WSBK – SBK Videos, Statements & Analysis at Miller – Statements from Superbike Riders in the USA

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Miller SBK Videos, Statements and Analysis

WSBK - SBK Videos, Statements & Analysis at Miller - Statements from Superbike Riders in the USA

The sixth round of the 2012 World SBK took place tonight at Miller Motorsports Park. To complete our live reports, here are the statements of the SBK riders, our analyzes and the video summaries of the Superbike races..

Statements by Superbike riders in the United States

Carlos Checa, 1st then DNF (Did Not Finish):
"Race 1? An excellent result, a great race, a great moment! I have always had a great relationship with this track and winning here again is just fantastic, especially after these few tough races. The race was not easy and Melandri attacked until the end, I couldn’t relax for a second! But I felt comfortable with the tires we had chosen and was able to produce a great race. I had to whip in the corners because it looked like we were losing a lot on the straights, but I’m very happy with this result and happy for the whole team who have worked so hard this weekend. In the second run I was attacking, the settings made me feel confident, but I clearly pushed a little too hard and lost the front. I got back on the track but I couldn’t do anything, I had lost too much ground".

Marco Melandri, 2nd then 1st:
"It’s wonderful, my team and BMW have done an amazing job! It was here in Miller that I had my worst weekend last year (read, NDLR), and it was also the worst for BMW. Leaving with two podiums, a victory and a second place is like a dream. In the first race, I attacked from the first to the last lap like I was in qualifying and the tire worked really well until the end. Yesterday we struggled a bit, but fortunately today the weather was better for us. And the tank gradually emptying, I felt even more comfortable on the bike. I tried to make Carlos’ life more difficult, but in some parts I couldn’t follow his trajectory with my 4-cylinder. I tried to catch him but on the last lap I preferred not to push too hard because it was easy to make a mistake. I told myself that a second place on the podium was already well after qualifying so difficult. In the second round, I was obviously lucky that Carlos fell. I struggled a bit at first and when Johnny passed me I lost my concentration. It took me a while to catch up with him. But again it was when the fuel level dropped that I felt much better on the bike and was able to pass Johnny down the straight thanks to my powerful BMW engine. Without him, this overtaking would have been very difficult. I’m happy because the bike performs well on different types of track. But we have to stay focused, we can’t think that we’re going to be on top every Sunday and we have to keep working. My team did a great job thanks to everyone, to all the guys in Germany. I am so happy and proud to be with BMW! This is the best team I have worked with".

Jonathan Rea, 4th then 2nd:
"We knew we would have a good pace today, but I had a few bumps ahead (the famous "chatter", Editor’s note) in the first race. It was coming from the engine brake so we relaxed it a bit for the second race. We also changed the front tire because the temperature had risen. It gave me the confidence to attack because I knew the drivers ahead of me had used the same one in the first race. He was good and my guys gave me a little more power out of the corner. It is clear that the bike is running well and that I am enjoying good traction. It was just in the long straight here in Salt Lake City that we ran out of speed. But let’s not dwell on the negatives: my guys gave me a great bike that runs great! I have real confidence in her now and I don’t feel like I’m driving on the wire: everything is controlled, which is a good thing. So thank you to the whole team for their hard work. Nobody gave up and without thinking about the championship, it’s just nice to be in the parc ferme with the winner and to be on the podium. After last year’s nightmare in Miller it’s really cool to fight for the wins".

Max Biaggi, 3rd (x 2):
"These are two good races despite difficult starting phases which caused us to lose a lot of ground. I was able to come back up correctly and reach the third step of the podium, but unfortunately overtaking and the fight for better places means that you can’t turn like on a clear track. We are leaving the United States at the top of the standings, but the last few races have shown how much BMW and Honda have come. We have to improve our bike because the progress of our rivals is clear".

Chaz Davies, 7th then 4th:
NC

Eugene Laverty, 5th then 6th:
"It wasn’t a good day for me … To be honest, my expectations were much higher. After the practice sessions, all the conditions seemed to be in place to aim for the podium. Unfortunately with these higher temperatures I was not able to find the right feeling with my RSV4 which is not uncommon when riding a new bike. Regardless, the points scored are important. I continue to learn and it will all be useful for the races to come".

Tom Sykes, 8th then 5th:
"We were much better in the second run. We made a few changes to the setup of the bike, three changes actually, and I was able to be a little more competitive. In the first laps I got behind Melandri and felt really good. Unfortunately Davies came by and really upset my pace. It was hard for me to do what I wanted, so my tempo dropped and I lost Melandri’s suction. In the first race I lacked a little grip at the front, which prevented me from entering very hard in the corners. And obviously that affected my cornering and exit speeds. You can’t let go of these boys, but unfortunately this weekend looks like we did for a while. However, we should not get lost in these kinds of thoughts because we are still tied for second on points ((with Melandri, NDLR) in the championship despite a disappointing weekend compared to our last results. Better circuits await us and I can’t wait to go. It’s just difficult for me to sit down in my cubicle and start my report while a few others are on the podium tossing champagne … I got a taste for it now! Still, the guys on our team did a great job again on a difficult track, and in the second run we were able to make some changes that worked really well.".

Sylvain Guintoli, 12th then 10th:
NC

Leon Camier, 13th then 11th:
"We knew this day would be difficult because of our position on the grid. The level of this championship is so high that you have to be in the first two rows at the start if you want to have a chance of the podium … I had good starts and I progressed well in both races, j rode as fast as I could today. These two races were tough, but I’m happy with my pace and know I could have finished much higher if I had started from a better place on the grid. I think we will certainly be better on twisty tracks – in the next race in Misano for example – and I can’t wait to improve my qualifying in order to fight for a Top 6 or a podium".

Loris Baz, 15th then 14th:
"It was good to score points in every race, but I wanted a little more! The team wants me to continue to get used to the bike and to avoid falling above all else. I had some good lap times in the first run and I finished about ten seconds behind Tom Sykes, which is really good. The second race was also going well, but I couldn’t follow Fabrizio who was going a little too fast. I rode with Badovini for most of the race. I waited to pass it and I think I passed it four times in the last two laps. It was a great battle but in my head I heard the guys from the team telling me not to fall … and he finally came back in front of me! We scored points again, we got a good set-up for me, and each session the bike just got better and better.".

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