Category: Superbikes

1. AFTER THE SUMMER BREAK WORLD SUPERBIKE TAKES ON THE GERMAN NÜRBURGRING CIRCUIT

   Posted on 10:42am Wednesday 28th Aug 2013

   APRILIA RACING RIDERS, SYLVAIN GUINTOLI AND EUGENE LAVERTY, LYING FIRST AND THIRD RESPECTIVELY IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS, ARE READY FOR THE SEASON HOME STRETCH.

   APRILIA HAS DOMINATED THE MANUFACTURER STANDINGS SINCE THE FIRST ROUND. THE POINT SITUATION IS NOW 336 AGAINST KAWSAKI'S 303, 276 FOR BMW, HONDA WITH 189, SUZUKI AT 165 AND 128 FOR DUCATI.

   Noale, 28 August 2013 - The home stretch of the 2013 World Superbike Championship starts from the German Nürburgring circuit. After the summer break, the first of the remaining five rounds that will decide the rankings finds the Aprilia Racing riders taking to the track with their sights set high. The technical German track is well suited for the characteristics of the Aprilia RSV4 which made quite an impression last year, dominating both races, taking five of the six positions up for grabs on the podium and laying the groundwork to triumph in the 2012 world championship with the double title (Rider and Manufacturer).

   Sylvain Guintoli's steadfastness, even able to limit the damage after injuring his right shoulder, has taken him to the top of the rider standings with a 13 point advantage over Tom Sykes. The French rider took advantage of the break to continue his recovery and his fitness conditions have vastly improved. In any case we will need to wait for the track to have the final word, which is the only way to verify Sylvain's physical stamina.

   Sylvain Guintoli: “After 3 weeks off the bike and concentrating my energy on recovering as much as possible from the shoulder injury, I feel ready to take up the championship fight in the final 5 rounds. This is the final straight line to the end of the season and I am excited to see how much progress the shoulder has made. The answer will be Sunday”.

   His brilliant performance in Silverstone, where he took a double podium in difficult conditions, shook up the order for Eugene Laverty, now lying third in the rider championship standings. His potential for the final victory are on the rise and the young Northern Irish talent makes no secret of his goal for the five remaining rounds. With the excellent support from his bike and his team, Eugene is anxious to close the points gap on his rivals this weekend. This will be no easy task, but it is certainly within the capabilities of the rider from Toomebridge.

   Eugene Laverty: “I've enjoyed the summer break but I'm ready to get back to racing. We now have five rounds in eight weeks to finish the season and I feel that these are the most important two months of my career to date. My teammate Sylvain, Tom Sykes, and Marco Melandri will be tough to beat in the title race but I intend to give it my all. Nurburgring is a really strong circuit for the Aprilia and so I hope to gain points on my championship rivals this weekend”.

2. Pata Honda riders prepare to welcome next generation

   Posted on 10:06am Friday 2nd Aug 2013

   With both Pata Honda World Superbike riders' wives expecting babies in the very near future - Olivia Haslam is due any day now and Tatia Rea next month - the team took the opportunity at the Silverstone WSBK round to present to the prospective parents two baby-grows, or baby-suits, that replicate Leon Haslam's and Jonathan Rea's racing leathers.

   The suits carry all the sponsor logos that adorn their 'full-size' Dainese and Alpinestars leathers and even each rider's butt patch, so that, whether the babies are boys or girls, they can start to emulate their illustrious fathers from an early age.

   The suits were presented at the end of a media Q&A session in the Paddock Show at Silverstone today, ahead of this weekend’s ninth round World Superbike Championship event at the UK circuit.

3. SECOND ENGLISH ROUND FOR THE 2013 WORLD SUPERBIKE SEASON

   Posted on 10:05am Thursday 1st Aug 2013

   ...WITH SYLVAIN GUINTOLI LEADING THE RIDER STANDINGS AFTER THE MOSCOW RACE.

   EUGENE LAVERTY INTENDS TO DO WELL ON A TRACK WHERE HE HAS ALWAYS PUT IN A STAR PERFORMANCE.

   APRILIA LEADS THE MANUFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIP WITH 300 POINTS IN FRONT OF KAWASAKI (267), BMW (262), HONDA (151), SUZUKI (129) AND DUCATI (112).

   Noale, 31 July 2013 - World Superbike 2013 will be in the United Kingdom for the second time this season on the occasion of the Silverstone round. After the difficult weekend in Moscow, devastated by the tragic accident which befell Andrea Antonelli, the riders will tread on the English asphalt, historic for having hosted the first Formula 1 World Championship race in 1950. The Midlands circuit is also known for its flowing layout, as well as for the extremely variable weather conditions.

   The only race that was held at Moscow Raceway had Sylvain Guintoli, riding with a shoulder injury from a training accident a few days earlier, taking a stoic sixth place finish which, aided by Tom Sykes' DNF, placed him once again at the top of the Championship standings. In any case the 4 point advantage is no basis for strategy or calculations in a championship where 50 points are up for grabs every weekend. The French rider has continued working to get his injured shoulder fit and from a physical point of view he will be in significantly better conditions for the races, although not yet 100%.

   Sylvain Guintoli: "One of us is gone in Moscow, raising many thoughts and feelings. Racing bikes is our job but also our passion and has a big part in our hearts and lives. Silverstone is going to be an emotional race, all our thoughts to his family. R.I.P Andrea Antonelli".

   For Eugene Laverty top priority is rubbing out the difficult Russian weekend, where he crashed on the damp track just a few metres before making a pit stop to put on his wet tyre. There was no point looking for a culprit for this crash, given the critical grip conditions at Moscow Raceway. In any case, the lad from Toomebridge is in good spirits, especially since he is taking on a track where he knows he can do well and aim for top points.

   Eugene Laverty: "I really enjoy Silverstone, it's a long lap and the fast flowing nature of the circuit makes it one of my favourites. Weather played havoc with the previous round in Moscow and so it would be nice if we could have two dry races on Sunday".

4. Haslam and Rea back to SBK action at Silverstone

   Posted on 10:07am Tuesday 30th Jul 2013

   Pata Honda riders Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea will return to World Superbike action this weekend (2-4 August) for the ninth round event at Silverstone in the UK, just a few days after contesting the prestigious Suzuka 8-hours race in Japan.

   The Suzuka race was won by Haslam, who teamed up with Pata Honda World Supersport team-mate, Michael van der Mark, and Japanese rider Takumi Takahashi. Rea had looked to be well-placed to repeat last year’s victory before his own team-mate, Ryuichi Kiyonari, crashed out of contention.

   Both riders will arrive at Silverstone following an event with Honda colleagues at the company's European HQ on Wednesday 31 July and both are keen to get back to their regular Honda CBR1000RR machines on the fast and flowing 5.902km circuit in central England, home to the British Formula 1 Grand Prix.

   Haslam, 30, has not won at Silverstone but visited the podium in 2010 and was leading last year’s race on slick tyres when rain began to fall, turning the circuit into an ice rink and the race into a lottery.

   Rea took two second-place finishes in that 2010 event and the 26-year-old missed the following year’s races through injury. He took fourth place in race one last season but was bizarrely taken out by another rider’s machine immediately after crossing the finishing line.

   Leon Haslam

   Suzuka was an amazing experience and I struggled a bit during my first stint, probably trying too hard to be precise and have a good pace. Also, the compensating I had to do for my leg ended up giving me some really bad back problems, but it was all worth it in the end. Now it’s all change for Silverstone this weekend, but I’m really looking forward to it. I love the circuit and was on the podium in 2010 and led the race last year when we all got caught out on slicks when the rain came. I missed the races at Donington earlier this year because of my leg injury, so this will be the only chance to ride in front of the British fans this season, so it’s something I’m really looking forward to.

   Jonathan Rea

   I was devastated to finish the 8-hour race the way we did, but these things happen and I was happy for my Pata Honda team-mates and for Honda. I’m feeling really good though and looking forward to getting back on my bike this weekend. I've had mixed results at Silverstone in the past and I've had some great races there; I particularly remember a couple of second places in 2010, which I really enjoyed. We struggled a bit last year, but it's a nice circuit to ride. The modifications made to the track in recent years have made it better but I'll attack it the same way I attack every other circuit. Of course, being a second British round, it'll be good to see a lot of friendly faces there, even if they can be quite far away in some places.

5. British Moto GP sponsored by Hertz

   Posted on 9:18am Friday 26th Jul 2013

   The home of motor sport once again opens its doors this summer as Silverstone welcomes the Hertz MotoGP to its iconic track.

   There are reasons this event attracts so much attention across the world and it isn’t just the prestige of the circuit. By September the World Championship will be near its crescendo and three drivers still have a major chance of winning biking’s ultimate crown.

   Current leaders Dani Pedrosa and Jorge Lorenzo are set to battle for glory on this iconic motorsport circuit and if the Hertz British MotoGP is anything like last year we’re set for some thrilling action. Lorenzo dominated last season, finishing first before using the Silverstone victory to springboard himself to the World Championship. His main rival this term however, was hot on his tail as Pedrosa landed third and will push the Yamaha rider to the limit this summer.

   British hopes lie in Cal Crutchlow, Bradley Smith and Michael Laverty – all three of whom have raced well at Silverstone before. Crutchlow will hope to avenge his nightmare in 2012 when he broke his ankle before qualifying. Nevertheless, he finished sixth after a blistering run but we were left thinking “what if the crash hadn’t happened?” The Silverstone circuit is a tough one to master but there are numerous overtaking zones, which is what makes this race so gripping for spectators across the stands.

   For those looking to attend but don’t want to leave their car in the parking zones Hertz are on hand to provide car and van hire on hertz.co.uk for the British MotoGP. Getting to and from Silverstone couldn’t be easier and whether you’ve a full weekend ticket or a day pass there is ample parking spaces plus ‘park & ride’ facilities to help you get into the thick of the action. After all, the MotoGP experience is all about the race and no one wants any distractions, which is why Hertz has teamed up with the British Grand Prix for another year as the title sponsor.