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Mr. Rossi: It's Ain't 2008
by staff
Thursday, October 03, 2013
On the box at Aragon, Rossi's '13 record is bolstered. But ...
Valentino Rossi earned his fifth podium finish of the season by placing third at the Grand Prix of Aragon. It was another one of his mirage stops on the box, as one could argue that the second-place finish at the season opener in Qatar and controlling, smooth ride to victory at Assen were Rossi's only signature performances of 2013.
Rossi's consecutive third-place finishes at Sachsenring and Laguna Seca came when Jorge Lorenzo either was out or hampered by a broken collarbone. And his result at Aragon also came after Dani Pedrosa flew out of the race in a high-side after his traction control cable was cut due to contact with teammate Marc Marquez.
The podium finish at Aragon helped Rossi avoid a piece of MotoGP history. If Pedrosa stayed upright, there's a very good chance Rossi would have become the first rider to finish fourth in five consecutive races.
It's an amusing statistic that also shines a klieg light on a fact: Valentino Rossi no longer is one of the three best Grand Prix motorcycle racers on Earth. There always was lingering doubt in 2011-12 as Rossi floundered on a recalcitrant Ducati that he still had the gumbo of bravery and skill to race with the "aliens" of the premier class.
Those days are gone, except for fleeting trips into the time tunnel like his magisterial ride at Assen. Rossi is on an elite Japanese factory bike, and all things equal and all riders healthy, he is the fourth-fastest rider on the grid, at best.
Rossi's two seasons at Ducati may have cost the nine-time champion more than anyone currently realizes.
ENDS
by staff
Thursday, October 03, 2013
On the box at Aragon, Rossi's '13 record is bolstered. But ...
Valentino Rossi earned his fifth podium finish of the season by placing third at the Grand Prix of Aragon. It was another one of his mirage stops on the box, as one could argue that the second-place finish at the season opener in Qatar and controlling, smooth ride to victory at Assen were Rossi's only signature performances of 2013.
Rossi's consecutive third-place finishes at Sachsenring and Laguna Seca came when Jorge Lorenzo either was out or hampered by a broken collarbone. And his result at Aragon also came after Dani Pedrosa flew out of the race in a high-side after his traction control cable was cut due to contact with teammate Marc Marquez.
The podium finish at Aragon helped Rossi avoid a piece of MotoGP history. If Pedrosa stayed upright, there's a very good chance Rossi would have become the first rider to finish fourth in five consecutive races.
It's an amusing statistic that also shines a klieg light on a fact: Valentino Rossi no longer is one of the three best Grand Prix motorcycle racers on Earth. There always was lingering doubt in 2011-12 as Rossi floundered on a recalcitrant Ducati that he still had the gumbo of bravery and skill to race with the "aliens" of the premier class.
Those days are gone, except for fleeting trips into the time tunnel like his magisterial ride at Assen. Rossi is on an elite Japanese factory bike, and all things equal and all riders healthy, he is the fourth-fastest rider on the grid, at best.
Rossi's two seasons at Ducati may have cost the nine-time champion more than anyone currently realizes.
ENDS
Marquez's New Math
by staff
Thursday, October 03, 2013
The heir-apparent, apparently.
The title math is simple for Marc Marquez: He needs to score 62 points over the last four races, and he will become the first rookie rider to win the premier class World Championship since Kenny Roberts in 1978.
Marquez leads the standings with 278 points. Jorge Lorenzo is second with 239. If Lorenzo swept the final four races, he would finish the season with 339 points.
So it's over if Marquez finishes third or better - earning 16 points in each race - at the last four events of the season. Marquez has finished on the podium in 13 of his 14 starts this season, the only blemish coming when he crashed out in the closing laps at Mugello.
Somewhere, the fat lady is warming her vocal chords.
Rea Rejected Pramac To Stay In World Superbike
by staff
Thursday, October 03, 2013
It's somewhat rare to see a World Superbike rider decline a chance for a full-time ride on a factory bike in MotoGP, but European media reports indicate Jonny Rea made that bold move.
Rea apparently turned down an offer from Pramac Ducati to ride one of its struggling factory-spec bikes next season and instead re-signed with Ten Kate Honda in WSBK.
Talks with Ducati first centered on Rea riding a Panigale in WSBK, according to a British report. But negotiations shifted to Rea taking the bike of American Ben Spies, as smoke - but no flames - continues to rise surrounding the rumored divorce between Pramac and Spies and possible move by Spies to WSBK to ride a Panigale for Ducati.
Spies says, for the record, that he has a contract to race for Ducati in MotoGP in 2014.
WSBK race winner Rea also talked with Forward Racing about the Yamaha customer machine that almost certainly will go to top CRT rider Aleix Espargaro.
ENDS
by staff
Thursday, October 03, 2013
The heir-apparent, apparently.
The title math is simple for Marc Marquez: He needs to score 62 points over the last four races, and he will become the first rookie rider to win the premier class World Championship since Kenny Roberts in 1978.
Marquez leads the standings with 278 points. Jorge Lorenzo is second with 239. If Lorenzo swept the final four races, he would finish the season with 339 points.
So it's over if Marquez finishes third or better - earning 16 points in each race - at the last four events of the season. Marquez has finished on the podium in 13 of his 14 starts this season, the only blemish coming when he crashed out in the closing laps at Mugello.
Somewhere, the fat lady is warming her vocal chords.
Rea Rejected Pramac To Stay In World Superbike
by staff
Thursday, October 03, 2013
It's somewhat rare to see a World Superbike rider decline a chance for a full-time ride on a factory bike in MotoGP, but European media reports indicate Jonny Rea made that bold move.
Rea apparently turned down an offer from Pramac Ducati to ride one of its struggling factory-spec bikes next season and instead re-signed with Ten Kate Honda in WSBK.
Talks with Ducati first centered on Rea riding a Panigale in WSBK, according to a British report. But negotiations shifted to Rea taking the bike of American Ben Spies, as smoke - but no flames - continues to rise surrounding the rumored divorce between Pramac and Spies and possible move by Spies to WSBK to ride a Panigale for Ducati.
Spies says, for the record, that he has a contract to race for Ducati in MotoGP in 2014.
WSBK race winner Rea also talked with Forward Racing about the Yamaha customer machine that almost certainly will go to top CRT rider Aleix Espargaro.
ENDS
Racing Bonneville On a $300 Craigslist Motorcycle
Superpole Eight For Sykes And The 2013 Ninja ZX-10R
WSBK, Magny-Cours, France, 5 October 2013
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) won a wet Superpole contest at Magny Cours after a final fast lap laden with risk and eventual reward as he had to work his way past slower riders on the racing line.
Sykes was also fastest in the wet Superpole One session on a busy track with a narrow drying racing line along the 4.411km length of the French circuit. Sykes therefore entered the second and final wet Superpole session on a high and was fastest at the mid point before Eugene Laverty temporarily edged him out.
Selecting a qualifying rear tyre as the track slowly dried out, Sykes went for another Superpole win to add to his career total of 18. He achieved his ambition despite finding other riders cruising on the racing line on two occasions, forcing Tom to adapt his approach but still come out on top, by 0.805 seconds, from his championship rival Sylvain Guintoli. Sykes’ best time was a 1’38.592.
Tom is now on a total of 19 Superpole wins, making him the fourth best qualifier in the history of the championship.
David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) completed one Superpole session finishing 13th fastest, meaning he will start Sunday’s races off the fifth row of the grid. He overcame the affects of an earlier fall and his team did great work to get his machine ready for Superpole qualifying.
Aussie Mark Aitchison qualified 16th and his team-mate Federico Sandi took his Kawasaki Team Pedercini Ninja ZX-10R to 17th place.
Tom Sykes: “I am happy because we have proved again that we can do it and that the bike works well here. This is a great place to get pole position, especially in these conditions. Three riders in two corners made it very difficult for me in the fast lap so I am sue it was very exciting for those watching on TV! From where I was sitting it was quite dangerous. I hope it is dry tomorrow because if we have good conditions everybody will be fighting and putting on a good show for the crowd. The Ninja ZX-10R is working well but we can still improve it even more in wet conditions. In dry conditions we know what to expect. Overall we will go and relax now, get a good sleep and come out ready to race tomorrow.”
David Salom: “The track conditions were very difficult. I crashed yesterday but today I had a big crash and I have a lot of pain on my lower back. The bike was damaged but the team worked very well to change the bike and fix it, but in Superpole it was something of a lottery. I am happy because I was three positions higher on the grid than last week in Laguna Seca; even with these conditions. Now we will look at the telemetry and work for a set-up tomorrow. I hope the weather is good but maybe it will be wet, dry or something in the middle!
Sofuoglu Scores Pole In Penultimate Round in France
WSS, Magny-Cours, France, 5 October 2013
Kawasaki Mahi Racing Team India rider Kenan Sofuoglu had a day of contrasts at a damp and changeable Magny Cours circuit, taking pole position but suffering a late fall in final qualifying.
Some simple bad luck for Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Mahi Racing Team India) stopped him from improving his final qualifying position as he aimed for a front row start at this home circuit. He will begin Sunday’s 22-lap WSS race from 18th place on the grid.
At the front of the 33 hopeful riders in qualifying, Sofuoglu finished the day battered from his fast fall but happy to be on pole for the fourth time in 2013, and over half a second faster than his closest competitor and championship leader, Sam Lowes.
No result but a win will do for Sofuoglu on Sunday and he is starting the race from the best possible position on his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.
Foret is now looking at making a good start and passing as many riders as possible in the early laps before the front runners make a break, so he can score well at his home event.
Sheridan Morais was a fine fifth on his GO Eleven Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R. Riccardo Russo (Puccetti Kawasaki) was one place behind Morais with Kevin Coghlan (Kawasaki DMC-Lorenzini) finishing off the top ten in combined qualifying.
Luca Scassa (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) struggled with set-up and was only 19t,h two places up on late call up for the Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres team, Matthieu Lagrive. Florian Marino (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) hurt his wrist in a practice fall and could take no further part in the weekend after riding on Friday.
In the Superstock 600 European Championship race three Kawasaki riders dominated the race on Saturday at Magny Cours. Ninja ZX-6R rider Alessandro Nocco (San Carlo Team Italia) won the race and kept his championship hopes alive, with his team-mate Franco Morbidelli second and Christian Gamarino (Go Eleven Kawasaki) third. In the points Morbidelli has 134, Gamarino 124 and Nocco 120, setting up an intense finale at the Jerez round in two week's time.
Kenan Sofuoglu: “Just when I wanted to push there were about ten riders racing around the track. I was thinking that when I found a free lap and I would have to make a perfect lap. In the third corner I tried to open the throttle a lot, finally I understood that I opened the throttle too much, and I had to lift the bike. The grass I hit was really wet but I still did not expect to lose the front so easily. I am OK in terms of injuries after the crash but I am hurting almost everywhere, because it was a very big one. Tomorrow our pace should be strong because our bike is on a very good level, and hopefully we will have good track conditions and we can win the race.”
Fabien Foret: “It seems like Magny Cours is not a very lucky track for me, but the race is tomorrow, not today. I am a bit upset because it is my home round and between the changing conditions and a small technical problem it was not our day. I lost some track time and I was unable to improve in the final qualifying. I wanted a few laps more because I needed some track time on the 600 again. Starting from 18th I cannot expect anything too much but a hard race, but for sure I should finish a lot better than I start on the grid. I will never give up and try my best and we will see what happens on raceday.”
WSBK, Magny-Cours, France, 5 October 2013
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) won a wet Superpole contest at Magny Cours after a final fast lap laden with risk and eventual reward as he had to work his way past slower riders on the racing line.
Sykes was also fastest in the wet Superpole One session on a busy track with a narrow drying racing line along the 4.411km length of the French circuit. Sykes therefore entered the second and final wet Superpole session on a high and was fastest at the mid point before Eugene Laverty temporarily edged him out.
Selecting a qualifying rear tyre as the track slowly dried out, Sykes went for another Superpole win to add to his career total of 18. He achieved his ambition despite finding other riders cruising on the racing line on two occasions, forcing Tom to adapt his approach but still come out on top, by 0.805 seconds, from his championship rival Sylvain Guintoli. Sykes’ best time was a 1’38.592.
Tom is now on a total of 19 Superpole wins, making him the fourth best qualifier in the history of the championship.
David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) completed one Superpole session finishing 13th fastest, meaning he will start Sunday’s races off the fifth row of the grid. He overcame the affects of an earlier fall and his team did great work to get his machine ready for Superpole qualifying.
Aussie Mark Aitchison qualified 16th and his team-mate Federico Sandi took his Kawasaki Team Pedercini Ninja ZX-10R to 17th place.
Tom Sykes: “I am happy because we have proved again that we can do it and that the bike works well here. This is a great place to get pole position, especially in these conditions. Three riders in two corners made it very difficult for me in the fast lap so I am sue it was very exciting for those watching on TV! From where I was sitting it was quite dangerous. I hope it is dry tomorrow because if we have good conditions everybody will be fighting and putting on a good show for the crowd. The Ninja ZX-10R is working well but we can still improve it even more in wet conditions. In dry conditions we know what to expect. Overall we will go and relax now, get a good sleep and come out ready to race tomorrow.”
David Salom: “The track conditions were very difficult. I crashed yesterday but today I had a big crash and I have a lot of pain on my lower back. The bike was damaged but the team worked very well to change the bike and fix it, but in Superpole it was something of a lottery. I am happy because I was three positions higher on the grid than last week in Laguna Seca; even with these conditions. Now we will look at the telemetry and work for a set-up tomorrow. I hope the weather is good but maybe it will be wet, dry or something in the middle!
Sofuoglu Scores Pole In Penultimate Round in France
WSS, Magny-Cours, France, 5 October 2013
Kawasaki Mahi Racing Team India rider Kenan Sofuoglu had a day of contrasts at a damp and changeable Magny Cours circuit, taking pole position but suffering a late fall in final qualifying.
Some simple bad luck for Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Mahi Racing Team India) stopped him from improving his final qualifying position as he aimed for a front row start at this home circuit. He will begin Sunday’s 22-lap WSS race from 18th place on the grid.
At the front of the 33 hopeful riders in qualifying, Sofuoglu finished the day battered from his fast fall but happy to be on pole for the fourth time in 2013, and over half a second faster than his closest competitor and championship leader, Sam Lowes.
No result but a win will do for Sofuoglu on Sunday and he is starting the race from the best possible position on his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R.
Foret is now looking at making a good start and passing as many riders as possible in the early laps before the front runners make a break, so he can score well at his home event.
Sheridan Morais was a fine fifth on his GO Eleven Kawasaki Ninja ZX-6R. Riccardo Russo (Puccetti Kawasaki) was one place behind Morais with Kevin Coghlan (Kawasaki DMC-Lorenzini) finishing off the top ten in combined qualifying.
Luca Scassa (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) struggled with set-up and was only 19t,h two places up on late call up for the Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres team, Matthieu Lagrive. Florian Marino (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) hurt his wrist in a practice fall and could take no further part in the weekend after riding on Friday.
In the Superstock 600 European Championship race three Kawasaki riders dominated the race on Saturday at Magny Cours. Ninja ZX-6R rider Alessandro Nocco (San Carlo Team Italia) won the race and kept his championship hopes alive, with his team-mate Franco Morbidelli second and Christian Gamarino (Go Eleven Kawasaki) third. In the points Morbidelli has 134, Gamarino 124 and Nocco 120, setting up an intense finale at the Jerez round in two week's time.
Kenan Sofuoglu: “Just when I wanted to push there were about ten riders racing around the track. I was thinking that when I found a free lap and I would have to make a perfect lap. In the third corner I tried to open the throttle a lot, finally I understood that I opened the throttle too much, and I had to lift the bike. The grass I hit was really wet but I still did not expect to lose the front so easily. I am OK in terms of injuries after the crash but I am hurting almost everywhere, because it was a very big one. Tomorrow our pace should be strong because our bike is on a very good level, and hopefully we will have good track conditions and we can win the race.”
Fabien Foret: “It seems like Magny Cours is not a very lucky track for me, but the race is tomorrow, not today. I am a bit upset because it is my home round and between the changing conditions and a small technical problem it was not our day. I lost some track time and I was unable to improve in the final qualifying. I wanted a few laps more because I needed some track time on the 600 again. Starting from 18th I cannot expect anything too much but a hard race, but for sure I should finish a lot better than I start on the grid. I will never give up and try my best and we will see what happens on raceday.”
you fucking ripper !!!! 1 round to go and a 37 pnt lead to the KAWASAKI FUCK YEAH !!!!! :TU:
WSBK »
French WSBK: Imperious Sykes ‘en route’ to title with French double
06 October 2013
Tom Sykes needs just two ninth place finishes from the final round of the season to secure the 2013 World Superbike Championship title after his double success in France.
French WSBK: Imperious Sykes ‘en route’ to title with French double
Tom Sykes heads into the final round of the 2013 World Superbike Championship needing to score just 14 points – or two ninth place finishes - at Jerez to secure his first international title after stretching clear with a dominant double win at Magny-Cours.
A pivotal weekend for what has proven to be an engrossing title fight, Sykes came into the penultimate round in France with the advantage already on his side having extended his lead over Eugene Laverty and Sylvain Guintoli to 23 and 24 points respectively.
Indeed, though inclement weather conditions during the first part of the weekend served to keep things fairly open coming into race day, Sykes's impressive eighth pole position of the season gave a hint as to his full potential around the Nevers circuit.
And so it proved, Sykes producing an utterly faultless display of riding in both races to lead into the first bend and simply multiply his advantage to the end.
Though Sykes insists it was harder than it looked, particularly when a sharp shower on the final lap of race two created some havoc behind him, he was thrilled to produce arguably the most important wins of his career around the venue where he famously lost out on the 2012 title by just half-a-point.
“It is great to score a double win here and we made two small changes in the bike to race two. We are always chasing perfection. That is what we spend our lives doing. When you are on the edge all the time you have got very small changes that make a big outcome. The bike was very nice to ride and the races went very well.
“When the circuit and conditions suit a bike and rider you have to take the most advantage from it. Magny Cours was generous to me, the bike and all at Kawasaki, so this was great. It was spitting with rain at the end of race two and that was difficult to manage, even though I had a big gap and not much pressure. I was sliding the rear a lot. We still have some work to do but the good thing is that we have been there or thereabouts all season.”
Sykes' eighth and ninth wins of the season – and his third double victory of the year – means he leads the standings by 37 points from Laverty and 38 points from Guintoli.
With just 50 points up for grabs at the final event in Jerez, Sykes can seal the title with just a third place finish in the first race of the weekend, or coast to a pair two ninth place finishes, regardless of where Laverty or Guintoli finish.
Sykes Puts In A Stunning Double Win As He Leads By 37 Points
WSBK, Magny-Cours, France, 6 October 2013
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) scored his third double race win of the season at Magny Cours today and in doing so took a strong 37 point lead with only one round of the championship remaining.
In the first race Sykes was not seriously threatened after he headed off into the lead at lap record pace, taking a new best lap in race conditions of 1’38.345. He would go on and beat in an even more impressive race two performance.
In the opening race, scheduled for 23 laps, Tom had a two second advantage over Sylvain Guintoli as the laps timed down. When a red flag was shown to halt the race because of a bike laying on track on fire, Sykes was declared the winner and, as enough laps had been completed to call it a full result, he was awarded full points.
The second race also did not quite go the full distance and when rains started towards the end, two riders crashed behind Tom. A red flag was shown to halt proceedings again and this time Sykes was 11.091 seconds ahead in the final race results.
On lap four of race two Tom set a final new lap record, 1’37.932. This was Tom’s ninth race win of 2013, the 14th of his career.
David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) had a tough weekend in some regards as a stand in for team regular Loris Baz, falling three times. He also scored points, however, with two eleventh places on raceday - a good effort from rider and team given that bad weather had robbed them of some clear track time in practice.
Kawasaki Team Pedercini rider Federico Sandi was 12th in race one, and 13th in race two, with Mark Aitchison having a big highside crash in race one but finishing race two in 12th place.
A Superstock 1000 FIM Cup race win for Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) was a hometown victory on his Ninja ZX-10R. The race was stopped for a red flag and reduced to an eventual nine laps, which Guarnoni eventually dominated. Lorenzo Savadori (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) was third. Leandro Mercado (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) placed fifth in the race.
Tom Sykes: “It is great to score a double win here and we made two small changes in the bike to race two. We are always chasing perfection. That is what we spend our lives doing. When you are on the edge all the time you have got very small changes that make a big outcome. The bike was very nice to ride today and the races went very well. When the circuit and conditions suit a bike and rider you have to take the most advantage from it. Magny Cours was generous to me, the bike and all at Kawasaki, so this was great. It was spitting with rain at the end of race two and that was difficult to manage, even though I had a big gap and not much pressure. I was sliding the rear a lot. We still have some work to do but the good thing is that we have been there or thereabouts all season.”
David Salom: “It ended up a hard weekend. The team worked very hard for me after three crashes but with 11th position in each race I am happy in one way, happy with progress in the second race being faster than the first race. With three crashes it was difficult. I am sorry for that but happy that we made progress. I think it was possible for me to finish better, if I had been riding a Superbike all season. I am sure it would have been a little bit better that way.”
WSBK »
French WSBK: Imperious Sykes ‘en route’ to title with French double
06 October 2013
Tom Sykes needs just two ninth place finishes from the final round of the season to secure the 2013 World Superbike Championship title after his double success in France.
French WSBK: Imperious Sykes ‘en route’ to title with French double
Tom Sykes heads into the final round of the 2013 World Superbike Championship needing to score just 14 points – or two ninth place finishes - at Jerez to secure his first international title after stretching clear with a dominant double win at Magny-Cours.
A pivotal weekend for what has proven to be an engrossing title fight, Sykes came into the penultimate round in France with the advantage already on his side having extended his lead over Eugene Laverty and Sylvain Guintoli to 23 and 24 points respectively.
Indeed, though inclement weather conditions during the first part of the weekend served to keep things fairly open coming into race day, Sykes's impressive eighth pole position of the season gave a hint as to his full potential around the Nevers circuit.
And so it proved, Sykes producing an utterly faultless display of riding in both races to lead into the first bend and simply multiply his advantage to the end.
Though Sykes insists it was harder than it looked, particularly when a sharp shower on the final lap of race two created some havoc behind him, he was thrilled to produce arguably the most important wins of his career around the venue where he famously lost out on the 2012 title by just half-a-point.
“It is great to score a double win here and we made two small changes in the bike to race two. We are always chasing perfection. That is what we spend our lives doing. When you are on the edge all the time you have got very small changes that make a big outcome. The bike was very nice to ride and the races went very well.
“When the circuit and conditions suit a bike and rider you have to take the most advantage from it. Magny Cours was generous to me, the bike and all at Kawasaki, so this was great. It was spitting with rain at the end of race two and that was difficult to manage, even though I had a big gap and not much pressure. I was sliding the rear a lot. We still have some work to do but the good thing is that we have been there or thereabouts all season.”
Sykes' eighth and ninth wins of the season – and his third double victory of the year – means he leads the standings by 37 points from Laverty and 38 points from Guintoli.
With just 50 points up for grabs at the final event in Jerez, Sykes can seal the title with just a third place finish in the first race of the weekend, or coast to a pair two ninth place finishes, regardless of where Laverty or Guintoli finish.
Sykes Puts In A Stunning Double Win As He Leads By 37 Points
WSBK, Magny-Cours, France, 6 October 2013
Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) scored his third double race win of the season at Magny Cours today and in doing so took a strong 37 point lead with only one round of the championship remaining.
In the first race Sykes was not seriously threatened after he headed off into the lead at lap record pace, taking a new best lap in race conditions of 1’38.345. He would go on and beat in an even more impressive race two performance.
In the opening race, scheduled for 23 laps, Tom had a two second advantage over Sylvain Guintoli as the laps timed down. When a red flag was shown to halt the race because of a bike laying on track on fire, Sykes was declared the winner and, as enough laps had been completed to call it a full result, he was awarded full points.
The second race also did not quite go the full distance and when rains started towards the end, two riders crashed behind Tom. A red flag was shown to halt proceedings again and this time Sykes was 11.091 seconds ahead in the final race results.
On lap four of race two Tom set a final new lap record, 1’37.932. This was Tom’s ninth race win of 2013, the 14th of his career.
David Salom (Kawasaki Racing Team) had a tough weekend in some regards as a stand in for team regular Loris Baz, falling three times. He also scored points, however, with two eleventh places on raceday - a good effort from rider and team given that bad weather had robbed them of some clear track time in practice.
Kawasaki Team Pedercini rider Federico Sandi was 12th in race one, and 13th in race two, with Mark Aitchison having a big highside crash in race one but finishing race two in 12th place.
A Superstock 1000 FIM Cup race win for Jeremy Guarnoni (MRS Kawasaki) was a hometown victory on his Ninja ZX-10R. The race was stopped for a red flag and reduced to an eventual nine laps, which Guarnoni eventually dominated. Lorenzo Savadori (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) was third. Leandro Mercado (Kawasaki Team Pedercini) placed fifth in the race.
Tom Sykes: “It is great to score a double win here and we made two small changes in the bike to race two. We are always chasing perfection. That is what we spend our lives doing. When you are on the edge all the time you have got very small changes that make a big outcome. The bike was very nice to ride today and the races went very well. When the circuit and conditions suit a bike and rider you have to take the most advantage from it. Magny Cours was generous to me, the bike and all at Kawasaki, so this was great. It was spitting with rain at the end of race two and that was difficult to manage, even though I had a big gap and not much pressure. I was sliding the rear a lot. We still have some work to do but the good thing is that we have been there or thereabouts all season.”
David Salom: “It ended up a hard weekend. The team worked very hard for me after three crashes but with 11th position in each race I am happy in one way, happy with progress in the second race being faster than the first race. With three crashes it was difficult. I am sorry for that but happy that we made progress. I think it was possible for me to finish better, if I had been riding a Superbike all season. I am sure it would have been a little bit better that way.”
WSBK: Evo Rules or "Dorna's Evil Rules"? Whatever They Are, It's 2015
by staff
Saturday, October 05, 2013
This just in from the FIM:
FIM Superbike & Supersport World Championship and FIM Superstock 1000cc Cup
Changes to the Regulations
The Superbike Commission, composed of Messrs Javier Alonso (WSBK Managing Director), Ignacio Verneda (FIM Executive Director, Sport) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA Representative), met at the Dorna Headquarters on 1 October in the presence of Messrs Daniel Carrera and Gregorio Lavilla (Dorna WSBK Organisation). A unanimous decision was taken to introduce the following main modifications to the Regulations of the FIM Road Racing
Superbike & Supersport World Championship and FIM Superstock 1000cc Cup:
Application for 2014
Superbike & Supersport
Practice restrictions:
Sporting Regulations
by staff
Saturday, October 05, 2013
This just in from the FIM:
FIM Superbike & Supersport World Championship and FIM Superstock 1000cc Cup
Changes to the Regulations
The Superbike Commission, composed of Messrs Javier Alonso (WSBK Managing Director), Ignacio Verneda (FIM Executive Director, Sport) and Takanao Tsubouchi (MSMA Representative), met at the Dorna Headquarters on 1 October in the presence of Messrs Daniel Carrera and Gregorio Lavilla (Dorna WSBK Organisation). A unanimous decision was taken to introduce the following main modifications to the Regulations of the FIM Road Racing
Superbike & Supersport World Championship and FIM Superstock 1000cc Cup:
Application for 2014
Superbike & Supersport
Practice restrictions:
Sporting Regulations
- Winter test ban starts on 1 December each year and finishes on 15 January as per current rules.
- Overseas testing is forbidden for contracted teams and riders. Dorna will organise Official Tests in Phillip Island before the race. Dates will be communicated as soon as confirmed.
- No testing will be allowed from the first race of the calendar until the last race of the calendar for contracted teams and riders. Dorna will organise three Official Tests on the Mondays following three races, for the World Superbike class only. Dates will be communicated as soon as confirmed.
- No testing will be allowed for Supersport after the first race until the last race of the season.
- Application for 2014
Supersport
- 6 engines per season only; - 1 gearbox option only.
Application for 2015 Superbike
Technical Regulations
- All Superbikes will have to comply with the EVO technical regulations, in order to maintain the ongoing cost reduction process. The Superbike Commission is studying some modifications to those technical rules that will be announced by the end of 2013.
- The new changes should allow all Manufacturers entering the Championship to be competitive, as well as providing an easier route into the World Championship for National Championship Riders and Teams, either as a wildcard or as a permanent entry.
ENDS
Sofuoglu Wins Fifth Race Of The Year
WSS, Magny-Cours, France, 6 October 2013
Kawasaki Mahi Racing Team India’s Kenan Sofuoglu and Fabien Foret finished first and fourth respectively at the 12th round of the FIM Supersport World Championship in Fabien’s home country of France.
Sofuoglu overcame the effects of a big crash in qualifying on Saturday to join the fight for the top three, on a bike that was extensively rebuilt after his fall. On his 2013 Ninja ZX-6R Kenan sat in third place for much of the race before hitting the front and holding off new world Champion Sam Lowes to record his fifth win of the year.
Having started from 18th place on the grid for his home round only one of the best rides of his career looked likely to allow Foret to run near the front and Fabien duly delivered. His team had found a good set-up for the dry conditions, despite having so little dry track time in practice, and Fabien was able to rip through the field to finish fourth. Christian Iddon added to the front-running battle and finished third, despite falling from his bike with two laps to go and bringing out the red flags to stop the race two laps early.
In the championship Lowes has 225 points, Kenan is guaranteed second with 181 and Foret looks set to end the season in third place, as he now enjoys a 17-point advantage over the next best rider.
Sheridan Morais (Go Eleven Kawasaki) took his Ninja ZX-6R to a fine fifth place, having qualified in the same position on the grid. It was a tough race for many other Kawasaki riders, as Kevin Coghlan (Kawasaki DMC-Lorenzini) crashed out and restarted to finish 14th, while Luca Scassa (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) struggled out of the corners and finished his day 15th, scoring a single point. Late replacement rider Matthieu Lagrive (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) fell while in 13th place.
The last round of the championship will take place at Jerez, on October 20th.
Kenan Sofuoglu: “This weekend was really good because yesterday we had a very fast qualifying time but then I had a big crash, and I was scared that I might have damaged the bike too much. We changed a lot of new parts on the bike and I was able to race and stay with Sam Lowes and Christian Iddon in the early laps. Step-by-step I found more confidence and I was quite happy to fight and then to win the race. I knew we could not really keep the world title today but I knew we could still win the race.”
Fabien Foret: “From our starting position maybe we made a small miracle at my home round but not a big enough miracle! I am always disappointed when I am not on the box after the race but we did a good job for the race set-up and in the race. I had a fun race as I passed so many guys on the way through.”
WSS, Magny-Cours, France, 6 October 2013
Kawasaki Mahi Racing Team India’s Kenan Sofuoglu and Fabien Foret finished first and fourth respectively at the 12th round of the FIM Supersport World Championship in Fabien’s home country of France.
Sofuoglu overcame the effects of a big crash in qualifying on Saturday to join the fight for the top three, on a bike that was extensively rebuilt after his fall. On his 2013 Ninja ZX-6R Kenan sat in third place for much of the race before hitting the front and holding off new world Champion Sam Lowes to record his fifth win of the year.
Having started from 18th place on the grid for his home round only one of the best rides of his career looked likely to allow Foret to run near the front and Fabien duly delivered. His team had found a good set-up for the dry conditions, despite having so little dry track time in practice, and Fabien was able to rip through the field to finish fourth. Christian Iddon added to the front-running battle and finished third, despite falling from his bike with two laps to go and bringing out the red flags to stop the race two laps early.
In the championship Lowes has 225 points, Kenan is guaranteed second with 181 and Foret looks set to end the season in third place, as he now enjoys a 17-point advantage over the next best rider.
Sheridan Morais (Go Eleven Kawasaki) took his Ninja ZX-6R to a fine fifth place, having qualified in the same position on the grid. It was a tough race for many other Kawasaki riders, as Kevin Coghlan (Kawasaki DMC-Lorenzini) crashed out and restarted to finish 14th, while Luca Scassa (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) struggled out of the corners and finished his day 15th, scoring a single point. Late replacement rider Matthieu Lagrive (Kawasaki Intermoto Ponyexpres) fell while in 13th place.
The last round of the championship will take place at Jerez, on October 20th.
Kenan Sofuoglu: “This weekend was really good because yesterday we had a very fast qualifying time but then I had a big crash, and I was scared that I might have damaged the bike too much. We changed a lot of new parts on the bike and I was able to race and stay with Sam Lowes and Christian Iddon in the early laps. Step-by-step I found more confidence and I was quite happy to fight and then to win the race. I knew we could not really keep the world title today but I knew we could still win the race.”
Fabien Foret: “From our starting position maybe we made a small miracle at my home round but not a big enough miracle! I am always disappointed when I am not on the box after the race but we did a good job for the race set-up and in the race. I had a fun race as I passed so many guys on the way through.”
WSS »
France WSS: Sam Lowes wins 2013 World Supersport title
06 October 2013
Sam Lowes is crowned 2013 World Supersport Champion after doing more than enough secure to secure the title at Magny-Cours.
France WSS: Sam Lowes wins 2013 World Supersport title
CLICK HERE to view race results
Sam Lowes has been crowned World Supersport Champion for 2013 after finishing second in the penultimate round of the season at Magny-Cours.
The British rider came into the race needing just a points' finish to secure the crown with one round in hand, but refused to back down in the battle for outright victory as he tussled with arch rival Kenan Sofuoglu and an inspired Christian Iddon from start-to-finish.
Culminating in yet another thrilling battle between the season-long sparring partners, in the end Sofuoglu was declared the winner after the red flag was deployed on the last lap.
However, it was nowhere near enough to keep the title fight open to Jerez, with Lowes duly confirmed as champion for Yakhnich Yamaha.
A magnificent first WSS title for the 23-year-old after blending scintillating speed with unwavering consistency, Lowes has won five races and five second place finishes so far this year, with just a single technical-induced DNF to his name.
Furthermore, Lowes's success marks a maiden WSS title for the Russian-financed Yakhnich outfit, a marvellous achievement for a team competing in only its second WSS season, while it is Yamaha's third riders' title in five seasons.
The race itself would prove something of a dogged battle from start-to-finish, with front row starter Iddon proving the unexpected package as he snatched the lead at the start on the ParkinGO MV Agusta and proceeded to fend off the attentions of Lowes.
Indeed, though Lowes would make repeated attempts at overtaking his countryman, Iddon – yet to score a podium in WSS – would hold firm until lap four when he eventually slipped by into Adelaide
France WSS: Sam Lowes wins 2013 World Supersport title
06 October 2013
Sam Lowes is crowned 2013 World Supersport Champion after doing more than enough secure to secure the title at Magny-Cours.
France WSS: Sam Lowes wins 2013 World Supersport title
CLICK HERE to view race results
Sam Lowes has been crowned World Supersport Champion for 2013 after finishing second in the penultimate round of the season at Magny-Cours.
The British rider came into the race needing just a points' finish to secure the crown with one round in hand, but refused to back down in the battle for outright victory as he tussled with arch rival Kenan Sofuoglu and an inspired Christian Iddon from start-to-finish.
Culminating in yet another thrilling battle between the season-long sparring partners, in the end Sofuoglu was declared the winner after the red flag was deployed on the last lap.
However, it was nowhere near enough to keep the title fight open to Jerez, with Lowes duly confirmed as champion for Yakhnich Yamaha.
A magnificent first WSS title for the 23-year-old after blending scintillating speed with unwavering consistency, Lowes has won five races and five second place finishes so far this year, with just a single technical-induced DNF to his name.
Furthermore, Lowes's success marks a maiden WSS title for the Russian-financed Yakhnich outfit, a marvellous achievement for a team competing in only its second WSS season, while it is Yamaha's third riders' title in five seasons.
The race itself would prove something of a dogged battle from start-to-finish, with front row starter Iddon proving the unexpected package as he snatched the lead at the start on the ParkinGO MV Agusta and proceeded to fend off the attentions of Lowes.
Indeed, though Lowes would make repeated attempts at overtaking his countryman, Iddon – yet to score a podium in WSS – would hold firm until lap four when he eventually slipped by into Adelaide
Old Kawasaki Superbike Sells For Over $100k
by staff
Monday, October 07, 2013
A 1982 Kawasaki S1 Superbike VIN number 70 recently sold on eBay for over $100,000.
image thanks, ebay user tbone8436
In an on-line auction that ended October 2nd, a production Superbike made in 1982 sold for an unprecedented $107,000.
The bike is a very rare 1982 Kawasaki KZ1000 S1, which was the customer version of Kawasaki's AMA Superbike. The item description on eBay states that this bike was still crated in a Kawasaki dealership in the mid-1980s when finally sold to the original owner who did not ride the bike.
Eddie Lawson won the 1982 AMA Superbike championship on a factory version of the S1. While S1s were at one time plentiful and tuners like Gary Medley, Rob Muzzy and others had garages full of S1 parts, original bikes and parts are now very rare. The S1 is truly a legendary Superbike, but just about any off the floor 600 would lap it.
A full package of spares came with the machine auctioned on eBay. The bike and spares kit looked to be in nearly new condition.
In 1982, Kawasaki presented Eddie Lawson with a KZ1000 ELR (serial number 21--Lawson's racing number) streetbike as a gift. After sitting for years in his father's garage, Lawson put the bike in a secure location.
In recent years the value of the ultra-rare S1 and the ELR have steadily appreciated.
While not representative of what a 1982 ELR is worth, Lawson has said that he has turned down offers from Japanese collectors of over one million dollars for his VIN number 021 1982 Kawasaki ELR.
ENDS
by staff
Monday, October 07, 2013
A 1982 Kawasaki S1 Superbike VIN number 70 recently sold on eBay for over $100,000.
image thanks, ebay user tbone8436
In an on-line auction that ended October 2nd, a production Superbike made in 1982 sold for an unprecedented $107,000.
The bike is a very rare 1982 Kawasaki KZ1000 S1, which was the customer version of Kawasaki's AMA Superbike. The item description on eBay states that this bike was still crated in a Kawasaki dealership in the mid-1980s when finally sold to the original owner who did not ride the bike.
Eddie Lawson won the 1982 AMA Superbike championship on a factory version of the S1. While S1s were at one time plentiful and tuners like Gary Medley, Rob Muzzy and others had garages full of S1 parts, original bikes and parts are now very rare. The S1 is truly a legendary Superbike, but just about any off the floor 600 would lap it.
A full package of spares came with the machine auctioned on eBay. The bike and spares kit looked to be in nearly new condition.
In 1982, Kawasaki presented Eddie Lawson with a KZ1000 ELR (serial number 21--Lawson's racing number) streetbike as a gift. After sitting for years in his father's garage, Lawson put the bike in a secure location.
In recent years the value of the ultra-rare S1 and the ELR have steadily appreciated.
While not representative of what a 1982 ELR is worth, Lawson has said that he has turned down offers from Japanese collectors of over one million dollars for his VIN number 021 1982 Kawasaki ELR.
ENDS
Good old Kawa 1000 
Thats LUSH as we say over here Murph
It was one of my first bikes...fast as hell. Too sad, I've no pics anymore.
Really love that Murph. It looks smart as hell.
vastly different motorcycles gemtlemen ^
MOTOGP »
Australian MotoGP: Nicky Hayden to Aspar Honda
17 October 2013
"It's a production bike and of course I'd prefer the factory Honda but we've got to understand how competitive this bike can be" - Nicky Hayden.
MOTOGP »
Australian MotoGP: Nicky Hayden to Aspar Honda
17 October 2013
"It's a production bike and of course I'd prefer the factory Honda but we've got to understand how competitive this bike can be" - Nicky Hayden.
-
Australian MotoGP: Nicky Hayden to Aspar Honda
Former world champion Nicky Hayden will stay in MotoGP next season after signing to ride the new Honda Production Racer for the Aspar team.
The popular American has been carefully evaluating options in both MotoGP and World Superbike after the announcement that his five-year factory Ducati career will end at Valencia. Cal Crutchlow is taking over Hayden's Desmosedici seat for 2014.
Aspar with Aprilia looked certain - until Aprilia technical director Gig Dall'Igna 'shocked' Hayden by leaving to become the new general manager of Ducati Corse.
That threw the level of factory support for the Aprilia project in doubt, with Honda - for whom Hayden won the 2006 MotoGP title - stepping up as a safer alternative.
The deal was finally confirmed on Thursday at the Australian MotoGP.
Speaking just before the official announcement, Hayden said: "I'm pretty happy with what I've got. It's a production bike and of course I'd prefer the factory Honda but we've got to understand how competitive this bike can be. I love the team and from what I've heard from Honda about it."
Honda's new privateer machine is based on the title leading RC213V, but without the seamless shift gearbox and pneumatic valves. Like all non-factory entries (to be called 'open' class) it must also use the full standard ECU package, but with four litres of extra race fuel and the option of twelve instead of five engines changes during the year.
The 'open' class are also expected to continue with a softer specification of rear tyre.
The potential of the new Honda Production machine, recently tested by Hayden's former team-mate and double champion Casey Stoner, has now tempted Aspar to sever its Aprilia ties.
In the official Hayden-Honda announcement, team principal Jorge 'Martinez' Aspar said: "It is great news for the Power Electronics Aspar Team to have the acquired services of Honda and a rider of the profile of Nicky Hayden. We are taking a huge step forward in terms of quality, prestige and image. We have grown a lot in a short space of time and we are all very excited about this new project with Honda. It is the factory that the Aspar Team first started with back in 1992 and I have great memories of that period.
"Our objective is to continue being a reference point in the premier-class. I think the combination of Honda's MotoGP Production Racer and Nicky Hayden is going to be a very successful one. We are thrilled to be working with a manufacturer with the history that Honda has and a rider like Nicky, a World Champion with huge experience. It will be a big change for us after so many years working with Italian factories but we have high hopes for this new project. We are up for the challenge and we will give maximum effort to making sure the Power Electronics Aspar Team continues achieving top results.”
The Aspar, Hayden and Honda partnership is believed to be for two years.
-- MotoGP 2013 - Round 16 - Phillip Island - Lorenzo laps up the sunshine as Phillip Island heats up
Combined Free Practice Times
1. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Yamaha Factory Racing 1'28.961
2. Marc Marquez (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 1'29.255
3. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Go&Fun Honda Gresini 1'29.438
4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 1'29.478
5. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha Factory Racing 1'29.537
6. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech3 1'29.667
7. Bradley Smith (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech3 1'30.165
8. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Power Electronics Aspar 1'30.215
9. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Team 1'30.609
10. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Ducati Team 1'30.754
11. Andrea Iannone (ITA) Pramac Racing Team 1'30.792
12. Colin Edwards (USA) NGM Mobile Forward Racing 1'30.917
13. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Power Electronics Aspar 1'31.091
14. Yonny Hernandez (COL) Ignite Pramac Racing Team 1'31.134
15. Hector Barbera (SPA) Avintia Blusens 1'31.286
16. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Avintia Blusens 1'31.434
17. Claudio Corti (ITA) NGM Mobile Forward Racing 1'31.451
18. Danilo Petrucci (ITA) Came Iodaracing Project 1'31.803
19. Michael Laverty (GBR) Paul Bird Motorsport 1'32.066
20. Luca Scassa (ITA) Cardion AB Motoracing 1'32.261
21. Bryan Staring (AUS) Go&Fun Honda Gresini 1'32.290
22. Lukas Pesek (CZE) Came IodaRacing Project 1'32.943
23. Stefan Bradl (GER) LCR Honda MotoGP 1'33.165
24. Damian Cudlin (AUS) Paul Bird Motorsport 1'34.969
The spectacular Phillip Island circuit was at its sparkling best today as Jorge Lorenzo led the way in the first two free practice sessions of the 2013 Tissot Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
With the sun shining and the temperature heating up, an estimated 20,200 fans made their way to Phillip Island to see the world’s best battle it out to become the first rider outside of Casey Stoner to win at the track since 2006.
Yamaha ace Jorge Lorenzo saw Honda rivals Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa both come to grief during the second 45-minute free practice session for Sunday’s Grand Prix and promptly fired in his fastest laps of the day to top the times for the second session running.
Marquez, 43 points shy of the world title, came off the RC213V just six minutes into the session when the back wheel stepped out on the crest at Lukey Heights
Unhurt, Marquez returned to the pits and was able to get out on track and finish the session in sixth place overall but over a second off Lorenzo’s pace.
Pedrosa, meanwhile, had a bizarre moment after half an hour when he pulled the Honda off-track on the inside of Turn 2 with what looked like a bolt or linkage trailing out of the bike’s left-hand side.
Pedrosa was third-quickest behind Alvaro Bautista, who had a crash of his own at Turn 2 on the Gresini Honda but put in another impressive session with a best lap of 1:28.961 and the top speed of 343.9 km/h to boot.
The track resurface proved to quicken the pace across all categories and there is no question that lap records will be broken this weekend.
With the world title up for grabs and further sunshine predicted, Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO, Andrew Westacott, was excited about the turnout for the weekend.
“The weather really turned it on today and we are expecting similar conditions tomorrow and Sunday, so I encourage fans to come and see the new era of MotoGP in action,” he said.
“Tickets are still available for the weekend and with great racing and exciting entertainment, on and off the track including the Australian Supercross Championship and a cameo appearance from Casey Stoner, it should make for a bumper weekend.”
-- Yamaha Report - Lorenzo On Top Down Under
Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo has made a flying start to this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, completing the first day of free practice as the fastest rider. The defending champion came out fighting in the first morning practice and led the session apart from a brief appearance by rival Marc Marquez at the top of the time sheets mid way through.
A new tarmac surface at the track has vastly improved grip, allowing Lorenzo to drop almost a second under the race record in the morning. The afternoon saw him pick up the pace even further, the only rider to drop into the 1’28s to finish the day on a 1’28.961, just three tenths from Casey Stoner’s 2008 pole record.
Teammate Valentino Rossi also enjoyed a positive start to the weekend today. The Italian nine time champion made a big step forward between the morning and afternoon sessions, shaving nearly half a second off his time and moving half a second closer to the front. He finished the day in fifth overall, 0.576 from Lorenzo in first and just 0.059 seconds from Dani Pedrosa in fourth.
Jorge Lorenzo - 1st / 1'28.961 / 32 laps
“I feel that here we are much more competitive than in Malaysia. There are some problems with the wind in some corners where we cannot keep the front wheel on the ground so we need to improve that for tomorrow. In general every step we make with the bike works so little by little we have improved and been faster. The tyre feels consistent also so let’s see if we can improve the little issue with the front. The new tarmac is much better, you can push with more confidence and there are less bumps. The exit of turn six has a little bump, but apart from this corner everything is much better.”
Valentino Rossi - 5th / 1'29.537 / 43 laps
“I’m happy about today, especially this afternoon as we were able to improve the settings of the bike a lot. I’m happy about my pace, I’m constant and also quite fast, I can stay on a 1’29 also with used tyres. We have to improve some areas, especially turn four to try to go faster and we need to exit the last corner in a better way. We also need to work for the edge of the tyre, especially on the left as it's a big stress. The track is fantastic with good weather like today. The new surface is very good so it's a great pleasure to ride the M1 here. We are all very close and we are quite fast. The track is easier to ride like this because the new tarmac has more grip and less bumps. It’s easier but we have to be faster! The lines are more or less the same.”
Yamaha Factory Racing Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager
“It’s been a good first day despite the windy circumstances, which all riders complained about. The tarmac is a lot better than before so they are happy with the grip of the track. Jorge was very consistent and happy with the set up. It’s very positive to be fastest so let’s work towards some more possibilities for tomorrow because I don't think today was the fastest lap of the weekend.”
Yamaha Factory Racing Massimo Meregalli Team Director
“Today definitely started very well and we were able to get a lot of data. The bikes look like they are both working well. As a result we were able to make improvements much more quickly than the previous two races. This track is very suitable for our bike. It’s really important to start like this at the beginning and make the setting of the bike as good as possible. We are satisfied with today but will keep pushing and working to make something even better for tomorrow.”
-- Repsol HRC Report
It's been a mixed day for the Repsol Honda riders, Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, in preparation for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.
This morning's FP1 session went according to plan with both riders putting in fast laps on the new asphalt in Phillip Island and finishing 2nd and 4th respectively. Then in FP2 this afternoon, Marc crashed at turn nine on his first run, resulting in the bike being unusable for the remainder of the session and Dani was forced to stop on track due to a mechanical problem caused by a small mistake by his team - the engine mounting bolt was not properly locked and came loose. However, Dani realised there was a problem immediately and pulled his bike safely off the track.
Marc, who after the crash went out on his second bike, was unable to improve from his morning time of 1'29.255, placing him 2nd for the day - 6th in FP2 , and Dani improved by half a second in the afternoon with a 1'29.478 leaving him 4th for this first day in Australia.
Marc Marquez 2nd 1'29.255 - "The day went well - especially in the morning. It's a pity about the crash right at the start of the afternoon run but we went back out with the second bike, which had a totally different geometry and we had no time in which to change things. Thus, we used the initial setup for the entire session. We shall see if tomorrow we can regain the feeling that we had in the morning session, as I felt very good - something that is very important at Phillip Island. We shall continue working in order to improve for the race"
Dani Pedrosa 4th 1'29.478 - "Today was very positive, the new asphalt felt good and the tyres worked well for us. The only setback was that we were unable to make the most of all the time available, due to a problem with the bike at the end of the afternoon session. That meant that we had to end the day early. In general it was a good day, and we shall try to improve further tomorrow"
-- MotoGP 2013 - Round 16 - Phillip Island - Possible history in the making for Marquez as Australian GP gets underway
The Tissot Australian Grand Prix got underway today with the regular pre-race conference, where this weekend’s possible title contender, Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez, was joined by his main rival, Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo, Repsol teammate Dani Pedrosa, Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Cal Crutchlow, Tuenti HP 40’s Pol Espargaro and Caretta Technology – RTG’s Jack Miller.
Marquez, who could take the title if he outscores Lorenzo by eight points this weekend, is trying not to think of the title too much: “That is true, it will be the first chance, but I think it will be so, so difficult, because Jorge was so fast last year. He finished second but we know how Casey was here. It will just be another race for me. The most important is to try and get it – it doesn’t matter when. I look forward to riding a MotoGP bike here. It will be so exciting and the fast corners will be interesting. I saw some videos from last year, and Casey especially did some incredible lines, so we will see how Phillip Island is on a MotoGP bike.”
Lorenzo however, has vowed to make it difficult for Marquez: “The last two results were not the best. We wanted to win and finish in front of Marc, but we tried everything in Aragon and then finished worse than expected at Sepang. But that is done. We cannot think about the past. We are at Phillip Island with different circumstances and a different track. We will try to be as good as possible and win this race. Braking is our weakest point at the moment and it should be much colder, so in theory, yes, it is going to be a better track for us, but sometimes theory doesn’t work, so let’s see how it goes this weekend.”
Pedrosa, who last year did not finish the race, is hoping the new asphalt will work in his favour: “Last year wasn’t so successful, I crashed early with the cold tyre, but it’s key to get a good practice here and take the time well, especially in qualifying. Let’s see if we can do a good weekend overall. It’s hard to judge now, but obviously the previous one [asphalt] was quite old and there were many bumps. I think we will feel a big different with the new asphalt. We don’t know how the tyres will be, but for sure with these cold conditions it’s a better feeling when the track is new.”
Crutchlow, a podium sitter here previously, is aiming for the same once more: “It’s definitely going to be hard to repeat the performance of last year, when we got a bit fortunate with Dani crashing out. I’ve had a few bad results recently, but as Jorge said it should suit our bike better here. Podium last year and I don’t see any reason why we can’t do it again.”
News was also confirmed that Nicky Hayden will be on an Aspar Honda production racer in season 2014.
Espargaro, second in the Moto2™ class at the moment by nine points, believes both he and championship leader Scott Redding will be feeling the heat: “The pressure is on both of us because we’re almost at the finale in Valencia, with just three races to go. For sure we have a pressure, but it’s just about doing the races, but the strategy will be important and it’s just about doing the three races. I will just go for it, but for sure this year has been so different to last, and we also have the new asphalt.”
Local Moto3™ talent Miller joked about the cold weather at the track in reference to it being his “home” circuit: “Home! Sort of. I don’t claim Phillip Island to be part of Australia – we don’t get this weather where I am from! It’s good to be home…‘homeish’ anyway, before we go to Japan! It’s definitely been a difficult year on the Honda. Handling-wise the bike is awesome but we struggle in straight lines. It’s been a good year but we seem to fall off because of tyre wear in the second halves of races.”
To mark the occasion of a possible World Champion being crowned at the race this weekend’s race in the form of Marquez, the 10 contenders across all groups lined up for photos before the press conference. Moto3™ saw Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Luis Salom joined by Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alex Rins and Team Calvo’s Maverick Viñales, whilst in Moto2™ there was the Marc VDS Racing duo of Scott Redding and Mika Kallio along side Tuenti HP 40 riders Pol Espargaro and Esteve Rabat. In MotoGP™ it was the Spanish trio of Marquez, Lorenzo and Pedrosa.
In separate news, LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl, who fractured his right ankle in a crash in Sepang, has been declared fit to ride in FP1 tomorrow morning. He will however will be reassessed after the session.
Combined Free Practice Times
1. Jorge Lorenzo (SPA) Yamaha Factory Racing 1'28.961
2. Marc Marquez (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 1'29.255
3. Alvaro Bautista (SPA) Go&Fun Honda Gresini 1'29.438
4. Dani Pedrosa (SPA) Repsol Honda Team 1'29.478
5. Valentino Rossi (ITA) Yamaha Factory Racing 1'29.537
6. Cal Crutchlow (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech3 1'29.667
7. Bradley Smith (GBR) Monster Yamaha Tech3 1'30.165
8. Randy De Puniet (FRA) Power Electronics Aspar 1'30.215
9. Nicky Hayden (USA) Ducati Team 1'30.609
10. Andrea Dovizioso (ITA) Ducati Team 1'30.754
11. Andrea Iannone (ITA) Pramac Racing Team 1'30.792
12. Colin Edwards (USA) NGM Mobile Forward Racing 1'30.917
13. Aleix Espargaro (SPA) Power Electronics Aspar 1'31.091
14. Yonny Hernandez (COL) Ignite Pramac Racing Team 1'31.134
15. Hector Barbera (SPA) Avintia Blusens 1'31.286
16. Hiroshi Aoyama (JPN) Avintia Blusens 1'31.434
17. Claudio Corti (ITA) NGM Mobile Forward Racing 1'31.451
18. Danilo Petrucci (ITA) Came Iodaracing Project 1'31.803
19. Michael Laverty (GBR) Paul Bird Motorsport 1'32.066
20. Luca Scassa (ITA) Cardion AB Motoracing 1'32.261
21. Bryan Staring (AUS) Go&Fun Honda Gresini 1'32.290
22. Lukas Pesek (CZE) Came IodaRacing Project 1'32.943
23. Stefan Bradl (GER) LCR Honda MotoGP 1'33.165
24. Damian Cudlin (AUS) Paul Bird Motorsport 1'34.969
The spectacular Phillip Island circuit was at its sparkling best today as Jorge Lorenzo led the way in the first two free practice sessions of the 2013 Tissot Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
With the sun shining and the temperature heating up, an estimated 20,200 fans made their way to Phillip Island to see the world’s best battle it out to become the first rider outside of Casey Stoner to win at the track since 2006.
Yamaha ace Jorge Lorenzo saw Honda rivals Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa both come to grief during the second 45-minute free practice session for Sunday’s Grand Prix and promptly fired in his fastest laps of the day to top the times for the second session running.
Marquez, 43 points shy of the world title, came off the RC213V just six minutes into the session when the back wheel stepped out on the crest at Lukey Heights
Unhurt, Marquez returned to the pits and was able to get out on track and finish the session in sixth place overall but over a second off Lorenzo’s pace.
Pedrosa, meanwhile, had a bizarre moment after half an hour when he pulled the Honda off-track on the inside of Turn 2 with what looked like a bolt or linkage trailing out of the bike’s left-hand side.
Pedrosa was third-quickest behind Alvaro Bautista, who had a crash of his own at Turn 2 on the Gresini Honda but put in another impressive session with a best lap of 1:28.961 and the top speed of 343.9 km/h to boot.
The track resurface proved to quicken the pace across all categories and there is no question that lap records will be broken this weekend.
With the world title up for grabs and further sunshine predicted, Australian Grand Prix Corporation CEO, Andrew Westacott, was excited about the turnout for the weekend.
“The weather really turned it on today and we are expecting similar conditions tomorrow and Sunday, so I encourage fans to come and see the new era of MotoGP in action,” he said.
“Tickets are still available for the weekend and with great racing and exciting entertainment, on and off the track including the Australian Supercross Championship and a cameo appearance from Casey Stoner, it should make for a bumper weekend.”
-- Yamaha Report - Lorenzo On Top Down Under
Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo has made a flying start to this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix, completing the first day of free practice as the fastest rider. The defending champion came out fighting in the first morning practice and led the session apart from a brief appearance by rival Marc Marquez at the top of the time sheets mid way through.
A new tarmac surface at the track has vastly improved grip, allowing Lorenzo to drop almost a second under the race record in the morning. The afternoon saw him pick up the pace even further, the only rider to drop into the 1’28s to finish the day on a 1’28.961, just three tenths from Casey Stoner’s 2008 pole record.
Teammate Valentino Rossi also enjoyed a positive start to the weekend today. The Italian nine time champion made a big step forward between the morning and afternoon sessions, shaving nearly half a second off his time and moving half a second closer to the front. He finished the day in fifth overall, 0.576 from Lorenzo in first and just 0.059 seconds from Dani Pedrosa in fourth.
Jorge Lorenzo - 1st / 1'28.961 / 32 laps
“I feel that here we are much more competitive than in Malaysia. There are some problems with the wind in some corners where we cannot keep the front wheel on the ground so we need to improve that for tomorrow. In general every step we make with the bike works so little by little we have improved and been faster. The tyre feels consistent also so let’s see if we can improve the little issue with the front. The new tarmac is much better, you can push with more confidence and there are less bumps. The exit of turn six has a little bump, but apart from this corner everything is much better.”
Valentino Rossi - 5th / 1'29.537 / 43 laps
“I’m happy about today, especially this afternoon as we were able to improve the settings of the bike a lot. I’m happy about my pace, I’m constant and also quite fast, I can stay on a 1’29 also with used tyres. We have to improve some areas, especially turn four to try to go faster and we need to exit the last corner in a better way. We also need to work for the edge of the tyre, especially on the left as it's a big stress. The track is fantastic with good weather like today. The new surface is very good so it's a great pleasure to ride the M1 here. We are all very close and we are quite fast. The track is easier to ride like this because the new tarmac has more grip and less bumps. It’s easier but we have to be faster! The lines are more or less the same.”
Yamaha Factory Racing Wilco Zeelenberg Team Manager
“It’s been a good first day despite the windy circumstances, which all riders complained about. The tarmac is a lot better than before so they are happy with the grip of the track. Jorge was very consistent and happy with the set up. It’s very positive to be fastest so let’s work towards some more possibilities for tomorrow because I don't think today was the fastest lap of the weekend.”
Yamaha Factory Racing Massimo Meregalli Team Director
“Today definitely started very well and we were able to get a lot of data. The bikes look like they are both working well. As a result we were able to make improvements much more quickly than the previous two races. This track is very suitable for our bike. It’s really important to start like this at the beginning and make the setting of the bike as good as possible. We are satisfied with today but will keep pushing and working to make something even better for tomorrow.”
-- Repsol HRC Report
It's been a mixed day for the Repsol Honda riders, Marc Marquez and Dani Pedrosa, in preparation for Sunday's Australian Grand Prix.
This morning's FP1 session went according to plan with both riders putting in fast laps on the new asphalt in Phillip Island and finishing 2nd and 4th respectively. Then in FP2 this afternoon, Marc crashed at turn nine on his first run, resulting in the bike being unusable for the remainder of the session and Dani was forced to stop on track due to a mechanical problem caused by a small mistake by his team - the engine mounting bolt was not properly locked and came loose. However, Dani realised there was a problem immediately and pulled his bike safely off the track.
Marc, who after the crash went out on his second bike, was unable to improve from his morning time of 1'29.255, placing him 2nd for the day - 6th in FP2 , and Dani improved by half a second in the afternoon with a 1'29.478 leaving him 4th for this first day in Australia.
Marc Marquez 2nd 1'29.255 - "The day went well - especially in the morning. It's a pity about the crash right at the start of the afternoon run but we went back out with the second bike, which had a totally different geometry and we had no time in which to change things. Thus, we used the initial setup for the entire session. We shall see if tomorrow we can regain the feeling that we had in the morning session, as I felt very good - something that is very important at Phillip Island. We shall continue working in order to improve for the race"
Dani Pedrosa 4th 1'29.478 - "Today was very positive, the new asphalt felt good and the tyres worked well for us. The only setback was that we were unable to make the most of all the time available, due to a problem with the bike at the end of the afternoon session. That meant that we had to end the day early. In general it was a good day, and we shall try to improve further tomorrow"
-- MotoGP 2013 - Round 16 - Phillip Island - Possible history in the making for Marquez as Australian GP gets underway
The Tissot Australian Grand Prix got underway today with the regular pre-race conference, where this weekend’s possible title contender, Repsol Honda Team’s Marc Marquez, was joined by his main rival, Yamaha Factory Racing’s Jorge Lorenzo, Repsol teammate Dani Pedrosa, Monster Yamaha Tech3’s Cal Crutchlow, Tuenti HP 40’s Pol Espargaro and Caretta Technology – RTG’s Jack Miller.
Marquez, who could take the title if he outscores Lorenzo by eight points this weekend, is trying not to think of the title too much: “That is true, it will be the first chance, but I think it will be so, so difficult, because Jorge was so fast last year. He finished second but we know how Casey was here. It will just be another race for me. The most important is to try and get it – it doesn’t matter when. I look forward to riding a MotoGP bike here. It will be so exciting and the fast corners will be interesting. I saw some videos from last year, and Casey especially did some incredible lines, so we will see how Phillip Island is on a MotoGP bike.”
Lorenzo however, has vowed to make it difficult for Marquez: “The last two results were not the best. We wanted to win and finish in front of Marc, but we tried everything in Aragon and then finished worse than expected at Sepang. But that is done. We cannot think about the past. We are at Phillip Island with different circumstances and a different track. We will try to be as good as possible and win this race. Braking is our weakest point at the moment and it should be much colder, so in theory, yes, it is going to be a better track for us, but sometimes theory doesn’t work, so let’s see how it goes this weekend.”
Pedrosa, who last year did not finish the race, is hoping the new asphalt will work in his favour: “Last year wasn’t so successful, I crashed early with the cold tyre, but it’s key to get a good practice here and take the time well, especially in qualifying. Let’s see if we can do a good weekend overall. It’s hard to judge now, but obviously the previous one [asphalt] was quite old and there were many bumps. I think we will feel a big different with the new asphalt. We don’t know how the tyres will be, but for sure with these cold conditions it’s a better feeling when the track is new.”
Crutchlow, a podium sitter here previously, is aiming for the same once more: “It’s definitely going to be hard to repeat the performance of last year, when we got a bit fortunate with Dani crashing out. I’ve had a few bad results recently, but as Jorge said it should suit our bike better here. Podium last year and I don’t see any reason why we can’t do it again.”
News was also confirmed that Nicky Hayden will be on an Aspar Honda production racer in season 2014.
Espargaro, second in the Moto2™ class at the moment by nine points, believes both he and championship leader Scott Redding will be feeling the heat: “The pressure is on both of us because we’re almost at the finale in Valencia, with just three races to go. For sure we have a pressure, but it’s just about doing the races, but the strategy will be important and it’s just about doing the three races. I will just go for it, but for sure this year has been so different to last, and we also have the new asphalt.”
Local Moto3™ talent Miller joked about the cold weather at the track in reference to it being his “home” circuit: “Home! Sort of. I don’t claim Phillip Island to be part of Australia – we don’t get this weather where I am from! It’s good to be home…‘homeish’ anyway, before we go to Japan! It’s definitely been a difficult year on the Honda. Handling-wise the bike is awesome but we struggle in straight lines. It’s been a good year but we seem to fall off because of tyre wear in the second halves of races.”
To mark the occasion of a possible World Champion being crowned at the race this weekend’s race in the form of Marquez, the 10 contenders across all groups lined up for photos before the press conference. Moto3™ saw Red Bull KTM Ajo’s Luis Salom joined by Estrella Galicia 0,0’s Alex Rins and Team Calvo’s Maverick Viñales, whilst in Moto2™ there was the Marc VDS Racing duo of Scott Redding and Mika Kallio along side Tuenti HP 40 riders Pol Espargaro and Esteve Rabat. In MotoGP™ it was the Spanish trio of Marquez, Lorenzo and Pedrosa.
In separate news, LCR Honda MotoGP’s Stefan Bradl, who fractured his right ankle in a crash in Sepang, has been declared fit to ride in FP1 tomorrow morning. He will however will be reassessed after the session.
Trackside Conversation: Jeremy Burgess Ten minutes with Valentino Rossi’s Yamaha engineer.
July 30, 2013 By Kevin Cameron
As the MotoGP teams were putting their Laguna Seca pageant back into its shipping cases Sunday evening, I spied Jeremy Burgess. We talked briefly about tires and their temperature. He remarked, as Yamaha satellite rider Cal Crutchlow had said at an earlier round, that factory rider Jorge Lorenzo has his steering stem so far forward no one can figure out how he can brake like that.
What needs explaining here is that MotoGP steering heads are not the tubular affairs with which we grew up. In fact, they are much larger, often-oval affairs that permit not only changing the rake angle but also allow a fair amount of fore or aft movement of the front wheel. Insert plates, bored in pairs for the desired rake angle and front/rear position, are used to achieve these changes. Burgess’ rider, Valentino Rossi, is said to have his front end fairly far back in the head, which, by shortening the wheelbase, achieves a faster build up of weight on the front tire as braking begins. Lorenzo, the leading exponent of high corner speed, brakes earlier and more moderately than most of his competitors. This is not just a personal preference; the grip required for high corner speed would be upset by sudden brake application.
Think of the problem: As you approach your braking point for a corner, your front tire has been cooling since the last turn. Therefore, it lacks maximum grip because the cooler a tire becomes, the harder it gets and the less able it is to achieve maximum rubber-to-pavement contact by filling the pavement’s texture. If you just give the brake lever a good yank, the cool tire will slip rather than grip. If this happens at any angle of lean, the result can put you into the gravel. You must first “plant” the front tire by braking just hard enough to begin weight transfer to the front, compressing the fork and squashing the footprint to a larger size. Making the front tire carry most of the machine’s weight quickly drives its temperature, and its grip, upward. As grip increases, you can squeeze the lever progressively harder. This calls for judgment, not brute force. Braking force must rise with the available grip.
I asked Burgess about this variation in tire temperature during braking and through corners. He said Yamaha had reason to believe that Honda has an advantage in combined braking and turning, such as occurs in spades after Laguna’s Turn 1. Here, Rossi recorded the highest speeds of the weekend, 167 mph, but because bikes are quite leaned over through this fast left, they cannot brake at maximum rate for upcoming Turn 2. According to Brembo, whereas maximum deceleration for Turn 6 is 1.4g, only 1.1g can be achieved for Turn 1.
Why might the Honda have an advantage here? As all teams have access to the same disc, caliper and master-cylinder technologies, the answer must lie in differences in how tires warm up during braking. Does the Honda transfer weight to the front more quickly, possibly by having a higher cg?
Each team has precise data from on-board GPS and sensors to record exactly where their riders first apply brakes and how they vary brake pressure on the way into the corner. The closer to full operating temperature the tire is initially and the faster the rider can raise its temperature by braking, the shorter the braking distance can be.
I mentioned the statement made earlier this year by Bernard Gobmeier, that Bridgestone could fix Ducati’s lack of mid-corner front grip in two weeks. Burgess agreed, saying that in the previous era of tire competition, Michelin had made a special tire to suit Kevin Schwantz’s style.
The claim of a spec-tire series is that “it’s the same for everyone,” but Ducati’s plight makes a lie out of that statement. In effect, the present tires require Ducati to build a Honda or a Yamaha. The current Ducati, a second per lap off the pace, is clearly not a solution. Some Ducatisti imagine that if only Casey Stoner would come back, a new golden age could begin, but Stoner’s 2007 championship on a Ducati took place on special Bridgestone tires custom-designed for Stoner’s style and the Ducati’s design; the spec tire era had not yet begun.
There are no simple, equitable answers to this situation.
July 30, 2013 By Kevin Cameron
As the MotoGP teams were putting their Laguna Seca pageant back into its shipping cases Sunday evening, I spied Jeremy Burgess. We talked briefly about tires and their temperature. He remarked, as Yamaha satellite rider Cal Crutchlow had said at an earlier round, that factory rider Jorge Lorenzo has his steering stem so far forward no one can figure out how he can brake like that.
What needs explaining here is that MotoGP steering heads are not the tubular affairs with which we grew up. In fact, they are much larger, often-oval affairs that permit not only changing the rake angle but also allow a fair amount of fore or aft movement of the front wheel. Insert plates, bored in pairs for the desired rake angle and front/rear position, are used to achieve these changes. Burgess’ rider, Valentino Rossi, is said to have his front end fairly far back in the head, which, by shortening the wheelbase, achieves a faster build up of weight on the front tire as braking begins. Lorenzo, the leading exponent of high corner speed, brakes earlier and more moderately than most of his competitors. This is not just a personal preference; the grip required for high corner speed would be upset by sudden brake application.
Think of the problem: As you approach your braking point for a corner, your front tire has been cooling since the last turn. Therefore, it lacks maximum grip because the cooler a tire becomes, the harder it gets and the less able it is to achieve maximum rubber-to-pavement contact by filling the pavement’s texture. If you just give the brake lever a good yank, the cool tire will slip rather than grip. If this happens at any angle of lean, the result can put you into the gravel. You must first “plant” the front tire by braking just hard enough to begin weight transfer to the front, compressing the fork and squashing the footprint to a larger size. Making the front tire carry most of the machine’s weight quickly drives its temperature, and its grip, upward. As grip increases, you can squeeze the lever progressively harder. This calls for judgment, not brute force. Braking force must rise with the available grip.
I asked Burgess about this variation in tire temperature during braking and through corners. He said Yamaha had reason to believe that Honda has an advantage in combined braking and turning, such as occurs in spades after Laguna’s Turn 1. Here, Rossi recorded the highest speeds of the weekend, 167 mph, but because bikes are quite leaned over through this fast left, they cannot brake at maximum rate for upcoming Turn 2. According to Brembo, whereas maximum deceleration for Turn 6 is 1.4g, only 1.1g can be achieved for Turn 1.
Why might the Honda have an advantage here? As all teams have access to the same disc, caliper and master-cylinder technologies, the answer must lie in differences in how tires warm up during braking. Does the Honda transfer weight to the front more quickly, possibly by having a higher cg?
Each team has precise data from on-board GPS and sensors to record exactly where their riders first apply brakes and how they vary brake pressure on the way into the corner. The closer to full operating temperature the tire is initially and the faster the rider can raise its temperature by braking, the shorter the braking distance can be.
I mentioned the statement made earlier this year by Bernard Gobmeier, that Bridgestone could fix Ducati’s lack of mid-corner front grip in two weeks. Burgess agreed, saying that in the previous era of tire competition, Michelin had made a special tire to suit Kevin Schwantz’s style.
The claim of a spec-tire series is that “it’s the same for everyone,” but Ducati’s plight makes a lie out of that statement. In effect, the present tires require Ducati to build a Honda or a Yamaha. The current Ducati, a second per lap off the pace, is clearly not a solution. Some Ducatisti imagine that if only Casey Stoner would come back, a new golden age could begin, but Stoner’s 2007 championship on a Ducati took place on special Bridgestone tires custom-designed for Stoner’s style and the Ducati’s design; the spec tire era had not yet begun.
There are no simple, equitable answers to this situation.
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