Category: Superbikes

1. AFTER HIS PODIUM IN RACE 1 EUGENE LAVERTY WINS RACE 2 AND MOVES INTO SECOND PLACE IN THE RIDER STANDINGS

   Posted on 10:37am Monday 30th Sep 2013

   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”.  

2. AN APRILIA FLAVOURED SUPERPOLE AT ISTANBUL: FOUR RSV4S IN THE TOP FIVE

   Posted on 10:29am Sunday 15th Sep 2013

   FIRST PLACE SLIPS THROUGH SYLVAIN GUINTOLI’S FINGERS AND GOES TO SYKES BY JUST 22 THOUSANDTHS OF A SECOND.

   EUGENE LAVERTY FINISHES FOURTH WITH THE TWO RSV4S RIDDEN BY GIUGLIANO (ALTHEA RACING) AND ELIAS (RED DEVILS) FINISH THIRD AND FIFTH RESPECTIVELY.

   Istanbul, 14 September 2013 – The Aprilia Racing riders had shown a promising feeling on the Turkish track at Istanbul from the start. Although it was preceded by two odd sessions with the riders waiting in their garages due to the wet track, the Superpole sessions this afternoon confirmed yesterday’s suspicions: Sylvain Guintoli just missed the pole by 22 thousandths of a second after an almost perfect lap, while Eugene Laverty wasn’t quite able to make the grade with his second qualifying tyre although he did finish with a strong fourth best time.

   Aprilia’s domination was confirmed by the final positions of the two “satellite” RSV4s: Davide Giugliano (Althea Racing) will start from the third spot on the grid and Toni Elias (Red Devils), making his Superbike début on the missile from Veneto, took a promising fifth place.

   With a gap of just one point from the top spot in the standings, Sylvain Guintoli had made no secret of his ambitions for this Superpole. Comforted by the times he put on the boards yesterday and after being the fasted rider during the free practice sessions leading up to Superpole, the French rider easily came through the first two sessions. He aggressively took on his challengers in the top nine, succumbing only to the “specialist” Sykes, even admitting that he made a few small mistakes in the fast lap. In any case Sylvain takes home an excellent starting position for the two races tomorrow and he certainly has the tools to be able to aim for the top step of the podium.

   Sylvain Guintoli: “We came really close today. On my last lap I made a few small errors that may have cost me those 22 thousandths. It would have been nice to take the pole, but the most important thing is to start from the front row. I felt at home on this track straight away and I think tomorrow I’ll be able to aim for two good results. As I already said, the battle for the championship is really getting heated up now, so there should be two exciting races tomorrow on a track which is basically new for everyone”.

   Eugene Laverty also put in an excellent performance, steadily improving throughout the weekend until arriving just short of the podium in Superpole. The rider from Toomebridge put in the fastest time in Superpole 2, which was the best possible way to come through to the final session. Unfortunately Eugene struggled a bit with his second qualifying tyre taking the first spot on the second row of the grid. The two races tomorrow promise to be quite heated for him as well tomorrow with an excellent chance for a podium finish.

   Eugene Laverty: “I put in the best time in Superpole 2 but I wasn’t able to repeat the performance in the last session. In any case, fourth place is nothing to look down on and tomorrow looks like it will be a battle between four riders where we’ll all be able to make a play for it. Race 1 should be especially interesting because none of us were really able to lap a lot today on race tyres since the track was wet, so that will make things even more uncertain”.

    

3. New-look Pata Honda team heads to Asia

   Posted on 7:30am Thursday 12th Sep 2013

   The Pata Honda team will compete for the first time in Turkey in this weekend’s 11th round World Superbike championship event at Istanbul Park with a weekend schedule that runs an hour earlier than other SBK events.

   The 5.338km Hermann Tilke-designed circuit, which was completed just over eight years ago, lies on the Asian side of Istanbul and, for the Pata Honda team and riders, it will be a first racing visit to the Turkish city.

   The team will be without regular rider Jonathan Rea, who broke his left femur after crashing on another rider’s oil on 1 September at the Nürburgring in Germany. The 26-year-old underwent surgery that evening and is optimistic about a relatively quick rehabilitation for his injury.

   Rea will be replaced at Istanbul Park by Italian rider Michel Fabrizio, who has been competing in the 2013 World Superbike championship with another team. The 28-year-old from Rome currently lies in eighth place in the 2013 championship standings with one podium finish in the opening round at Phillip Island in Australia.

   Fabrizio joins Pata Honda’s Leon Haslam who continues his own rehabilitation from a broken leg sustained in a practice crash at Assen in The Netherlands in April. The 30-year-old British rider has been getting back up to speed over the last few races and will be looking to improve on his season’s best result of seventh last time out at the Nürburgring.

   Leon Haslam

   I’m really excited about going to race in Istanbul, even though some of the other Superbike riders have ridden there before. I’ve seen a few of the GP races there on video and it looks pretty awesome, but I won’t really know how it is until I get out there on the bike on Friday morning. We made some more progress last time in Germany but, although I was hanging on to the back of the leading group in race two, we still had some issues. But I do feel like I’m finally in a position – both physically and with the bike – to be fighting for podiums again. We need a few more things to fall into place for that to happen, but we’re nearly there.

   Michel Fabrizio

   I am very happy to come back to the Honda CBR after my earlier experience with the DFX Honda Team. To race with the Ten Kate boys in the Pata Honda team is a real honour for me and, of course, I will do my best to get Jonathan’s machine near to the front. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish Jonathan a fast recovery from his injury and I would like to thank the whole Honda Superbike team for their hard work to fix the bike in time for me to race in Istanbul.

   Michel Fabrizio – career details

   2002: 125cc GP World Championship

   2003: FIM Superstock 1000 champion (Suzuki)

   2004: MotoGP World Championship (10 races – Honda), World Supersport championship (two races – Honda)

   2005: World Supersport championship (Honda) – 5th

   2006: World Superbike championship (Honda) – 11th

   2007: World Superbike championship (Honda) – 11th

   2008: World Superbike championship (Ducati) – 8th

   2009: World Superbike championship (Ducati) – 3rd

   2010: World Superbike championship (Ducati) – 8th

   2011: World Superbike championship (Suzuki) – 12th

   2012: World Superbike championship (BMW) – 11th

   2013: World Superbike championship (Aprilia) – current position 8th

   2013 World Superbike championship, round 11

   Intercity Istanbul Park, Turkey – weekend schedule (local times – GMT+3)

   Friday 13 September

   11.45-13.15 Free practice

   15.30-16.15 Qualifying 1

   Saturday 14 September

   08.45-09.30 Qualifying 2

   11.30-12.15 Free practice

   14.00-15.14 Superpole 1

   14.21-15.33 Superpole 2

   14.40-15.50 Superpole 3

   Sunday 15 September

   08.20-08.35 Warm-up

   11.00 Race 1 (19 laps 95.226km)

   14.30 Race 2 (19 laps 95.226km)

4. The 2014 Ducati Superbike 899 Panigale unveiled in Frankfurt

   Posted on 6:45am Wednesday 11th Sep 2013

   Highly anticipated 899 Panigale unveiled by Ducati CEO, Claudio Domenicali, at VW Group Night on the eve of the IAA Motor Show in Frankfurt

   •The stunning “Supermid”model offers a new way to access the world of Ducati Superbikes
   •899 Panigale continues monocoque concept, Superquadro engine and benchmark electronics

   Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), 09 September 2013 – The highly-anticipated Ducati 899 Panigale has been unveiled at the VW Group Night in Frankfurt, Germany, on the eve of the IAA International Motor Show, which runs from the 12-22 September. The presentation made by Ducati CEO, Claudio Domenicali,  represents a preview of the Italian Manufacturer’s exciting 2014 model range.

   The stunning model, intended to provide a new way to access the exclusive world of Ducati Superbikes, is described as a “Supermid” version of the award-winning 1199 Panigale, designed to provide the thrill of the new generation flagship model with the refined character of an everyday streetbike.

   Its brand new Superquadro engine features a revised bore and stroke for a broad power delivery, producing 148hp (109kW) with a torque of 73lb-ft (10.1kgm). The super-smooth power unit continues to be a fully stressed member of the innovative Panigale monocoque construction, achieving both an outstanding power-to-weight ratio and ride-enhancing agility with a dry weight of 169kg (372.5lb). An 1199 silhouette underlines the family DNA, while the Ducati Quick Shift (DQS) and the fully integrated Riding Mode technologies of Ride-by-Wire, triple stage ABS, Ducati Traction Control (DTC) and Engine Brake Control (EBC) continue the benchmark ingenuity introduced with the new generation Superbike.

   Ducati now offers all-round performance for connoisseurs with an authentic and stylish way to enter the world of high performance. The 899 Panigale will be priced at £12,495 and available in the UK from November onwards, in traditional Ducati red with black wheels or a stunning arctic white with red wheels.

   Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A – An Audi Group Company

   Founded in 1926, Ducati has been producing sport-inspired motorcycles since 1946. Their motorcycles are characterised by “Desmodromic” performance engines, innovative design and avant-garde technology. Covering several market segments, Ducati's range of motorcycles are divided into model families which include: Diavel, Hypermotard, Monster, Multistrada, Streetfighter and Superbike.

   These authentic icons of 'made in Italy' are sold in over 80 countries around the world, with concentration on the European, North-American and Asia Pacific markets. Ducati competes in both the World Superbike Championship and, with an official team, the World MotoGP Championship. In Superbike Ducati has won 17 Manufacturers' titles and 14 Riders' titles and in 2011 passed the historic milestone of 300 race victories. Ducati have participated in MotoGP since 2003, and took both the Manufacturers' and Riders' titles in 2007.

5. Battle for the 848 Challenge hots up at Donington Park

   Posted on 7:31am Monday 9th Sep 2013

   Railton and Nutt go all-out for victory in front of a packed Donington crowd.

   The race for the third Ducati TriOptions 848 Challenge crown hotted up this weekend at Donington Park as the series once again provided some scintillating racing. Marty Nutt took victory in race one after pole-sitter and pace-setter Dennis Hobbs was forced into retirement with a broken gear lever early on.

   Crucially from a championship perspective, Jonathan Railton appeared to have a turnaround in both confidence and pace over the course of the weekend, setting a front-row worthy lap time in race one to give himself a great opportunity in the second contest.

   The Boast Plumbing-backed rider looked on it from the very first lap, and had soon moved into second place behind Marty Nutt with the pair pulling a big gap to the chasing pack running a blistering pace that saw the lap record broken three times. The pair were inseparable for most of the 10 lap race, but it was an incredible move around the outside of Nutt from Railton on the penultimate lap that handed the young rider victory and kept him in the hunt for the title with four races left to run in 2013.

   Railton said, “It was a fantastic race and I really enjoyed it. I had to push so hard to catch Marty and to get past was very rewarding. We’ve had a dry run of podiums recently and I’ve had a lack of confidence, but that win has certainly helped fix that.”

   In National Superstock 1000 both Tristan Palmer and Robbie Brown raced hard to fly the Ducati flag in a class recently dominated by Japanese machinery. Palmer has been something of a revelation aboard the 1199 Panigale, but started out this weekend on the back foot with his competition having raced in support of the World Superbike Championship round at Donington earlier in the season before the midlander signed to ride for Rapido Sport Racing. Track time was further reduced with Friday’s running lost to rain, but Palmer still managed to run top ten pace during the race and finished in the points in 12th across the line.

   Palmer said, “It’s not been the best weekend – we started out on the back foot as everyone else raced here earlier in the season and I didn’t. We did improve the bike in the two dry sessions we had before the race, but we just didn’t have enough track time to close the gap on the front guys. I wrecked my tyre trying to come through the field which made life difficult at the end of the race. Silverstone is a good track for me, so we’ll just get on with it and get back to the front there.”

   It was a tough weekend in the main superbike class for Rapido Sport Racing and rider Matteo Baiocco. After topping a very wet free practice session on Friday, Baiocco couldn’t replicate his pace in the dry on Saturday and Sunday. 20th position in qualifying made the job even harder, and the reigning Italian Superbike champion was forced to retire from race one with set-up issues after just eight laps. Race two proved a little more successful for the rider from Osimo, posting his fastest times of the weekend and crossing the line just outside the points in 17th.