SBK-Preview Valencia

By: BMW Motorrad Motorsport

With three top-ten finishes out of a possible

four, a much more consistent level of performance and no crashes, Team BMW Motorrad

Motorsport can look back on a very respectable showing at the race weekend in Portimão

(POR). Preparations for the next round of the FIM Superbike World Championship in

Valencia (ESP) - the third of 13 venues on the calendar - began immediately after the

weekend on the Algarve. The team used a one-day test last Monday to work on the

chassis set-up and traction control of the two BMW S 1000 RR machines ridden by Troy

Corser (AUS) and Ruben Xaus (ESP). Although rain significantly restricted the team's

track time, overall the test was a success.

The city of Valencia on Spain's Mediterranean coast is the next port of call for the FIM

Superbike World Championship. The "Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo

Tormo", to give the track its full name, is one of Europe's most modern racing venues

and lies around 20 kilometres outside Valencia. In addition to the Superbike World

Championship, Valencia regularly hosts a number of other race series and - like Portimão

- is a popular winter testing destination. The bikes lap the circuit, which is named after

former Spanish motorcycle racer Ricardo Tormo, in an anticlockwise direction.

Troy Corser:

"The races so far in the Superbike World Championship have been so tight that I have to

give 100 per cent if I want to be up there at the business end of the field. And that's only

possible if together we can set the bike up to do what I need it to over a full race distance.

That's what the team is working towards and I'm confident that the bike can deliver.

In Valencia we need a bike that is extremely easy on the tyres during gear changes under

lean angle. In the final sector of the lap, in particular, we have a lot of gear changes on the

side of the tyre. Plus, the bike's traction control has to be working really well over the

crest through Turn 13 - especially in the latter stages of the race when tyre grip drops

away."

Ruben Xaus:

"Valencia is my home track and I'm really looking forward to racing there. We tested at

Valencia in January and were able to set some quite good lap times. The bike feels good

overall. Now it's a question of being able to reel off solid lap times over the whole of the

race. If we can do that, then anything is possible with this bike.

Valencia is a real "Mickey Mouse" track, which makes it far from easy to ride. The many

tight corners stop you from getting into a good rhythm. The lighter riders have the

advantage on stop-start circuits like this, as they can get better acceleration out of the

corners. But the track is a bit too tight for my liking."

Berthold Hauser, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director:

"The level of competition in the Superbike World Championship is higher than ever this

year. In Superpole 1 at Portimão, for example, less than one second covered the 17

fastest riders. Five top-ten placings in the first two race weekends of the season are

confirmation that we are heading in the right direction.

Valencia was not a great weekend for us last year, so we're working that much harder to

ensure we go home with a better result this time around. We completed another test at

Portimão after the race weekend and used the time to work on the chassis set-up and

traction control. The test went well and I'm feeling confident about the upcoming

weekend in Valencia."

Background:

With a population of over 800,000 Valencia is Spain's third-largest city - after Madrid and

Barcelona - and capital of the region on the Mediterranean coast that shares its name.

The city not only hosts various high-level sporting events, it also offers visitors a selection

of architectural highlights. In addition to the "Llotja de la Seda" (silk exchange) and the

Gothic cathedral in the city centre, the "Ciudad de las Artes y de las Ciencias" (City of

Arts and Sciences) is particularly worthy of note. Built on what was formerly the bed of

the River Turia, it was designed by Valencia-born architect Santiago Calatrava.

Troy Corser has already notched up five race wins on the Circuit de la Comunitat

Valenciana Ricardo Tormo over the course of his career, while Ruben Xaus celebrated his

only victory so far at his home race here in 2007.

The two BMW Motorrad Motorsport riders will be in second and third gear most of the

way around the Valencia circuit. Strong acceleration and high levels of torque in these low

gears are vital in order to carry as much speed as possible into the short sprint sections.

The circuit has a long start-finish straight, which means that any mistakes in the final

sector have a particularly negative effect on the lap time.

Facts and figures:

Circuit/Date                           Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo / 11th April 2010

Start time Race 1 (local/CET)          12.00 hrs / 12.00 hrs

Start time Race 2 (local/CET)          15.30 hrs / 15.30 hrs

Lap/Race distance                      4.005 km/92.115 km (23 laps)

Corners                                9 left-hand and 5 right-hand corners

Winner                                 Race 1: Noriyuki Haga, Ducati Xerox Team, 36:44.766 min.

2009                                   Race 2: Noriyuki Haga, Ducati Xerox Team, 36:46.927 min.

Fastest race lap 2009                  Noriyuki Haga, Ducati Xerox Team, 1:34.618 min.

Data 2009:                             Top speed: 300.0 km/h (Ben Spies, Race 1)

Longest section at full throttle: 10 sec / 600 m

Fastest corner: Turn 13, third gear, 190 km/h

Maximum deceleration: 298 km/h - 122 km/h

Riders                      Troy Corser                                Ruben Xaus

Date of birth               27.11.1971                                 18.02.1978

Place of birth              Wollongong, Australia                      Sant Cugat del Valles, Spain

Nationality                 Australian                                 Spanish

Residence                   Monaco                                     Andorra

Marital status              Married                                    Married

Height                      1.75 m                                     1.83 m

Weight                      66 kg                                      71 kg

WSBK debut                  1992, Phillip Island                       1998, Nürburgring

Race starts                 335                                        178

Pole positions              42                                         1

Wins                        33                                         11

Podium finishes             128                                        11

Fastest race laps           45                                         13

Best WSBK placing           1st  (1996 and 2005)                       2nd  (2003)

WSBK points 2010            29                                         10

Team BMW Motorrad Motorsport

Founded                     01.01.2009

Locations                   Munich and Stephanskirchen (DE)

WSBK debut                  2009, Phillip Island (AUS)

Race starts                 32

Pole positions              0

Wins                        0

Podium  places              0

Fastest laps                2

WSBK points 2010            29

WSBK placings               6th (2009), 141 points

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