Lausitzring, Germany WSB Practice Times

Official Superbike tests in the run-up to this weekend's races on thenew track at Lausiz in the heart of former East Germany. A colossalstructure in terms both of size and spectator capacity: about 120,000seats and a paddock area of almost 300,000 square feet. There is even a banked oval worthyof the finest American tracks and a 2.65 mile internal circuit, partof which will set the scene for the seventh round of the World SuperbikeChampionship.

Seven left-bends and six right which the bikes will betackling in the two 24-lap races slated for Sunday...

The riders of the World Championship circus have been getting the feelof the track - which is new to practically all of them - in four testsessions: the first at 9:55 this morning, followed by another threeone-hour sessions at mid-day, 2:55 p.m. and lastly at 5 p.m.

"This is a really technical circuit with some pretty tough changes ofdirection," says Regis Laconi. "What makes it worse is the asphalt'salmost smooth as ice. But the grip got much better as the hours went by.The only slightly tricky bits are the two very long curves which youhave to get just right if you want to go really fast."

Overall times for the 4 test sessions:1st Bayliss (Ducati) 1'40.6732nd Edwards (Honda) 1'40.8073rd Lavilla (Kawasaki) 1'41.0344th Xaus (Ducati) 1'41.1165th Izutsu (Kawasaki) 1'41.1396th Laconi (Virgilio Aprilia Axo) 1'41.1547th Martin (Ducati) 1'41.1658th Chili (Suzuki) 1'41.2209th Hodgson (Ducati) 1'41.29210th Okada (Honda) 1'41.31111th Bostrom (Ducati) 1'41.31512th Corser (Virgilio Aprilia Axo) 1'41.373