the Singapore Grand Prix and moved closer to the Formula One championship lead.
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Vincent Braillard Ernesto Brambilla Wolfgang Brand Alessanro Brannetti
Kenan Sofuoglu has taken the first steps towards securing his second World Supersport championship this weekend by dominating the first session of free practice at Imola. The Ten Kate Honda rider was nearly a second faster than his closest rival, teammate Michele Pirro, but more importantly, Sofuoglu was 1.2 seconds quicker than the man he has to beat to take the championship, Parkalgar Honda's Eugene Laverty. 4th fastest in FP1 was Intermoto Czech's Gino Rea, with Triumph's Chaz Davies just behind in 5th.
Results:
Pierfrancesco Chili Gérard Choukroun Pieraldo Cipriani Claudio Cipriani
Lorenzo Zanetti Vincenzo Zanzi Giovanni Zigiotto Luigi Zinzani
The Althea Ducati combination Carlos Checa and Shane Byrne kicked off the Imola World Superbike round by controlling the top of the timesheets for most of the first session of free practice for the World Superbike class. Only a brief interruption by Kawasaki's Tom Sykes kept Checa and Byrne from dominating. Xerox Ducati's Michel Fabrizio made it a Ducati 1-2-3, while Ten Kate's Johnny Rea put his Hannspree Honda into 4th. The first blow in the title race was struck by Max Biaggi, who went 0.13 seconds faster than the only man who can stop him from winning his first WSBK crown, Leon Haslam. But with Biaggi in 9th and Haslam in 11th, both the Aprilia and Suzuki man have plenty of work to do.
Results:
