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VIZZIELLO WINS AS TITLE GOES IN YAMAHA''S FAVOUR
01 August 2004 - Yamaha Racing
The Yamaha-mounted Lorenzini by Leoni squad continued their domination of the 2004 European Superstock Championship at Brands Hatch today.
The Italian squad’s Gianluca Vizziello and Lorenzo Alfonsi took the top two places with Kenan Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motor Germany) third to give the YZF-R1 a clean sweep of the rostrum places. Vizziello dominated the race from start to finish, starting from pole position he was never headed. Behind him Sofuoglu showed why he is so highly rated in his rookie season. The 19-year-old Turkish rider was second fastest in qualifying on his first visit to the demanding circuit, although he succumbed to the more experienced Alfonsi on the run to the chequered flag. Officials required a photo finish to separate the two. With three of the nine rounds remaining it is confirmed that Yamaha’s third-generation YZF-R1 will take the title. Vizziello leads the series on 140 points, with Alfonsi 21 points adrift and the only rider mathematically capable of overhauling him. Sofouglu moves to third in the standings on 52 points. Didier van Keymeulen did not start the race after crashing at Druids corner and breaking his pelvis during qualifying. Doctors estimate that the Belgian youngster will be out of the saddle for around four weeks and the 19-year-old is confident that he can return for the Assen round on September 5. Gianluca Vizziello (Lorenzini by Leoni) – first
“Early in the race I pushed so hard to build a good gap. When I saw that the gap was up to two seconds I backed off and found a steady pace to take the win. The championship was always in my mind coming here so to win the race is fantastic.” Lorenzo Alfonsi (Lorenzini by Leoni) – second
“I made a bad start and had to ride very hard to catch Sofuoglu. I am pleased to have caught him on the line as I would not have been happy with third. It is good that our team has won the championship but I must tell Gianluca that it is not decided yet. I will fight until the end!” Kenan Sofuoglu (Yamaha Motor Germany) – third
“I am happy with this result. This is my first time at this track and I like it very much. I made a few small mistakes which lost me some time and also I had a problem with my rear suspension pumping up. It meant I could not get the power on as well as I wanted and allowed Alfonsi to catch me on the line.” Didier van Keymeulen (Yamaha Motor Germany) – DNS
“It wasn’t such a big crash but the bike landed awkwardly on me. It’s disappointing not to start here this weekend but the good news is that the injury is not as bad as it could have been. The doctors say that it will be around four weeks before I can ride again, which means that I will miss the Oschersleben 24-hour race in two weeks but I should be fit for my local round at Assen.”
Race classification European Superstock
Round: 6 - Brands Hatch
Circuit: BrandsHatch
Circuit Length: 4221
Lap Record: 1'' 29.702 (Gianluca Vizziello, 2004)
Fastest Lap Ever: 1'' 29.702 (Gianluca Vizziello, 2004) Race 1: 15 Laps
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 G. Vizziello Yamaha ITA 22'' 36.698
2 L. Alfonsi Yamaha ITA +2.297
3 K. Sofuoglu Yamaha TUR +2.317
4 I. Dionisi Suzuki ITA +13.039
5 R. Chiarello Suzuki ITA +13.441
6 A. Mas Honda ESP +14.409
7 L. Scassa Kawasaki ITA +17.457
8 J. Laverty Yamaha IRL +17.751
9 B. Martinez Yamaha ESP +20.942
10 A. Polita Ducati ITA +30.825
11 E. Rocamora Kawasaki ESP +30.844
12 A. Badovini Ducati ITA +30.939
13 P. Vanstaen Suzuki FRA +34.117
14 W. De Angelis Ducati SMR +42.192
15 J. Lombardo Suzuki ESP +44.181 Fastest Race Lap:
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Total Time
1 G. Vizziello Yamaha ITA 1'' 29.702
Championship standings European Superstock
Pos. Rider Manufacturer Nat. Points
1 Gianluca Vizziello Yamaha ITA 140
2 Lorenzo Alfonsi Yamaha ITA 119
3 Kenan Sofuoglu Yamaha TUR 52
4 Riccardo Chiarello Suzuki ITA 51
5 Ilario Dionisi Suzuki ITA 50
6 Didier Van Keymeulen Yamaha BEL 49
7 Bernat Martinez Yamaha ESP 47
8 Enrique Rocamora Kawasaki ESP 40
9 Luca Scassa Kawasaki ITA 38
10 Allessandro Polita Ducati ITA 29
11 John Laverty Yamaha IRL 27
12 Alex Martinez Mas Honda ESP 27
13 Willam De Angelis Ducati SMR 26
14 Jose Hurtado Suzuki ESP 19
15 Pierrot Vanstaen Suzuki FRA 16 Manufacturers standings European Superstock Pos. Manufacturer Points
1 Yamaha 150
2 Suzuki 80
3 Kawasaki 58
4 Ducati 45
5 Honda 30
6 Aprilia 16
www.yamaha-racing.com
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