JORDI TORRES IS GROWING QUICKLY, CLOSE TO THE PODIUM IN BOTH RACES

Buriram (Thailand), 22 March 2015 – Two races that followed almost exactly the same script marked the début of the Thai Buriram circuit on the 2015 WSBK calendar.

Determined and generous, Leon Haslam rode his RSV4 to the second step of the podium twice in two races pushed to the limit wire to wire, strengthening his position in the overall standings.

In Race 1 Leon Haslam got off the line well from the second spot on the grid in the lead pack made up of Rea, Sykes, Lowes and Davies. Overtaking quickly, Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils came up to second place to begin hunting down Rea. With an extremely fast central portion of the race, the Brit seemed to be worrying the lead rider, but in the end he had to "settle" for an excellent second place finish.

Race 2 also featured a duel between Rea and Haslam, who both demonstrated a decidedly better pace than their rivals throughout the weekend. Leon and his team made some changed to the RSV4 between the two races, managing to squeeze a bit more speed from it. The opposition from his adversaries, which is always fierce in Superbike, kept Haslam from staying in contact with the lead rider.

The double second place, on a brand new track, is an important result that confirms Haslam's role as a pretender for the title as SBK prepares to return to Europe for the next round.

Leon Haslam: “The team did a great job. Between the two races we took a big step forward. Rea was simply too fast today. We decided to use a harder front tyre and maybe with the softer one we could have been faster in the first part of the race, but it didn't gives us the guarantees we needed in terms of distance. In any case I'm pleased with the weekend, especially because compared to Friday we have really improved and I can't wait to get to Aragon. Being on the podium for the first two rounds of the season is definitely a great starting point.”

In Thailand rookie Jordi Torres once again showed great maturity and confirmed the quality of the Aprilia Racing Team - Red Devils decisions. Improving constantly, the Spaniard took full advantage of the start he earned yesterday in Superpole on the second row of the grid, without taking any risks in the first laps, but staying within reach of the podium. The characteristics of this circuit did not help him in his efforts: Jordi is still familiarising himself with his powerful Aprilia RSV4's braking system and he was competing on the track with some of the best “brakers” in the Superbike Championship. Thanks to his excellent progress in the final phases, in both races he finished just short of the podium. So he'll be going to his home race in Aragon with high ambitions.

Jordi Torres: “I am really happy about the work we did this weekend because, despite missing a session, we were able to come back well. The FP2 session is important for me because in the first session I learn the new track, whereas I need the second session to set up the base from which to work. Then on Saturday I have to focus on being fast for the qualifiers and Superpole. When I found myself behind Sykes I thought back to Phillip Island, where I crashed whilst trying to overtake him, and I decided to stay calm and study him in Race 1 without taking any risks. That was useful for me in Race 2. In the end I finished in the same position, but I'm learning lap after lap. Like I always say, the Aprilia RSV4 was made to win, and only when I reach that goal will I be able to be 100% satisfied.”

ONLY 11 THOUSANDTHS OF A SECOND KEPT THE BRIT FROM HIS FIRST SUPERPOLE ON THE APRILIA RSV4

A NICE FIFTH BEST TIME AND THE SECOND ROW FOR JORDI TORRES IN HIS FIRST EXPERIENCE ON A QUALIFIER TYRE.

Buriram (Thailand), 21 March 2015 – First and second row on the starting grid for Aprilia, reigning world champion, on the Thai Buriram circuit.

It was a spectacular and heated Superpole right down to the end. Taking it with an advantage of just 11 thousandths of a second was Rea, followed by Aprilia standard bearer Leon Haslam, who put in two flying laps on a qualifier tyre.

For Leon Haslam (leading the standings after victory in Australia) this is the second start from the front row in two races since making his début with the Aprilia RSV4. Leon was among the front runners from the beginning even in the practice sessions, giving the fans a show and taking full advantage of his RSV4. After putting the best time on the sheets with his first attempt on a qualifier Leon kept on, further improving his performance. Just a small mistake in the final phases kept him from winning his first Superpole with Aprilia, in any case taking a promising second position on the grid for the two races tomorrow.

The excellent work done in the garage during the practice sessions allowed Leon to line up on the grid with comforting results in terms of race pace, on a track where the high temperatures make proper tyre management vital.

Leon Haslam: “I'm pleased with this Superpole. The first row was our goal. In the first lap with a qualifier I may have been a bit overly cautious, whereas in the second one I made a small mistake. In any case, in terms of race pace we are doing well. The guys at Aprilia have done a great job and the RSV4 adapted quickly to the new track. Tomorrow the track condition will be different and I expect that there will be several riders capable of making a play for the win.”

For Jordi Torres, a rookie in World Superbike this year, this was his first experience with a Pirelli Superpole tyre since in Australia the last session had been suspended. In any case, the Spaniard handled this new situation well, finishing with the fifth best time which earns him a spot on the second row of the starting grid for tomorrow.

Jordi Torres: “I would have needed a few more laps during this weekend, but unfortunately the rain this morning made us miss a session. In FP4 we managed to do a great job, getting back up front, but first and foremost increasing my feeling with the RSV4. In Superpole for the first time I used a qualifier and the second row is not too bad at all, but when you ride an Aprilia it's never enough! Tomorrow we'll have to use the warmup wisely to improve further, especially in the braking sections where I still haven't found the right solution to brake hard and keep the bike stable.”

Where we have a great competition to win tickets to The Farmyard Party and Stormin' the Castle, a BIKERS WELCOME banner for your event and a holiday @ the very Biker Friendly Portland House, Keswick in the heart of the Lake District National Park. 

South African Superbike Racer and former British Championship podium finisher Allann Jon Venter, has today confirmed he will once again be riding for Topgun Racing at this year's Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.

He will once again be competing in the RST Superbike, Monster Energy Supersport and RL360 Superstock classes onboard the same two Hondas that he raced at the 2014 meeting. He came home with four Bronze Replicas and two finisher's medals from the six races that he competed in, finishing with a best placed 19th in the Lightweight TT Race and also finished a credible 36th in the PokerStars Senior TT Race. He recorded a fastest lap of 119.6mph, his personal best around the Mountain Course.

AJ commented: "As it's my 3rd year back at the famous mountain course, I am really happy to remain Topgun mounted for a secod year. I was over the moon with last year's achievement as they were my best to date. When Wurz rang me up and offered me the ride again this year, there was no hesitation in saying yes. Being my 3rd year at the course I am aiming to keep chipping away at the times and move into the 120mph bracket."

Wurz Cox (Team Owner) said: "AJ impressed us all last year with his pure passion and dogged determination to succeed at the TT, this along with the fact we all bonded so well last year made it a very easy decision to invite him back for 2015"

You will be able to follow AJ and the team's progress throughout the build up to 2015 TT at www.topgunracing.co.uk

Or follow them on facebook and twitter. 

For the third year in a row, the Supersport 600cc class at the 2015 Isle of Man TT Races, fuelled by Monster Energy, received more entries than any of the categories and with almost 110 received, not only was it oversubscribed but it also gave the organisers the biggest of headaches before they were able to confirm the grid that will assemble on Glencrutchery Road later this year.

As in previous years, the top 20 seeded riders shows a number of changes from the 1000cc grid but, having won four out of the last five races, as well as setting a lap record of almost 129mph, Michael Dunlop will, arguably, be the man to beat again. The Ballymoney rider will once again line up at number 3 but this time for his own MD Racing team with his choice of machinery yet to be confirmed.

Honda or Yamaha are most likely for the Irishman and there are a number of riders on similarly mounted who could provide a challenge, particularly the Valvoline Racing by Padgetts Honda duo of Bruce Anstey and Cameron Donald. The Antipodean pairing, who were split by just 0.77s in the opening Supersport race of 2012, will again be pushing hard and looking to post more 127mph+ starting laps from their respective start numbers of 5 and 11, Australian ace Donald returning to the class after a year's absence.

The Jackson Racing duo of John McGuinness, number 1, and Conor Cummins, from number 4, will also be Honda-mounted as will Keith Amor (12), the Scot already a four-time podium finisher in the class, and the third Valvoline rider, Dan Kneen. The Manxman's best TT result came in the class in 2010 when he finished fifth and he has a great chance of bettering that this time around.

Yamaha, and specifically, the Mar-Train Racing team, have a fantastic opportunity of getting on to the top step of the podium with the formidable looking partnership of Dean Harrison and Gary Johnson. Harrison took a brace of fourth's last year and is deservedly promoted up the order to number two while Johnson, a late addition to the team, took a superb victory in the opening 600cc encounter twelve months ago.

William Dunlop, another regular podium finisher in the class, remains at number 6 but switches to the CD Racing Yamaha machine and is yet another potential race winner as is his Tyco Racing Superbike team-mate Guy Martin. The Lincolnshire rider has replaced Johnson at the British Championship winning Smiths Racing Triumph team and his best chance of victory at the 2015 TT could well come in the two Supersport races.

Another Smiths Racing Triumph rider David Johnson will again go off at number 16 while Lee Johnston is another rider to switch to the British manufacturer. The East Coast Construction rider retains the number 13 plate. Two more manufacturers are represented in the top ten start order with Ian Hutchinson (9) set to ride the Tsingtao Racing MV Agusta, an intriguing ride for the eight time winner, and James Hillier (10) on the Quattro Plant Kawasaki.

Michael Rutter drops down to number 14 with Dan Stewart starting at 18 again. The three remaining seeds are all riders who enjoyed excellent results in the class last year, none more so than Ivan Lintin who is promoted up the order to 17 on the RC Express Racing Kawasaki. Russ Mountford (Silicone Engineering) and Jamie Hamilton (BE Racing) complete the seeded riders at numbers 19 and 20 respectively.

There's plenty of quality outside the top 20 as well with Peter Hickman (21), James Cowton (22), Dan Cooper (23), Sam Wilson (25), Steve Mercer (26) and Robert Wilson (27) just some of the riders more than capable of at least a top 15,.

Other riders to look out for include Czech Republic rider Michal Dokoupil (28), Jamie Coward (30), Ryan Kneen (34), Connor Behan (35) and a whole host of rapid Manx Grand Prix riders who move up to the TT, none more so than last year's Junior and Senior race winners Andy Lawson (49) and Andrew Soar (57). The race also sees three newcomers in the shape of Danish rider Robbin Harms, Ireland's Derek McGee and Gareth Keys with McGee especially, on the Wilson Craig Racing Honda, a definite one to watch.

Some 97 entries have been accepted for the two four-lap races, which will again be incredibly close and hard fought, but with just 78 places up for grabs on the grid, a starting position will definitely have to be earned.