I think we both know bud if the electrics stop on most of the later model bikes . .. . you are pushing it home
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I think we both know bud if the electrics stop on most of the later model bikes . .. . you are pushing it home
aussie Jack took a bit of a tumble this weekend
pedrosa had a it a bit easier
pedrosa had a it a bit easier
MotoGP »
MotoGP Austria: Iannone: This is a magic moment
14 August 2016
'It's a very beautiful moment, it's a magical moment for me, but also for Ducati to come back with a victory after six years' - Andrea Iannone.
MotoGP Austria: Iannone: This is a magic moment
Andrea Iannone hailed his maiden premier-class victory in Austria as a 'magic moment' after the Italian won Ducati's first MotoGP race since Casey Stoner at Phillip Island in 2010.
Iannone - much criticised for numerous incidents this season, which cost him his Ducati ride - held off team-mate Andrea Dovizioso to claim victory at the Red Bull Ring and afterwards said it was a special feeling to follow in Stoner's footsteps, who was present to witness the achievement in Austria.
“It's a very beautiful moment, it's a magical moment for me, but also for Ducati to come back with a victory after six years, and especially after Casey Stoner because he is a very strong rider,” said Iannone.
“Always he is very fast, so I think for me and for us, it is a very special moment. It's very difficult to explain the feeling, but it was an incredible race. Andrea was riding very fast and had a very strong braking point, also Jorge [Lorenzo] from the beginning of the race pushed very fast to try to stay in front of me.
“I wanted to make the best race and not push a lot because I started with the soft tyre. For me it was very important to manage the tyres and not use at 100 per-cent, not spin a lot and not slide, and I thin this strategy is fantastic,” he added.
“Also I managed the fuel and used less fuel for half race. After I made changes with the map and pushed a little bit more. I think the strategy with the team from the box was perfect and I'm very happy because it's a very special moment for me.”
Iannone made a last-minute decision to switch to the medium rear tyre in contrast to his key rivals, who used the harder option. It was a gamble that paid off and Iannone said the strategy worked to perfection.
“When you have a very good chance to fight at the top and everybody starts with the hard one and you start with the soft... I'm not sure [why I chose the soft]! Yesterday I rode with the hard and the soft one and I feel the soft one is better for the drop in grip. I think it was a very good decision but not so easy, but I believe in myself,” said the 27-year-old, who says his debut victory has boosted his confidence.
“I think the first victory for me in the MotoGP class is very important because in the past I won many races in Moto2, but in the MotoGP class it is another story because you fight with the best riders ever, with Vale, Jorge Dovi – with many world champion riders and this is very incredible for me,” said Iannone.
“For sure it helps me to believe a little more in my potential and I want to continue in this way, improve year by year and race by race.”
Looking ahead to the next race in the Czech Republic, Iannone feels Brno is another circuit that will play to the strengths of the Desmosedici and is confident he can challenge for the rostrum again.
“I think Brno is also a very positive track for us because last year we had a very good potential. I had a small technical problem but without this, I think we have a very strong possibility to fight for the podium,” he said.
“Also, I think after this race and after this week and also after Sachsenring – where we didn't have the pace to fight for the victory but we finished on the podium – I think me and Andrea have a very good chance.”
Iannone will end a four-year career at Ducati and join Suzuki for 2017. Dovizioso was chosen to remain alongside new signing Lorenzo, who completed Sunday's podium with third place for Yamaha (+3.389s).
MotoGP Austria: Iannone: This is a magic moment
14 August 2016
'It's a very beautiful moment, it's a magical moment for me, but also for Ducati to come back with a victory after six years' - Andrea Iannone.
MotoGP Austria: Iannone: This is a magic moment
Andrea Iannone hailed his maiden premier-class victory in Austria as a 'magic moment' after the Italian won Ducati's first MotoGP race since Casey Stoner at Phillip Island in 2010.
Iannone - much criticised for numerous incidents this season, which cost him his Ducati ride - held off team-mate Andrea Dovizioso to claim victory at the Red Bull Ring and afterwards said it was a special feeling to follow in Stoner's footsteps, who was present to witness the achievement in Austria.
“It's a very beautiful moment, it's a magical moment for me, but also for Ducati to come back with a victory after six years, and especially after Casey Stoner because he is a very strong rider,” said Iannone.
“Always he is very fast, so I think for me and for us, it is a very special moment. It's very difficult to explain the feeling, but it was an incredible race. Andrea was riding very fast and had a very strong braking point, also Jorge [Lorenzo] from the beginning of the race pushed very fast to try to stay in front of me.
“I wanted to make the best race and not push a lot because I started with the soft tyre. For me it was very important to manage the tyres and not use at 100 per-cent, not spin a lot and not slide, and I thin this strategy is fantastic,” he added.
“Also I managed the fuel and used less fuel for half race. After I made changes with the map and pushed a little bit more. I think the strategy with the team from the box was perfect and I'm very happy because it's a very special moment for me.”
Iannone made a last-minute decision to switch to the medium rear tyre in contrast to his key rivals, who used the harder option. It was a gamble that paid off and Iannone said the strategy worked to perfection.
“When you have a very good chance to fight at the top and everybody starts with the hard one and you start with the soft... I'm not sure [why I chose the soft]! Yesterday I rode with the hard and the soft one and I feel the soft one is better for the drop in grip. I think it was a very good decision but not so easy, but I believe in myself,” said the 27-year-old, who says his debut victory has boosted his confidence.
“I think the first victory for me in the MotoGP class is very important because in the past I won many races in Moto2, but in the MotoGP class it is another story because you fight with the best riders ever, with Vale, Jorge Dovi – with many world champion riders and this is very incredible for me,” said Iannone.
“For sure it helps me to believe a little more in my potential and I want to continue in this way, improve year by year and race by race.”
Looking ahead to the next race in the Czech Republic, Iannone feels Brno is another circuit that will play to the strengths of the Desmosedici and is confident he can challenge for the rostrum again.
“I think Brno is also a very positive track for us because last year we had a very good potential. I had a small technical problem but without this, I think we have a very strong possibility to fight for the podium,” he said.
“Also, I think after this race and after this week and also after Sachsenring – where we didn't have the pace to fight for the victory but we finished on the podium – I think me and Andrea have a very good chance.”
Iannone will end a four-year career at Ducati and join Suzuki for 2017. Dovizioso was chosen to remain alongside new signing Lorenzo, who completed Sunday's podium with third place for Yamaha (+3.389s).
Graziani
SPANKEE MC SPANK RASKOLUCCI
Thomas Pages
34x34: RIP Ciccio
by kevin schwantz
Monday, October 24, 2011
I enjoyed a close relationship with Marco Simoncelli and am really going to miss him.
image thanks, 34
The first time I met Marco Simoncelli, it was with Valentino, and I think it was in '03 or '04. He was just getting started in Grand Prix and came to dinner with us after the Grand Prix in Barcelona. I was like, "Who is this kid? He's too big! He's never going to turn out to be anything." But Valentino's said, "No, he's really fast, really good." And of course Valentino was right.
Marco Simoncelli wasn't just a fast racer with a huge amount of talent and potential, he was also just a great kid. He just always had a smile on his face. He was happy to be racing. A lot of us—and I mean us, because it did get that way for me—it got to where racing was such a big job, it almost wasn't fun any more. You couldn't offset all the demands and the workload, for the hour of pleasure of trying to kick everybody's ass on Sunday. And Simoncelli, right to the very end, seemed to have the best grasp of anybody out there, on it.
There were three standouts in the sport, and now there are two. I'm probably going to get under some people's skin saying this, but it's Maverick Vinales, Marc Marquez, and it was Simoncelli. These are guys who were good figures for the sport. They always look to be having fun. There's always going to be the Pedrosas. There's always going to be the Stoners. But once Valentino is gone, all the character in the sport is gone.
Marco's dad, Paolo, enjoys some dessert with us. This was taken in Sic's favorite restaurant, one near his house.
image thanks, 34
Even as popular as Sic was, as many mistakes as he made this year, as many bikes as he crashed - he always had something good to say, and he always had a smile on his face. He always had time to stop and talk. "I'm learning. I'm making mistakes. I haven't been racing these bikes for ten years, I don't know what to do." And to me, he was kind of old school. A lot like myself. Not very finished when he first got on a bike, not very polished as a rider, but he was really coming to grips with what it took, and what was important. Not just the next corner, but the result at the end of the day.
When Valentino held his charity MX race, I tried to help MX-rookie Marco as best I could on the dirt. By the end of the event I could barely keep him in sight.
image thanks, 34
I went and did a charity motocross ride that Valentino held a couple of years ago. I saw Marco there. You could tell Simoncelli hadn't been on a motocross bike very much at that point. Okay, so I'm not a Supercross rider, but I've ridden motocross bikes a lot, so I was talking to him a little bit about what he was doing, and how he was doing it. "Oh, yeah, thanks, that really helped me." And by the end of the weekend of motocross riding, it was all I could do to keep him in sight. He was one of those guys that was just like a sponge. He'd soak up absolutely everything, and he'd take in whatever helped him. Whatever helped him, he'd use, and whatever didn't, he'd throw away. He was always wanting to learn. Listening, and always showing an interest. you could see it in his face: 'This might be something I need to be listening to. This might be something that can help me.' And every time I was anywhere near his house, he was calling me to come over.
Some of my favorite Italians: Rossi, Marco and Allesandro Gramigni. This is at the dinner after Rossi's MX event.
image thanks, 34
He and I probably texted even more than Spies and I do. I'd text him after a race, text him before a race. I texted him just before the Grand Prix in Australia. I said, "All you gotta do is get a good start and get with Stoner and stay with him for a couple of laps." I said, "A little bit of pressure and who knows what might happen." He texted me after the race. "Ah," he says, "Kevin, I didn't have the pace to go with Casey," he said, "but I'm very happy with the result. It was a hard fight to the finish." And I texted him back, and I said, "Yeah, that's great." He says, "You're coming to Valencia, right?" And I texted him back and said, "Yeah, of course." He said, "See you in Valencia."
We called each other the same nickname: Ciccio. I asked somebody what it means, and I think it means "Chubby" in Italian, or something like that, but he said it means "Buddy" more than anything.
He was just one of those guys who had such a great future in the sport. It's an unfortunate lifestyle that we choose, because sometimes it can be really, really brutal. It can be so unforgiving. That's what we saw yesterday. I don't know how, or what the series will do to honor him in Valencia, but I'm sure that everybody will come up with a plan that gives him suitable kudos, because he really was the future of MotoGP, for sure, for the next five or ten years.
Sic and I trying to stay warm at Valencia last year.
image thanks, 34
Every time I'd go see him, he'd say, "Hey, let's go eat dinner." One time I called him, I think we were going to go bicycle riding, and he called me. "Hey, it's raining, Kevin. Let's not go bicycle riding. But I'll come pick you up at the hotel. I want to go show you something in my BMW." He had an M3. Of course, he and Graziano (Rossi) were super good pals, because they both just loved drifting their cars. They knew all these little bitty back lanes in Italy like the back of their hands. He lived in Riccione. All those little lanes around the back, between the track at Misano and the beach. Everything he did, he had an ear-to-ear grin on his face.
Marco and I with Italian designer Aldo Drudi.
image thanks, 34
He'd say, "But see, Graziano taught me. He taught me well. You never make more than two laps," he says, "because if you do, then the police will be coming for sure." Whether it was a roundabout that we were doing donuts around, or whether it was a business center that was closed on the weekend, he goes, "You can't ever do more. Graziano says no more than two laps." Just stuff like that. He enjoyed life and it's just tragic that it was cut short. He had such a brilliant, bright future ahead of him.
I was just going back through some of the pictures on my phone. I sent him a picture ... I think it was a winter day here. I had a long-sleeved Simoncelli T-shirt on, and I texted him a picture. He texted me back within two minutes with a picture. He was in his BMW and the phone was behind the steering wheel, and he had his Kevin Schwantz shirt on.
Having some fun with one of Marco's fans.
image thanks, 34
He will be so dearly missed by everybody. His family are such nice people. His dad, his mom, his sister, his girlfriend, everybody. Anybody that I ever met with Marco, they were all as nice as they could be. I don't know when the funeral is going to be exactly, but there's not much doubt I'll be there. There won't be a dry eye in the house.
I didn't text him before the race in Malaysia. I sent his phone a text afterward, and just said, "58 Forever. Rest in peace, Ciccio."
ENDS
by kevin schwantz
Monday, October 24, 2011
I enjoyed a close relationship with Marco Simoncelli and am really going to miss him.
image thanks, 34
The first time I met Marco Simoncelli, it was with Valentino, and I think it was in '03 or '04. He was just getting started in Grand Prix and came to dinner with us after the Grand Prix in Barcelona. I was like, "Who is this kid? He's too big! He's never going to turn out to be anything." But Valentino's said, "No, he's really fast, really good." And of course Valentino was right.
Marco Simoncelli wasn't just a fast racer with a huge amount of talent and potential, he was also just a great kid. He just always had a smile on his face. He was happy to be racing. A lot of us—and I mean us, because it did get that way for me—it got to where racing was such a big job, it almost wasn't fun any more. You couldn't offset all the demands and the workload, for the hour of pleasure of trying to kick everybody's ass on Sunday. And Simoncelli, right to the very end, seemed to have the best grasp of anybody out there, on it.
There were three standouts in the sport, and now there are two. I'm probably going to get under some people's skin saying this, but it's Maverick Vinales, Marc Marquez, and it was Simoncelli. These are guys who were good figures for the sport. They always look to be having fun. There's always going to be the Pedrosas. There's always going to be the Stoners. But once Valentino is gone, all the character in the sport is gone.
Marco's dad, Paolo, enjoys some dessert with us. This was taken in Sic's favorite restaurant, one near his house.
image thanks, 34
Even as popular as Sic was, as many mistakes as he made this year, as many bikes as he crashed - he always had something good to say, and he always had a smile on his face. He always had time to stop and talk. "I'm learning. I'm making mistakes. I haven't been racing these bikes for ten years, I don't know what to do." And to me, he was kind of old school. A lot like myself. Not very finished when he first got on a bike, not very polished as a rider, but he was really coming to grips with what it took, and what was important. Not just the next corner, but the result at the end of the day.
When Valentino held his charity MX race, I tried to help MX-rookie Marco as best I could on the dirt. By the end of the event I could barely keep him in sight.
image thanks, 34
I went and did a charity motocross ride that Valentino held a couple of years ago. I saw Marco there. You could tell Simoncelli hadn't been on a motocross bike very much at that point. Okay, so I'm not a Supercross rider, but I've ridden motocross bikes a lot, so I was talking to him a little bit about what he was doing, and how he was doing it. "Oh, yeah, thanks, that really helped me." And by the end of the weekend of motocross riding, it was all I could do to keep him in sight. He was one of those guys that was just like a sponge. He'd soak up absolutely everything, and he'd take in whatever helped him. Whatever helped him, he'd use, and whatever didn't, he'd throw away. He was always wanting to learn. Listening, and always showing an interest. you could see it in his face: 'This might be something I need to be listening to. This might be something that can help me.' And every time I was anywhere near his house, he was calling me to come over.
Some of my favorite Italians: Rossi, Marco and Allesandro Gramigni. This is at the dinner after Rossi's MX event.
image thanks, 34
He and I probably texted even more than Spies and I do. I'd text him after a race, text him before a race. I texted him just before the Grand Prix in Australia. I said, "All you gotta do is get a good start and get with Stoner and stay with him for a couple of laps." I said, "A little bit of pressure and who knows what might happen." He texted me after the race. "Ah," he says, "Kevin, I didn't have the pace to go with Casey," he said, "but I'm very happy with the result. It was a hard fight to the finish." And I texted him back, and I said, "Yeah, that's great." He says, "You're coming to Valencia, right?" And I texted him back and said, "Yeah, of course." He said, "See you in Valencia."
We called each other the same nickname: Ciccio. I asked somebody what it means, and I think it means "Chubby" in Italian, or something like that, but he said it means "Buddy" more than anything.
He was just one of those guys who had such a great future in the sport. It's an unfortunate lifestyle that we choose, because sometimes it can be really, really brutal. It can be so unforgiving. That's what we saw yesterday. I don't know how, or what the series will do to honor him in Valencia, but I'm sure that everybody will come up with a plan that gives him suitable kudos, because he really was the future of MotoGP, for sure, for the next five or ten years.
Sic and I trying to stay warm at Valencia last year.
image thanks, 34
Every time I'd go see him, he'd say, "Hey, let's go eat dinner." One time I called him, I think we were going to go bicycle riding, and he called me. "Hey, it's raining, Kevin. Let's not go bicycle riding. But I'll come pick you up at the hotel. I want to go show you something in my BMW." He had an M3. Of course, he and Graziano (Rossi) were super good pals, because they both just loved drifting their cars. They knew all these little bitty back lanes in Italy like the back of their hands. He lived in Riccione. All those little lanes around the back, between the track at Misano and the beach. Everything he did, he had an ear-to-ear grin on his face.
Marco and I with Italian designer Aldo Drudi.
image thanks, 34
He'd say, "But see, Graziano taught me. He taught me well. You never make more than two laps," he says, "because if you do, then the police will be coming for sure." Whether it was a roundabout that we were doing donuts around, or whether it was a business center that was closed on the weekend, he goes, "You can't ever do more. Graziano says no more than two laps." Just stuff like that. He enjoyed life and it's just tragic that it was cut short. He had such a brilliant, bright future ahead of him.
I was just going back through some of the pictures on my phone. I sent him a picture ... I think it was a winter day here. I had a long-sleeved Simoncelli T-shirt on, and I texted him a picture. He texted me back within two minutes with a picture. He was in his BMW and the phone was behind the steering wheel, and he had his Kevin Schwantz shirt on.
Having some fun with one of Marco's fans.
image thanks, 34
He will be so dearly missed by everybody. His family are such nice people. His dad, his mom, his sister, his girlfriend, everybody. Anybody that I ever met with Marco, they were all as nice as they could be. I don't know when the funeral is going to be exactly, but there's not much doubt I'll be there. There won't be a dry eye in the house.
I didn't text him before the race in Malaysia. I sent his phone a text afterward, and just said, "58 Forever. Rest in peace, Ciccio."
ENDS
Top MotoGP Stories of 2011 # 1: Ciao, Sic
by staff
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Marco Simoncelli, 1987-2011.
image thanks, bridgestone
MotoGP lost a piece of its soul and vital cog of its future with the death of Marco Simoncelli on Oct. 23 in a Lap 2 accident during the Grand Prix of Malaysia.
Super Sic was more than a talented World Champion motorcycle racer. He was a captivating mix of purity, innocence and imperfection that took many different forms on and off track.
Fans couldn't get enough of Simoncelli's huge afro, his goofy smile, his playful demeanor. Super Sic always took time to greet and sign autographs with fans around the world, and they loved him in return.
On the track, Sic was a throwback. He raced hard, on the edge of mechanical and ethical control, seemingly tossing caution into a gale-force gust without apology. His aggressive style—all overhanging arms and legs due to his large frame for a Grand Prix rider—wrinkled the egos of the world's top riders on and off the track, most notably Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa in 2011. After his collision with Pedrosa at Le Mans, it seemed more than half the paddock had emblazoned the Scarlet Letter on Sic.
But Sic was unapologetic about rubbing leather with World Champions and about tossing away podium finishes or even race victories earlier this season due to overzealous riding. He simply laughed or smiled away criticism without a shred of arrogance, saying often through his charming broken English that his style was fair and that he knew no other way to ride than all-out, all the time.
Super Sic was a lightning rod in the paddock, but he had caught lightning in a bottle with people in the stands and in front of TV screens. The fans' love affair with Simoncelli blossomed even further. By mid-summer, Simoncelli was arguably the most compelling and popular figure in MotoGP not named Valentino Rossi.
Simoncelli never changed his public persona this season despite criticism from fellow riders over his NASCAR-like tactics on two wheels. But a transformation was taking place on the bike as the summer trudged on.
Simoncelli was waiting an extra corner or two to make a pass. He was keeping his front wheel tucked behind a leading rival's rear wheel instead of overlapping in corners where he had no business passing. He was less elbows and knees, learning the subtleties of technical sympathy with his Gresini Honda RC212V.
The payoff started to arrive in August. Simoncelli earned his first premier class podium with a third-place finish at Brno. After a troubled weekend at Indianapolis, Super Sic produced consecutive fourth-place finishes at Misano, Aragon and Motegi.
Then he produced a career-best runner-up finish Oct. 16 at Phillip Island in a ride that mixed the "new" and "old" Marco to superb effect. Simoncelli was producing a smooth, composed ride to second when a shower arrived with three laps to go. Honda factory rider Andrea Dovizioso cut a 3.5-second gap and passed Super Sic for second, but Simoncelli made a brave, bold move to pass Dovizioso for second on the final lap.
One could almost sense a sanding of the rough edges of Simoncelli after that race. Praise replaced hostility toward his style within the paddock. Super Sic was on the threshold of stardom, with a confidence and understanding that could grant him membership in the most exclusive of MotoGP clubs—The Aliens.
And just seven days later, he was gone. One of the kindest souls in a tough business was taken in an instant of violent cruelty, a paradox almost impossible to grasp.
The sports world wept, knowing one of its free spirits and pure talents was lost. The MotoGP world convulsed, realizing once again the sheer brutality of a sport that can captivate and repulse in equal measure.
Simoncelli's death left more than an empty stall in the Gresini garage and aching hearts worldwide. He was the heir apparent to his close friend Rossi as the global face of the sport.
Super Sic and The Doctor shared a bond much more potent than their shared Italian roots. Sic had the afro; Rossi had the pageboy haircut during his formative years. Both had those happy, endearing smiles and talked to media and fans with fractured English. And both were World Champions, with Simoncelli surely a threat to add a MotoGP title to his 250cc crown won in 2008.
Sadly, every walk of life loses those it loves too quickly. But Marco Simoncelli was too big of a character - too much in love with life and the spirit-affirming thrill of racing a motorcycle—for MotoGP to ever forget him in death.
It's only fitting that the poignant tribute lap in Simoncelli's memory at the season finale at Valencia ended not with a moment of silence but a moment of joyful noise and fireworks. That delightful cacophony perfectly encapsulated the career and life of Marco Simoncelli.
Ciao, Sic.
ENDS
by staff
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
Marco Simoncelli, 1987-2011.
image thanks, bridgestone
MotoGP lost a piece of its soul and vital cog of its future with the death of Marco Simoncelli on Oct. 23 in a Lap 2 accident during the Grand Prix of Malaysia.
Super Sic was more than a talented World Champion motorcycle racer. He was a captivating mix of purity, innocence and imperfection that took many different forms on and off track.
Fans couldn't get enough of Simoncelli's huge afro, his goofy smile, his playful demeanor. Super Sic always took time to greet and sign autographs with fans around the world, and they loved him in return.
On the track, Sic was a throwback. He raced hard, on the edge of mechanical and ethical control, seemingly tossing caution into a gale-force gust without apology. His aggressive style—all overhanging arms and legs due to his large frame for a Grand Prix rider—wrinkled the egos of the world's top riders on and off the track, most notably Jorge Lorenzo and Dani Pedrosa in 2011. After his collision with Pedrosa at Le Mans, it seemed more than half the paddock had emblazoned the Scarlet Letter on Sic.
But Sic was unapologetic about rubbing leather with World Champions and about tossing away podium finishes or even race victories earlier this season due to overzealous riding. He simply laughed or smiled away criticism without a shred of arrogance, saying often through his charming broken English that his style was fair and that he knew no other way to ride than all-out, all the time.
Super Sic was a lightning rod in the paddock, but he had caught lightning in a bottle with people in the stands and in front of TV screens. The fans' love affair with Simoncelli blossomed even further. By mid-summer, Simoncelli was arguably the most compelling and popular figure in MotoGP not named Valentino Rossi.
Simoncelli never changed his public persona this season despite criticism from fellow riders over his NASCAR-like tactics on two wheels. But a transformation was taking place on the bike as the summer trudged on.
Simoncelli was waiting an extra corner or two to make a pass. He was keeping his front wheel tucked behind a leading rival's rear wheel instead of overlapping in corners where he had no business passing. He was less elbows and knees, learning the subtleties of technical sympathy with his Gresini Honda RC212V.
The payoff started to arrive in August. Simoncelli earned his first premier class podium with a third-place finish at Brno. After a troubled weekend at Indianapolis, Super Sic produced consecutive fourth-place finishes at Misano, Aragon and Motegi.
Then he produced a career-best runner-up finish Oct. 16 at Phillip Island in a ride that mixed the "new" and "old" Marco to superb effect. Simoncelli was producing a smooth, composed ride to second when a shower arrived with three laps to go. Honda factory rider Andrea Dovizioso cut a 3.5-second gap and passed Super Sic for second, but Simoncelli made a brave, bold move to pass Dovizioso for second on the final lap.
One could almost sense a sanding of the rough edges of Simoncelli after that race. Praise replaced hostility toward his style within the paddock. Super Sic was on the threshold of stardom, with a confidence and understanding that could grant him membership in the most exclusive of MotoGP clubs—The Aliens.
And just seven days later, he was gone. One of the kindest souls in a tough business was taken in an instant of violent cruelty, a paradox almost impossible to grasp.
The sports world wept, knowing one of its free spirits and pure talents was lost. The MotoGP world convulsed, realizing once again the sheer brutality of a sport that can captivate and repulse in equal measure.
Simoncelli's death left more than an empty stall in the Gresini garage and aching hearts worldwide. He was the heir apparent to his close friend Rossi as the global face of the sport.
Super Sic and The Doctor shared a bond much more potent than their shared Italian roots. Sic had the afro; Rossi had the pageboy haircut during his formative years. Both had those happy, endearing smiles and talked to media and fans with fractured English. And both were World Champions, with Simoncelli surely a threat to add a MotoGP title to his 250cc crown won in 2008.
Sadly, every walk of life loses those it loves too quickly. But Marco Simoncelli was too big of a character - too much in love with life and the spirit-affirming thrill of racing a motorcycle—for MotoGP to ever forget him in death.
It's only fitting that the poignant tribute lap in Simoncelli's memory at the season finale at Valencia ended not with a moment of silence but a moment of joyful noise and fireworks. That delightful cacophony perfectly encapsulated the career and life of Marco Simoncelli.
Ciao, Sic.
ENDS
WSBK »
Rea relishes back-to-back World Superbike crowns
29 October 2016
Jonathan Rea says the realisation of successfully defending his World Superbike title will take time to settle in.
Rea relishes back-to-back World Superbike crowns
Jonathan Rea says the realisation of successfully defending his World Superbike title will take time to settle in after finishing second in race one at Qatar to claim the 2016 championship with a race to spare.
Knowing he only needed two points to seal back-to-back World Superbike championships after entering the final round with a 48-point lead, Rea says he went all-out to seal the 2016 title in style but ultimately couldn't match the pace of race winner Chaz Davies.
Despite this, Rea was elated to become the first rider to successfully defend the World Superbike riders' crown since Carl Fogarty in 1999 and has thanked his team for turning the new Kawasaki ZX-10R into an instant world title winner.
“It felt like a normal day where I have finished second, it will take some time to sink in,” Rea said. “This championship is 26 races and 13 race weekends and it is very easy to get lost with it but we've done an incredible job all season. In the last few races we have been able to manage a gap which was really comfortable.
“Now the job is done and the target from the beginning of the season is achieved I am just so happy and thankful to everybody in my team.
“I want to thank my whole team, my wife, my family who support me. Also a biggest thank you to Kawasaki for supporting us in the first new year of the ZX-10R so to win the first year it gives me incredible confidence for next year because I am sure the bike with a year of data will get better and better.”
Assessing the title-clinching race, Rea says he was totally focused on aiming for the win rather than riding conservatively to secure the points required but conceded he was ultimately outpaced by Davies on the Aruba.it Racing Ducati who has now claimed five straight wins.
“I felt okay in the beginning of the race and I was risking it because I knew Chaz would win the race if I didn't push,” he said. “It didn't matter if I ended up in the gravel because chances were we were going to be champions anyway so I threw caution to the wind.
“But the Ducati was too fast on the straights and I couldn't stay there, only just about hang in there and Cha was riding so good so congratulations to him. He had so much edge grip compared to be and I had to stop the bike and pick it up more to use the flat part of the tyre. We will have to play the long game tomorrow and hopefully hatch something.”
Read more at Rea relishes back-to-back World Superbike crowns | WSBK News
Rea relishes back-to-back World Superbike crowns
29 October 2016
Jonathan Rea says the realisation of successfully defending his World Superbike title will take time to settle in.
Rea relishes back-to-back World Superbike crowns
Jonathan Rea says the realisation of successfully defending his World Superbike title will take time to settle in after finishing second in race one at Qatar to claim the 2016 championship with a race to spare.
Knowing he only needed two points to seal back-to-back World Superbike championships after entering the final round with a 48-point lead, Rea says he went all-out to seal the 2016 title in style but ultimately couldn't match the pace of race winner Chaz Davies.
Despite this, Rea was elated to become the first rider to successfully defend the World Superbike riders' crown since Carl Fogarty in 1999 and has thanked his team for turning the new Kawasaki ZX-10R into an instant world title winner.
“It felt like a normal day where I have finished second, it will take some time to sink in,” Rea said. “This championship is 26 races and 13 race weekends and it is very easy to get lost with it but we've done an incredible job all season. In the last few races we have been able to manage a gap which was really comfortable.
“Now the job is done and the target from the beginning of the season is achieved I am just so happy and thankful to everybody in my team.
“I want to thank my whole team, my wife, my family who support me. Also a biggest thank you to Kawasaki for supporting us in the first new year of the ZX-10R so to win the first year it gives me incredible confidence for next year because I am sure the bike with a year of data will get better and better.”
Assessing the title-clinching race, Rea says he was totally focused on aiming for the win rather than riding conservatively to secure the points required but conceded he was ultimately outpaced by Davies on the Aruba.it Racing Ducati who has now claimed five straight wins.
“I felt okay in the beginning of the race and I was risking it because I knew Chaz would win the race if I didn't push,” he said. “It didn't matter if I ended up in the gravel because chances were we were going to be champions anyway so I threw caution to the wind.
“But the Ducati was too fast on the straights and I couldn't stay there, only just about hang in there and Cha was riding so good so congratulations to him. He had so much edge grip compared to be and I had to stop the bike and pick it up more to use the flat part of the tyre. We will have to play the long game tomorrow and hopefully hatch something.”
Read more at Rea relishes back-to-back World Superbike crowns | WSBK News
Photos Leak of the Ducati 1299 Superleggera
11/05/2016 @ 2:25 pm, by Jensen Beeler45 COMMENTS
Ducati has updated its microsite for its Project 1408 motorcycle, and unsurprisingly those with access to the photos have posted them to Facebook and other social networks, for the whole world to see.
The photos reveal the Ducati 1299 Superleggera, which drips carbon fiber (including its frame, swingarm, and wheels), and features a WSBK-spec Akrapovic exhaust in its race kit, which brings the total power figure of the v-twin Superquadro engine to 220hp (215hp stock).
Limited to 500 units, for those who can afford its $80,000 price tag (USD), the new Superleggera weighs a paltry 150kg dry (330 lbs), making it the lightest and most powerful superbike ever from the Italian brand.
Not officially debuting until Monday evening in Italy, we expect the Ducati 1299 Superleggera to be the main topic of discussion at next week’s EICMA show.
Thus, we will have to wait to get proper high-resolution photos and official tech specs from Ducati, but until then we have a bevy of leaked image grabs from Ducati’s Project 1408 microsite.
Photos Leak of the Ducati 1299 Superleggera
11/05/2016 @ 2:25 pm, by Jensen Beeler45 COMMENTS
Ducati has updated its microsite for its Project 1408 motorcycle, and unsurprisingly those with access to the photos have posted them to Facebook and other social networks, for the whole world to see.
The photos reveal the Ducati 1299 Superleggera, which drips carbon fiber (including its frame, swingarm, and wheels), and features a WSBK-spec Akrapovic exhaust in its race kit, which brings the total power figure of the v-twin Superquadro engine to 220hp (215hp stock).
Limited to 500 units, for those who can afford its $80,000 price tag (USD), the new Superleggera weighs a paltry 150kg dry (330 lbs), making it the lightest and most powerful superbike ever from the Italian brand.
Not officially debuting until Monday evening in Italy, we expect the Ducati 1299 Superleggera to be the main topic of discussion at next week’s EICMA show.
Thus, we will have to wait to get proper high-resolution photos and official tech specs from Ducati, but until then we have a bevy of leaked image grabs from Ducati’s Project 1408 microsite.
Photos Leak of the Ducati 1299 Superleggera
classic old bike on a classic old track
Whatever happened to Giancarlo Falappa?
Published: 04 November 2016
Ducati’s lionheart made WSB a joy to watch in the early 90s, so where did he go?
Giancarlo Falappa was one of the early stars of the World Superbike Championship, racing alongside the likes of Carl Fogarty, Scott Russell, and Aaron Slight. His wild, all-action riding style made him a huge favourite with fans as he tried to ride a superbike like a motocross bike. The Italian was destined to become one of the greats of WSB until an accident cut short his career, and very nearly his life, in 1994.
Falappa… wasn’t he the one who looked like a nightclub doorman in leathers?
That’s him. He spent his early years racing motocross but quit in 1983 and stopped riding completely for five years before trying his hand at road racing in 1988. He won the Italian 750cc Sport Production Championship that same year and was fast-tracked to World Superbikes in 1989 in what was only the championship’s second year of existence.
He was a bit wild on a bike, wasn’t he?
You could say that… He looked certain to win Race One at Donington on a Bimota in 1989 before punching a backmarker who got in his way and losing his rhythm! Unknown outside of Italy, Falappa’s super-aggressive style caused the usually polite British rider Roger Burnett to ask, “Who’s that w*nker on the Bimota? He doesn’t know what’s going on!” There was no denying his speed though and Falappa won Race Two on his YB4. His bizarre riding style – sitting upright while pushing the bike down into the corners like a motocrosser – was unorthodox but effective.
I thought he was a Ducati man…
After winning three races and finishing sixth overall on his Bimota, Falappa signed for Ducati in 1990 and spent the remainder of his career with the Italian marque.
How many races did he win in total?
Between 1989 and 1994 he took 16 wins, 30 podium placings, eight pole positions and 11 fastest laps. His highest championship placing was fourth in 1992, behind Doug Polen, Raymond Roche, and Rob Phillis. He had the speed to finish higher but typically crashed too often over the course of a season.
Was he really as tough as everyone said?
No question. Nicknamed ‘The Lion of Jesi’ (after his local town in Ancona) he may have been a fairly gentle and charming man in private but he looked like a gangster and rode like a demon when the visor came down. He very nearly lost his life in 1990 following a high-speed crash at Osterreichring in Austria and stunned everyone by coming back to race again. And when he did come back, it was with a deal more race craft than he had previously shown. With both aggression and tactics, he looked like the perfect weapon and took doubles at the Osterreichring (the track that nearly killed him) in 1992 and Brands Hatch in 1993 – the latter double coming in very wet conditions at the bizarrely-named ‘Irish’ round at Brands. Falappa was also the first rider to celebrate victories by crossing the finish line doing a stand-up wheelie.
He was team-mates with Carl Fogarty wasn’t he?
They became Ducati team-mates for the 1994 season and when Foggy broke his wrist in Germany it fell to Falappa and the new Ducati 916 to take the fight to Scott Russell on the Kawasaki. He was lying second to Russell in the championship when it all went wrong during practice at Albacete.
What happened?
He highsided in a low-speed corner and suffered severe head injuries and lapsed into a coma. Race fans held their breath and there were very few dry eyes in the WSB paddock when, after 30 days, Ducati hung a huge banner up proclaiming that ‘The Lion Has Awoken.’ Falappa was hospitalised for two months and, on awakening from his coma, had to undergo a series of operations for other injuries sustained in the crash. It was only when he appeared in the paddock the following year, pale, shaky and stripped of his natural muscular build, that everyone realised just how close to death he had come. He tried riding again in 1997 but says his ‘brain shut down’ and he could no longer take the stress of riding a motorcycle.
What’s he up to these days?
Falappa will never completely recover from his injuries but he still drives his motorhome (which he lives in, parked in Bologna near the Ducati factory) to most European WSB rounds and the Ducati team still looks after him as one of their own. Falappa also attends many Ducati owners club meetings and events in different countries and always receives a hero’s welcome – rightly so.
Fact file
Giancarlo Falappa
First WSB race 1989
WSB wins 16
Best championship 4th (1992)
Published: 04 November 2016
Ducati’s lionheart made WSB a joy to watch in the early 90s, so where did he go?
Giancarlo Falappa was one of the early stars of the World Superbike Championship, racing alongside the likes of Carl Fogarty, Scott Russell, and Aaron Slight. His wild, all-action riding style made him a huge favourite with fans as he tried to ride a superbike like a motocross bike. The Italian was destined to become one of the greats of WSB until an accident cut short his career, and very nearly his life, in 1994.
Falappa… wasn’t he the one who looked like a nightclub doorman in leathers?
That’s him. He spent his early years racing motocross but quit in 1983 and stopped riding completely for five years before trying his hand at road racing in 1988. He won the Italian 750cc Sport Production Championship that same year and was fast-tracked to World Superbikes in 1989 in what was only the championship’s second year of existence.
He was a bit wild on a bike, wasn’t he?
You could say that… He looked certain to win Race One at Donington on a Bimota in 1989 before punching a backmarker who got in his way and losing his rhythm! Unknown outside of Italy, Falappa’s super-aggressive style caused the usually polite British rider Roger Burnett to ask, “Who’s that w*nker on the Bimota? He doesn’t know what’s going on!” There was no denying his speed though and Falappa won Race Two on his YB4. His bizarre riding style – sitting upright while pushing the bike down into the corners like a motocrosser – was unorthodox but effective.
I thought he was a Ducati man…
After winning three races and finishing sixth overall on his Bimota, Falappa signed for Ducati in 1990 and spent the remainder of his career with the Italian marque.
How many races did he win in total?
Between 1989 and 1994 he took 16 wins, 30 podium placings, eight pole positions and 11 fastest laps. His highest championship placing was fourth in 1992, behind Doug Polen, Raymond Roche, and Rob Phillis. He had the speed to finish higher but typically crashed too often over the course of a season.
Was he really as tough as everyone said?
No question. Nicknamed ‘The Lion of Jesi’ (after his local town in Ancona) he may have been a fairly gentle and charming man in private but he looked like a gangster and rode like a demon when the visor came down. He very nearly lost his life in 1990 following a high-speed crash at Osterreichring in Austria and stunned everyone by coming back to race again. And when he did come back, it was with a deal more race craft than he had previously shown. With both aggression and tactics, he looked like the perfect weapon and took doubles at the Osterreichring (the track that nearly killed him) in 1992 and Brands Hatch in 1993 – the latter double coming in very wet conditions at the bizarrely-named ‘Irish’ round at Brands. Falappa was also the first rider to celebrate victories by crossing the finish line doing a stand-up wheelie.
He was team-mates with Carl Fogarty wasn’t he?
They became Ducati team-mates for the 1994 season and when Foggy broke his wrist in Germany it fell to Falappa and the new Ducati 916 to take the fight to Scott Russell on the Kawasaki. He was lying second to Russell in the championship when it all went wrong during practice at Albacete.
What happened?
He highsided in a low-speed corner and suffered severe head injuries and lapsed into a coma. Race fans held their breath and there were very few dry eyes in the WSB paddock when, after 30 days, Ducati hung a huge banner up proclaiming that ‘The Lion Has Awoken.’ Falappa was hospitalised for two months and, on awakening from his coma, had to undergo a series of operations for other injuries sustained in the crash. It was only when he appeared in the paddock the following year, pale, shaky and stripped of his natural muscular build, that everyone realised just how close to death he had come. He tried riding again in 1997 but says his ‘brain shut down’ and he could no longer take the stress of riding a motorcycle.
What’s he up to these days?
Falappa will never completely recover from his injuries but he still drives his motorhome (which he lives in, parked in Bologna near the Ducati factory) to most European WSB rounds and the Ducati team still looks after him as one of their own. Falappa also attends many Ducati owners club meetings and events in different countries and always receives a hero’s welcome – rightly so.
Fact file
Giancarlo Falappa
First WSB race 1989
WSB wins 16
Best championship 4th (1992)
MotoGP »
Valencia: Kallio fired up for KTM MotoGP debut
10 November 2016
"I'm not going to be at the back of the pack in this race" - Mika Kallio on KTM debut.
Valencia: Kallio fired up for KTM MotoGP debut
The factory KTM team will make its much-anticipated MotoGP debut as a wild-card entry for test rider Mika Kallio at the Valencia season finale.
Kallio has not raced since last year's Valencia Moto2 round, while the RC16 has completed 35 days of track testing ahead of this weekend's race.
“The start in Valencia will be a remarkable moment," Kallio said. "KTM is presenting this new bike, and it is a great honour to be the one to compete with it for the very first time.
"This whole year has been great, and I couldn't imagine a better way to end the season. This coming weekend will be memorable for me, and for all the KTM staff. The team will have valuable experience working under pressure, and I can finally enjoy riding MotoGP again.
"I'm not going to be at the back of the pack in this race. I'll be focusing on some of my personal goals after the timed free practices. I can race without pressure, and I believe I'll be on fire when the lights go out."
Kallio will then hand over to 2017 race riders Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro for next week's post-race test.
Read more at Kallio fired up for KTM MotoGP debut | MotoGP News
Valencia: Kallio fired up for KTM MotoGP debut
10 November 2016
"I'm not going to be at the back of the pack in this race" - Mika Kallio on KTM debut.
Valencia: Kallio fired up for KTM MotoGP debut
The factory KTM team will make its much-anticipated MotoGP debut as a wild-card entry for test rider Mika Kallio at the Valencia season finale.
Kallio has not raced since last year's Valencia Moto2 round, while the RC16 has completed 35 days of track testing ahead of this weekend's race.
“The start in Valencia will be a remarkable moment," Kallio said. "KTM is presenting this new bike, and it is a great honour to be the one to compete with it for the very first time.
"This whole year has been great, and I couldn't imagine a better way to end the season. This coming weekend will be memorable for me, and for all the KTM staff. The team will have valuable experience working under pressure, and I can finally enjoy riding MotoGP again.
"I'm not going to be at the back of the pack in this race. I'll be focusing on some of my personal goals after the timed free practices. I can race without pressure, and I believe I'll be on fire when the lights go out."
Kallio will then hand over to 2017 race riders Bradley Smith and Pol Espargaro for next week's post-race test.
Read more at Kallio fired up for KTM MotoGP debut | MotoGP News
Wayne Gardner: Japanese imprisonment after alleged assault 'horrific'
Updated 30 Oct 2016, 8:46am
Photo: Wayne Gardner was accused of assaulting three men during an alleged road rage incident. (ABC News: Antoinette Lattouf)
Related Story: Wayne Gardner released from custody in Japan
Related Story: Motorcycle great Wayne Gardner being held in Japanese police cell
Related Story: Motorcycling legend Gardner questioned over alleged Japanese road rage incident
Map: Sydney 2000
Former motorcycle world champion Wayne Gardner has described his stint in a Japanese prison as the worst 12 days of his life.
The 57-year-old was jailed this month after being accused of assaulting three men during an alleged road rage incident in the town of Motegi, where his son, Remy, was racing.
He arrived in Sydney on Saturday morning and said he had been kept isolated from the outside world, receiving "not much" help from the Australian Government.
"It was horrendous, I never want to do that again. I haven't been able to have contact with anybody, that's the problem," he said.
"Been locked up in a cell for 12 days and no communication with the world, it was pretty horrific."
He continued: "You've got no idea what happens in those situations, and to cut you off from communication and when your son's racing and they won't tell you where he is, how he's gone, has he crashed?
"It was horrendous, how they treat you in the communications, and I'm just horrified by it all."
Asked if he was going back to Japan any time soon he laughed and said "no, not immediately no".
"I just want to see my parents and make sure they're OK. It's the first time I've been to jail, so it's a bit of a shock to everybody," he said.
As Gardner and his son Remy were arriving at the Motegi Twin Ring racetrack for a race last week, they were involved in a minor collision with another car.
Gardner was held in a police cell in the town of Shimotsuke, about 120 kilometres north of Tokyo, where he was reportedly questioned almost every day by police about the incident.
Updated 30 Oct 2016, 8:46am
Photo: Wayne Gardner was accused of assaulting three men during an alleged road rage incident. (ABC News: Antoinette Lattouf) Related Story: Wayne Gardner released from custody in Japan
Related Story: Motorcycle great Wayne Gardner being held in Japanese police cell
Related Story: Motorcycling legend Gardner questioned over alleged Japanese road rage incident
Map: Sydney 2000
Former motorcycle world champion Wayne Gardner has described his stint in a Japanese prison as the worst 12 days of his life.
The 57-year-old was jailed this month after being accused of assaulting three men during an alleged road rage incident in the town of Motegi, where his son, Remy, was racing.
He arrived in Sydney on Saturday morning and said he had been kept isolated from the outside world, receiving "not much" help from the Australian Government.
"It was horrendous, I never want to do that again. I haven't been able to have contact with anybody, that's the problem," he said.
"Been locked up in a cell for 12 days and no communication with the world, it was pretty horrific."
He continued: "You've got no idea what happens in those situations, and to cut you off from communication and when your son's racing and they won't tell you where he is, how he's gone, has he crashed?
"It was horrendous, how they treat you in the communications, and I'm just horrified by it all."
Asked if he was going back to Japan any time soon he laughed and said "no, not immediately no".
"I just want to see my parents and make sure they're OK. It's the first time I've been to jail, so it's a bit of a shock to everybody," he said.
As Gardner and his son Remy were arriving at the Motegi Twin Ring racetrack for a race last week, they were involved in a minor collision with another car.
Gardner was held in a police cell in the town of Shimotsuke, about 120 kilometres north of Tokyo, where he was reportedly questioned almost every day by police about the incident.
Ryder Notes: End of Term
by julian ryder, on the ground in Spain
Friday, November 11, 2016
Lorenzo's 'Goodbye' letter to Yamaha.
image thanks yamaha
That end of term feeling pervades Valencia. There is precious little left to sort out. All the champions are already decided, Rossi is second and Jorge Lorenzo will have to have a disaster of a weekend to lose third to Maverick Vinales. Everybody is waiting for Tuesday when they get to see Jorge Lorenzo ride the Ducati.
There was one shock, though. Yamaha released Jorge Lorenzo's goodbye letter, and it actually reads like Jorge talks. No less an authority than Colin Edwards II is convinced that he wrote it himself. What's the world coming to? Where were the PR men?
Several striking images are conjured up by Jorge's words, but the one that struck me was the fact that he had been with Yamaha for one-third of his life. That's nine seasons, all of Jorge's MotoGP career and all three world titles.
It's kind of hard not to want him to leave Yamaha with a win. Even Colin found himself in the unaccustomed position of rooting for Jorge. Not that he needed much help today. Jorge was quickest in both sessions by large margins (remember, in Valencia it is wise to multiply any gap by two, after which it bears some realization to gaps on other circuits. So just over and just under half a second on corrected times.
There is also the small matter of KTM's new RC16 MotoGP making its first appearance as a wild card entry with Mika Kallio doing the riding. So far it is further back from the leaders than the Suzuki was when it did the same thing two years ago with Randy de Puniet. Maybe the picture will be clearer tomorrow.
ENDS
by julian ryder, on the ground in Spain
Friday, November 11, 2016
Lorenzo's 'Goodbye' letter to Yamaha.
image thanks yamaha
That end of term feeling pervades Valencia. There is precious little left to sort out. All the champions are already decided, Rossi is second and Jorge Lorenzo will have to have a disaster of a weekend to lose third to Maverick Vinales. Everybody is waiting for Tuesday when they get to see Jorge Lorenzo ride the Ducati.
There was one shock, though. Yamaha released Jorge Lorenzo's goodbye letter, and it actually reads like Jorge talks. No less an authority than Colin Edwards II is convinced that he wrote it himself. What's the world coming to? Where were the PR men?
Several striking images are conjured up by Jorge's words, but the one that struck me was the fact that he had been with Yamaha for one-third of his life. That's nine seasons, all of Jorge's MotoGP career and all three world titles.
It's kind of hard not to want him to leave Yamaha with a win. Even Colin found himself in the unaccustomed position of rooting for Jorge. Not that he needed much help today. Jorge was quickest in both sessions by large margins (remember, in Valencia it is wise to multiply any gap by two, after which it bears some realization to gaps on other circuits. So just over and just under half a second on corrected times.
There is also the small matter of KTM's new RC16 MotoGP making its first appearance as a wild card entry with Mika Kallio doing the riding. So far it is further back from the leaders than the Suzuki was when it did the same thing two years ago with Randy de Puniet. Maybe the picture will be clearer tomorrow.
ENDS
you have got to be kidding me !!
WSBK »
World Superbike announces radical grid shake-up
6 December 2016
Fourth place in race one now means pole position for WorldSBK race two!
World Superbike announces radical grid shake-up
The starting grid for race two of each World Superbike weekend will no longer be based on the Superpole qualifying session.
Instead, it will be decided by the results of race one.
Superpole will still influence the grid positions for riders who finish 10th or lower in the first race.
But this does not mean that the tenth place rider in Superpole will start tenth in race two, only that the highest placed Superpole rider outside the top nine will start in tenth.
For example, the rider who qualified on pole in race one might fail to finish and therefore start tenth in race two. Likewise, riders who qualified tenth or lower in Superpole could finish inside the top nine in race one.
The complexity continues with the following system then being used to allocate the top nine grid places for race two:
* The top three riders in race one will move back to row three, and see 1st and 3rd reverse their positions. So the 1st place rider will start from 9th, 2nd place from 8th and 3rd from 7th.
* Riders who finished in 4th, 5th and 6th will be promoted to the front row. So 4th will start from pole, 5th from 2nd and 6th from 3rd.
* Riders who finished in 7th, 8th and 9th will start from the second row. So 7th will start from 4th, 8th from 5th and 9th from 6th.
All clear?!
The move is aimed at increasing excitement and unpredictability in race two, with the fastest riders now set to regularly start from row three, but lowers the significance of Superpole and risks being labelled as too artificial by fans.
However the concept of shaking up the race two grid is not unique, with the MCE British Superbike Championship using fastest race one laps to decide the starting order for race two.
In other news, World Supersport will adopt flag-to-flag racing in 2017, meaning races will no longer be stopped due to weather changes and riders will instead - as in WorldSBK and MotoGP - be able to change tyres.
WSBK »
World Superbike announces radical grid shake-up
6 December 2016
Fourth place in race one now means pole position for WorldSBK race two!
World Superbike announces radical grid shake-up
The starting grid for race two of each World Superbike weekend will no longer be based on the Superpole qualifying session.
Instead, it will be decided by the results of race one.
Superpole will still influence the grid positions for riders who finish 10th or lower in the first race.
But this does not mean that the tenth place rider in Superpole will start tenth in race two, only that the highest placed Superpole rider outside the top nine will start in tenth.
For example, the rider who qualified on pole in race one might fail to finish and therefore start tenth in race two. Likewise, riders who qualified tenth or lower in Superpole could finish inside the top nine in race one.
The complexity continues with the following system then being used to allocate the top nine grid places for race two:
* The top three riders in race one will move back to row three, and see 1st and 3rd reverse their positions. So the 1st place rider will start from 9th, 2nd place from 8th and 3rd from 7th.
* Riders who finished in 4th, 5th and 6th will be promoted to the front row. So 4th will start from pole, 5th from 2nd and 6th from 3rd.
* Riders who finished in 7th, 8th and 9th will start from the second row. So 7th will start from 4th, 8th from 5th and 9th from 6th.
All clear?!
The move is aimed at increasing excitement and unpredictability in race two, with the fastest riders now set to regularly start from row three, but lowers the significance of Superpole and risks being labelled as too artificial by fans.
However the concept of shaking up the race two grid is not unique, with the MCE British Superbike Championship using fastest race one laps to decide the starting order for race two.
In other news, World Supersport will adopt flag-to-flag racing in 2017, meaning races will no longer be stopped due to weather changes and riders will instead - as in WorldSBK and MotoGP - be able to change tyres.
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