Category: Superbikes

1. Melandri with Aprilia in MotoGP

   Posted on 10:07am Tuesday 11th Nov 2014

   MARCO MELANDRI TO RACE WITH APRILIA IN MOTOGP

   THE RIDER FROM RAVENNA WILL RACE UNDER THE ITALIAN TEAM'S COLOURS IN 2015

   ROMANO ALBESIANO: "AN ITALIAN DUO TO TAKE ON APRILIA'S NEW CHALLENGE"

   MARCO MELANDRI: "A VERY AMBITIOUS GOAL, BUT WE'RE READY"

   Valencia, 10 November 2014 - The lineup is complete for the team that will take Aprilia into its rookie year in the 2015 MotoGP World Championship. After the announcement about Alvaro Bautista, today Marco Melandri has officially been signed, fresh from the conclusion of the 2014 Superbike season, also with Aprilia Racing, where he took 6 wins and another 5 podiums that contributed significantly to the WSBK Manufacturer Title that the Italian Brand won.

   With these two new world titles earned in the recently ended WSBK season under its belt - Rider and Manufacturer - Aprilia now enters MotoGP a year ahead of the earlier announced schedule. As announced at the beginning of September, Aprilia Racing has signed an agreement with Gresini Racing, based on which Gresini Racing will mange the Aprilia bikes on the track in the MotoGP class for four years beginning with the 2015 season.

    

   Born in 1982, Marco Melandri began his career at a very young age in minimoto, winning the Italian Championship in 1992 and 1994. Moving to 125 he became Italian Champion for the category in 1997, a title which allowed him to début in the "eighth litre" MotoGP class. Third in 1998 and second in 1999, Marco moved up a category to ride a powerful 250 two-stroke with Aprilia. This was the beginning of a Melandri-Aprilia match up where he finished fifth in the rider standings in 2000, third in 2001 and World Champion (with 9 wins and 2 podiums out of 16 races) in 2002.

   Rising to the premier MotoGP category, Melandri immediately confirmed his competitiveness, finishing out the year in second place. In the various MotoGP categories Melandri has won 22 races and been on the podium 62 times.

   In 2011 Marco Melandri moved over to World Superbike and was immediately a key player, so much that he was battling for the title from his rookie season, finishing the year in second place. Finishing third in the 2012 season, the rider from Ravenna was also a contender for the title in 2013, finishing out the season in fourth place. In SBK he has taken 19 wins and 31 podiums.

   In its brief history, Aprilia boasts 54 World Titles (38 in MotoGP, 7 in Superbike and 9 in off-road disciplines) which make it one of the most victorious brands on a global level in motorcycle racing. Many recent protagonists in the motorcycle racing world have raced and won with Aprilia such as Biaggi, Capirossi, Rossi, Melandri, Simoncelli, Stoner and Lorenzo.

   Romano Albesiano, Aprilia Racing Director: "With Marco Melandri the last piece of the puzzle has been put into place for Aprilia's participation in next year's MotoGP season. These have been very intense and exciting days where in just a few hours we went from the last round of Superbike at Losail to this new adventure in MotoGP. We are very pleased to announce Marco's signing because this completes our team in the best way possible on the eve of a great challenge: with Melandri we now have an all-Italian bike-rider duo. We are moving into MotoGP a year ahead of schedule on wings of enthusiasm because of the double world Superbike championships we have just won. We moved our schedule up because we want the most demanding tracks and the most competitive championship in the world to gauge the quality of our work. Aprilia's 54 world titles, the hundreds of wins on tracks all over the world give proof of technical skills and a winning attitude that deserve the limelight of the most prestigious stage."

   Marco Melandri: "I was offered the chance to develop a completely new project and it is something that I have not yet done in my career since I have always had 'inherited' bikes. Precisely for this reason I am very intrigued by this challenge. I am working with a company and a racing department which sought me out and with which I want to continue to work in order to develop and grow a great project. Aprilia Racing has always demonstrated their ability to make great bikes and make them fast. I'll put in my efforts. Our goal is quite ambitious: to grow a bike and at the same time to develop a new prototype that will race in 2016. It will be a demanding season and a lot of work but we are ready to take on these challenges."

2. Honda bids farewell to a racing friend

   Posted on 4:33pm Wednesday 5th Nov 2014

   Last Sunday's thrilling end to the 2014 World Superbike championship season in Qatar also marked the conclusion of one of the longest and most successful racing partnerships that the series has ever seen.

   After six seasons with the official Honda World Superbike team, run from the Ten Kate Racing workshops in the Netherlands – plus a year in the World Supersport championship with the same outfit – Jonathan Rea will begin the 2015 season with a new challenge.

   Year one of the partnership between Rea and the Ten Kate Honda team yielded six World Supersport podiums and three race wins. When he stepped up to World Superbikes and the Honda Fireblade in 2009, Rea began a remarkable record that has seen him take at least one race victory every year.

   With the culmination of the 2014 season, that win tally stands at 15, with a total of 41 podium finishes. Rea currently sits 12th in the all-time World Superbike championship win list, with all those victories having been achieved with one team on Honda’s CBR1000RR Fireblade.

   Indeed, Rea’s entire road racing career to date has been on Honda machinery, beginning with the Red Bull Rookies programme and, in 2003 at the age of 16, competing in the British 125cc championship.

   After an injury-blighted season in British Supersport in 2004, Rea progressed to the British Superbike championship in which he finished as runner-up to Honda team-mate Ryuichi Kiyonari in 2007, before stepping up to the World Supersport championship with the Hannspree Ten Kate Honda team.

   Rea's Honda career has also taken him to the Suzuka 8Hours race in Japan, which, in 2012, he became the first British rider to win. Later that year, Rea also stood in for the injured Casey Stoner on the Repsol Honda RC213V at the Misano and Aragon MotoGP rounds.

   At a recent World Superbike championship round, representatives from title partner Pata, Honda Motor Europe and the Ten Kate Racing organisation took an opportunity to acknowledge Rea’s contribution with a specially-designed montage representing his Honda career. It seemed a fitting way to thank the 27-year-old for his services to Honda and to the team, and to wish him and his family the best for the future.    

3. APRILIA WSBK - Quote from Sylvain Guintoli

   Posted on 10:06am Tuesday 4th Nov 2014

   Sylvain Guintoli: "The feelings right now are truly incredible. Today was a great day, two fantastic races where I felt stronger than I have ever felt in my life. I was able to be fast without any trouble and lap times were just coming easily to me. Coming to Aprilia last year was a great opportunity for me and before my shoulder injury I was in the battle for the championship so it was a shame to lose so much ground because of my physical conditions.

   This year my fitness was perfect so I was able to be consistent and demonstrate our potential. I really began to believe after Magny-Cours, in fact I was certain: we were fast, I felt good and my team gave me great support. Today I showed that I am the fastest on the track. Winning the Title by 6 points is symbolic but it is extremely important for me after all the recent controversy.

   I want to thank a lot of people, starting with my family who gave me stability and had faith in me, as well as supporting me in these months of high pressure. I am grateful to Aprilia. They provided me with the best bike I have ever ridden and a team that has become like a second family to me".

    

4. Rea ends 2014 World Superbike season in style with Qatar podium‏

   Posted on 4:38pm Monday 3rd Nov 2014

   Pata Honda rider Jonathan Rea finished as runner-up in this evening’s final World Superbike race of the season at Losail in Qatar, securing third place in the championship, as French rider Sylvain Guintoli took the title with a double race victory.

   Rea had finished in fourth place in the first 17-lap outing under floodlights at the 5.380km Losail International Circuit after a blistering start on his Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP from seventh place on the grid.

   In race two, Rea got another great launch off the grid and led the race in the early stages before dropping back to third. However, knowing that he had to fight for every available point, Rea got back past outgoing champion Tom Sykes to finish three seconds behind Guintoli and take third place in the series by a single point from Marco Melandri.

   Rea’s Pata Honda team-mate Leon Haslam finished race one in 11th place after struggling with front end grip throughout the 17 laps, but the British ace had to fight even harder for tenth place in race two.

   After a good start from sixth place on the grid, the 31-year-old was forced off the track at the first corner by Frenchman Loris Baz and had to recover from last position. His hard-fought finish leaves Haslam seventh overall in the final points standings.

    

5. Regent Street roars to the sound of World GP Bike Legends

   Posted on 9:48am Sunday 2nd Nov 2014

   Bike racing heroes Freddie Spencer, Wayne Gardner, Christian Sarron and Didier de Radiguès present all-new event to hundreds of thousands at the Regent Street Motor Show

    

   The exciting new World GP Bike Legends event fired into life at the Regent Street Motor Show today (1 November) as a host of racing heroes and former world champions captivated the crowds with incredible live demonstrations.    

   To launch the all-new racing extravaganza, Freddie Spencer, Wayne Gardner, Christian Sarron and Didier de Radiguès all donned their racing leathers and climbed aboard some of the most iconic racing motorcycles ever to blast down a 40-metre section of London’s famous Regent Street, giving the public just a small taste of what’s in store at World GP Bike Legends 2015.    

   The main event will take place at the beautiful Jerez Circuit in Spain on 19-21 June 2015 and will feature flat-out racing in three classes – 125cc, 250cc and 500cc – with bikes dating from 1980 to 2000.    

   Dubbed ‘The Race of Legends’, the event will feature what’s likely to be the biggest reunion of motorcycling heroes from the period, with many rider announcements expected over the coming months to join the four star names already confirmed. What’s more, following event organiser Goose Communications’ policy of creating access-all-areas extravaganzas like the Silverstone Classic, fans will get an unprecedented opportunity to meet with some of the biggest names in bike racing history and see the iconic racing machines both racing flat-out on track and up-close in the pits.

    Tickets for World GP Bike Legends went on sale today, and earlybird prices start at an incredible £55 for a full weekend pass which includes access to the paddock, grandstand seating and an official event programme. Tickets can only be purchased through at www.worldgpbikelegends.com    

   The launch took centre stage at the world-renowned Regent Street Motor show – an event that attracts hundreds of thousands of motoring enthusiasts to the heart of London. Among the incredible displays of cars past and present, the raucous and unmistakable sound of 500cc grand prix bikes rattled windows and stole the show, as Gardner, Spencer, Sarron and de Radiguès rekindled their racing fires with several jaw-dropping sprints throughout the day.   “What an incredible way to launch World GP Bike Legends!” exclaimed Nick Wigley, CEO of event organiser Goose Communications. “Seeing the look on people’s faces as those amazing bikes roared down the middle of Regent Street summed up why this event is going to be so brilliant – we’re bringing to life a truly golden era of racing that so many of the fans look back on as the most exciting and competitive period ever. With a setting as spectacular Jerez, it really will be an unmissable weekend for any fan of grand prix motorcycle racing.”   Speaking at the launch, triple world champion Freddie Spencer said: “It’s an incredible honour to be riding some of my old bikes here on Regent Street in the middle of London – it’s all a bit surreal, to be honest. For the fans to see, hear and smell these 500cc bikes firing up and accelerating right here on Regent Street is pretty cool. It was a great preview to what is going to be a fabulous event in Spain next year”

   Wayne Gardner added: "It's the first time I've attended Regent Street Motor Show and it's a surprisingly big event and looks successful event. The launch of the World GP Bike Legends has gone off extremely well attracting a huge crowd, particularly when the two-stroke bikes start and the smell and noise fills the air. The idea has been very well recieved today and everyone's really looking forward to Jerez in 2015. It's very exciting"