SUPERBIKE ENTERTAINS ONCE AGAIN.

**EUGENE LAVERTY FINISHES FIFTH AND SIXTH IN THE TWO RACES AT MILLER MOTORSPORTS PARK.****

**

Tooele (Utah), 28 May 2012 – The United States was the venue for yet another great Superbike race. Two spectacular races, especially for the lead pack, which the Aprilia Racing Team left with good spoils thanks to Max Biaggi's double podium.

The Corsair, taking third place twice, got off to a good start from the second row in both races, then having to carefully tackle an extremely heated battle in the first curve.

As the laps went by, Max took advantage of his pace, gaining ground toward the podium. Even the suspension after three laps in Race 2 (due to oil left on the track by Aoyama's bike) was not enough to compromise Max's concentration, still ranking leader in the championship with an 18 point advantage over the nearest contender. However, overtaking cost Biaggi precious tenths of seconds, preventing him from battling for the win.

"Two good races _– commented Max Biaggi – even if the hectic initial phases made us lose a lot of ground. I was able to recover well and make it to the third step of the podium, but unfortunately overtaking and battling for positions means that you can't lap the way you could on an open track. We are leaving the United States ahead in the standings, but the last few races have shown how BMW and Honda have been improving. We need to improve our bike as well, because our rivals' progress is clear"._

The sun at Miller Motorsports Park created some unexpected difficulties for Eugene Laverty, who appeared competitive during the practice sessions in lower temperatures. The rider from Toomebridge was unable to find the right feeling straight away in the new track conditions and had to settle for crossing under the chequered flag in fifth and sixth place.

Eugene does not hide his disappointment: "It was not a good day for me. To be honest my expectations were much higher. After the test session all the conditions were there to aim for the podium. Unfortunately in the higher temperatures I wasn't able to find the right feeling with my RSV4, which is not an uncommon problem when you're riding a new bike. In any case, points are important, especially since I'm continuing to learn and this will be helpful for the races to come".