Sugo SBK

[elephino]

All Japan Superbike regular Makoto Tamada blitzed
all-comers during the first qualifying session, setting a
1:28.658 pace which was almost a full second faster
than his nearest challenger Shinichi Itoh could manage.
Top non-Japanese rider proved to be Troy Corser, third
fastest, just ahead of another All-Japan championship
contender, Tamaki Serizawa.
Makoto Tamada’s incredible qualifying time of 1:28.658
set the World Superbike scene alight at Sugo, as his lap
was almost a full second faster than the next best rider
Shinichi Itoh.
With the local factory Honda riders so dominant, it was up
to Troy Corser to uphold the honour of the visiting race
teams, finishing third on the timesheets on his Aprilia, one
place ahead of another local, Kawasaki man Tamaki
Serizawa. Corser is trying to become not only the first
non-Japanese to win a race at Sugo since 1995, but the
first rider of a twin cylinder machine to win for the same
number of years.
Spanish rider Gregorio Lavilla continued his impressive
early form to go fifth fastest overall, and hold off the late
charge of no less a rider than world champion Colin
Edwards.
Experienced Yamaha rider Wataru Yoshikawa was
seventh, 1.486 seconds from Tamada, while 1999 SBK
race winner Akira Ryo took the final place on the second
row of the provisional grid.
Neil Hodgson was bumped from his potential second row
starting place by the upwardly-mobile Edwards, and
ended up ninth fastest, just ahead of Pierfrancesco Chili.
Top factory Ducati proved to be the Dunlop-equipped
machine of Ben Bostrom, a rider who toughed it out
behind the strong local competition and finished in 11th
place. One local who struggled badly was Honda rider
Tadayuki Okada, in 12th. Poor tyre grip also dropped
Championship leader Troy Bayliss to a lowly 15th on the
timesheets.
Last year’s double Sugo race winner Hitoyasu Izutsu was
another who toiled hard for little reward from the
stopwatch, only one place higher on the timesheets than
Bayliss.
Tamada’s quickest time was almost one second faster
than the 2000 season Superpole winning time of Colin
Edwards, and almost 1.5 seconds faster than the existing
race lap record.

[gomick]

and blitzed them all in the races to.....should be interesting to see if tamada wins all japan sbk title, then if he goes either moto gp or wsbk, i doubt honda will want to let him go to a rival manufacture.

[asha]

my money is on him going to gp's

I know only 2 4-stroke bikes will be in the paddock next year but that leaves one to rossi if he wants it and alot of left over 2001 2-stroke bikes.

by the way Makoto Tamada is doing alot of the development of the 4 stoke...!!!
Maybe if others are unsure, he'll get the '4S' ride (as its may still be in development stages)

If he wins on it he might not have to give it up.