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West hoping for a good start

West took more than a second off his fastest time set in yesterday's first free practice, improving significantly by finishing in 15th place in the second free practice session this morning. The Australian continued his development onboard his Honda CBR600RR in the afternoon's lone qualifying session, ending up in 16th place on the grid ahead of tomorrow's 22-lap race.

Anthony West - P16- 1'42.954s:

"Yeah today was not so good. Although better than the last race at Imola, so I guess that's an improvement in it'self. We tried some new things on the bike today that gave us some improvements but also some that got worse. But all-in-all we managed to improve the overall feeling for the bike which was a good step. I think I'll do pretty well in the race tomorrow, if I can manage a good start and a strong first couple of laps. It will not be easy for sure but I'll push my hardest to achieve a good result."

West on a learning curve at Magny-Cours

Progress was steady for Supersport rider Anthony West. The Australian managed to improve step-by-step throughout the 60 min free-practice session but was disappointed to end up in 21st place after first qualifying.

Anthony West - P21- 1'44.639s:

"It had my first go at the track today and so I spent most of the first half of the session learning it. I had some problems with my number one bike, leaving me to run my second bike for most of the session. Although we are still too far off the pace and have a long way to go, I still think we found a good direction to continue working in for tomorrow. I like the track so far but there are some corners where I need to learn the braking point to get a better entry. Hopefully we can get my number one bike to work properly for tomorrow and get the speed up."

West looks for improvement

Stiggy Racing Honda's Anthony West managed a rocket start off his 15th place on the grid as he passed the start finish line in eight place on the first lap. The the(take out) Aussie got passed and pushed down to a 10th but was quickly on the pace again and regained his consistency. Kawasaki rider Joan Lascorz, who was in the lead, encountered problems with his machine leaking oil onto the tack causing a red flag on lap 10. In the restart Anthony moved up to row two starting from 8th place, didn't quite manage to get of his place as good this time and keeps his position. For most part an undramatic race for the Australian, who took home eight points for his team in today´s race by taking an eight place finish.

Anthony West - Supersport - 8th:

"I'm not to sure what is going wrong with the set-up and through the two chicanes I was losing most of the time. It is two silly sections that held us up most. I'm obviously to slow for some reason and need to change something. I proved I can be fast, I just need to do that every time, every race. All we can do is to continue searching for the settings we've been looking for all year, to make me find that trust and confidence in the bike. Although we managed to improve over the weekend it was just not good enough. We need to keep up with what we have and focus on the future, everyone in the team has been working really hard we just got to turn it around."

West looks for confidence

The second day at Imola in Italy today proved to be a hard nut to crack for Stiggy Racing Honda Supersport rider Anthony West. Yesterday´s opening session looked promising for the Australian setting ninth fastest time in free practice and 13th place in the morning´s free session, but for the afternoons final qualifying the Australian rider struggled to find enough confidence in his machine and qualified 15th on the grid. Anthony will start tomorrow's 19 lap supersport race from a fourth row on the grid.

Anthony West - Supersport - P15 - 1'53.553s:

"It was a hard day today and I'm obviously a bit disappointed as we didn't find the settings to make me feel comfortable on the bike. Thats what we've been up against all year now and its pretty frustrating. Yesterday was not too bad, and today we succeeded to improve the bike compare to when we were here last testing but laptimes were pretty much the same. A 15th place is far from good but I´ll try to make it up in the race to bring home some good results for myself the crew and Stiggy as I think we all need it at the moment."

West take Points at Nurburgring

Anthony West started off well in the wet conditions on Friday, but found his progress halted in the free practice session on Saturday morning when he crashed his number one machine and had to set up his second bike from scratch.

A less then perfect start and a difficult race saw him relegated to the lower regions of the sheets for most of the 19-laps around the Nurburgring. Anthony West worked his way forward in the last laps to finish the race in 15th place and maintains his sixth place in the championship standings.

Anthony West, 15th:

"It feels like a very disappointing weekend for me. I needed more time to set the machine up properly after crashing out on Saturday morning and found it hard to find the confidence. I struggled to push hard from the beginning of the race. I am far off from the results I would have liked to achieve here this weekend."

Difficult Second Day of Qualifying for Supersport Team at the Nurburgring

Yesterday's opening session seemed a promise that the new parts for their Honda CBR600RR machines would bring them a much desired front row place on the grid for tomorrow's 19-lap race around the 5.137km long German track.

In spite of improved and milder weather conditions today, Anthony West suffered a tough day of qualifying at the German track and crashed out on his number one machine in the morning's 45-minute free practice. He re-joined and chased the optimum setting for his second machine and qualified in 15th place at the grid.

Anthony West, P15 - 2'00.769s:

"After my crash I am far off from where I would like to be. I have no idea why it is so hard to find the connection with the front. We seemed to be getting there yesterday, but I was too far off the lap times today and lost confidence in the bike after the crash. There appears to be no major problem but I just can't go as fast as I should be going."

West Positive After First Day of Qualifying at the Nurburgring

Anthony West - an expert in the rain - managed to significantly lower his times in every lap despite running his machine on rough wet settings. The team will be testing new parts for their CBR600RR machines this weekend, and the Australian remains confident of being able to close the gap to fastest man Cal Crutchlow in the qualifying session.

The single 60-minute practice session proved not enough for Gianluca Vizziello to master the German weather conditions and push out a fast lap time. His fastest time leaves him a couple of seconds off the pace, but the Italian rider is looking to improve the set-up of his machine and lower his lap times in qualifying session.

Anthony West, 2'15.861s

"It's a bit of a shock to be riding in these cold conditions after spending my summer break in Australia. Today's session did not go as well as I would have liked it, but I am not too far off. We have found the first rough set up for the wet at the moment. Will have to see what the weather does tomorrow and we'll keep running to learn the track and make laps. I am confident I can improve a lot here on this track."

West Delivers in Dramatic Brno Supersport Showdown

West came through the first lap in sixth from his seventh place on the grid and stayed put, unable to make a pass on his closest rivals. Changes opened up in the ultimate minutes of the 18-lap race as Cal Crutchlow handed over his lead following an engine failure and West subsequently moved into the fourth slot. With the Brno podium now firmly within reach, the Australian - who last took a podium finish six races ago - used the ultimate laps of the race to pass Fujiwara and Lascorz and securely parked his bike at the second spot of the podium.

Team mate Gianluca Vizziello struggled to shed the issues that plagued him through the qualifying sessions and finished the supersport race in 14th place.

Anthony West took his third supersport podium for his team this season and moves up to fifth place in the championship standings. Gianluca Vizziello sits in 16th place.

Anthony West, 2nd:

"I am really happy with my race today. I am very pleased that I have been able to reward the hard work the team has put in over the last couple of weeks. It is a great thing for the whole team to have a result like this and it will certainly lift the spirits. It was good to be up front again and brought the joy back in my riding. I am looking forward to our break now and want to come back stronger for the next couple of races. I want to do well and finish the year off with some good results."

Anthony West Secures Third Row Start at Brno

West continued where he left off in the morning's free practice and set out for a front row place at the grid, but despite showing a good race pace, the Australian rider failed to squeeze out a fast lap and closed the qualifying practice tenth fastest.

After a promising performance in the opening day of practice at Brno, Gianluca Vizziello struggled to reap the benefits of his updated engine in the qualifying session today, and relegated to an unsatisfying 21st position.

Yamaha's Cal Crutchlow once again dominated the sheets in qualifying and took pole position for tomorrow's tenth round of the World Supersport Championship.

Anthony West, 2'04.192s:

"What can I say, I am just very disappointed with my results. After topping the sheets in yesterday's session I was confident of making another step forward today, but we just failed to do so. If I can have a good start in the race tomorrow I can be up there at the front and make up for my low qualifying."

West on The Pace in First Brno Practice

After a successful two-day test at the Czech track two weeks ago, both Anthony West and Gianluca Vizziello put the performance of their updated engine parts into practice in the 60-minute free session on Friday afternoon.

The first free practice was led by Cal Crutchlow, who snuffed the fastest time of 2'02.334s and build up a lead of nearly 1.4s on his nearest rival.

Anthony West finished the first day in the sixth best time of 2'04.332s, closely followed by Gianluca Vizziello, who set the ninth fastest time at 2'04.646s.

Anthony West, 2'04.332s:

"I feel a lot better now than I did when we were testing here two weeks ago. We got some new parts for the bike and they seem to work well. I am happy with the results of the first session. I could have gone faster, but I got held up by some slower guys that were in my way. I am confident we can lower the lap times tomorrow."

West crashed at Donington

Anthony West ended the two days of Donington qualifying with mixed results, but showed improved performance as he topped the sheets in the warm up. The Australian rider - who took two podium finishes for his team so far this season - was ready to step up in the race and moved up to fourth position before an unfortunate tumble on the fifth lap prematurely put an end to his race.

Anthony West, DNF:

“I am really disappointed with my crash here today. I just lost the front of my machine in the last sector. I felt really comfortable in the warm up session and was riding at a better pace than my rivals. I am pleased that we seem to have found the problem that was holding us back in the last races. It is just a shame that I haven't been able to put it into practice here today. We will now concentrate on our test in Brno next week and further develop the machine for the next race at Brno."

West and Vizziello chase Donington set up

Stiggy Racing Honda riders Anthony West and Gianluca Vizziello finished the second day of qualifying for the ninth round of the World Supersport championship in ninth and 22nd place respectively.

Anthony West immediately found good race pace onboard his Stiggy Racing Honda CBR600RR and topped the sheets in the first half of the session. The Stiggy Racing Honda rider continued to test new suspension parts for the front of his machine and finished the 45-minute session in a ninth fastest time, while Cal Crutchlow took pole position for Sunday's race.

Gianluca Vizziello was less comfortable with the set-up of his machine and is still looking to improve the acceleration of his CBR600RR. The Italian rider will make some further changes to his machine in tomorrow's warm up session.

Anthony West will start tomorrow's 22-lap Supersport race from a third row on the grid, while teammate Gianluca Vizziello sits three rows behind West in 22nd place.

Anthony West, P9 - 1'33.143s:

"It has been a day with mixed results. We have made a big step forward with the set up of the machine and I am capable of riding at a good pace, but I am a bit disappointed with my qualifying position. I need to get a good start tomorrow to be able to join the fight at the front of the field. Donington is one of my favourite tracks and I am looking forward to the race."

West takes seventh in Misano

The Misano round is normally one of the hottest events on the World Supersport calendar, but this year it was the rain that dominated the eighth round of the Championship.

The tricky wet conditions caused a lack of grip at the track, resulting in a series of crashes in the warm up session. Despite his crash in the third minute, West managed to master the tricky circumstances at the 4.226km Misano track and held a spot in the top of the time sheets for the duration of the wet session.

While qualifying and warm-up were undertaken in the wet, the conditions changed once again in the afternoon and the 22-lap Supersport race got underway on a dry track. Just six laps in, the race had to be red flagged following a couple of crashes that left an oil spill at the track. At the drop of the red flag, West found himself in sixth position, followed by Gianluca Vizziello in thirteen.

West took a seventh position at the final flag in the aggregated Misano Supersport race - in which no less than 13 riders retired. The Australian took six valuable championship points home and moves up to a fifth place in the standings, while teammate Gianluca Vizziello - currently 18th in the standings - equalled his best performance for the team to date, and finished eleventh in today's race.

Anthony West, 7th:

"It has been a strange weekend for me. I crashed twice trying to do the best I can with the bike. I am not happy with the race results. I did the best I could with the package I had this weekend, but it just wasn't good enough. I need to be at the front. We have made some small improvements over the last race, but still have a lot of work to do. I hope we can improve the bike for Donington and set some better results there."

West salvages low qualifying results with top ten finish

The seventh race in the Supersport World Championship started with a delay at the Miller Motorsports Park in Utah today, due to a red-flagged and re-started Superbike race earlier.

The Stiggy Racing Honda pairing of Anthony West and Gianluca Vizziello had been struggling throughout the weekend to get their bikes on competitive form for the 18-lap long Supersport race. West qualified a low 22nd on the grid in yesterday's session, while team mate Vizziello came through just slightly better in 18th position.

West came through the first lap in 18th position, and determinedly set out to launch the attack for a connection with the front group. He swiftly graduated through the field, with his best overtaking actions in the latter half of the race.

Despite struggling to set competitive lap times in the qualifying sessions leading to race day, West posted his fastest lap of the weekend in the final minutes of the race while running on the last thread of his tyres. West managed to impressively salvage his performance over the weekend, and turned his low qualifying position into a top ten finish.

Anthony West, 10th:

" I am still not very happy with my results, even though it is good to come back from 22nd to tenth. It's a position on the grid I should not hold in the first place. I struggled to find my confidence on the bike. At the end of the race, on used tyres, I felt a lot more comfortable than I have been all weekend. We have been able to improve the front of the bike, and I hope that marks a step in the right direction. The team is working very hard to prepare my a good package, so I hope I can turn it around for the next race. "

Miller proves hard nut to crack for Supersport squad

The second day of qualifying at the Miller Motorsports Park in Utah, was marked by red flagsno less then three times it waved in the free practice and qualifying sessionsdelaying valuable time on-track.

Staying Racing Honda's Anthony West is still struggling to regain the feeling with the bike, and found himself languishing at the back of the field in the qualifying session. He put in a last attempt to gain a position on the first rows of the grid in the ultimate minutes of the session. As he set out on his flying lap, he managed to improve on the first parts of the track and looked set to qualify within the top 15, but lost valuable seconds in the last sector. He ended the session in a best time of 1'55.179s, a result that must come as a disappointment for the Australian rider who will now start the race from a low sixth row on the grid.

The Miller Motorsports Park Supersport race looks set to be staging another dog fight at the front of the field. If West manages to have a good start and quickly pull away from his low position on the gridand he has shown before that he is capable of making ground on the first laphe might be able to join the battle up front and take a good result home for his team.

Anthony West, 1'55.179s:

" It looked like we had found a good way of how to work, but the results have not been shown here today.
I am still feel that my bike is lacking the competitiveness to be up riding at the front of the field, and it influences my confidence in the bike. I am not satisfied with my starting position from the sixth row, but I hope I can gain some positions in the race tomorrow. "

Quiet start at Miler for Supersport team

The Supersport riders set out to complete their maiden laps at the Miller Motorsports Park in the first World Supersport event which runs today through Sunday on the 4.907 km long track in Utah.

Anthony West and Gianluca Vizziello opened their first laps in a quiet mode, but gradually picked up the pace and improved their lap times. West is still anticipating to refresh his competitiveness though, and was slightly less satisfied with the lap times he set in today's sessions than his team mate Vizziello.

For the seventh round of the championship the team has attracted a new suspension specialist to tackle the specific issues that have plagued the Supersport team in their last outings. Vizziello seems to have found confidence with the arrival of the new suspension specialist and managed to improve his fastest time set in the early afternoon qualifying by nearly two-seconds in the Second Practice.

West will be able to further improve his time in the third free practice and first qualifying session tomorrow, and is hoping to make a step forward to the front of the field.

Anthony West, 1'55.012s:

" It was a tough session for me today. I am still not confident with the set up of my machine. We have made some improvements to the suspension and solved some of the issues we had with the front, but I am still not as competitive as I need to be. We need to find some important seconds in tomorrow's session."

Stiggy Racing squad eager to perform across the Atlantic

The Stiggy Racing Honda squad crossed the Atlantic Ocean for another overseas round in the Superbike World Championship. This time hosted in the United States, as the seventh round of the series will be take place at Miller Motorsports Park in Salt Lake City this weekend.

The stunning 4.907km long track on the salty flats of Utah will see the World's fastest Superbikes in action for the second consecutive year, having been added to the series' program last season. Nevertheless it remains a new track on the agenda for the World Supersport riders.

Anthony West rekindled his form in South Africa last week, where he took eighth place at the flag in the Supersport race, but is eager to move further and return to rostrum glory. Westone of the more experienced and talented riders in the Supersport fieldfaced a tough series of races dominated by bad luck and an uncompetitive machine, but has worked hard, together with teammate Gianluca Vizziello and their respective crews, to shrug off the issues and get their bikes ready for a fresh charge at the Supersport podium at Miller.

Anthony West:

" I am really looking forward to racing in the US this weekend. I really like the country, and it should set a good atmosphere for the weekend. We have had a tough couple of rounds, but I am convinced we can put them behind us and fight the competition for a top position this weekend. It frustrates me that I haven't been able to cash in on the hard work we have done as much as I would have like to. I should be fighting at the top of the field and I hope I will be able to do so this weekend."

West battles to Eight in Kyalami Race

After a tough two days of qualifying, Stiggy Racing's Anthony West was finally finding form again, and claimed an eight place in the sixth round of the World Supersport Championship at Kyalami today.

The sunny South African track hosted the World Supersport Championship for the first time this year, and proved the perfect scene for another battle of the 600's. Eugene Laverty took the win today - his third one this season - , after leading most of the 23-lap race.

Anthony West faced a tough race from his 16th place on the grid, but securely made his way forward trough the pack, and tussled with Pirro for tenth position on the sixth lap. The gap to the faster group in front proved hard to close, and West seemed set in tenth position for the remainder of the race, but crashes in the ultimate laps of the race took Foret and Nannelli out, and enabled West to bring his bike through in eight place.

West is finally regaining confidence aboard his Stiggy Racing Honda CBR600RR after lack of competitiveness troubled him in the Assen and Monza rounds. His performance toady shows the Australian rider is on the up, ahead of the next fly-away round in America in two weeks time.

West took eight points home in today's race, and currently holds a tied fifth place in the Supersport Championship Standings.

Anthony West, 8th:

" The team seems happy with my results today, but I'm rather disappointed myself. I expected to do a lot better here, and hoped to put the tough times of the last races behind me, but it didn't really work out. Hopefully, for America we can change everything around, and start from the front again. It is a bit ridiculous finding myself in the position I am in at the moment, I can do a lot better. It's rather embarrassing. I am happy with the work the team have put in, we are still trying and will try and find the improvement for the next race ".

African blues remains for Supersport squad

An unexpected South-African shower opened the second day of qualifying for the Supersport riders, as they set out for their third Free Practice session - an extra 45-minute session has been added to the Supersport schedule this weekend - at the 4.246m long track at Kyalami today.

Most riders only ventured out for a couple of laps at the slippery African track this morning, with some of them waiting inside the garages for better track conditions the whole 45-minute session.

Stiggy Racing Honda's Anthony West - an expert in the wet - took eight place in the timing sheets in the morning's Free Practice session, but struggled to keep the competition behind him in the Official Qualifying.

West's bike did not provide him the pace to qualify for a good spot in the line-up, and he finished the day in a best time of 1'42.821s, which puts him in 16th place on the grid.

Missing out on the first rows means that tomorrow's 23-lap race will be difficult in the early stages, but West will fight his way forward and battle for a top position at the Kyalami track.

Anthony West, P16, 1'42.821:

" I am not really satisfied with my performance today. I need to go a lot faster, and I know I can be a lot faster and beat all these guys in front of me. I don't know whether it is me or the bike, but I just seem to struggle with my confidence at the moment. I am not even looking forward to racing tomorrow. I hope I will have a good warm up session ahead of the race, and get a better feeling with the bike before going onto the grid ".

Tough Kyalami Practice for Supersport Team

The beautiful Kyalami track, located on the outskirts of South-Africa's largest city Johannesburg, proved a hard track to tackle for the Stiggy Racing Honda Supersport Team in the opening Free Practice sessions today.

A slighlty altered time schedule in force at Kyalami today, allowed the Supersport riders to get to grips with the track in two 45-minute long sessions, and prepare their machines for tomorrow's official Qualifying Practice.

West is eager to find form again and launch his attack at the South African podium this weekend to hold on to his fifth place in the championship. The Australian faced a tough two rounds in Assen and Monza, but is expected to make his much anticipated return to the top of the sheets in Kyalami this weekend.

In the first free practice session West set his fastest time at 1'45.988s, and took a disappointing 19th place in the sheets. In the afternoon's second practice West improved his time by a mere 1.6 seconds to 1'44.290s, but still found himself languishing at an unsatisfying 19th place.

Anthony West, 1'44.290s:

" I had a tough session here today. I do not know why we struggle to set the same pace as the guys in front. I know I am capable of running consistently fast lap times, but we just could not put it together today. I hope I will have a better session tomorrow. It's a technical track here and I want to qualify on the first rows to be able to ride a good race here on Sunday ".

West crashes in Monza Race

The struggle continued for the Stiggy Racing Honda team in the fifth round for the Supersport World Championship in Monza today. Although the good atmosphere at the famous track, and high number of spectator attendance seemed a promise for a good day, the team once again found the unlucky charm, that influenced the results since the first practice sessions on Friday, on their side.

Anthony West struggled throughout the Monza qualifying sessions and had to start today's race from a disappointing 20th place on the grid. The disappointed Australian - who came close to taking his first win of the season in Valencia - started his race determined to make up for ground lost.

West got off to a good start from his fifth row position, and came through the first lap in 12th place. He seemed to have found some flow he had been looking for early on in the weekend, and recorded a top speed of 289 km/h aboard his CBR600RR. While pushing hard to firm a connection with the fast group from his 11th position, West lost the front of his machine and went down on the third lap of the race.

Anthony West, DNF:

" I had a crap weekend here in Monza. We made some changes to the bike after the bad qualifying results, but starting from that position on the grid is it just hard to make some ground. My only choice was to go flat out, but then I pushed too hard and lost the front. I made a small mistake with big consequences. I'm very disappointed and would like to forget this weekend and look ahead to the next race".

WSupersport team struggles to impress in Assen

Anthony West had an unfortunate weekend in Assen after small mistakes in the qualifying sessions continued to bother him on Race day.

From his 8th place on the gird he seemed set to quickly make his way forward, but ran wide and off the track in the chicane leading onto the straight. It set him back valuable positions that proved hard to recover.

Lascorz, Laverty, Foret and Crutchlow were the leading men who set the pace for the rest of the field. While Foret nearly took out his teammate Cructhlow, Pitt opted for a different line away from the Yamaha squad, but lost the front of his bike and endured a nasty crash. His loss became West's gain as he reclaimed another position.

An unfortunate collision with Nannelli put a premature end to the race for team mate Gianluca Vizziello. After a difficult weekend of qualifying the Italian rider was hoping to improve his performance, but could not prevent his misfortune.

The Superbike race was concluded in the very last seconds. While Laverty and Lascorz tussled places for the lead, Crutchlow awaited his chance. After Lascorz ran wide in the last chicane, Laverty quickly snatch the first position, with Cructhlow following in second.

Anthony West, 7th:

"I still lack acceleration in my bike. I miss the corner exit speed, so I constantly need to chase the front guys and then lose them again in the next corner. I was trying to make up for this catch-and-loose riding for most of the race

I was very close to Sofuoglu when he made a mistake and I did the same. I then ran wide and off the track, and when I got back on track again I lost the feeling with the rear of my bike. It felt strange and I was convinced I had a puncture. It had to back off for a lap until I felt there was nothing wrong, and started to push again and make up for the loss as good as possible".

West optimistic despite second row start

Stiggy Racing Honda's Anthony West started his qualifying practice on high spirits after he posted the third fastest time on the leader board in the practice session today, but made an unsuccessful switch to his second bike after crashing out in the first half of the session.

West was eager to perform well on the Dutch track after just missing out on his maiden win for the team in Valencia. His steady improvement throughout the sessions was stalled after he had to go out on his second bike.

West showed a good pace earlier in the sessions, but the different set-up of his second bike prevented him from improving on his best time of 1'41.496s, and left West to settle for an unanticipated 8th place on the grid. Despite a second row start, West remains optimistic about his chances in the race.

Anthony West, P8, 1'41.496s:

I tried a new setting on my bike, which was working out fine until I lost the front. I then had to get on my number two bike which was not set up properly, and it was impossible to set a good lap time. I am confident I could have gone a lot quicker today.
My whole weekend has been troubled by small problems with the bike. We have some issues with the vibration of the bike, which made it even harder to ride fast.
We put in a new rear tyre, and used an old one in the front. I then pushed a bit too much, and lost the front. I am not pleased with my second row start, but I still have to win this race.
It is a long way forward to win a race from here, but if I can have a good start, I will be riding at the front".

West stars in Valencia race

Anthony West put in a blistering performance today on his new Stiggy Racing Honda CBR600RR, but lost his 13 lap strong lead in the ultimate lap of the race to Cal Crutchlow.

From his front row start West made a smooth move to the front of the field in an attempt to put his disappointing performance of the last race in Qatar behind him. West and Crutchlow, who started from pole position, tussled the lead before West firmly put the Yamaha behind him halfway the race.

From then on it was West who tried to extend his lead and secure his potential first win for his new team, but Crutchlow managed to pick up the pace in the last minutes and made a move past West on the straight before going into the last lap, leaving West with little to no opportunity to recover his position. West went out today determined to win and deserved to do so but was forced to step back and take second.

West's Supersport result came after a week of hard work by the team as they developed their new bikes and engines and succeeded in their quest to finish their bikes top of the Honda's in a field that is dominated by the Japanese manufacturers' machines.

Anthony West now holds an equal third place in the Championship standings alongside Andrew Pitt and Eugene Laverty, while Gianluca Vizziello sits in 16th position. The latter had to dig deep today to keep up the progression he started this weekend, but managed to ride a consistent race and finished in 11th position.

Anthony West, P2:

"I came here to win this race and am a bit disappointed that I got beaten in the last lap after leading most of the race. But it is definitely a better result then the last race in Qatar where I got beaten by all the others. My mechanics have put a lot of time and work into developing the new engine and the new bikes we got for this weekend and today shows how strong and competitive the bike really is. For the next race we will work on further improving the engine to prepare us even better for the next race. I was so close today and now I just want to win. I like the track in Assen and am eager to take victory there."

West claims front row start

Stiggy Racing Honda's Anthony West might have been left out of contention in the previous race in Qatar but proved he regained his confidence and race pace in qualifying today and firmly parked his bike in 3rd place on the starting grid.

West took more then a second off the fastest time he set in yesterday's first practice and finished top of the Honda's in 1'36.664s, just behind pole sitter Cal Crutchlow and Joan Lascorz in second. The new Stiggy Racing Honda CBR600RR proves to be far more competitive and will give him the right cards for a battle at the front of the tight Supersport field. With some of his contenders placed securely behind him on the starting grid he rounded off today's qualifying confidently ahead of tomorrow's race.

Anthony, P3, 1'36.664s:

"My last qualifying session went terrible and then the race went bad as well, it's hard work moving forward to the front from the 3rd row. Am very happy with my qualifying but I'm probably more happy with the fact that the guys I want to beat are quite far behind me. It's going to make it easier and I think I will be able to relax a bit in the race and just try and keep in front of those guys. Then I don't have to rip up my tyres like I did in Phillip Island. With the new bike we got a bit of horsepower so we shouldn't get blown away by everybody but be able to stay with them and fight till the end of the race."

Promising start for Supersport squad

For the first time after the new rules came into action the Friday training for the Supersport riders today took place without the regular afternoon's Qualifying Practice but an hour long Free Practice session instead.

The Stiggy Racing Honda Supersport squad took to the track in Valencia under good conditions and with new engines delivered for their machines. Lack of speed led to a disappointing race for both riders last time out which especially prevented Anthony West from running at the front.

Despite losing valuable track time on friday morning due to the new rules, both Vizziello and West finished today's session with a good base set up and improved confidence ahead of tomorrow's first Qualifying Practice. West managed to set his best lap at 1'38.055s while Vizziello followed closely behind in 1'38.475s.

Anthony West, 1'38.055s:

"We have two new bikes here and they do feel a lot stronger then the bike I had in Qatar, its a big improvement. I'm pretty happy with how the bike went this time as I was pretty disappointed after the race in Qatar. The bike feels much better and I think we are not too far off the right set-up. It's a bit strange that we only had one practice session today, it makes a big difference for us but I'm happy with how it all went and am looking forward to the qualifying session tomorrow."

West lacks speed in Qatar race

The Qatar qualification sessions for Anthony West where marked by a lack of speed that withheld him from joining the competition at the front all weekend. Hard work throughout by his crew prepared his bike with a better set up, but the lack of top speed was evident and continued to play up in the race. West started from 12th position on the grid and came through the first lap 9th fastest. He determinately made his way forward, but wasnt able to close the gap with the front group and was forced to stay put. He lost his position when two riders passed him in the ultimate laps, forcing West to finish at an unsatisfying 9th place.

Anthony, 9th:

I am just not very happy with the whole weekend and how the bike performed. The set up of the bike was good, my crew did a good job on that, but there was just no horse power. I had a good start and was out with the front group but just kept being overtaken on the small straights between the turns. They just seemed to have more power then me. I came here to win and am disappointed I didnt get a good result. I was riding quicker then the riders in front of me, but they kept on passing me on the straights and there was nothing I could do about. I lost the gap with the front group, I set some faster lap times but couldnt make it back to the front group. Im just very unsatisfied.

Supersport team searches for speed in second day of qualifying

The Supersport qualifying continued today with the second Free and Qualifying Practices, dominated by crashes and gravel rides on the sandy surface of the Losail track.

After struggling to find the right set-up of their Stiggy Racing Honda CBR600RRs in yesterdays qualification, Anthony West managed to improve upon his best in the Free practice session. He finished the afternoons Second Qualification in 202.808, and will start tomorrows race from 12th position on the third row of the grid. Race day in Australia proved he is capable of fighting his way up through the field despite a back row starting place on the grid and will have to do the same in tomorrows race to give the team a top finish.

Anthony West, P12, 202.808:

I must say I am disappointed with my position for tomorrows race. Im on third row and thats not where I intended to be at. We made good progress on getting the suspension right, but I just couldnt find the right pace to stick with the front group. I am lacking speed, especially on the long straight. I was riding around the outside of the riders in front of me in the turns, but just got beaten on the straights. Well work on my second bike throughout tomorrows warm up and hopefully can be competitive on that.

First day of Losail Supersport qualifying

The second overseas round in Qatar started this morning with the Supersport Free Practice session. The last one before cost-cutting changes in the event schedule come into force in Valencia, reducing the first day of Supersport practice and qualifying to just one 45-minute session.

Dirt on the track saw both Stiggy riders playing it safe in the mornings first Free Practice session in which they concentrated on finding the right set up for their bikes after the Phillip Island round. West managed to improve his best time set in the morning practice later today in the First Qualifying session, but is still looking for improvement in order to find the connection with the front runners.

Anthony:

I was struggling with the set up of this bike this morning. We started with the setting we used in Phillip Island but we just didnt manage to find the grip on this track.
We made some changes to improve the bike and in the end they started to work. We have been able to run at a consistent pace. I just have to find the right pace for tomorrows session and try and qualify up front.

Great third place finish for Stiggy Racing Honda's Anthony West

The opening round of this years Supersport World Championship was packed full of thrills and excitement. especially for the Stiggy Racing Honda team. Anthony West, started from 12th place and then fought his way up through the pack before taking the lead two laps from the end. He was then overtaken by Sofuoglu and Pitt, but was only one tenth of a second behind the duo at the flag in third place. Gianluca Vizziello improved his lap times every lap, and had the fastest lap time on lap 10 (1'35.722), but had to retire three laps later due to a technical problem. All in all, a great result for the Stiggy Racing Honda team in the first round of the championship.

Anthony - 3rd
I am really happy with third position today. I started from 12th on the grid and got a pretty good start but got held up by Gary McCoy, which pushed me back to 14th. I knew I had to fight my way up to the front pack. The bike was working really well and on lap 19 I took the lead. I had a good battle with the Ten Kate Hondas which were slightly faster on the straight. I am very happy how things turned out today. I would like to thank the team for putting in such a great effort this weekend.

Difficult final qualifying for Stiggy Riders at Phillip Island

Today's Supersport free practice and qualifying were held in much cooler conditions then yesterday and the lower temperatures made it difficult for the Stiggy Racing Honda riders to set faster lap-times and achieve good qualifying times. Both riders had difficulty finding enough grip in the rear. Anthony will start tomorrow’s race from 12th place on the grid and Gianluca 17th.

Anthony:
I'm very disappointed. We've been lacking rear grip all day and the changes we made from this morning to the afternoon were slightly better, but not enough for me to improve as much as I needed to. We know what we have to change for tomorrow, to improve it, so hopefully it will be better in the warm-up. For the race I will try to get away with the leaders and get on the race pace as fast as I can.

PHILLIP ISLAND FIRST DAY

Stiggy Racing Honda Supersport riders finished the first day of free practice and qualifying at Phillip Island circuit today, finishing in 7th and 18th places respectably. Now they are looking forward to tomorrow and making further improvements.

Anthony:
We had a pretty good first day today. We managed to improve the bike from the morning session to the afternoon qualifying. Although the conditions were a lot different, as it was more hot in the afternoon and there was less grip in the rear, we still managed to get the settings to work better and achieve better lap times. I feel much more in control riding the bike now, especially compered to the test Portimao, where it felt like I was riding on the edge all the time. Now I'm much more comfortable. We still have work that needs to be done tomorrow, but overall I'm happy with today.

Team Stiggy Racing Honda ready for the 2009 season

After a successful two day test at Phillip Island circuit last week (17-18 Feb), Team Stiggy Racing Honda have enjoyed a few days rest before the season gets underway this weekend, on Friday. The 4.445 kms circuit, located on Phillip Island, is a few hours drive from Melbourne, and is one of the most spectacular circuits in the race calendar and loved by riders and fans alike.

Anthony:
I'm really looking forward to riding the bike again and getting the first round under my belt. We know, from the last test, that we have a pretty good base set-up for this track and hopefully that will be an advantage unless the conditions change too much. It’s good to be back in Australia again and ride in front of my ‘home’ crowd. As usual, my goal is to be on the podium or, better still, win! We will see how the weekend goes, but I'm sure it will be a good one.