Category: Superbikes

1. ALEIX ESPARGARO' TO MISS THE GERMAN GP

   Posted on 12:00pm Sunday 15th Jul 2018

   Aleix Espargaró, victim of a violent crash at turn 4 during the Warm Up, will not start today's German GP. After crashing on his fifth lap at the circuit of Sachsenring, the Spanish rider suffered a bad thoracic trauma in the left ribs area and was helicoptered to the nearby hospital of Chemnitz for further checks.

2. APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI - Assen Race

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 2nd Jul 2018

   SOLID RACE FOR SCOTT WHO FINISHES IN THE POINTS WITH FOURTEENTH PLACE, JUST BEHIND HIS TEAMMATE
   
   Both of the Aprilia machines finished in the points in a spectacular race on the Dutch Assen track, the eighth round of the MotoGP Championship It was a race that, as the practice and qualifying days had foreshadowed, was characterised by a spectacular balance, so much that Espargaró and Redding missed the top ten even though they finished only 16 seconds behind the winner, Marquez.

   For Aleix it was a disappointment explained by the conservative choice of putting a hard rear tyre on for the race. Off the line well from the third row – earned thanks to a brilliant qualifying session – Aleix was eighth at the end of the first lap, but then he lost five positions due to contact with Zarco. Clawing his way back up to thirteenth place was made difficult by the poor grip conditions his tyres provided throughout the race and he finished in that position, 15.986 seconds behind the leader.

   Scott rode his best race yet astride the RS-GP on the historic Dutch track. Starting from the sixth row, Scott was seventeenth at the end of the first lap. Finding a good pace, he moved up through the pack until catching up, and on one occasion overtaking, his teammate. The fourteenth place finish, 16 seconds behind the winner, is a good result that shows the progress the English rider has made in the last two races.
   
   ALEIX ESPARGARO'
   "I am not happy. Unfortunately, I made the wrong choice for the rear tyre. My Aprilia worked extremely well throughout the weekend on the soft, even if we were at the limit with wear. Precisely for this reason and after the wear problems at Mugello and the crash in Barcelona, I opted for the hard, thinking that it would be a safer choice. In reality, I did not have grip from the start, so all I could do was simply try to finish the race. A pity because we really worked well in all the sessions and then the worst came right at the decisive moment, where the points are earned."
   
   SCOTT REDDING
   "I am happy especially with the consistency I was able to maintain in the race. We made the right tyre choice. After warm up, I considered the hard option on the rear, thinking about duration, but after lapping well with the soft in practice, it was smart to ride the race with that one as well. I had fun, staying close to Pol and Aleix and managing to fend on Pedrosa's attacks. We worked well, calmly and without pressure and the results are clear. It is a small step forward. Now we need to continue in this direction."

3. APRILIA READY FOR THE GP OF CATALUNYA

   Posted on 12:00pm Tuesday 12th Jun 2018

   The seventh race of the 2018 MotoGP Championship season will have the teams and riders busy on the Catalunya Circuit, just a few kilometres from Barcelona. A modern and spectacular track, it has been resurfaced and modified in its final section.

   The Aprilia Racing Team Gresini riders have already had a chance to try out the changes with a test session that was useful in preparation for the Spanish round.

   Aleix Espargarò has plenty of motivation. Having just become a father to Max and Mia, Aleix will take on his home race even more determined to do well with his RS-GP. For Scott Redding, the Barcelona race could be the perfect opportunity to find the right confidence with the Italian bike and to take a further step forward.
   
   
   ALEIX ESPARGARO'
   "I really worked hard preparing for my home race in Barcelona. I am keen to do well. Unfortunately, the first part of the season did not go as we had hoped, but there are clear signs of our competitiveness. This will be my first weekend as a father. It is very emotional and extra motivation."
   
   SCOTT REDDING
   "Montmelò is a nice track. The new asphalt is excellent, as we were able to test a couple of weeks ago. My goals for the rest of the season have not changed. We need to work hard, just as we have been until now, and achieve the best possible results."

4. Camier seventh, Gagne twelfth in roasting Race 2 at Brno

   Posted on 12:00pm Monday 11th Jun 2018

   The Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team concluded their Czech WorldSBK adventure with a double point-scoring finish as Leon Camier crossed the finish line in seventh place and a resurgent Jake Gagne took twelfth in hot conditions at Brno.
   
   Camier started Race 2 in P6 on the grid but needed a couple of laps to find his feet, settling into P9 in the opening laps. As other riders struggled in the warm conditions, Camier adapted and was able to improve his pace to work his way ahead of his competitors and climbed to seventh place with five laps remaining, the position he held until the chequered flag.
   
   Further back, Gagne got a good start from the seventh row of the grid and quickened his pace as the race went on, setting his quickest lap of the race on lap 9. A last lap push nearly brought the American his first top-ten finish in WorldSBK, but ultimately he just missed out although he still equalled his best result of the year with P12.
   
   The Race 2 result sees Camier move up one place in the championship standings to tenth on 72 points, while Gagne stays in seventeenth overall but increases his points tally to 24.
   The United States hosts the next WorldSBK round at Gagne’s home circuit of Laguna Seca from June 22-24.

5. Ryan Kneen awarded PokerStars Spirit of the TT for 2018

   Posted on 12:00pm Sunday 10th Jun 2018

   Ryan Kneen has been awarded the 2018 PokerStars Spirit of the TT Award following brother Dan’s accident during this year’s TT Races.
   
   The Kneen family have close links with the road racing community and Ryan, who was also competing in this year’s TT Races meeting, went out at the back of Thursday’s qualifying session wearing his brother’s helmet, following Dan’s death in Wednesday’s Superbike practice.
   
   The PokerStars Spirit of the TT Award is given annually to the person or persons who best represent the ethos and values of the TT Races including decency, honesty, generosity, courage, compassion, integrity, respect, teamwork and commitment to the development of the races.
   
   The presentation of the award was made on Friday – Senior Race Day - on the Grandstand podium ahead of the PokerStars Senior TT Race.
   
   Guy Templer, Chief Operating Officer, The Stars Group, who presented the award commented:
   
   “The Kneen family has shown incredible resilience and spirit and this was typified by Ryan’s gesture in his tribute practice lap to his brother that received such an incredible reaction from the fans at the event and a remarkable surge of support on-line as well.”
   
   Rob Callister, MHK, Isle of Man Government’s Tourism and Motorsport representative said:
   
   "Everyone in the local community and the broader road racing scene, was affected by Dan’s death. He was a hugely popular figure on the Isle of Man and made a great impact on everybody that met him. He will be sorely missed.”
   
   He continued:
   
   “It is entirely appropriate that this year’s PokerStars Spirit of the TT award goes to Ryan whose spirit and dignity is a shining example of the values and ethos of the event. I personally attend the legacy lap on Sunday and it was incredibly moving to see Ryan and his father Richard leading around eight thousand bikers around the TT course.”
   
   Representatives from the Isle of Man Government's Motorsport team including Rob Callister MHK, TT rider liaison officers Richard Quayle and John Barton, ACU Clerk of the Course Gary Thompson and the Stars Group Chief Operating Officer Guy Templer judged the award. Nominations were invited from members of the public and from officials associated with the TT.
   
   Previous winners have included Paul Owen, Conor Cummins, the Birchall Brothers, TT Marshal Eric Alexander and TTRA secretary Frances Thorp. The then ninety-one year old Harold Leece who opened up his garden to visitors every year and 8 year old fundraiser Cici Reed received the award in 2015 and the 2016 winner was TT rider Paul Shoesmith. Last year’s award was shared between the three organisers of the TT facebook helpline page - Barbara Keene, Margaret Cain and Sandra Diamond - which was set up to help visitors to the Isle of Man with travel and accommodation emergency issues.