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Category: Superbikes
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Marty Nutt secured the Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge title in the final race of the season at Silverstone, holding off the late season surge from series rookie Jonathan Railton.
The Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge reached its exciting conclusion this weekend at Silverstone, as two riders came into the event battling for outright championship glory. Boast Plumbing’s Jonathan Railton trailed Ducati Coventry’s Marty Nutt by just 12 points coming into the weekend, and with 50 points up for grabs it was all still to play for.
Qualifying saw Railton way back in 13th place for the first race on Saturday afternoon, however a lightning start saw him jump up to fifth by the end of the first lap. He looked to have the pace to lead the pack, and was battling for the lead with Dennis Hobbs by half race distance while Nutt was embroiled in a battle back in fifth place. With things looking set to provide a scintillating final showdown, Railton suffered a gearbox issue on his blue and white Ducati 848evo and dropped from second to sixth across the line. A late resurgence from Nutt saw him take second place behind Hobbs, and with that result the ball was put firmly in the court of the #77 rider going into the final contest.
In perfect conditions the 21-bike grid lined up for Sunday’s Silverstone season finale, with championship leader Nutt on pole from Mike Edwards and Dennis Hobbs. It was the experienced Edwards and fast starting Leon Morris that got away at the front early on, with Nutt and Railton battling for fourth and fifth further back. A superb final race for inaugural 848 Challenge champion Darren Fry saw him right in the hunt over the eight lap sprint, eventually crossing the line third. Morris held on to take the win from Edwards, while Nutt rode a calculated final race to fourth, breaking his run of fifteen podium finishes but ensuring the 2013 title was his.
Marty Nutt said:
There have been a couple of races this season where I’ve been careful, sat back and thought about the championship, and it’s really paid off for us. We’ve already got an 899 Panigale order and it looks awesome! I can’t wait to get riding it with the number one on the front. A lot of these guys have finished strongly this year which has given them the drive to come back for more next year, and I can’t wait to get back out there with them.
Leon Morris said:
My season has been up and down – we struggled at the start, but the pace of the series this year is phenomenal. When I won in 2011 and likewise Robbie Brown last year, we weren’t exactly hanging about, but this year the guys have been consistently a second and a half quicker than before! I’ve tried my hardest all year and we’ve only come out with two wins, but it’s definitely nice to round the season off with a win. The level of the series has grown and grown, and it’s really different to win races. It’s a brilliant series – the bikes are fantastic but more than that we’ve grown into a family. We’ve had a great year, there’s a lot of respect out there between the riders, I’d like to give a big congratulations to John Hackett and Marty Nutt and I hope to be back again next year.
Jonathan Railton said:
The first part of the season couldn’t have gone any better – my confidence was sky high and I was really enjoying riding the Ducati. Half way through the season at Brands I was leading the race and had the front end go. It was one of those crashes where you don’t know exactly what happened which always knocks your confidence, and it’s been difficult since them. We got back on form at Assen with some great racing and another win. That’s what is great about these one make championships – the racing is really close and the Ducati 848 has been a brilliant bike to ride. Well done to Marty and all the front runners who have made it such a great series this year – it’d be great to be associated with Ducati again next year. I’d also like to say a big thanks to the whole Boast Plumbing team who have been there and helped me through all the ups and downs.
The Ducati 848 will return to British Superbikes in 2014 alongside the new 899 Panigale to form the Ducati TriOptions Cup.
For final Championship results click here
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Lorenzo Zanetti took a provisional front row spot in today’s opening qualifying session for Sunday’s penultimate 2013 World Supersport championship race at Magny-Cours in France.
The 26-year-old Italian found a groove in variable weather conditions at the 4.411km circuit to qualify just behind championship protagonists Sam Lowes, who took provisional pole, and last round winner Kenan Sofuoglu.
Zanetti’s team-mate Michael van der Mark, 20, who finished on the podium last time out at Istanbul in Turkey, was seventh fastest today, but the young Dutch ace is confident of further improvement in tomorrow’s final qualifying session.
Lorenzo Zanetti – P3, 1m42.731s
For the first day I am quite happy. It was a little wet this morning and then a bit half-and-half later but I was comfortable. I had a good feeling in the dry, too, and when we put in the softer tyre the result was OK. We are not at lap record pace but the conditions were not so good but it was important to get a good position today in case of rain tomorrow. Race pace is OK but there are a couple of place on the track where I know I can improve.
Michael van der Mark – P7, 1m43.275s
I think we can be quite happy today. The conditions were a little bit so-so this morning but we went out to do a lot of laps and I finished in P3, so that was quite OK. The track is new for me on the Supersport CBR600RR so I need to find the right gears and stuff but qualifying was not too bad in the end. I was quite consistent but I need some more speed for tomorrow.
Pieter Breddels – technical co-ordinator
The weather was a little variable today and the track was wet but drying in the morning. It was dry this afternoon and Lorenzo was near the top of the charts all through the session. Because the weather is a little unstable his third place could be very important. Michael has also been in touch throughout the day but has little problems in the last two splits. There are a couple of things we can improve for tomorrow, but it’s been a pretty good start to the weekend.
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The Pata Honda World Superbike team returns to Europe this weekend for the penultimate round of the 2013 series at Magny-Cours in France following last Sunday’s two 12th-round races at Laguna Seca in America.
While results at Laguna Seca were not what the team or riders would have wished for, both Leon Haslam and Michel Fabrizio left the US with some positives which they are hoping to take to the 4.411km Magny-Cours circuit near Nevers in central France.
Haslam, 30, was able to demonstrate some pace last weekend but his results in Superpole and the two races did not live up to the potential shown, with a crash in the first outing and electronics problems in race two.
Michel Fabrizio, who will continue to replace the injured Jonathan Rea until the end of the season, made a breakthrough after Sunday’s warm-up and was able to produce more consistent and appropriate lap times during race two. The 29-year-old Italian is aiming to continue those positive steps at Magny-Cours this weekend.
Leon Haslam
I’ve got a pretty good record at Magny-Cours and I’ve been on the podium there a couple of times. I like the circuit so I’m looking forward to heading back there this weekend. I want to get back to a podium-fighting position in these last few races because we need to end the season on a high. We’ve definitely made some progress with the bike recently but every time we make a step forward we seem to get a bit of bad luck that puts us back again. It’s been that kind of season but, hopefully, that’s all out of the way now and we can show what we’re capable of.
Michel Fabrizio
The results at Laguna Seca were not great but I was quite happy after the race on Sunday because we made another big change to the front of the bike after warm-up and it worked. I was able to do faster lap times and the bike was much better for me, so I think we have a good direction to follow this weekend. My results at Magny-Cours have not been so good over the years, with only one podium, so we will work as hard as possible to achieve some good results this time.
2013 World Superbike championship, round 13
Magny-Cours, France – weekend schedule (local times – GMT+2)
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The Pata Honda World Superbike team has announced that it will retain the same rider line-up of Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam heading into the 2014 world championship season.
Rea is currently recuperating from a fractured left femur that he sustained in a crash at Nürburgring in Germany last month, but the 26-year-old from Northern Ireland is making a good recovery and is optimistic about the possibility of riding his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade again before then end of the year.
Rea began his world championship career with the Ten Kate-run Honda team in the 2008 World Supersport series before moving up to World Superbikes in 2009, since when he has secured 33 podiums from 116 races, including 11 race victories.
He will once again partner fellow British rider Leon Haslam who joined the team for the 2013 season, which has unfortunately been affected by a broken leg he sustained at Assen in the Netherlands in April.
Haslam, 30, has contest 155 World Superbike championship races, a third of which have been on Honda’s CBR machine. The British rider has achieved a total of three race wins and 28 podium finishes since his first SBK race in 2003, and he finished as runner-up in the series in 2010.
Jonathan Rea
It's been a big decision that I've thought long and hard about because there were some other options to consider. However, at the end of the day it was an easy choice because of the faith and respect that I have for the team that I've been with for six years and the company that I have been with my entire career. I know how hard the guys work to make the Honda competitive and I know that we have the potential to fight again for more podiums and race wins and the championship next season. Those podiums and wins are what motivate all of us and that's why I know that everyone will pull out the stops over the winter again to make them happen. We will go into the testing programme in a much better position than we were in 12 months ago because we've worked so hard to get the new electronics package to work this season. I am as motivated as ever and really looking forward to riding my bike again.
Leon Haslam
I’m very happy to have another go at it, really! This season has been pretty non-existent with the injury and the big learning curve we’ve had with the new electronics. So I’m excited to get back to full fitness and to have good go with the bike and see if we can turn the potential into success. We’ve made some really good steps recently but that’s been combined with some bad luck this year. Hopefully, that’s all out of the way now and we can keep making progress in the last few races and over winter testing. The Haslam link to Honda has been strong for many years and it was fantastic to win the Suzuka 8-hour this year. Hopefully we can go back and defend that next year, and I can’t wait to go into the next World Superbike season with the same bike, the same guys and have a proper go at it.
Ronald ten Kate - team manager
Jonathan has demonstrated great faith in this team over the years and we are, of course, overjoyed to have him back for a sixth World Superbike campaign. We have got to know each other very well over the years and one thing that comes across is his consistent and tenacious desire to get the very best out of the CBR – something he does year after year. Of course, with injuries, it has not been an easy season for him or for his team-mate, so we are very happy that Leon will join us again for next season. With two fit riders and some further development on the bike, we can look forward to 2014 with renewed confidence and optimism.
Carlo Fiorani - racing operations manager
Honda Motor Europe I do not think it is a secret that both Jonathan and Leon had some other options to consider for 2014, so we are, of course, delighted that we will be working with them again. We believe that there is a great level of mutual respect between us and we know that we have two fully-motivated riders who have the potential to fight for top honours. It’s good that they, too, know that the Honda they ride has equal potential and that they will have a team around them to help get the results that we all want to see. For many reasons, 2013 has been a difficult year for everyone, so we all hope that, with Dorna taking the series to new levels, we can have a 2014 season that is safe and successful, both for the riders and for the whole team.
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SYLVAIN GUINTOLI STRUGGLED TO FIND HIS PACE IN THE PACK AND FINISHED IN FIFTH PLACE, REPEATING THE RACE 1 RESULT
APRILIA'S DOMINATION IN THE MANUFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIP CONTINUES.
Laguna Seca, 29 September 2013 – The determination shown in the Race 1 finale at Laguna Seca yesterday was almost a foreshadowing of the way Eugene Laverty would perform today. Rocketing to the front as soon as the red lights went off, the Northern Irish rider then found himself riding in third place behind the exhaust of Sykes and Giugliano in the first phase of the race. Eugene bided his time throughout the middle portion of the race, staying in contact with the leaders without taking any pointless risks, also taking into consideration the less than excellent grip.
Laverty's strategy paid off when four laps from the end he launched his attack on Giugliano for second place and then overtook Sykes two lap later. The grand finale had him controlling his rivals and flying across the finish in the lead. His seventh victory of the season and the third place in Race 1 take him to second place in the rider standings, 23 points behind Sykes with two more rounds (four races) left to go.
Thanks in part to Davide Giugliano's podium finish, an excellent second place ride on the Althea Racing Team RSV4, Aprilia strengthens their dominating lead in the manufacturer standings. The advantage in front of Kawasaki is now 45 points, 70 ahead of BMW, 235 over Honda, 248 above Suzuki and 308 in front of Ducati.
Eugene Laverty: “This was anything but an easy race. Yesterday I struggled quite a bit to keep up with the front runners and I managed to finish on the podium by overtaking twice in the last lap. I want to thank my team because we worked a lot on the bike and took a big step forward that allowed me to ride better in spite of the grip issues. I pushed hard from the first to the last lap and Davide (Giugliano) and Tom (Sykes) didn't make this win an easy one! This is a result that I really didn't expect which now takes me to second place in the rider standings, but we have two very different rounds ahead of us. I struggled last year at Magny Cours, but my RSV4 has grown a lot so things could change, whereas Jerez is our test track so I could have an advantage there. In any case I'll need to give 100% in every session for the next two weekends. I'd like to dedicate my win to my engineer Marco Bertolatti who became a father just a few hours ago.”
It was another difficult race for Sylvain Guintoli, dominator in Race 1 before the second red flag. After an imperfect start from the first spot on the grid thanks to winning Superpole yesterday, the Frenchman had to surrender the pace to Melandri and Giugliano. Relegated to fifth place, Sylvain struggled in the first part of the race to keep pace with the lead pack, finally settling into a good pace. However, the gap behind the four leaders kept him from improving his position, which repeats the result from yesterday but certainly does no justice to the performance demonstrated during the practice sessions. Sylvain is now lying third in the championship, just one point behind his team mate Laverty, a position that keeps him well in the running for the final victory.
Sylvain Guintoli: “To be honest this was a disappointing Race 2. I expected much more and, all things considered, the start was good. I felt like I could pass Tom and Eugene, but instead I came under attack from Melandri and Giugliano and dropped back behind the lead group. The pace was really fast and when you lose a few metres it's hard to make up that gap. Like yesterday, when I'm in the middle of the pack I'm lacking something. I'm unable to maintain the same pace that I can set when I'm riding by myself like I was in the first two starts yesterday. It's something I need to work on because we didn't make any changes to the bike compared to yesterday. I need to get focused again, I'm not lacking in speed since yesterday when I was out front I was able to be very fast. Magny Cours is coming up in just a few days and that's my home race where I hope to make up some important points”.
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