Brendan Roberts was today crowned FIM 1000 Superstock Cup Champion after defying the odds going from fourth in the Championship to take the overall win. The new Portuguese circuit, Portimao, was a tester for all the riders this weekend as the track was only finished a couple of weeks ago. Roberts dominated throughout the weekend and took the fastest lap, pole position and the overall race win to take the Championship title.

Disaster struck Roberts at the last round at Magny Cours, where the young Australian was unable to finish the race after a gear box problem, dropping him to fourth in the Championship table. The 23-year-old originally from Adelaide, Australia, knew that he had to win in Portugal this weekend and hope for the best, his dreams came true and Roberts secured the race win and the Championship title for the Ducati Xerox Junior Team.

Riding the Ducati 1098R Roberts was eager to show people his true colours and was on flying form throughout the weekend at Portimao. Roberts topped the time sheets in both qualifying sessions and was eager to fight off his opposition during the 12-lap race. After a last minute tyre change on the grid due to the changing weather conditions, Roberts got a great start and was leading into the first turn, but slipped back to third after the opening lap behind Chris Seaton and Championship leader Xavier Simeon.

Roberts got tied up in a battle for second position and also the Championship, with Simeon and the two battled with each other, swapping positions for a couple of laps, Roberts finally made the move stick and he began to hunt down fellow Australian Seaton for the lead. Making a comfortable pass on lap eight Roberts had to remain focused for the remainder of the race. Cutting down his lap times he stretched out nearly a three second lead at the chequered flag, winning the Championship by seven points after going into Portimao with a nine point deficit.

A delighted Roberts commented “I’ve not had it as easy as I would have liked this year and I knew I really had my work cut out this weekend and knew that if I had any small chance of winning the Championship I had to win the race. The Ducati Xerox Junior Team have worked so hard all year to provide me with the best bike and I’m so grateful to them for everything they have done and glad that I was able to repay them with their second consecutive Championship title in two years. It all went down to this weekend and I knew I had to perform and get a good result. After the nightmare that I had at Magny Cours I was just praying that it would all go right for us this weekend, thankfully it did and I managed to secure the number one plate for myself and the team. I’d like to thank everyone who has supported me over the last couple of years and glad after my serious wrist injury last year, that I was able to get back to top form. I’m not sure yet on my plans for next year but hope to let everyone know soon.”

-END-

Autodromo Internacional do Algarve (Portugal), Sunday 2nd November 2008 – with Brendan Roberts’ win in the tenth and final round of the Superstock 1000 World Cup, the Ducati Xerox Junior Team has taken the 2008 title. Unfortunately Domenico Colucci came off during the ninth lap due to an incorrect tyre choice.

Brendan Roberts’ race was faultless and he made the right tyre choice on a track that was still wet in parts. The Australian talent took a risk, taking the decision to race with a slick tyre while on the grid. He rode a careful first few laps, sticking with Seaton who led for the first half of the race, and gradually increasing his pace to take the lead four laps from the finish. Once Simeon, Roberts’ main adversary, came off, Roberts built up a fair lead ahead of the chasing pack to win his third race of the season. After the team’s victory last year with Niccolò Canepa,
Ducati consolidates its position this season as winners of the 2008 riders and constructors titles.

BRENDAN ROBERTS – “This morning when I saw the clear sky I knew it would be a good day. In the warm-up the track was still wet but as time passed it started to dry out quite a bit. On the grid, on my team’s advice, we changed to slick tyres knowing that in the first laps my rivals would have the advantage. It was a difficult race because Seaton was very fast and Simeon, even though he was in intermediates, never slowed for a second. When they told me that Simeon had fallen, I continued to push, not losing concentration, and in doing so I won the race and the title. I am extremely happy and want to thank Ducati, Serafino Foti and the whole team. They have been fantastic and I am grateful to everyone for having faith in me.”

Domenico Colucci did not trust the track conditions and so made a conservative tyre choice. The Italian, riding with an intermediate front tyre, was fast in the initial phases while the track was still wet but then lost ground during the latter stages. With the front totally destroyed, Domenico came off during the ninth lap without causing himself injury.

DOMENICO COLUCCI – “In the warm-up the track was wet and I could see there were still puddles. I didn’t follow the advice of my team and made a conservative tyre choice, with an intermediate front and slick rear. Once the track dried out that was it for me, end of the race. I am very happy for Brendan, he is a great rider and deserved the title.”

SERAFINO FOTI – Team Manager Ducati Xerox Junior Team “I am very happy with this second consecutive title, a great result for Ducati, the team and for Brendan, a really talented rider. We have always believed that the win was possible and our work throughout this long and difficult season has paid off. I am sorry for Domenico because he too could have had a great race today. Thanks also go to everyone who contributed to the construction of this fantastic new facility.”

Race result
1.Brendan Roberts (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) in 22m23.040s in an average of  147,706 km/h; 2.C.Seaton (Suzuki) 2.995s; 3.M.Berger (Honda) a 3.938s……

Rider classification
1.Brendan Roberts 147 points; 2.M.Berger 140; 3.A.Polita 137; 4.X.Simeon 136; 5.M.Pirro 102….15.Domenico Colucci 26……

Manufacturers classification
1. Ducati 195 points; 2.Honda 182; 3.Suzuki 175; 4.Yamaha 135; 5.Kawasaki 50; 6.KTM 3

Brendan Roberts secured a narrow two point lead in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup Championship this weekend, after finishing in fourth place at Donington Park. He now has a two point lead from eventual race winner Xavier Simeon and three points from Max Berger, leaving the Championship wide open for the final two rounds of the Championship, at Magny-Cours (France) and Portimao (Portugal).

Roberts riding on the 1098R for the Ducati Xerox Junior Team finished a lonely fourth place after struggling with his tyres in the wet race conditions. The 23-year-old Australian battled hard over the weekend in the torrential conditions at Donington Park and eventually qualified in fifth place on the grid for the 12-lap race.

A good start in the race saw Roberts to third by the first corner and second as he went down Craner Curves. In a dramatic first lap, with riders crashing out in all directions Roberts settled into a rhythm and was sitting in second place at the end of the opening lap.

By the end of lap three Simeon and Giugliano had worked their way past and pushed Roberts back to fourth place, where he managed to keep a distance from Brands Hatch winner and Championship contender Max Berger. Berger was eventually caught and passed on the final lap by Jon Kirkham, giving Roberts a few more vital points in the overall Championship table. 

Commenting he said “I’m a bit disappointed not to have gained a podium position, as Donington is a track I like and I was hoping for a good result. With the weather conditions changing throughout the weekend it was a hard decision to know which tyres to run with during the race, as the track was wet in some places and dry in others. We choose to run wets and in the closing stages of the race I had no grip on the rear tyre. Despite my best efforts to try and catch Giugliano I was unable to and had to settle for fourth place. We have two rounds left and there is on eight points between myself and fourth place and anything can happen. I need to keep focused on the job in hand and do the best I can at the remaining rounds and hope for a good result at them.”

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Today’s was a very difficult race for the riders at Donington Park due to the strange weather conditions. The rain stopped just before the race began, meaning that teams had to hedge their bets and make a choice between rain or intermediate tyres. Brendan Roberts, after the positive results achieved in the warm-up this morning, preferred to stick with a wet tyre, not trusting the unstable conditions. Having made a great start, the Australian stuck behind race leader Polita for the first few laps, but then an anomaly with the rear tyre meant he was forced to slow somewhat, which allowed Simeon and Giugliano to gain. In the final stages Roberts dealt admirably with the loss of grip to finish in fourth thus collecting more valuable points that consolidate his championship lead.

BRENDAN ROBERTS – “It was a very difficult race because the tyre choice we had to make, in the absence of heavy rain, was a bit of a risky decision. We opted for rain tyres because parts of the track were still wet and in the warm-up the bike had been going well set up like that. In the initial phases of the race everything was going ok but pretty soon I realised that I was gradually losing grip at the back. I couldn’t take a podium place but I did all I could to chase Giugliano. It is an important result nonetheless as it means I remain in the lead but there are four of us riders with just 8 points between us, so the next races will truly be battles!”

Race Result
1.X.Simeon (Suzuki) in 21’30’’092; 2.A.Polita (Ducati) 16’’109; 3.D.Giugliano (Suzuki) 34’’318; 4.Brendan Roberts (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) 37’’319; 5.J.Kirkham (Yamaha) 44’’199….11.Domenico Colucci (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) 52’’516….

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS
1.Brendan Roberts 122 points; 2.X.Simeon 120; 3.M.Berger 119; 4.A.Polita 114; 5.M.Pirro 83…..15.Domenico Colucci 23….

Brendan Roberts left Brands Hatch at the weekend as joint Championship leader in the Superstock 1000 FIM Cup, after finishing in fourth place at the British round of the Championship. He is now equal in the series with Brands Hatch winner Max Berger. Roberts riding the 1098R for the Ducati Xerox Junior Team had to fight hard to secure fourth place after dropping back to ninth position at half distance.

Roberts was riding strong throughout the weekend and qualified in third position on the grid for the 14-lap race. Despite racing at the circuit since he came to the UK in 2005, Roberts has never had great results at the Kent track and was looking at breaking that tradition at the weekend. Only scoring one podium there, this was in 2006 with a third place.

As rain hit the circuit on Sunday morning, the young Australian was second in the wet morning warm up and looking good for a strong result. With the conditions changing and the Superstock race being the first on the timetable the track was part wet and part dry, forcing Roberts to choose a dry rear and intermediate front tyre, a gamble which only worked in the closing stages of the race.

A good start saw Roberts in a strong position but that soon came to an end as he was struggling for grip on the damp parts of the circuit. Falling down to ninth place by lap six he had a lot of work to do to ensure he kept his Championship hopes alive. Working his way back through the pack he took a comfortable fourth place at the end of the race and setting his fastest lap times of the race in the closing stages.

Roberts commented “It was a tough weekend and things were running well at the start but it all seemed to go wrong on race day. Typical British weather caused a frantic decision just before the race started and it was a gamble on what tyres we used. Brands has always been an interesting circuit for me and I’ve never got the results there that I’d hope for, but the next round is at Donington, which is one of my favourites so hopefully I can get a good result there. I would like to send my condolences to the family and friends of Craig Jones, from the times I met him around the paddock he always had nice things to say and was a good guy. I’m sorry his life has been cut so short and I’m thinking of them all at this sad time.”

-END-

Brands Hatch Circuit (UK), Sunday 3rd August 2008 – in the seventh round of the Superstock 1000 World Cup, Brendan Roberts today took a fourth place finish. Domenico Colucci, having taken part in the morning’s warm-up, decided to sit the race out, still suffering from the bad fall that he took yesterday.

The unstable weather conditions characterised this, the first of the two UK rounds of the 2008 season. Rain stopped just minutes before the start, leaving the track damp in some places and very wet in others. Roberts made a conservative choice of tyre, opting for an intermediate at the front and a slick rear.

After maing a great start, the Australian couldn’t keep up with the pace of the frontrunners Berger, Baiocco and Smrz but he was a protagonist of the chasing group. After various changes of position between those in the leading pack, Brendan coped well with the tyre-wear and wining the battle for fourth place. With this result, Roberts maintains the lead in the championship, albeit a shared lead with Berger.
BRENDAN ROBERTS – “It was a very challenging race because the weather conditions were totally unpredictable just minutes before the start and so choosing tyres, knowing that we were starting on a damp track but could be finishing in the dry, was risky. We chose an intermediate front and a slick rear, in the hope that the weather would hold. Baiocco, Berger and Smrz got away from me and I realised I had to stay calm and hold my position in the chasing group. The track dried out completely but any slight error would have been enough to cause a fall, as happened to some of the guys. I got ready for a final push, aware that my front tyre was suffering, and was able to get ahead of Polita, Pirro and Burrell. I hoped to do better today but this result is important for the championship as with it I hold my championship lead.”

The physical condition of Domenico Colucci, after his fall yesterday, had improved after a night’s rest but after serious consideration, the Italian rider decided not to take part in today’s race.

DOMENICO COLUCCI – “I had the ok from the doctors and so I went out in this morning’s warm-up. I soon realised however that I wasn’t 100% and, considering my grid position for the race, I reluctantly decided to sit it out today. It is a very unfortunate season for me, I hope things go better at Donington.”
Race result
1.M.Berger (Honda) in 21’56’’050 in an average of 141,773 km/h; 2.S.Morais (Kawasaki) 4’’172; 3.A.Antonelli (Honda) 5’’808; 4.Brendan Roberts (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) 18’’391; 5.A.Polita (Ducati) 18’’629….

Championship classification
1.M.Berger 109 points; 2.Brendan Roberts 109; 3.X.Simeon 95; 4.A.Polita 94; 5.M.Pirro 83….17.Domenico Colucci 18….

Roberts rode perfectly, navigating his way through a technically very challenging race. Fifth at the end of the first lap, he was trapped in the chasing group, which became a battle won by Berger as he began to get away. The confrontation with Polita, Antonelli and Simeon was difficult and meant that the riders were asking a lot from their front tyres. Despite a lack of grip at the front, Brendan prepared himself for the final push to complete a faultless last lap. Roberts is the new championship leader.

BRENDAN ROBERTS – “I knew that it would be a difficult race, and due to my bad start Berger was able to get away from me and the fight I was caught up in with Simeon, Polita and Antonelli meant that I lost some valuable time. From mid-race the front tyre began to suffer but I maintained my concentration in preparation for the final laps. On the last lap I was careful not to make any errors and took a precious second place finish. I leave Brno as the championship leader, a great satisfaction that I want to share with the team because they worked really hard all weekend.”

Domenico Colucci didn’t manage to perform as he had during the practice sessions. The Italian rider made a bad start and immediately lost several positions. It was therefore impossible to break into the front half of the field due the sheer number of riders in the pack. Domenico finally got past a few riders to take eventual twelfth place.

DOMENICO COLUCCI – “I am disappointed and really hoped for a better outcome. Unfortunately I made a bad start and was then forced to run quite wide on the first curve, an error that meant several riders got past me. There were so many of us that it was difficult to make passes. At the end of the race my pace had picked up and I began to catch up a few places which allowed me to earn a few more championship points. I hope to be able to repay the team with a good run at Brands Hatch.”

Race result
1.M.Berger (Honda) in 24’58’’402 at an average of 155,772 km/h; 2.Brendan Roberts (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) 3’’043; 3.A.Polita (Ducati) 3’’100; 4.A.Antonelli (Honda) 3’’367; 5.X.Simeon (Suzuki) 5’’709….12.Domenico Colucci (Ducati 1098R Xerox Junior Team) 20’’959….

Championships points
1.Brendan Roberts 96 points; 2.X.Simeon 95; 3.M.Berger 84; 4.A.Polita 83; 5.M.Pirro 73…14.Domenico Colucci 18….