Fabrizio leads the way in opening Kyalami qualifying

Michel Fabrizio (Ducati Xerox) continued his recent run of positive form as he powered to the provisional pole in the opening qualifying session for the sixth round of the Hannspree FIM Superbike World Championship at Kyalami. The 24-year-old Italian, who dominated the pre-season testing session here last December, set a new official benchmark of 1 minute 38.103 seconds around the 4.246 km circuit.

Second place went to Jonathan Rea (Hannspree Ten Kate Honda), the British rider four-tenths of a second behind Fabrizio, with his Honda CBR machine showing major signs of a renaissance in the last couple of races. Texan rookie sensation Ben Spies (Yamaha World Superbike) moved up from 14th to third in the last few minutes of the session, while Leon Haslam (Stiggy Racing Honda) was back on form with the final provisional front row slot.

Shinya Nakano was next up for Aprilia, followed by points leader Noriyuki Haga (Ducati Xerox), whose arm is still swollen following last Sunday's incident at Monza. Jakub Smrz (Guandalini Ducati), Tom Sykes (Yamaha World Superbike), Max Biaggi (Aprilia) and Ruben Xaus (BMW) make up the top 10, while South African champion Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki World Superbike Racing Team) caused a few eyebrows to be raised at one point as he was running in an impressive third place before ending the session in twelfth. Suzuki Alstare riders Yukio Kagayama and Fonsi Nieto, in for the injured Max Neukirchner, struggled today, finishing in 15th and 22nd position respectively.

Laconi taken to hospital after crash

Friday, 15 May 2009 17:32

During the first lap of the morning's free practice session, Regis Laconi (Ducati DFX) crashed in the section between Turn 11 and Turn 12. Unfortunately in the crash the French rider, despite not hitting any obstacle, suffered a severe trauma to the cervical vertebrae. Transported by helicopter to the nearby Sunninghill Hospital in Johannesburg,

Laconi suffered two broken cervical vertebrae (C3 and C5), severe concussion and a contusion of the lung. A CT scan for eventual neurological damage, proved to be negative and for the moment he is in an induced coma and in a stable condition. After consultation with Dr. Maurizio Zorzi, the South African neuro-surgeon who was called from Pretoria to check on the patient's condition, it was decided not to operate immediately and to postpone any eventual intervention for a few days.

Barring complications, a further three weeks will be required before a clear clinical picture of the situation can be made, during which the French rider will have to remain totally immobile.

Kyalami Superbike - Free Practice 1st Session

Friday, 15 May 2009 13:42

1 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'40.067
2 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.102
3 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.119
4 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.137
5 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'40.322
6 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'40.498
7 132 Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'40.502
8 36 Lavilla G. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'40.514
9 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'40.531
10 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'40.599
11 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'40.623
12 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'40.652
13 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'40.738
14 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.801
15 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'41.099
16 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'41.317
17 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'41.324
18 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'41.713
19 10 Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'41.783
20 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'42.073
21 33 Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'42.389
22 49 Whyte S. (RSA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'42.400
23 31 Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'42.496
24 17 Martin S. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'42.775

Kyalami Superbike - Qualifying 1st Session

Friday, 15 May 2009 16:15
1 84 Fabrizio M. (ITA) Ducati 1098R 1'38.103
2 65 Rea J. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'38.506
3 19 Spies B. (USA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'38.600
4 91 Haslam L. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'38.865
5 56 Nakano S. (JPN) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'38.998
6 41 Haga N. (JPN) Ducati 1098R 1'39.055
7 96 Smrz J. (CZE) Ducati 1098R 1'39.230
8 66 Sykes T. (GBR) Yamaha YZF R1 1'39.258
9 3 Biaggi M. (ITA) Aprilia RSV4 Factory 1'39.284
10 111 Xaus R. (ESP) BMW S1000 RR 1'39.357
11 7 Checa C. (ESP) Honda CBR1000RR 1'39.370
12 132 Morais S. (RSA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'39.388
13 36 Lavilla G. (ESP) Ducati 1098R 1'39.389
14 67 Byrne S. (GBR) Ducati 1098R 1'39.470
15 71 Kagayama Y. (JPN) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'39.475
16 9 Kiyonari R. (JPN) Honda CBR1000RR 1'39.788
17 23 Parkes B. (AUS) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'39.961
18 25 Salom D. (ESP) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'40.105
19 99 Scassa L. (ITA) Kawasaki ZX 10R 1'40.192
20 31 Muggeridge K. (AUS) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'40.304
21 33 Hill T. (GBR) Honda CBR1000RR 1'40.308
22 10 Nieto F. (ESP) Suzuki GSX-R 1000 K9 1'40.544
23 49 Whyte S. (RSA) Yamaha YZF R1 1'41.737
24 17 Martin S. (AUS) BMW S1000 RR 1'42.015

Get to know the grid: WSBK- Régis Laconi #55

Régis Laconi #55

Personal opinion: after his 2005 injury and the move in 2006 to Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse from Caracchi Ducati, he wasn’t able to repeat his early years performance, so far the move back to riding a Ducati even if it is as a privateer in DFX Corse team seams to be good for him, as he is already improved his results from the last few years.
There is a definite improvement from the race in Qatar to the race in Australia,

Regis Laconi Goes Nuts

Laconi at the 2002 Dutch TT, has an embarrassing ducky-fit at a marshall trying to help him.



French World Superbike rider Régis Laconi and his great tough fight with his Ducati at Philip Island track in 2005. At the end it was impossible to save what is pity - it could be even more awesome.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia and motorcycle-usa.com

Régis Laconi
Régis Laconi Brands Hatch 2007
Nationality	French
Date of birth	July 8, 1975
Place of birth	St. Dizier, France
SBK Record
Current team	Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse
Bike number	55
World Championships	0
Race starts	142
Race Wins	11
Podium finishes	28
Pole positions	7
Fastest laps	10
2008 Championship position	18th (16pts)

Régis Laconi born July 8, 1975 in St. Dizier France is a professional motorcycle racer. In 2008 he competes in the Superbike World Championship for Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse. He was runner-up in 2004, and has won races in both 500cc and the Superbike World Championship.

Early career

Régis has a French mother and Italian father. He started racing in 1991 in the French 125cc championship. He won this title in 1992, the French 250cc title a year later, and the European 250cc title in 1994. For 1995 he went to the 250cc World Championship, but was never a front-runner in his two seasons there.

500cc

1997 was his first season on a 500cc Grand Prix bike, but his World Championship season was ended by injury. With Red Bull backing he returned for 1998, riding a Yamaha for three years. He finished 10th, 11th and 12th in the series in this time, but won at Valencia in 1999.

Superbike World Championship

For 2001 he was a factory Aprilia WSBK rider. He lead the first lap of the season, but struggled for much of the season on circuits he did not know. Until the final round at Imola his best result was a 4th, but he benefitted from knowing this circuit (which, like himself, was new to WSBK after being familiar in 500cc). He qualified 2nd, and won the second race, after running strongly in race 1 before being taken out by a fall for champion Troy Bayliss.A move to MotoGP for 2002 was not successful, with a best result of 8th, so for 2003 he returned to WSBK for the Caracchi Ducati team, doing enough to earn a factory ride for 2004 by taking 5 podium finishes, finishing 4th in a relatively weakened championship.

He and team-mate James Toseland were clear favourites for the 2004 title, which Toseland took at the final round of the season, in spite of Régis taking 5 poles and 7 wins, and having what is seen as the stronger team of mechanics. His 2005 season was interrupted by injury, and for 2006 he switched to Kawasaki PSG-1 Corse. He finished the season behind his two team-mates in the championship, taking 15th place, with Chris Walker in 9th and Fonsi Nieto in 10th.

He remained with the team for 2007 and finished 10th overall. He continues with the same team for 2008. At Misano the team ran in a localised San Marino livery, but unfortunately both he and team-mate Makoto Tamada crashed in race 1, forcing Laconi to run race 2 in the conventional green Kawasaki livery.

After a frustrating 16th place finish in 2008 Laconi left the PSG-1 Kawasaki squad. Laconi is now one of many to campaign the 1098R as a privateer. The Frenchman will ride for the DFX Corse banner for 2009.

Career Highlights:
2008 - 16th WSB
2007 - 10th WSB
2006 - 15th WSB
2004 - 2nd WSB
2003 - 4th WSB
2002 - 19th MotoGP
2001 - 11th WSB
1999 - 11th MotoGP