Ducati narrowly leads Honda, Suzuki and Yamaha in World Superbike title chase

Images Gallery (return to article)

Suomy-sponsored Yamaha rider Andrew Pitt gets a visit from former World MotoGP champion and Australian Suomy distributor Wayne Gardner">Suomy-sponsored Yamaha rider Andrew Pitt gets a visit from former World MotoGP champion and Australian Suomy distributor Wayne Gardner" border="0"> New Suomy-sponsored Yamaha rider Andrew Pitt gets a visit from former World MotoGP champion and Australian Suomy distributor Wayne Gardner	Yukio Kagayama could have started the season with a win except for being t-boned by countryman Nori Haga. Now he appears destined for mid-pack despair again	Charpentier enjoys the Honda 600 around Phillip Islands curvery during practice	Toseland on the gas
After frying his clutch in the first race of the season, Broc Parkes took a reassuring third place in the supersport race. Parkes will win again before the season is over	Going to the seaside - the Phillip Island front straight is entered at over 100mph and it's very long with a breathtaking exit - that blue stuff is ocean!	Haga leads Toseland, Corser, Bayliss, Pitt, Muggeridge, Barros, Rolfo	Prior to the first round, Alex Barros had a short few laps on a go-kart track on this bike - with almost no practice other than qualifying, his results have been 6th, 7th, 2nd and 3rd
Troy Corser tried hard at his speciality - superpole - but couldn't beat out a determined Bayliss	More publicity shots from the "War of Troy" publicity machine - this time at the dodgems	More publicity shots from the "War of Troy" publicity machine - this time at the merry-go-round	Local publicity saw it as the "War of Troy" between local Superbike contenders Bayliss and Corser
Bayliss made mistakes on superpole but still nailed the prize	Bayliss was the rider of the weekend, even though his tyres cost him a certain win in the first race - identical tyres had already completed the race distance, so "who knows?"	Bayliss exits the slowest corner on the circuit	Toseland, the Ducati boys (Marinelli and Bayliss) and Barros after race two
Barros	Toseland has now scored one win and two additional podiums in the four 2006 season races so far.	The Toseland garage watches superpole	Charpentier
Fabrizio ran off the track in race one, and finished the second lap dead last, which explained the discrepancy in his race one and two results.	Click image to enlarge	Troy's Official web site offers significant personal newsletters for fans and is drawing massive traffic at present">Troy's Official web site offers significant personal newsletters for fans and is drawing massive traffic at present" border="0"> Troy Corser and works replica Mk2 - Kelisa Iliana-Rose born on 24th July 2005. Troy's Official web site offers significant personal newsletters for fans and is drawing massive traffic at present	Barros and Toseland
Toseland and Bayliss	Bayliss	Haga and Barros - Haga is still riding a 2005 spec machine, so watch the sparks fly when he gets the new bike	Click image to enlarge
Noriyuki Haga's birfy party	Andrw Pitt licks his lips	Click image to enlarge	Click image to enlarge
Click image to enlarge	Click image to enlarge	Click image to enlarge	Charpentier picks up his second pole position award from Briel - that's two from two
Charpentier hugs Ronald Ten kate as well he might - if it wasn't for the additional speed of the Ten Kate Honda, Charpentier would certainly not be sitting atop the rankings	A very promising second and third have shortened Barros' odds for the title	Click image to enlarge	Barros, Corser and Toseland after race one
Barros won't crash and will never give up - given his results on an underdeveloped and unfamiliar bike, expect him to improve markedly	Click image to enlarge