Winner of the Suzuka 8 Hours

Watch the video at the top of the screen, for all the thrills and spills of the 39th running of the legendary Suzuka 8 Hours.  Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki finished on the podium and the winners (riding a factory Yamaha YZF R1) were familiar names.  From the Endurance World Championship and Japanese motorcycle road racing, Katsuyuki Nakasuga.  From FIM World Superbike, Alex Lowes, and from MotoGP, Pol Espargaro.  The Nakasuga/Lowes/Espargaro team completed a distance in 8 hours of 218 laps, 788 and a half miles.

Yamaha Wins Second Successive Suzuka 8 Hours
http://www.motoamerica.com/yamaha-wins-second-successive-suzuka-8-hours

Yamaha Factory Trio Fastest On Friday at Suzuka Circuit

Tomorrow is the Suzuka 8 Hours, a legendary motorcycle endurance race.  Here's how provisional qualifying for the race went down.  Stay tuned, for a post, highlighting the race.

http://www.motoamerica.com/yamaha-factory-trio-fastest-on-friday-at-suzuka-circuit

WSBK at Laguna Seca (second update)

Yours truly is still working on a race report for the World Superbike event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey California, that happened a couple of weeks ago when the championship came for it's only appearance in the United States.  Race one has been updated, and still need to write about race two, before publishing the latest entry.  Stay tuned for the full race report.  It will be publish here on 2 Wheelin', very soon.

Miguel Duhamel Headed To AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame

What an honor, for the first Canadian rider, to win an AMA Superbike championship title.  Congratulations, Miguel Duhamel.

http://www.motoamerica.com/superbike-racer-miguel-duhamel-inducted-ama-motorcycle-hall-fame

Americans Hayden And Jacobsen Primed For Suzuka 8 Hours

This weekend, is one of the biggest endurance motorcycle races of the season.  Factory Honda World Superbike and World Supersport riders, Nicky Hayden, and P.J. Jacobsen, are taking part, with two different Honda teams, from Japan.  Here's a preview.

http://www.motoamerica.com/americans-hayden-and-jacobsen-primed-for-suzuka-8-hours

WSBK at Laguna Seca

Stay tuned, for coverage of the World Superbike races from Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, that happened a couple weekends ago.  A bonus, too, is, yours truly may cover the Super Pole sessions.  That remains to be seen, though.

Kenny Roberts Jr. Named 2016 "Aimexpo Champion"

Kenny Roberts Jr., son of World Grand Prix motorcycle racing champion and legend Kenny Roberts, and a champion in the 500cc class himself, in 2000, has won the 2016 "Aimexpo" Champion.  Here's the story.

http://www.motoamerica.com/kenny-roberts-jr-named-2016-aimexpo-champion

correction

Yours truly, made a boo boo, thinking I hadn't posted the MotoAmerica news and results from Laguna Seca Raceway.  The results were posted on Monday, July 11th.  So refer to that blog entry for the stories, in the queue.  Still looking at writing a race report for World Superbike from Laguna Seca, and that will be coming up.  So, stay tuned, everyone.

World Superbike & MotoAmerica from Laguna Seca

Stay tuned, folks.  Yours truly, is still catching up, on blog entries.  Will have a race recap, with all the stories from MotoAmerica at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, and also, a full race report on the two FIM World Superbike events, that were run there, as well, in due time.  Looking forward to bringing you more motorcycle action, as soon as possible.

FIM Superstock 1000 Round 5: Italy

Four races down, and five to go.  After today's action at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Rimini, Italy, on the Adriatic coast, there will be merely three races remaining in the FIM Superstock 1000 European Cup for 2016.  Last year in this race, the battle was between Lorenzo Savadori and Raffaele De Rosa.  Both rode Ducati's, and Savadori, won the 2015 STK1000 championship crown, and moved up to World Superbike.  De Rosa, now racing a BMW of course, he is leading the points in the Cup, but merely by five over his closest rival, the Argentinian, Leandro Mercado.  We have a 15 lap race in front of us for the STK1000 division, here at Misano, to complete this weekend's proceedings.

Current weather conditions as we ready for the race look like this.  Air temperature, 22 degrees Celsius (71 degrees Fahrenheit).  Track temperature, 36 degrees Celsius (96 degrees Fahrenheit).  The track temp is up at least ten degrees from where it was in the morning warmup for the STK1000 riders, which lasted for oh, 15 minutes.  A six mile per hour (11 kilometer per hour), wind speed, won't be a factor for the bikes and riders.  We ask these questions.  Will either of our two previous race winners in STK1000 repeat?  Or, will we have a new winner?  Two wins apiece, for Leandro Mercado on the Ducati Panigale and Raffaele De Rosa on the BMW S1000RR.  This is the halfway mark in the season, and next up, will be in a little less than two months for these boys, in Germany, at the Lausitzring.

If De Rosa is on the podium today, that would be ten in a row for him, equaling the record in this category, of the most podiums a rider has had consecutively, in STK1000 competition.  Xavier Simeon was the first to do it, in 2009.  Simeon was the champion.  The year after that, in 2010, Ayrton Badovini, accomplished the same feat.  Get on the podium ten times, and win the series title.  De Rosa's record would overlap between the latter half of 2015 and the full extent of 2016 so far.  We have another big grid, with 38 bikes and riders.  But, poor old Michael Ruben Rinaldi, will have to start his Aruba.it Junior Team Ducati Panigale from the very back of the grid.

Rinaldi didn't post a qualifying time, sped back to the paddock on his motorcycle and thus, he was fined by Dorna and the FIM 500 Euros and given two penalty points.  Rinaldi is at his home race, because he lives in Rimini, not too far from Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli.  2014 Superstock 600 champion Marco Faccani has pole position for this race.  De Rosa and Mercado start second and third, after Mercado had a wreck in morning warm up.  Kevin Calia is next on the grid and joining him on row two are Roberto Tamburini and Toprak Razgatlioglu.  Many riders have not had podium finishes in this class.  Leandro Mercado had a huge wreck in the morning warmup.

Mercado slid off the bike when the front end tucked under and sent him sliding, and the bike absolutely tumbling through the gravel trap.  Mercado has to keep his cool and try closing in on De Rosa in the championship fight.  The points gap is just five.  But, Raffaele De Rosa has momentum on his side.  Pit lane is open.  We've got a number of riders who have either won in STK1000 or they are looking for their first ever win, at the front of the grid.  Listen, folks.  I'll pull a Laurel & Hardy here, if Leandro Mercado comes from 38th on the grid and wins.  I'll eat my hat.  I don't have a hat here, though.  The other problem is, a hat doesn't taste very good, and you can't swallow it.  Someone, bring me a chocolate hat, stat!

I have a feeling, if I ate someone's hat in the commentary box, they'd eat my heart!  Now, let's not get carried away!  Painful!  Anyhow, enough with the fun and games.  Misano has seen some 70,000 fans turn out of the motorcycle races this weekend.  The atmosphere here in World Superbike along with the Supersport and Superstock classes, allow fans to get close to the riders and their magnificent two wheeled machines.  We have seen the great competition in World Superbike already this weekend, and that generates lots of excitement towards next year, and the 2017 season.  Will Yamaha, Honda, and MV Agusta, be within striking distance of Kawasaki and Ducati?  We'll have to find out.

Also in WSBK (forgot to mention this in the blog entry on Wednesday), but, nine different riders in World Superbike have qualified on the front row for the races this year.  These motorcycles, again, are much like the ones you see on the street and you can, assuming you've got the cash, because they are quite expensive, go to the dealer of the motorcycle make of your choice and say, "I want to buy a 1000cc high performance motorcycle."  Marco Faccani has run the IRS 125cc Challenge, and has been through various Italian motorcycle racing championship, Repsol CEV, and Superstock 600 which is now merged with World Supersport to create one category.

Faccani had a great season in STK600 a few years ago.  He took five wins, four poles, and three fastest laps.  Raffaele De Rosa starts second.  Leandro Mercado is third.  If you remember, he had mixed up tires on his bike in wet/dry conditions at Assen in Holland.  This is very similar to a mistake made by Roberto Tamburini.  A wreck, at Assen, before the finale at Magny Cours in France.  This year, Jerez, in Spain, will be the finale of the STK1000 Cup.  Kevin Calia is fourth.  He's best of the rest behind De Rosa, Mercado, and Michael Ruben Rinaldi.  Calia rides for Nuova M2 Racing on an Aprilia RSV4 RF. 

Roberto Tamburini, on another Aprilia, starts fifth, and is seventh in points.  Tamburini was runner up to Lorenzo Savadori in the Cup standings in 2015.  He ran with MotoX BMW last year, and is now racing for the Aprilia team where Savadori was before he moved to the Aprilia factory World Superbike team.  Toprak Razgatlioglu in sixth, had a chance for the title winner.  He won the Superstock 600 championship last year, and he was injured twice breaking an ankle and a wrist.  Will he finish on the podium again?  Will he win?  Andrea Mantovani starts seventh on the Guandolini Racing Yamaha YZF R1.

Mantovani is fifth in points right now.  Lucas Mahias starts eighth.  The Frenchman is riding a Yamaha for the official works Yamaha Superstock team, sponsored by the Pata snack company.  Getting a sponsorship plug in for the potato chips.  If you want, just a snack, eat Pata chips, is the clear ad campaign there.  Other snacks, are available, from the company as well.  Mahias is fresh off winning the FIM Endurance World Championship Portimao 12 Hours, where he teamed with fellow Yamaha riders Niccolo Canepa and David Checa.  The finish of that one must have been incredible, because it came down to less than a second between first and second place.

Ninth on the grid is Jeremy Guarnoni on the Pedercini Racing Kawasaki ZX10R.  Toprak Razgatlioglu has to push, and the one thing he doesn't need, is to do that.  He has to learn how to ride these big motorcycles so he can do well in World Superbike in the future.  Lorenzo Savadori has won STK1000 here before, and is now in World Superbike.  Other riders have also done well such as Sylvain Barrier, Davide Giugliano, Michele Fabrizio, and Ayrton Badovini, who are all former STK1000 race winners.  In 11th on the grid we see Luca Vitali of Italy on the Team 2R Racing BMW S1000RR.    

Other riders to look out for are 2010 Italian Superstock 600 champion Fabio Massei, and also, starting 12th is former Grand Prix motorcycle racer, Matteo Ferrari.  He's been in Moto3 and now races in STK1000 for DMR Racing BMW.  Three corners, one line, 38 riders and motorcycles.  How many riders make it out of turn three without falling?  I wager, six blokes will have fallen off their bikes by the end of lap one.  13th is a second Pata Snacks Yamaha rider.  Italy's Niccolo Morrentino Jr.  More snack ads.  Folks, don't go to the concessions stands for your Pata Chips and San Pellegrino Limonata or orange sodas yet.  We've got a race to run.

What is the international dialing code for Italy?  To give it's full title, it's the Italian Republic, and the dialing code is +39 and leave the zero.  Drive your Ferrari, Fiat, Alfa Romeo etc. on the right side of the road.  38 bikes on this grid.  Let's hope there isn't an early picnic and we can save those Pata chips for the after race party.  Tip a winner, you ask?  Hmmm.  Raffaele De Rosa goes three in a row.  We'll find out.  I don't pick winners.  But... maybe, I just have.  We set off on the warmup lap.  38 riders, and everyone will have to be really careful.

Weather conditions just before the red lights go out.  22 degrees Celsius (71 degrees Fahrenheit), air temp.  35 degrees Celsius (95 degrees Fahrenheit), track temp.  These guys have a two month break after this race until September, as they don't race at Laguna Seca in Monterey, California, USA.  This is a crucial start because the run to turn one here at Misano Adriatico is so short.  We look at one of the Italian wildcard riders.  That's Fabio Marchionni, another Italian, in his home race, aboard the #55 Speed Action Yamaha YZF R1.  We've got quite a few national Italian Superbike and Italian championship riders, in this field.

Get ready.  Here we go.  Superstock 1000 at Misano, is underway!  Raffaele De Rosa, gets swamped immediately.  Will they all get through turns 1, 2, and 3?  Toprak Razgatlioglu is already making a move!  Marco Faccani gets hung out to dry from pole.  Mercado has the lead into turn three.  Be careful, everyone!  Wow!  Brilliantly done!  Everyone survives Variante del Parco!  Kevin Calia, thankfully did not jump the start.  Andrea Mantovani is charging through the pack and is up to ninth already.  Luca Mahias passes Raffaele De Rosa through Tramonto and down to Curvone for the first time. 

Mercado leads this race, as Raffaele De Rosa almost runs into the back of Toprak Razgatlioglu!  With Leandro Mercado leading, Raffaele De Rosa knows he needs to get to the front.  Top ten runners right now.

1. Leandro Mercado
2. Marco Faccani
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu
4. Luca Mahias
5. Raffaele De Rosa
6. Kevin Calia
7. Roberto Tamburini
8. Andrea Mantovani
9. Jeremy Guarnoni
10. Luca Vitale

Michael Ruben Rinaldi, has amazingly, cut his starting place, in half!  He's made it from 38th, caboose on the grid, to 19th, already!  In replay we watch De Rosa run wide.  He lost just one place.  De Rosa is now fifth, chasing Luca Mahias and Toprak Razgatlioglu.  Through Tramonto, we have a rider down.  #3 Sebastien Suchet has fallen off his Berclaz Racing by MotoX Racing Yamaha YZF R1.  In a cloud of dust, Suchet does rejoin this race.  Leandro Mercado has eked out a second gap over Marco Faccani trying to find breathing room.  Raffaele De Rosa knows he has to push and get back up to the sharp end of the top five.

Mercado sets the first fastest lap of this race on lap two at 1:37.114.  Luca Mahias and Toprak Razgatlioglu are in a scrum for position.  Razgatlioglu pops a wheelie at turn six.  De Rosa inside Mahias.  BMW passes Yamaha.  Mahias and De Rosa, side by side!  De Rosa takes Mahias, and Razgatlioglu who has to sit up!  Yikes!  De Rosa and Mahias pass the Kawasaki.  Behind these guys it's another battle between Kevin Calia, Andrea Mantovani, Roberto Tamburini, Jeremy Guarnoni, and another BMW is in the top ten.  That's the one ridden by Matteo Ferrari.

In 11th through 15th we have Luca Vitale, Gregg Black, Fabio Massei, Andrea Tucci, and Luca Marconi.  Michael Ruben Rinaldi is already in 16th, from 38th on the grid!  22 spots in three laps!  Rinaldi has to get to the front and score points.  Kevin Calia is chasing him down in the cup points standings.  Raffaele De Rosa catches Marco Faccani.  Oh dear.  We have a crash.  Dutchman Rob Hartog crashes his #47 Team Hartog - Jenik - Against Cancer Kawasaki ZX10R.  Marco Faccani slides his bike through Tramonto.

De Rosa took the place from Faccani moving him back to third.  De Rosa and Mercado are the top riders in STK1000 and can put the motorcycle anyplace they want on the track.  De Rosa is trying to shrink Mercado's gap.  He is fastest of the top three, into the 1:36 range at 1:36.725 while Mercado runs 1:37.459 and Faccani, 1:37.902.  It's confirmed.  De Rosa sets a new lap record.  Amazingly, everyone apart from Rob Hartog is still in this race!  37 of the 38 bikes are still out there, pounding around.  We saw Sebastien Suchet crash earlier, but he recovered.  Sadly, Suchet is caboose on the field.  Raffaele De Rosa, is coming.  He's set fastest times in both the second and third sectors on the track.

Luca Mahias is catching Marco Faccani.  A three-way scrap for fifth between Toprak Razgatlioglu, Kevin Calia, and Roberto Tamburini.  Continuing down the order to the end of the points places, we have Andrea Mantovani, Matteo Ferrari, Jeremy Guarnoni, Luca Vitale, Gregg Black, Fabio Massei, Andrea Tucci, and Michael Ruben Rinaldi.  Faccani and Mahias side by side, and now, Raffaele De Rosa is going for the lead, trying to take it away from Leandro Mercado!  Not this time.  Too excited.  The riders wind their bikes through turn 11 at Curvone.  Luca Mahias has been in every division.  He's ridden Superbikes, Supersport, and now, he is in Super Stock 1000.  Rinaldi makes a pass on Massei for 14th!

De Rosa has now taken the lead from Leandro Mercado.  De Rosa passes Mercado clean as a whistle through La Quercia.  We are going to miss these guys racing, for a shade under two months, before they come back at the Lausitzring in September.  Let us not forget that Mercado's Ducati had to be rebuilt this morning after a huge crash in the warmup.  This race, could be in the bag, with eight laps to go.  Raffaele De Rosa, has the pace, and the confidence, and he could win this thing.  We are halfway home, this lap.  Lucas Mahias got around Marco Faccani in turn one when Faccani ran wide into turn one.

Another crash.  Belgian rider Gauthier Duwelz has wrecked his bright yellow D.K. Racing BMW S1000RR.  Game over.  2/3rds distance is the end of lap ten.  De Rosa leads Mercado by 4/10hs of a second.  Marco Faccani is backed up towards Toprak Razgatlioglu, and Razgatlioglu may have some ill handling in his Kawasaki.  Through Tramonto, Kevin Calia wants to challenge Toprak Razgatlioglu and these two blokes have Roberto Tamburini in hot pursuit.  Tamburini is Calia's Aprilia team mate.  Kevin Calia takes fifth spot away from Razgatlioglu!

Back to silly season and Kawasaki for a moment.  We know that the Puccetti team in World Supersport is moving up next year to World Superbike.  They are speaking with their riders in the lower divisions such as Randy Krummenacher and Toprak Razgatlioglu, as well as veteran rider Marco Melandri.  Razgatlioglu needs more experience because he's dealt with injury this year and has not been able to put mileage in on a 1000cc motorcycle.  Michael Ruben Rinaldi, meanwhile, passes Gregg Black for 12th spot.

We've been playing "I'm thinking of a number... higher or lower" in STK1000 all race.  Is the price of the motorcycle higher, or lower, than the actual retail price?  Roberto Tamburini makes the pass on Toprak Razgatlioglu.  If he plays his cards right, he could follow the Aprilia, and then, make a pass on Tamburini.  Last year, Marco Ramirez and Janos Chrobak had a horrid wreck in the last corner when Chrobak rear ended Ramirez in last year's Misano World Supersport race.  The two Turkish Kawasaki riders (Toprak Razgatlioglu and Kenan Sofuoglu who runs World Supersport), are very close friends, almost like brothers, perhaps.  Lucas Mahias, could finish on the podium, even if Kevin Calia, is charging after him in fifth.  Marco Faccani probably won't make a pass on Mahias.

Oh boy.  De Rosa hasn't pulled the pin and checked out.  Just about a tenth of a second separates he and Leandro Mercado.  The wheel of fortune is spinning.  Where will it land?  Three or so laps left.  What does Raffaele De Rosa have left in the locker?  Local yellow flags as Sebastien Suchet stops his Yamaha with a technical malady.  Mercado, is coming!  They are side by side!  Ooh.  Mercado runs very wide allowing De Rosa some space.  Hmmm.  Greg Haines and Steve English in the commentary box at Misano, are starting to list game shows.  This race, is soon over.  But, our blog entry, will it last?

OK.  Focus.  Put my teeth back in.  Down into La Quercia, Luca Mahias is still running in third.  Facani and Calia are still together.  Toprak Razgatlioglu is still chasing Roberto Tamburini.  Let's look down into the back part of the top contenders in this field.  Andrea Mantovani is ninth ahead of Jeremy Guarnoni, completing the top ten.  Beyond that, it's Matteo Ferrari, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, Gregg Black, Andrea Tucci, Fabio Massei, Luca Marconi, wildcard Italian racer Federico Sandi, Wayne Tessels, Julian Puffe, and others.  Christopher Ponsson is 21st.  Tony Finsterbusch, Eric Vionnet, Marc Moser, and others.

Rinaldi is 12th with Tucci and Massei scrapping just behind.  Just two laps to go.  Raffaele De Rosa is still second behind Leandro Mercado.  Andrea Tucci and Fabio Massei, two Italian's, one number apart #43 and #44, are battling.  They are on two different teams.  Massei rides for Team Trasimeno and Tucci for Berclaz Racing By Moto X Racing, both on Yamaha YZF R1's.  De Rosa is opening a gap on Mercado as we come towards the finish here.  If this order stands, for the constructor's cup, it will be a mere point between Ducati and BMW in the constructor's cup!  Yikes!  That's close!

One lap to go, and we have a battle royal shaping up for the win in STK1000 at Misano Adriatico!  Ladies and gentlemen, this last lap is going to be a humdinger!  De Rosa could lead by ten points, and Mercado could keep his lead, by a razor thin margin, before Germany in September, the next race in the cup.  Front wheel chatter for Mercado.  When you get the oscillation in the front wheel, you know that ain't good.  Anyone who has ridden even a bicycle knows how that works.  Can Mercado force his way by De Rosa into turn eight at La Quercia?  De Rosa brakes, Mercado makes a run, and they touch, just a bit!

De Rosa had to sit up!  Mercado gets by, but into Tramonto it's not over yet!  De Rosa tries to pass and Mercado, slams the door in his face!  The Curvone is a quick one.  Five corners left in the Superstock 1000 race at Misano!  De Rosa is inside Mercado, again!  They touch!  They're both down and out!  Mercado is so angry, he wants to have a wrestling match in the gravel with De Rosa, probably thinking, "why did you shove me out of this race in the last corner, you idiot!"  From motorcycle racing, to Ultimate Fighter!  Could Luca Mahias, win STK1000 at Misano?  Yes!  Luca Mahias, wins it!

Kevin Calia beats Marco Faccani to second.  Razgatlioglu and Tamburini are next across the line, as De Rosa rejoins the race!  Michael Ruben Rinaldi is in the points!  From 38th and last, to tenth!  How about that?!  De Rosa ends up seventeenth, with nil points on the board.  No mas.  Excuse me.  19th.  This might sink his championship hopes, right there in the Adriatic Sea.  Mahias is the winner!  What a final lap in STK1000!  De Rosa goes to the Lausitzring in three months, and the points are status quo.

This ruins De Rosa's podium record that goes back to Donington Park 2015.  He may be in tears of frustration after this one thinking, why oh why, did I have to get smashed into?  He could have had ten straight podiums equaling the record of consecutive top three finishes in Superstock 1000 set by Xavier Simeon and Ayrton Badovini in 2009 and 2010.  Gauthier Duwelz has finished this race, but no points.  Valentino Rossi, is here to watch the race.  Hmmm.  Interesting.

Superstock 1000 Race: #144 Lucas Mahias     FRA.    PATA Yamaha Official Stock Team Yamaha YZF R1

For his first Stock 1000 race, it's great to see Mahias win on his first try in the category!  PATA Yamaha's two regular riders, Ricardo Russo and Florian Marino are still out of the championship.  There only three races remaining as we are halfway through the season.  Yamaha, Aprilia, Ducati, the top three.  Valentino Rossi has snuck into Misano.  Yikes!  Rossi has been displayed on the big screen.  He'll have to run from the fans and paparazzi. 

Mahias, Calia, and Facani, on the podium, and the Prosecco spray in super slow motion!  Watch out, Mr. Mahias!  He drops the Prosecco bottle, and wham!  It sprays like a geyser all over his crew!  It's all gone pear shaped after the win.  There is Prosecco everywhere!  What a race at Misano!  Folks, we'll see you, in a couple of months, from Germany.  Stay tuned, later this week, for World Superbike, in California.  Bye bye, for now.

  

 

FIM World Supersport: Italy

Seven down.  Five to go, in the 2016 FIM World Supersport Championship.  This is round eight at Misano Adriatico on the Adriatic coast of Italy.  Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, is the venue.  For the past two seasons, Jules Cluzel has been the winner here.  His MV Agusta team has struggled.  Current top dog in WSSP, Kenan Sofuoglu is actually second on the starting grid.  But, on his first career pole, is the Italian, Federico Caricasulo.  Forecasters predicted rain today.  There were a few drops during the warm up for World Superbike, which you have already read about, surely.  For the start of this World Supersport event, the weather conditions look promising.

Current weather conditions are 21 degrees Celsius (69 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature, and 29 degrees Celsius (84 degrees Fahrenheit), track temperature.  The temperatures have experienced a dramatic drop as we check the forecast and get ready for action here, at Misano.  There is a slight northeastern breeze at five miles per hour, nine kilometers per hour.  This is a favorite place for WSBK to race, on the Adriatic coast of Italy, just across from Croatia.  It was not on the inaugural season calendar in 1988 but joined the championship in 1991.  It has been on the schedule for most years (with the exception of a few), since then.

Kenan Sofuoglu leads the championship by 21 points over his Puccetti Kawasaki team mate, Frenchman, Randy Krummenacher.  Whatever the outcome of this race, Sofuoglu retains his points lead.  Folks, this is the last WSSP race until they return to action in September at the Lausitzring in Germany.  So, after we're done here in Italy, the World Supersport riders are officially on summer break.  Federico Caricasulo won here at Misano last year in the Superstock 600 class.  He's only 20 years old, but already making a name for himself in World Supersport competition.  Caricasulo has pole for this race.

Randy Krummenacher is ready to go and so is his crew chief, who is a two-time championship winning rider in WSSP, Andrew Pitt.  Randy Krummenacher brought #21 across from the Moto2 World Championship when he made the switch to World Supersport.  Randy Krummenacher was born in Switzerland, but lives 15 minutes away from Misano World Circuit in an apartment on the Adriatic coast.  So, this is a home race, essentially, for Krummenacher.  P.J. Jacobsen is back, ready to race.  He also ran at the FIM Endurance World Championship 12 Hours of Portimao in Portugal.  But, the race didn't go to plan.

Jacobsen ended up finishing 12th on an FCC TSR Honda.  Jacobsen wants a victory in WSSP in 2016 and is still searching for the checkered flag.  He did win a couple times in 2015.  He starts third on the grid behind Caricasulo and Sofuoglu.  Jules Cluzel may have won earlier in the year in Thailand.  But he and his team mate Lorenzo Zanetti, both of them have been struggling on the MV Agusta F3 675 since then.  The three cylinder engines powering the MV's sound fabulous.  It's a lovely, beautiful motorcycle.  But, beauty does not win races, nor does it help to balance the technical regulations, and that's why these guys at MV have been behind the eight ball for most of the season.

Some of the bells and whistles, like traction control, they are standard equipment on the road going motorcycle.  So, if you walk into your MV dealer and say, "I would like to purchase an F3 675", you can get traction control.  But it's not allowed on the racing version per the FIM and Dorna rules.  Zulfahmi Khairuddin has also struggled this weekend.  He crashed on the Friday of the race weekend here at Misano and the team had to rebuild the whole motorcycle.  As pit lane is open, Khairuddin only starts 29th out of a grid of 37 bikes and riders.  This field, is gigantic.

On the initial sighting lap, Khairuddin is followed by his team mate, Nacho Calero.  You have five minutes to exit pit lane and get on track.  If you can't, well, you are SOL (sorry, out of luck), and have to start the race, from the lane.  But, once you've left, you can run through the pit lane and do an extra sighting lap, if you like.  Illiya Michalchik racing for the David Salom junior team, it's a very poignant weekend for this team.  David Salom owns the team and he is a former World Superbike rider who won the Evo class championship two years ago in 2014.

The team is running pink and black on the bike in memory of Luis Salom, who is not David's brother, but rather, his younger cousin, who of course, passed away at the Catalan Grand Prix.  Illiya Michalchik had to break the allocation rule for engines.  He is on his fifth engine, after four engines were used.  Michalchik will be held by a marshal in pit lane, after five seconds, once the field has passed by onto lap one.  This is the fifth race for the European Supersport Cup and leading that points championship (a separate one for the European riders in the European races), is Alessandro Zaccone.
Zaccone is aboard the #61 San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki ZX6R.

Axel Basani and Illiya Michalchik are second and third in those standings.  We have a 19 lap race coming up, and Randy Krummenacher is confident he can beat his Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team mate, in this race.  No question of it.  Krummenacher has no choice.  He has to beat Sofuoglu this weekend.  What can Federico Caricasulo do, from pole?  This is Caricasulo's home track. Kenan Sofuoglu is second.  P.J. Jacobsen is third.  Kenan Sofuoglu will try to break a speed record aboard the new Kawasaki H2 prototype motorcycle of 400 kilometers per hour (250 miles an hour)!  Now, that, is fast!  He is going to do it, while opening a new bridge, and has the blessing of the Turkish government for the record attempt.

Christian Gammarino qualifies fifth, and had a birthday the Saturday before this race, turning 22 years old.  Ayrton Badovini starts sixth on the Honda for Team Lorini.  Badovini is a former champion in Super Stock 1000 and has also raced multiple times in World Superbike.  Badovini didn't race for the opening three races of the season, but, he has already amassed 49 points in the championship.  He is ninth in points.  Jules Cluzel starts eighth on the grid.  He's stuck in the middle of row three.  That's the danger zone, coming to the first chicane.  Cluzel could try to make up positions, but, he's had real problems with the MV Agusta F3 675.  The factory MV team has just not gotten as much as they could out of the bike.

Meanwhile, Gino Rea on the customer version, he has gone far better, so far this season.  This is troubling, because usually, the factory team is supposed to be faster and more competitive than a privateer outfit.  The reverse is happening with MV Agusta in WSSP right now.  Twelfth on the grid is Alex Baldolini on his family run Race Department ATK #25 MV Agusta.  Baldolini has Dalmatian inspired graphics on his motorcycle, to promote the idea of people loving and taking care of their dogs and/or adopt one.  Good gesture.  Five minutes to race start as the Alfa Romeo safety car pulls away for one final lap around Misano.

Lorenzo Zanetti will roll off 14th on another of the MV Agusta bikes.  We look at the front row, one more time.  P.J. Jacobsen, on the Honda, he starts third.  Second is Kenan Sofuoglu, and the pole man, is Federico Caricasulo.  Can he handle the pressure of leading the charge into the first turn, Variante del Parco, at his home race?  Ondrej Jezek is not in this race.  He has a problem with his eye, something to do with the optic nerve and is having vision trouble.  So, a substitute rider will fill in for him.  Luigi Morciano of Italy is that rider.      

Kyle Smith is racing, but, he has an injury to his ankle to contend with.  The bikes are on their warmup lap.  Track conditions haven't changed.  We are seeing that Italian wildcard Luigi Brignoli is under investigation by the stewards.  He is on bike #127, the Broncos Racing Team Kawasaki ZX6R.  He should start 25th on the grid, but is under investigation at present.  Looking at points, these guys are going to have a huge break in the action, after this race and won't race again until September (so in a couple months).  Sofuoglu leads Krummenacher in the championship by 26 points.  Illiya Michalchik slides his bike, but will now wait to be released from pit lane to join the fray.

The bikes form up for the start.  Kenan Sofuoglu is the first rider in history to start on the front row of a World Supersport grid for 20 consecutive races!  What an accomplishment!  How will Federico Caricasulo deal with leading the field at the start?  We're about to find out.  A long hold, with no yellow flags.  Now, the revs come up on these 600cc motors.  We are under starter's order.  Red lights switched on.  Red lights switched off!  Federico Caricasulo leads the field as we are underway in World Supersport!  P.J. Jacobsen and Randy Krummenacher run side by side, and Jules Cluzel is also coming, and fast!  Caricasulo is right with the Kawasaki.

Into Rio for the first time, Federico Caricasulo leads, ahead of Kenan Sofuoglu, followed by P.J. Jacobsen, and Randy Krummenacher.  Jules Cluzel runs ahead of Christian Gammarino, and Alex Baldolini is also going for it.  Into Quercia for the first time, Jules Cluzel is right behind Randy Krummenacher.  This is a very clean start for everyone.  All 37 riders got away cleanly.  Ooh!  Contact!  Not so clean now, as Jules Cluzel gets bumped by Gammarino.  Alessandro Zaccone has made a pass on Randy Krummenacher, too. 

It's game over in Rio, for two riders.  #82 (a wildcard), Lorenzo Cippiciani, on the Team Vueffe Corse Honda CBR600RR and, #83, (a regular), Lachlan Epis, on the Response RE Racing Kawasaki ZX6R.  Jules Cluzel stays in the saddle.  Lachlan Epis is back in the fight.  But, it is surely game over for Lorenzo Cippiciani.  P.J. Jacobsen is running hard and may have carried too much speed into La Quercia.  Christian Gammarino is having handling issues with his bike, and is all over the track.  Ayrton Badovini will catch him, in a scrap between Honda and Kawasaki.  Gino Rea, meanwhile, runs eight.  Ninth is Alex Baldolini. 

P.J. Jacobsen takes a different line.  Cluzel is right up behind Gammarino.  Luke Stapleford on the Triumph Daytona 675 has lost a bunch of places as Federico Caricasulo sets fastest lap of this race so far, at 1:39.206.  Jules Cluzel is challenging Gino Rea at the moment.  Alessandro Zaccone on the #61 bike, is fourth, and that's great for a bike and rider in the European Supersport Cup, that, as the title suggests, only races the European rounds of the championship.  Robbie Rolfo is another rider who seems to be having problems.  Gammarino and Cluzel resume their battle, but, as we work lap four, Christian Gammarino runs wide.

The ESS machines are the exact same bikes that everyone in the championship has, but, they do not contest the flyaway races, and only run in Europe, as mentioned before.  Alex Baldolini is running well too, after having issues with the bike in the morning.  Randy Krummenacher in fifth, if he is going to win the WSSP championship, he must beat team mate Kenan Sofuoglu.  Alessandro Zaccone at Imola and Motorland Aragon, has scored the best finish for an ESS rider, at Imola, and Aragon.  We work lap five, and look down the order for some other riders.

Christoffer Bergman remains 11th.  Lorenzo Zanetti, 12th.  In thirteenth, it's Hikari Okubo.  Axel Bassani is 14th and Davide Stirpe is 15th.  Two more ESS riders.  Illiya Michalchik is making his way through the field and is up to 31st place.  P.J. Jacobsen looks like he will soon challenge Federico Caricasulo.  We talked about the late, great Fabrizio Pirovano, who won the World Supersport Championship in 1998.  He passed away last weekend, but, he would be really enjoying this race, and is smiling from above on the competitors in this event.  A guardian angel indeed.  P.J. Jacobsen is now right behind Federico Caricasulo.

Kenan Sofuoglu is third, and Randy Krummenacher is fifth.  Sofuoglu's points advantage over his team mate, would increase to 31 with only four races left after this one, in Germany, France, Spain, and Qatar.  Randy Krummancher passes Alessandro Zaccone for fourth into La Quercia.  Ayrton Badovini has lost two places to Gino Rea and Jules Cluzel.  The top three are breaking away, putting daylight between themselves and the rest of the field.  The back half of the top ten could be ready to challenge though.  Riders include Gino Rea, Jules Cluzel, Ayrton Badovini, Christian Gammarino, and Alex Baldolini.

Puccetti Kawasaki, has said they want to run a World Superbike team next year with Marco Melandri and Randy Krummenacher as the riders.  Depending on who finishes higher in the points, Kenan Sofuoglu could have a new team mate in World Supersport for Puccetti, and it could be either Axel Basani or Alessandro Zaccone.  Two riders are having issues, and ducking for pit lane.  Stefan Hill is one, and Javier Orellana is the other.  Stefan Hill is on the #35 CIA Landlord Insurance Honda CBR600RR and Javier Orellana is on the #96 Wilsport Racedays Honda.  Robbie Rolfo also has crashed out.

Game over for the #44 Team Factory VAMAG MV Agusta F3 675.  P.J. Jacobsen pushes past Federico Caricasulo for the lead.  He has to break away from Caricasulo and build a lead.  Jacobsen has not won in WSSP for about nine months, since doing so in September of 2015 at Jerez.  Sofuoglu has run fastest lap in the top three at 1:39.544 with Jacobsen next at 1:39.693, and third best, is the second place man, Caricasulo at 1:39.781.  Kenan Sofuoglu probably wishes he had that Kawasaki H2 speed record bike that can do 400 kilometers an hour in a straight line.  After testing it, he came here and felt like the motor in his Kawasaki ZX6R World Supersport bike, was broken.  It was that much slower, for obvious reasons.

Gino Rea runs fifth as Alessandro Zaccone has lost two spots.  Ayrton Badovini on the Gemar Balloons - Team Lorini Honda is sixth.  Alessandro Zaccone has dropped to seventh, just ahead of Jules Cluzel.  Then come Christian Gammarino, Alex Baldolini, Christoffer Bergman, Axel Bassani, Lorenzo Zanetti, Hikari Okubo (running on his own in 14th), and in 15th, Luke Stapleford on the Triumph.  He is recovering from a poor start, and amazingly, that Triumph Daytona 675 he rides is a five year old motorcycle.  It's not the most recent iteration of the Daytona 675.

Completing the rest of the order are wildcard Kevin Manfredi of Italy, (on the #34 Phoenix Racing Suzuki GSX-R600), Kevin Wahr on the sister Gemar Balloons - Team Lorini bike, followed by Luigi Morciano, Aiden Wagner, Kyle Smith, Christopher Gobbi, Luigi Brignoli, and two more riders, are way down.  Nico Terol and Kyle Ryde are not having good outings for Schmidt Racing on the MV Agusta F3 675.  Jacobsen and Caricasulo are pulling away from everyone else.  Caricasulo runs 1:39.043 and Jacobsen, 1:39.113.  Caricasulo does have fast lap.  Now, Gino Rea is pushing Randy Krummenacher.  Can Krummenacher bridge the gap?

Randy Krummenacher is breaking away from Gino Rea.  Confirmation of fast lap for Caricasulo at 1:39.043.  It's game over for Ayrton Badovini.  He is out.  The Gemar Balloons team, well, the one balloon, has popped or the air is let out.  We also have an MV Agusta down and out in the gravel trap.  It's Jules Cluzel!  Oh dear, oh dear!  Cluzel's championship hopes have perhaps been smashed to pieces.  Did the front end of the MV give way?  Yes.  Poor old Jules Cluzel.  The WSSP MV Agusta effort is not a full factory team, but it is close.  They have had a dreadful season to date, and this compounds their woes.

We move back to the lead battle.  With eleven laps left, Federico Caricasulo is giving P.J. Jacobsen all he can handle.  The top three is separated merely by 8/10ths of a second.  P.J. Jacobsen continues to lead with Caricasulo second, and Kenan Sofuoglu in third, is watching them both.  Ayrton Badovini walks away from his motorcycle as it has big damage and will surely need repair.  P.J. Jacobsen slides the bike into the corner.  Both at the Misano corner, turn 16, before the front straightaway.  Oh boy!  Federico Caricasulo gets way too close to the rear of Jacobsen's motorcycle and almost hits him!  As we've passed halfway through this race, with nine laps left, it could have easily been curtains for both Honda's.

Game over for Kyle Smith as well.  He's out.  He was given the black and orange "meatball" flag by the marshals, for a mechanical issue.  The PTR Honda was smoking.  Oil, maybe on the exhaust.  Jacobsen leads Caricasulo and Sofuoglu.  Caricasulo had a huge wiggle in the Variante del Parco.  Caricasulo has another moment, as we look at the top ten.  Lorenzo Zanetti was disqualified from the previous race in England for having illegal parts in his 675cc MV Agusta engine.  If the race finishes as is, Randy Krummenacher would lose three points to Kenan Sofuoglu.  Bassani passes Zaccone, and that's important for the ESS Cup.  Axel Basani is now eighth.

Kenan Sofuoglu smells blood in the water, and is the shark going after the fish, Caricasulo.  Federico Caricasulo is not running as he was a little earlier on.  Can Sofuoglu chase down Jacobsen?  Caricasulo almost loses control of the bike, again.  These two blokes have not gone head to head, because if you remember, when they were battling at the season opener at Phillip Island, in Australia, Sofuoglu had a wreck while leading, causing Caricasulo to inherit second.  But, they didn't go head to head.

Yellow flag at turn sixteen.  Zulfahmi Khairuddin, has wrecked.  It is game over for Alessandro Zaccone as he heads for pit lane at the end of lap 13.  Khairuddin had no grip over a bump in the track, similar to Nicky Hayden's crash in World Superbike race one.  Christian Gammarino has also crashed out.  He has done so at the right hand corner at Tramonto, turn ten.  Gammarino had a low side crash.  Bad news for the birthday boy and for his team, GoEleven Kawasaki.  Aiden Wagner now is in the points.  Where will Caricasulo be in the order?  Caricasulo is now off the road!  That was a gift to Kenan Sofuoglu.

With four laps left, Sofuoglu will try to close on P.J. Jacobsen.  Lachlan Epis is under investigation by the stewards.  Not sure why.  Javier Orellana also goes off the road, but rejoins the race.  Federico Caricasulo has to watch Sofuoglu and Jacobsen, two of the best riders in the business in World Supersport competition.  Lap 17.  Three laps to go, as Caricasulo sets fastest lap of this race.  1:38.968.  Caricasulo and Sofuoglu are catching P.J. Jacobsen.  Jacobsen's win, may have to wait for another race.  Turn eight, La Quercia, is the key corner on this track.  Gino Rea passes Randy Krummenacher.

Sofuoglu could be on his way to winning half of the races run in WSSP in 2016.  Brilliant!  Gino Rea goes to fourth ahead of Randy Krummenacher.  Lap 18, and Sofuoglu goes for it, on the outside of P.J. Jacobsen!  Sofuoglu has strength through the first two corners on this speedway.  Barely a lap to go, and Kenan Sofuoglu will get his fourth win of 2016 and 36th of his career.  Federico Caricasulo wants to go by P.J. Jacobsen.  Caricasulo makes the pass on P.J. Jacobsen.  Kenan Sofuoglu is going to take his fourth win of the year!

World Supersport Race: #1 Kenan Sofuoglu     TUR.     Kawasaki Puccetti Racing Kawasaki ZX6R

Axel Bassani celebrates finishing in eighth place.  He is the leading European Supersport Cup participant, and second in ESS is another Italian, Davide Stirpe.  Illiya Michalchik is 17th and Nacho Calero stops at turn ten.  What a fabulous race!  Sofuoglu gets his 75th podium, his sixth top three in eight races this year, and his fourth win of 2016.  Federico Caricasulo could be a future world champion, and he's shown he can run with the big dogs.  Randy Krummenacher is now 40 points behind Sofuoglu with four races left in the season.

P.J. Jacobsen (full name, Patrick), is not happy after he led for so long.  No ESS points for Cedric Tangre.  Kenan Sofuoglu could very well win a championship.  World Supersport now, is in the middle of a long break.  They will race again in a shade less than two months, in mid September at the Lausitzring, in Germany.  Stay tuned for coverage of that event, here, on 2 Wheelin'.  So long for now.

     

FIM World Superbike Round 8: Italy + In Memoriam: Fabrizio Pirovano

We are at round eight of the 2016 FIM World Superbike Championship, the races at Riviera di Rimini.  Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli, has been on the World Superbike calendar, since 1991.  Back then, in the early '90s, the track was counterclockwise and now, it is clockwise.  Can anyone in the field stop Jonathan Rea?  We'll find out, at Riviera di Rimini... next!

This 2.6 mile speedway was first built in 1972.  This is a one groove race track for the first six or so corners.  But, by the time the riders reach La Quercia, turn eight, multiple racing lines are available.  Watch for halfway around the lap into the right hand corner called Curvone.  This one, is a heart stopper.  It is corner number eleven on the track.  We are on the Adriatic coast of Italy, straight across the sea from Croatia.  There's your geography lesson for this race, folks.  Current weather conditions look like this.  25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature.  45 degrees Celsius (113 degrees Fahrenheit), track temperature.  Six mile per hour winds blowing to the north.  This is the second visit by World Superbike, to Italy, this year.  Recall we were at Imola, earlier on in the year.

We are expecting a four way scrap, between the two Kawasaki's of Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes, and the two Ducati's of Chaz Davies and Davide Giugliano.  Tire management will be a key factor in this first race.  However, Davies and Giugliano will start in the latter half of the top ten, in seventh and ninth overall.  Many MotoGP riders are here, to watch their 2 wheeled brethren who race in World Superbike.  Sam Lowes is one, who is here, to watch his brother Alex Lowes, race for Yamaha.  Alex Lowes is expecting to perform well here at Misano this weekend.

The only issues for Yamaha still seem to be a lack of horsepower, and thus, a lack of acceleration.  Jonathan Rea leads the points standings right now, and is second on the grid.  Rea has a pattern of the Italian flag, the tricolore, on his racing boots for this weekend.  Rea comes in as the favorite for this race, as we've seen good one lap pace from Tom Sykes.  Ducati has been struggling in their second home race, as Davide Giugliano crashed during Super Pole.  Chaz Davies, has the pace to go up through the field.  However, he will have to make that climb and see if he can challenge the green machines from Kawasaki Racing Team.

Who will make their tires last for 21 laps?  That is the scheduled race distance for this one.  Sykes has to hit the front early, and block any chances of Rea being able to race with him in a head to head fight.  How will the tires hold up?  There was a new track surfaced laid down at Misano before the 2015 races.  However, in a year's time, the pavement has become a lot more abrasive.  Xavi Fores has earned his second career front row start.  He was filling in for Davide Giugliano last year in Qatar and didn't start one of the races, after becoming ill.  Fores is really hoping to be on the factory Aruba Ducati, next year.

Davide Giugliano is under a lot of pressure to perform, especially with his fellow Ducati rider's wanting that factory race seat, including Xavi Fores and Lorenzo Savadori.  Chaz Davies will keep his spot at Ducati.  But, who will his team mate be, in 2017?  The silly season is in full swing, here in World Superbike.  Giugliano needs to improve, get podiums, and win races.  Otherwise, it will be hard for Ducati to justify having him on what has to be the best motorcycle on the grid.  They'll ask, "are you doing enough, for us, to believe we should keep you on this team?', or something to that extent.

Yamaha has been running well with their tires, but need more performance from the World Superbike spec engine.  Pit lane is now open.  As far as the performance level of these motorcycles, Yamaha is still trying to find where they need to be.  Honda, on the other hand, they have taken a different approach.  They said, let's not worry about testing on track so much, and put our financial resources, towards engine development.  They are trying to bring the Fireblade motorcycle into the same performance ballpark with the Kawasaki's and Ducati's, both of which have been so dominant this season already.  Yamaha, Honda, and MV Agusta, these three brands, have been closing the gap up in performance.

Let us not forget BMW.  They, too, have had consistent performance this year.  Most of the riders and bikes are forming up on the grid for the start of race one.  Tom Sykes has his sixth pole of 2016, and the 36th of his career.  He is inching closer, to tying the record.  He is seven away, from Troy Corser's mark of 43 poles.  This is Sykes' fifth straight pole here at Misano.  He's had pole here in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015, and this year.  No races were held here in 2013.  We are mourning the loss, of another great motorcycle racer, as shown on Davide Giugliano's helmet.  His helmet is a replica of one worn by Italian motocross turned Superbike racer Fabrizio Pirovano.

Pirovano passed away, from an incurable tumor, the Sunday before this race took place.  Pirovano started 182 races in his career.  Pirovano was also a circuit racer, winning the FIM World Supersport championship in 1998.  Pirovano won four championships in Italian Superbike, including three straight.  He won in 1990, '92, '93, and '94.  He was known as "the small man on the big Yam", having ridden for Yamaha.  Fabrizio Pirovano raced against guys like Davide Tardozzi, Fred Merkel, and others.  Fabrizio Pirovano was the first guy to be a racing star in World Superbike.  Rest In Peace, Fabrizio Pirovano.  You will be remembered.  You will be missed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fabrizio_Pirovano

Tom Sykes, wins yet another Tissot watch for his pole!  OK.  My question is, how many time zones actually exist?  Sykes has enough of those watches, where he could set each one, for each individual time zone, across the globe, kind of like Greenwich, England.  Chaz Davies has another Pirelli Best Lap Leader award.  Both of the Laverty brothers (Michael and Eugene) are here, to help Chaz Davies out this weekend.  Eugene Laverty has done very well with the Aspar bike in MotoGP.  It is hard to explain to MotoGP fans, just how viable World Superbike is.  You have people like Eugene Laverty, and Cal Crutchlow, who have raced, in both championships.  That is why, when yours truly, writes about these motorcycle races, attention is fully paid, to both of the championships, equally.

MotoGP and WSBK both have great attributes, and both provide awesome racing.  We've got the Kawasaki's 1-2.  Xavi Fores is third.  Chaz Davies starts ninth.  Alex Lowes is fourth on the second row.  Lorenzo Savadori completes the top five.  Nicky Hayden is sixth.  Davide Giugliano is seventh.  World Ducati week, happened almost three weeks ago, but, it was here, at Misano, from July 1st through 3rd.  Leon Camier is eight on the MV Agusta.  Michael van der Mark completes the top ten.
In Super Pole, Chaz Davies, didn't wreck.  He was coasting slowly and tried to get a decent lap.  But, it didn't work.

There are Dutch fans here in Italy to see Michael van der Mark.  Markus Reiterberger was a wildcard in WSBK here at Misano, last year.  Reiterberger rolls off from 11th on his BMW.  Anthony West, matches the number on his motorcycle, insofar as where he's starting on this grid.  He's been on a ton of motorcycles in 2016 already, riding a Yamaha R6 in World Supersport, CEV Repsol on a Moto2 machine, the Moto2 Asia championship, the Pedercini Kawasaki ZX10R here in WSBK... well, he's been on many motorcycles, so far this year.  Jordi Torres is 12th on the sister Althea BMW S1000RR.  15th on the grid is Niccolo Canepa on the Yamaha YZF R1.

Canepa is going to ride for two rounds, covering for Sylvain Guintoli.  Last year, Canepa raced with EBR, the Grillini Kawasaki, and the Althea Ducati, before that team switched brands to BMW for this year.  Yamaha just won an endurance race, recently.  The Portimao 12 Hours in Portugal, saw Niccolo Canepa, teamed up with Luca Mahias and David Checa.  They won by a mere 81 thousandths of a second!  Roman Ramos starts 14th.  Ramos has his stuffed animal buddy with him.  It is a platypus he calls Perry the platypus.  His team mate in World Supersport, Christian Gammarino, has a birthday.  So, Happy Birthday, Christian.

Josh Brookes starts 16th.  He drives a motor home between the European WSBK races.  17th on the grid, is Fabio Menghi.  We've been waiting for a long, long time, to see him race, after his injuries earlier in the year.  Menghi finished sixth in the World Supersport race here at Misano, last year.  Next on the grid is Dominic Schmitter.  Schmitter also ran in the Supersport category, last year.  Poor old Karel Abraham on the Milwaukee BMW is trapped in 19th place on the grid.  Milwaukee BMW has had issues with electronics and traction control on the motorcycle, all season.  

The Alfa Romeo 4C safety car, pulls away from the grid.  Peter Sebestyen starts 20th.  Tire choice for this race, fully dictated of course, by rider preference, and what they think will last the race distance.  Rea, Davies, and Sykes, are all using the softest Pirelli rear tire available.  Xavi Fores, Jonathan Rea, and yet another pole for Tom Sykes.  That's the front row.  24 bikes start, with Alex De Angelis, caboose on the field.  We are ready, to bring the action, at Misano in World Superbikes.

Since debuting on the schedule in 1991, when the track went in the opposite direction, Misano has hosted 46 WSBK races.  46 is a popular number in this part of the world, primarily because of our man, Valentino Rossi, in MotoGP.  Misano... this, is Ducati's house!  They've won 28 races here.  No one else even comes close.  Aprilia, another great Italian brand, has six wins.  Kawasaki, has five wins.  In the points table, Jonathan Rea now leads Tom Sykes, by 56 points, and Chaz Davies, is 62 behind.  Rea has 293 total points accumulated thus far.  Riders who have won the most races here, include legends Troy Bayliss with six, and Max Biaggi, with four.  Tom Sykes, has three, and he's looking to tie Biaggi's number, or put himself between Biaggi and Bayliss for most wins at Misano.

If anyone will beat Jonathan Rea today, Chaz Davies, is the bloke with the race pace, to make it happen.  The temperatures have cooled off and the wind has picked up, since we checked the weather on the grid.  24 degrees Celsius (75 degrees Fahrenheit), and the same track temperature at 46 degrees Celsius (114 degrees Fahrenheit).  Two 21 lap races.  We remember not just Fabrizio Pirovano, but Luis Salom as well.  Jonathan Rea, on average, he is scoring 41 points per round in World Superbike this year, vying for the title.

Folks, we have a special guest commentator in the booth.  Eugene Laverty, will help call this race along with regular WSBK commentator, Greg Haines and Steve English.  Laverty points out, since it's getting so hot, the track will be slippery.  We are ready to start race one at Misano.  Red lights, on.  Red lights, out!  We're racing, at Misano!  Jonathan Rea has a better start as Tom Sykes wheelies off the line.  Alex Lowes has made a great start and look at Davide Giugliano, on the attack already!  Oh no!  There's a rider down already from the middle of the pack.  Lorenzo Savadori falls off the Aprilia.  Nicky Hayden was pushed out wide.  The bikes hit the Rio corner for the first time.  Jonathan Rea, leads.

But, Chaz Davies, was the big loser.  He has fallen like a stone down to 22nd place.  Turn two is a very tight corner, and you can't find an opening.  Rea, Sykes, Giugliano, Hayden, and van der Mark, the top five as the riders negotiate the final corner at Carro.  Anthony West has jumped from 13th on the grid, to seventh, already.  Davide Giugliano is giving Tom Sykes all he can handle.  Because of the abrasive track surface, the Pirelli tires are going to drop off in performance, very quickly.  Chaz Davies is gaining ground and has made it to 15th place.  Oh no!  Giugliano, down.  He's fallen off the Ducati!

Two laps in, and it is game over for Giugliano in race one!  Not only that, but Nicky Hayden has also crashed!  Giugliano was pushing too hard.  Hayden has had a strong run all weekend, but it's game over for him, too.  This puts his Honda team mate Michael van der Mark up to third and Alex Lowes on the Yamaha advances to fourth.  It is more comfortable for the Kawasaki boys to set consistent lap times as shown by Jonathan Rea.  He cuts the first fast lap of the race at 1:35.775.  Settle in the first five laps of this race, and feel the bike out, because of the heat here at Misano.  Chaz Davies is 12th.  That incident, is over and done.  He'll have to take his medicine and just claw his way back through the field.

Giugliano lost the front end of the bike, and that was to be expected, as the Ducati riders tend to carry a lot of lean angle.  Jonathan Rea is slightly edging away from Tom Sykes.  Michael van der Mark is pushing hard, and keeping in touch with Sykes.  However, he may have to back it down, to save his tires.  New fast lap as Sykes steals it from Rea.  1:35.683.  We watch Alex Lowes on the Yamaha in fourth.  He is one second away from gaining a podium place.  He's catching Michael van der Mark.  Jordi Torres on the Althea BMW is fifth.  But behind Torres, there's a major train building up.  Xavi Fores leads the group ahead of Anthony West, Niccolo Canepa, Markus Reiterberger, and Roman "The Platypus" Ramos.

Rea lowers fastest lap time by two thousandths of a second to 1:35.663.  Torres flies through turn eight, La Quercia.  Through the next turn at Tramonto, Chaz Davies is catching Roman Ramos hand over fist, and has caught him, wanting to pass.  Rea ekes out a 6/10ths of a second gap on Tom Sykes and continues to smash the lap record.  Working lap seven as Sykes is all over his team Rea like a rash.  Another new lap record for Sykes.  1:35.507.  Did Rea make a mistake someplace?  Don't forget, Tom Sykes has not only won three of the last four races here at Misano, but also, three of the last four, in the 2016 season.  Chaz Davies, meanwhile has climbed to ninth, passing Roman Ramos and Markus Reiterberger.

Michael van der Mark in third is half a second behind the Kawasaki team mates.  Your points scoring runners in the top 15 look like this.

1. Jonathan Rea
2. Tom Sykes
3. Michael van der Mark
4. Alex Lowes
5. Jordi Torres
6. Xavi Fores
7. Anthony West
8. Niccolo Canepa
9. Chaz Davies
10. Markus Reiterberger
11. Roman Ramos
12. Leon Camier
13. Alex De Angelis
14. Josh Brookes
15. Dominic Schmitter

The tires are beginning to drop off at this time.  Jordi Torres is the fastest BMW rider right now.  The bike suits him.  Chaz Davies has now passed both Reiterberger and Canepa, and he wants by Anthony West on the Pedercini Kawasaki.  Davide Giugliano is still running, despite the broken fairing on his bike.  He's grabbed a spot away from Dominic Schmitter.  Thirteen laps remain now.  It's a shame Davies is so far behind, because he could have been up at the sharp end, to duke it out with the Kawasaki boys.  We watch the battle between Chaz Davies and Xavi Fores.  Fores has the position, while Davies, wants it.  The scrap is for sixth.

Davies gets around Fores.  His next target is that pesky BMW of Jordi Torres.  Alex Lowes is dropping down the order.  He has taken his Yamaha off the road at turn four (Rio).  Did he crash, or is there a mechanical concern with the Yamaha?  Torres is fourth while Davies has cracked the top five.  Tom Sykes is only a tenth away from Rea.  Poor Alex Lowes is back on the bike, but has dropped down the order.  His team mate Niccolo Canepa is ninth.  Alex Lowes and Eugene Laverty were team mates in WSBK at Suzuki, before Laverty jumped across to race in MotoGP.

Michael van der Mark seems to be the fastest man on the speedway at this moment.  We're halfway through this race, essentially.  Michael van der Mark has not had a podium placing on the Honda since Assen in Holland, back in April.  Interestingly enough, Jonathan Rea has not won a race since then, either.  We are past halfway.  Davies is running a 1:35.7.  He's really pushing hard and has good pace, but needs to pass Jordi Torres, now.  Davide Giugliano is 15th, but has to make up at least nine seconds in order to catch Alex De Angelis.  Davide Giugliano has lost the fairing off his bike.  Either it fell off or he just ripped it off it's mounting point.

Jonathan Rea holds a tighter line, while Tom Sykes can go anywhere.  Chaz Davies has passed Jordi Torres.  The Kawasaki's are running real well.  Tom Sykes has a point and squirt riding style, where he points the motorcycle through the corners whereas Jonathan Rea, has a more flowing style in his riding.  Michael van der Mark may be dropping his pace a shade, thinking Davies on the Ducati will catch him.  Davies continues to run a strong pace.  This might be a close race at the end.  The race will be won or lost, in the last five laps.  If Chaz Davies passes Michael van der Mark, (and this will sound outlandish), if the two blokes at Kawasaki should smash into each other and take each other out, Davies would have this race, in the bag.

I don't want to tempt fate, though.  Personal best lap for Davies just set at 1:35.6, and that's quicker than the Kawasaki riders.  What will Jonathan Rea have up his sleeve?  Michael van der Mark is 3.5 seconds ahead of Chaz Davies right now.  Rea runs wide and kicks up some dust in Misano corner.  Down into La Quercia, can Sykes close on Rea?  In the latter half of the top five it is still Jordi Torres on the BMW, Xavi Fores on the Barni Ducati, Reiterberger on the second BMW, Canepa, Camier, and West, who ride for Yamaha, MV Agusta, and Pedercini Kawasaki, respectively.

These riders are followed, to complete the top 15 by Josh Brookes, Alex De Angelis, Alex Lowes, and Davide Giugliano.  Three laps to go now.  Well, almost two laps.  Xavi Fores is dropping, with technical issues.  van der Mark is now 7/10ths faster than the two Kawasaki's who are playing cat and mouse.  We have a new man in 15th, who will gain a point.  That's Pawel Szkopek. Game over for Xavi Fores.  The two factory Kawasaki riders may have to contend with the Grillini Kawasaki of Italian rider Gianluca Vizziello.  Sykes has now caught Rea for the lead.  Will he make a pass?  The two Kawasaki's have been locked together.

This is a clean fight across the final lap here at Misano on the 4.2 kilometer (2.625 mile) layout.  Rea has good traction all the way through La Quercia.  Just a couple corners remain in race one of World Superbike at Misano.  Into the Misano corner to finish this race, and... the Kawasaki's are side by side for the win!  ...And... give it to... Rea!

World Superbike Race 1: #1 Jonathan Rea     GBR.     Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX10R

Sykes and van der Mark round out the podium.  Chaz Davies makes it to fourth.  900ths of a second at the finish!  Giugliano finishes 14th.  The final points paying place in 15th goes to Pawel Szkopek, who was under attack from his Toth Yamaha team mate, Peter Sebestyen.

Race two, is on deck.

Jonathan Rea beat Tom Sykes by less than a tenth of a second.  With Laguna Seca coming up, everyone wants to head to America, as a winner.  Stay tuned for details on that next race when we are done covering race two here, at Misano.  Can Rea do the double for the tenth time in his career?

Ducati wants to fight back after their bad race on Saturday.  Althea BMW are close, but want to finish on the podium.  Michael van der Mark made the podium, as the only Honda to finish.  Weather conditions on Sunday look like this.  22 degrees Celsius (71 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature.  40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit), track temperature.  Track temps continue an upward spiral as we prepare for the Sunday race at Misano on the Adriatic coast of Italy.  This is the second 21 lap, 55 mile race of the weekend, equaling, oh, 90 kilometers or so.

Jonathan Rea, after yesterday's race, now has a 61 point advantage over Tom Sykes and in the constructors championship, we have Kawasaki leading Ducati by 65 points.  Jonathan Rea wants to do ten doubles, which only three riders have done.  In 1991 when this race debuted at Misano, Doug Polen, won, and he would go on to win the WSBK world championship in both 1991 and '92.  Davide Giugliano's wreck from Saturday, was caused by the tires going off a little bit.  The transition from hard braking, to getting back in the throttle, is where the Ducati struggles.  We see Carmelo Ezpeleta, who is CEO of Dorna Sport, and he is overseeing things with the WSBK at Misano with the FIM, in Misano, this weekend.

This will be Tom Sykes' 200th race start.  Did Tom Sykes give up, yesterday?  That's what the motorcycle racing media is asking.  The championship could be done and dusted now.  Sykes has to beat Rea if he wants to win the title.  He has to be aggressive.  In a straight fight, Sykes will stay behind Rea.  The psychological battle in the Kawasaki Racing Team, is very interesting.  In a straight fight, Rea beat Sykes, fair and square.  The Ducati is being regarded as the best bike in the field so far.  Chaz Davies has done two doubles this year.  But, remember, that yesterday, he had to really fight for it.  Get laps in during Super Pole.  Davies did not do that, and so, he was caught in a mid pack kerfuffle.

Pit lane is open and riders make their way onto the track for the warmup laps.  Alex Lowes has been snookered again.  He needs some luck in this second race.  His plan is to have a conservative race and let the miles build up.  No dramas.  The sighting lap is now underway.  Alex Lowes had collarbone surgery and this in turn caused him some arm pump issues.  The Yamaha R1 has always been competitive.  What Yamaha has seen in the IDM (the German Superbike championship), in British Superbike, and in MotoAmerica, is that the R1 is a competitive motorcycle.  Still some work to do on the World Superbike version.

Lorenzo Savadori has had issues on the sighting lap, and thus, has been pushed by the Aprilia mechanics, to his grid spot.  Let's hope Savadori can stay in his grid spot.  Pit lane closes in less than 50 seconds.  Xavi Fores, meanwhile, starts third.  He is on the front row of the grid for just the second time in his career.  Tom Sykes put the Pirelli best lap in in race one and gets that award.  There is a cake ready for Tom Sykes, for his 200th race start celebration, with 200 candles on it!  He's suspicious, for sure.  He hopes to see the cake after the race.  But, nevertheless, the team better be armed with fire extinguishers in the garage area, with all those candles!

Sykes made his debut in WSBK at age 22 at Brands Hatch in England, in 2008.  Check out these stats.  Sykes has the 2013 title, 30 wins, 75 podiums, 36 poles, 53 front row starts, and 30 fastest laps.  He lost out in the championship to Max Biaggi and Sylvain  Guintoli.  Alex Lowes qualifies fourth.  Jonathan Rea is second.  Nicky Hayden starts sixth.  Davide Giugliano is seventh.  Leon Camier is eighth on the MV Agusta, with Chaz Davies, ninth.  Michael van der Mark rounds out the top ten.  Jordi Torres crashed in the morning warmup, in the rain.  They had to repair the Althea BMW S1000RR.

What line will Chaz Davies take into the first corner?  He's in the danger zone, coming from row three.  He almost hit Alex Lowes, catching Lorenzo Savadori, who crashed.  Nicky Hayden and others were also caught out.  Markus Reiterberger and Jordi Torres on the Althea BMW's are 11th and 12th.  Anthony West, #13, starts 13th.  West finished race one on Saturday inside the top ten.  Roman Ramos is 14th.  Niccolo Canepa is 15th.  If Chaz Davies can get into the top five, he'll have a shot for the win.  Get to the front.  Joshua Brookes is 16th.  If Davies and Ducati want to win, they have to ruffle Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki's feathers a little bit.

Fabio Menghi is 17th, and it is good to see him back in action.  Now, we have about half the season left, and anything can happen in this battle between Rea and Davies.  We saw in 2002, the championship fight between Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards.  In 2009 it was Ben Spies vs. Noriyuki Haga.  Dominic Schmitter rolls off 18th.  Karel Abraham is 19th.  20th is Peter Sebestyen.  21st is Saeed al Sulaiti.  Has Tom Sykes made a decision on 2017?  He doesn't have a manager, and deals with the business of SBK racing, himself.  So, we'll soon find out, whether he has signed a new Kawasaki Racing Team contract.

Rumors swirl about Chaz Davies moving to MotoGP.  But, Davies said he won't unless he is on a competitive bike with a competitive team, after racing in 125cc and 250cc competition earlier in his career.  Gianluca Vizziello is 23rd.  Back to Davies.  We have seen riders like Loris Baz and Eugene Laverty, going to MotoGP, riding well, but fighting for points instead of podiums.  Pawel Szkopek is 22nd on the grid.  He scored points for Toth Yamaha in yesterday's race.  Gianluca Vizziello has replaced Josh Hook on the Grillini Kawasaki.

Can Sykes beat Rea in race two at Misano?  We know Kawasaki has pace.  We know Chaz Davies has pace.  Kawasaki has perhaps changed tactics.  Their tires were almost worn yesterday after race one.  Coming to the start of the race, we have an updated weather forecast.

Air temp: 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit)
Track temp: 41 degrees Celsius (105 degrees Fahrenheit)

Again, 21 laps ahead of us.  What will happen?  We're about to find out.  We are racing, again, at Misano!  Go!  Jonathan Rea gets a good launch and here comes Alex Lowes, already, headed for the first turn.  Lowes shoots up to second briefly before getting swamped by the two Kawasaki's.  Sykes passes Jonathan Rea on the outside!  Sykes has taken the lead!  Xavi Fores passes Alex Lowes for third place.  Sykes, Rea, Fores, Lowes, 1, 2, 3, 4.  Davide Giugliano is fifth now.  Chaz Davies runs behind the Honda of Michael van der Mark and the Aprilia of Lorenzo Savadori.  Into La Quercia, a big wreck!

Markus Reiterberger runs up the back of Davies' Ducati, and is launched off his BMW!  Ouch!  Dear oh dear.  Let's hope he's OK.  Chaz Davies is moving up, and he was clipped by Reiterberger.  It could have been a multiple bike incident.  Reiterberger is on his feet and he should be OK.  Michael van der Mark is looking to make a move on Xavi Fores.  Sykes is now opening a lead on Rea as we watch a battle for the lower half of the top five between Alex Lowes, Davide Giugliano, and Fores.  Oh no!  Another wreck, and two top contenders, are out!

Chaz Davies, falls, and takes Michael van der Mark right with him!  Holy mackerel!  This is not the way to start a World Superbike race!  How unlucky can one man be?  It's the same part on the track where we saw Davide Giugliano fall in race one on Saturday.  Davies was off line slightly, the front end of the motorcycle unloads, and it whips around in a 360 degree spin, catapulting the rider onto the pavement.  Lowes slides the Yamaha, as Davies continues in the race.  It may be game over for Davies.  He'll have to bring the bike to pit lane.

Alex Lowes, with his mistake, is down to fifth, having been passed by Giugliano and Fores.  Lorenzo Savadori may have a go at Lowes, too.  Michael van der Mark, has actually rejoined the race.  Tom Sykes has to stay in front of Jonathan Rea, because the gap will decrease to 56 points if it stays like this until the end of the race.  Sykes leads on lap five.  Jonathan Rea is waiting for his chance.  Jordi Torres gets around Nicky Hayden for seventh spot.  Other riders in the points paying positions include Leon Camier, Anthony West, Alex De Angelis, Niccolo Canepa, Josh Brookes, Roman Ramos, and Dominic Schmitter.

Currently, Alex Lowes seems to be faster than Xavi Fores.  Lowes makes a mistake through Variante del Parco.  Lorenzo Savadori makes the pass.  Dominic Schmitter loses his 15th position, as Michael van der Mark, who is still in the race, takes it.  Who will come out on top, in the battle between the factory Kawasaki's?  Depending on the bike and how it is geared, take Curvone in fifth or sixth gear.  Davide Giugliano has good pace, and we know the Ducati manages it's tires.  Could Chaz Davies' incident have been caused by something going awry on the bike after he tapped Markus Reiterberger and sent Reiterberger into that acrobatic wreck, earlier?

Rea appears comfortable in second spot.  The two Ducati's have nothing separating them.  Hopes are for Ducati, that maybe Davide Giugliano can catch Jonathan Rea.  Anthony West, again, has the Pedercini Kawasaki in 10th place.  We hope to see Frenchman Sylvain Barrier back on the Pedercini Kawasaki.  But, he is still healing after a crash at the start of race two at Motorland Aragon in Spain, back in April.  Sykes, Rea, and Giugliano have separated themselves, from the rest of the field.  Rea has a few areas on this racetrack where he's stronger than is Tom Sykes.

Rea is not pushing the bike out to the outside yet, to try and make a pass.  Disappointment for Leon Camier.  It's game over for him at Misano.  Too bad for MV Agusta.  They need to maintain their development budget, so they can get a better chance at putting a second bike on the team.  Tom Sykes takes a tighter line than Jonathan Rea, into the corner.  Josh Brookes runs wide on the Milwaukee BMW into Carro, the final corner on this racetrack.  Will the Milwaukee team change motorcycles for 2017?  They have been linked with Aprilia, even before they came to World Superbike.  Will they stay with BMW?  Could they race a Suzuki, next year?  That's another possibility.

Aprilia, BMW, Yamaha, and Honda, all battle for position.  This is a fight for fifth.  Lorenzo Savadori leads the charge over Alex Lowes, Jordi Torres, and Nicky Hayden.  Savadori wiggles through La Quercia and Alex Lowes says, "grazi, Lorenzo", and passes him.  Seven laps now left to run.  These four riders we've been watching all scrap for a top five finish.  That is what they are after.  Anthony West and Niccolo Canepa have moved up as has Alex De Angelis.  Michael van der Mark is fighting his way through the field followed by Ramos, Brookes, and Schmitter.  Xavi Fores holds on to fourth spot.

Xavi Fores wants a seat with the factory Ducati squad for next year, as we watch Davide Giugliano try to chase down the two Kawasaki's.  Six laps to go now.  Sykes leads Rea over Giugliano and Fores.  Rea is starting to push Tom Sykes, looking to rattle his team mate and try to make a move for the lead.  Jonathan Rea is comfortable knowing he can fight Sykes, for the win.  Ah!  It's happened!  Lap 17, and Jonathan Rea, pulls the pin, and goes for the lead around the outside!  Five laps to go at Misano, and the battle is on, for the race win in race two of World Superbike!

Sykes has to respond, now!  He has to avoid Jonathan Rea running away with a win.  Through Rio and down into turns five and six, we see Rea pulling away from Tom Sykes.  This Kawasaki duel has been the story of the season so far.  Four laps to go, and Rea leads by 3/10ths of a second.  Update the gap based on the third sector.  Giugliano and Fores run third and fourth.  Alex Lowes is feeling the heat from Lorenzo Savadori.  Niccolo Canepa has a solid ninth place run going.  Completing the points paying places are Michael van der Mark, Alex De Angelis, Roman Ramos, Josh Brookes, and Karel Abraham.

Pawel Szkopek scored a point in race one on Saturday.  He is 19th right now.  However, race control has instructed him to drop one place for overtaking during local yellow flags.  He is a second ahead of Saeed al Sulaiti in 20th, but, if he does not drop that place within five laps, he will be disqualified and the stewards will stop scoring him, giving him the black flag.  Three laps to go with a 7/10ths of a second gap for Jonathan Rea.  Only two riders have done the double winning two riders who have won ten doubles.  Carl Fogarty, and Troy Bayliss are the others.  Jonathan Rea is separating himself from the rest of the field.

Rea won his first WSBK race here at Misano, back in 2009 as well.  Nicky Hayden on the Honda passes Jordi Torres on the BMW for seventh.  Rea is stretching his lead out, consistently running 1:35 laps.  He is crushing it, making his opposition wonder, "how does he do it?"  Poor old Alex Lowes has sunk like a stone, being passed by Lorenzo Savadori.  It is the final lap now.  Sykes will make it a sixth Kawasaki 1-2 in his 200th race.  Davide Giugliano will have a solid podium finish as well.  Kudos to him.  Pawel Szkopek ignores the marshals, and has to take a ride through penalty.

But, Jonathan Rea, does it!  He wins again, at Misano!  He becomes only the third World Superbike rider, ever, (along with Carl Fogarty and Troy Bayliss) to pick up ten career doubles, where he sweeps the race wins during the weekend!

World Superbike Race 2: #1 Jonathan Rea    GBR.     Kawasaki Racing Team Kawasaki ZX10R

Sykes is second in his 200th race.  Davide Giugliano completes the podium.  Fores and Savadori complete the top five.  Karel Abraham is the last points paying finisher.  Jonathan Rea is now just the third rider, as mentioned, to earn the double victory here, at Misano.  He's crushed the opposition.  He's beaten Tom Sykes, and Chaz Davies has scored nil points, which leaves him 99 points... 99 points, behind Jonathan Rea.  Good for Giugliano to finish and to honor the memory of Fabrizio Pirovano who won ten WSBK races, who passed away.  We honor Fabrizio Pirovano, and Luis Salom.

Again, Fabrizio Pirovano who passed away at age 56 with an incurable tumor.  He won ten WSBK races, finished on the podium 47 times, had 17 front row starts, and ten race wins, winning the 1998 World Supersport championship title.  It has been a heck of a race here at Misano.  Jonathan Rea, and crew chief, Per Arriba, have had a great relationship between crew chief and rider, and that's why they've been so successful. 

Just recently, the FIM World Superbike Championship, did a solitary event, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, in Monterey, California, just last weekend.  Two races for them, and also races, for the MotoAmerica championship.  Stay tuned, for the MotoAmerica coverage.  But, also, especially for the two races run by WSBK on the Monterey Peninsula.  Those races, are coming your way soon, right here, on 2 Wheelin'.  So long for now, everyone.

...And, before we go, once more, Rest In Peace, Luis Salom, and Fabrizio Pirovano.  You will be missed.





 

World Superbike from Laguna Seca

Stay tuned for coverage of this race, as well as the race from Misano in Italy.  But, here are the news stories from the most recent FIM World Superbike races, in the United States, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, California.

Chaz Davies on top at Laguna Seca after Friday's sessions, Davide Giugliano is sixth

http://www.motorsport.com/wsbk/news/chaz-davies-on-top-at-laguna-seca-after-fridays-sessions-davide-giugliano-is-sixth-797135/?s=1

Laguna Seca WSBK: Sykes continues qualifying streak with fourth straight pole

http://www.motorsport.com/wsbk/news/laguna-seca-wsbk-sykes-continues-qualifying-streak-with-fourth-straight-pole-797279/?s=1

Laguna Seca WSBK: Rea scores Race 1 win as both Ducati's crash

http://www.motorsport.com/wsbk/news/laguna-seca-wsbk-rea-scores-race-1-win-as-both-ducatis-crash-797316/?s=1

Tough Race 1 for the Aruba.it Racing - Ducati team in Laguna Seca

http://www.motorsport.com/wsbk/news/tough-race-1-for-the-aruba-it-racing-ducati-team-in-laguna-seca-797584/?s=1

Laguna Seca WSBK: Sykes leads Ducati's in red-flagged race, Rea retires

http://www.motorsport.com/wsbk/news/laguna-seca-wsbk-sykes-leads-ducatis-in-red-flagged-race-rea-retires-797704/?s=1

Moto3: Catalunya (Barcelona, Spain)

The junior riders of Moto3 are set to bring the action to Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain.  This is round seven of the championship, as we have weather conditions of 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees Fahrenheit), air temp, and a track temperature at 36 degrees Celsius (96 degrees Fahrenheit).  There was some overnight rain.  Sadly, we started the weekend off, of course, with the death of Luis Salom, a former runner-up in Moto3, who was killed in a crash on the Friday before the racing action, in practice.  May he Rest In Peace.  On this slightly different configuration of the track, Brad Binder, has pole.  He's won three races in a row.  Brad Binder, starts from pole.  Binder and Salom were team mates in Moto3 in 2012.

This is Brad Binder's second career Grand Prix pole position.  It is his fourth front row start.  He has 49 points in a cushion, over Jorge Navarro.  Brad Binder could be the first rider in Moto3 history to win four straight races, and the first non-European rider to win four straight in the junior category since 2001 when Youichi Ui of Japan, did so in the 125cc class. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Youichi_Ui

Jorge Navarro is also looking for his first win.  Khairul Idham Pawi is also looking strong.  He was a surprise race winner earlier this year at Autodromo Termas de Rio Hondo in Argentina, back in April.  He was on for a good result last time out in Italy at Mugello, but crashed towards the end of the race.  Enea Bastianini could only manage fifth on the grid.  He is working his way back from a wrist injury, and has finished runner-up here in Moto3, the last two years.  Bastianini is looking for his second career win.  His first came last September at Misano World Circuit Marco Simoncelli in Italy.  That was also the last time a Moto3 rider won a race from the front row of the grid.

Khairul Idham Pawi starts sixth.  One of three rookie riders to keep an eye on along with Niccolo Bulega and Aron Canet.  Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia is seventh, on the inside of row three.  Bagnaia crashed in the morning warmup at turn ten.  We see on every bike in every division, some form of tribute to Luis Salom, in today's races.  Frenchman Jules Danilo is eighth on the grid.  Aron Canet is ninth.  Romano Fenati completes the top ten.  Fenati had pole in Italy at Mugello, but dropped back due to a broken chain on the motorcycle.

Eleventh will be Hiroki Ono.  He has had good form this season.  Ono's two points scoring finishes were two sixth place efforts in Argentina, and in Italy, at Mugello, last time out.  Fabio Quartararo is starting 12th and has struggled this weekend.  It's been almost a year since Quartararo has had a podium.  Bo Bendsneyder, the Dutchman, who was champion in Red Bull Rookies Cup competition last year, rolls off 13th.  In the garage, sits another Red Bull Ajo KTM, with the #39 on it, in tribute to Luis Salom.  Salom rode with Ajo Motorsports.  Salom still holds the record for most wins in the Moto3 class.

Fourteenth on the grid is Andrea Migno.  He made his Grand Prix debut here at Catalunya in 2013.  Migno has recently had back to back top ten finishes in France and Italy.  Jorge Navarro starts third, Niccolo Antonlli, second, and the man to catch today, will be Brad Binder.  The 35 bike field sets off on it's warm up lap.  This is unknown territory for the motorcycle riders as far as race dynamics.  Look out for Pecco Bagnaia as he's on a softer option front tire while everyone else is using medium front and medium rear tires.  This track is very bumpy.  So, that is playing a factor into the tire situation as well.

This has been the most trouble free weekend for Niccolo Antonelli in some time.  If anyone wants to stop Brad Binder they will have to do so early in this race, because if he breaks away from the rest of the pack, he'll just cruise.  No rider has won four consecutive races in the lightweight championship since 2010 when Marc Marquez did so on a 125cc motorcycle.  22 laps for Moto3 about to get underway at Catalunya!  Away we go!  Brad Binder and Pecco Bagnaia get good starts as we head for turn one.  Enea Bastianini also gets a flyer of a start.

Niccolo Bulega has dropped to tenth spot off the starting line.  Brad Binder and Pecco Bagnaia were the two to get fabulous launches.  Jorge Navarro is already trying to claw his way back through the field.  John McPhee on the Peugeot Mahindra is off the road.  Bo Bendsneyder runs a bit wide into turn nine.  Alexis Masbou was involved in that incident as well.  It was a clean start for everyone and nobody jumped the start of the race.  Enea Bastianini passes Brad Binder for the race lead.  Now, Khairul Idham Pawi tries going for the lead and Jorge Navarro is also right there.  Pawi takes the lead as Navarro tries for second but gets chopped by Bastianini.

Adam Norrodin has had another first lap spill.  He's back on the bike now, but it's been a disastrous season for the young Malaysian rider.  Hiroki Ono makes a move on Aron Canet for seventh.  Francesco Bagnaia (a.k.a. "Pecco") is now ahead of Niccolo Antonelli.  Local yellow flags appear.  No overtaking through this upcoming corner.  Brad Binder is trying hard, in fourth.  Will he go for the win?  Will he settle for points and a consistent finish?  Niccolo Bulega sets fastest lap of the race so far at 1:55 flat.  1:55.051.  Khairul Idham Pawi is back to fourth, fending off Aron Canet's challenge.

Enea Bastianini is the race leader at present.  Jorge Navarro now takes the lead away from Bastianini.  Gabriel Rodrigo of Argentina, is putting in a brilliant ride, right behind Aron Canet, as well.  Rodrigo is moving up after starting 19th.  Brad Binder looks inside Bastianini.  Pawi runs wide into the turn, and Rodrigo moves to third place!  The Argentinian is having a fabulous race to this point.  Jorge Navarro has now taken the lead back with Brad Binder in second, having gotten around Rodrigo.  Game over for Maria Herrera.  She has crashed out.  Rodrigo wants the lead, but Binder is the king of the late brakers and holds off Rodrigo and Navarro!

Maria Herrera is trying to rejoin the race.  But, folks, there's a big crash!  It looks like two bikes have gone down, and those two happen to be Jules Danilo and Hiroki Ono.  Ono high sided the motorcycle and unfortunately, Jules Danilo got caught off guard and just followed him into that mess.  Gabriel Rodrigo meanwhile, resets fast lap of the race at 1:54.569.  Rodrigo is the first rider into the 1:54 bracket.  Rodrigo makes a brilliant inside pass on both Brad Binder and Jorge Navarro.  Aron Canet is moving up, as Rodrigo struggles getting on the power and Brad Binder is going to pounce for the race lead!

Gabriel Rodrigo has made a charge from 19th on the grid.  Aron Canet is trying to slipstream to the lead and Enea Bastianini is also pushing hard.  Binder led across the start/finish line, but now is fifth.  Jorge Martin in 16th place, is less than three seconds away from the leaders.  Stefano Valtulini has crashed out, and we await the arrival of Alexis Masbou in his pit box as well, presumably, done for the day.  Khairul Idham Pawi and Niccolo Bulega, the two rookies, are working their way back up through the field.  Romano Fenati is also coming to the front of this pack.  Could he get into contention?

We watch in replay.  Valtulini loses control and lays down the bike.  Alexis Masbou is an innocent bystander and has no choice but to ditch his bike right along with the Italian.  Tandem falling here, in Spain.  Ouch!  The two Estrella Galicia Honda's lead this race.  Jorge Navarro ahead of Aron Canet.  Gabriel Rodrigo is third.  Brad Binder runs fourth.  Romano Fenati, though, is matching his bike number and is up to fifth place.  Jorge Navarro has had great race pace all weekend.  He could stretch out a gap, if he gets in front.  Enea Bastianini is trying to get on terms with Brad Binder, and Gabriel Rodrigo is making another power move.  Rodrigo passes Aron Canet.

What this is, is good news, for Jorge Navarro as he keeps his lead.  The top six is trying to edge away from Niccolo Bulega and Khairul Idham Pawi.  This is a crucial lap for Jorge Navarro as he lowers fast lap to 1:54.240.  Will we see one rider whistle off into the distance?  Or, will we see a whole bunch of riders, in a scrum for the win?  Brad Binder is being pressured by Romano Fenati.  Jakub Kornfeil has now moved into contention, running ahead of Andrea Migno.  Oh my.  More riders have fallen down.  Darryn Binder, Brad Binder's younger brother, is still in this race.  But have we lost Pecco Bagnaia?  Did he wreck?

Ah.  We have.  Francesco Bagnaia and Juanfran Guevara have both tumbled.  Adam Norrodin also retires his motorcycle.  Bagnaia and Binder got way too close for comfort and both fall as their bikes spin like tops.  Guevara lost the front end and wiped out Bagnaia in one fell swoop.  New fast lap.  Gabriel Rodrigo sets a 1:54.148.  This is practically Rodrigo's second home race.  He is from Argentina, where we've raced in MotoGP already.  But, he lives in Barcelona.  With Brad Binder in fourth spot now, his points lead would be cut by a dozen, from 49 to 37.

Pawi and Bulega are having a fair old ding dong right now as Andrea Migno runs wide at turn ten.  Turn ten, has been calamity corner in this race so far.  Migno did fall, hitting the deck.  Jorge Navarro is back to the lead and has a half second cushion.  Aron Canet moves to second, and now, Romano Fenati is up to challenge Brad Binder.  Enea Bastianini is hanging in there and has put in his personal best lap of the race at a 1:54.589.  With 15 laps to go, Navarro has a wing man in Aron Canet.  Every time Gabriel Rodrigo goes to second, Canet takes time out of his gap.  Navarro makes a huge booboo and runs wide under braking.

Navarro slides from the lead, back to fifth.  Aron Canet has taken the lead of this motorcycle race.  Romano Fenati has now reset fast lap at 1:54.145.  Fenati takes the lead away from Rodrigo as well, down the front straightaway.  Brad Binder tries to lunge past Gabriel Rodrigo, but it doesn't work.  Aron Canet tries making a move on team mate Jorge Navarro.  He can't do it.  Khairul Idham Pawi and Niccolo Bulega, have been working together, and thus, they are into contention.  In the meantime, Brad Binder slipstreams back into the lead.

Pawi runs Canet out wide.  Pawi is now up to fifth place.  Romano Fenati is now going after Gabriel Rodrigo.  Navarro passes Romano Fenati on the inside.  Romano Fenati, has pounced, and he's going by Jorge Navarro, and attempting to pass Gabriel Rodrigo!  Khairul Idham Pawi's Achilles heel as a racer is, (though he has won), he will go for gaps that are not there.  Brad Binder, on the straight, sees his lead disappear as both Rodrigo and Navarro get by.  Rodrigo retakes the lead.  Aron Canet has lost places.  This lead group has the top eight riders.  The only two who have set 1:54 lap times are Pawi and Bulega.

Navarro charges on Rodrigo.  Navarro now leads, and Brad Binder is back up to second.  Niccolo Antonelli, we've hardly called his number all day.  He's down in ninth, but is just riding a lonely race right now.  Brad Binder has passed Jorge Navarro for the lead.  Navarro tries Binder, but isn't close enough.  Gabriel Rodrigo gets around Enea Bastianini for third.  Navarro wants by Binder, but thinks better of diving down the inside.  Darryn Binder now runs 15th and if he stays there, it will be his first point in the World Championship.  Jorge Martin has been forced to give up a place, perhaps for passing under a yellow flag. Has he exceeded track limits?

If you can lead out of turn 15, you will win this Moto3 race.  Ten laps to go.  Binder was leading and has now dropped back.  Romano Fenati comes through, and Enea Bastianini is now up to third!  Binder is fifth.  Joan Mir has passed Darryn Binder and has put in the first 1:53 lap of this race.  1:53.993 for Mir.  That's almost two seconds quicker than Navarro in the lead pack.  Brad Binder thought about a move inside Enea Bastianini.  But, it didn't work.  Jorge Navarro passes Bastianini for third.  Navarro looks inside Rodrigo and goes for the pass.  Navarro runs it in too hot and Rodrigo passes back.

Brad Binder has been pushed back to sixth place.  Fenati leads Rodrigo, and, it looks like Niccolo Antonelli could actually be coming back into contention, somehow.  Joan Mir is forced to swap one position, and perhaps drop in behind Jorge Martin.  Bastianini tries Rodrigo, but Gabriel Rodrigo isn't giving in.  Antonelli is taking a tenth out of everyone else in every single sector.  Antonelli still runs in ninth place.  Spanish wildcard Albert Arenas has crashed out on bike #12.  Enea Bastianini has passed Gabriel Rodrigo for second.  Romano Fenati has also made a pass on Rodrigo.  Navarro leads Bastianini by 3/10ths of a second.  Will Navarro pull the pin and set sail?

Niccolo Bulega wants to make a move on Brad Binder.  Oh deary me!  Niccolo Antonelli has gone down, again!  He was trying to play catch up and it bit him.  Jorge Navarro meanwhile, has run his personal best lap of the race at 1:54.2.  Antonelli's hopes for contending for the Moto3 World Championship are now fading.  As the front end washed away, Antonelli was jolly lucky he was on his own and didn't have a group of riders to take out along with him, in a chain reaction incident.  Bulega, Pawi, and Canet, are all fading away from the top five.  As of now, Brad Binder would lead the championship by 35 points over Jorge Navarro.

Six laps left in Moto3 at Catalunya as Brad Binder tries to slipstream by Gabriel Rodrigo.  Enea Bastianini has now taken the lead.  Jakub Kornfeil is being penalized for overcooking a chicane.  Kornfeil may need to yield a place to Fabio Di Giantonio, as Jorge Martin has now crashed out.  Martin high sides his bike out of turn two.  The Aspar Moto3 team has had three wrecks today.  Jorge Navarro wants his first ever Moto3 win.  Enea Bastianini is in a dry spell and has not won since Misano last year.  Alexis Masbou is OK after his earlier wreck.

Brad Binder will have Gabriel Rodrigo in his face, soon.  Rodrigo puts the move on him.  Pawi is fading, in trying to hang onto Aaron Canet.  Enea Bastianini has had a hard time getting the front end of his bike to work all year.  But, he's keeping Jorge Navarro honest right now.  Navarro has to finish ahead of Brad Binder, more for his confidence than anything.  Binder has been biding his time.  Will he make a move for the front in the last laps?  Enea Bastianini has been pushed to third and Romano Fenati now takes over the lead.

Bastianini wants to get a double slipstream.  Bastianini goes into the lead down the front straightaway.  But, Brad Binder is steaming along and he's right there!  The points leader is now second.  Gabriel Rodrigo picks off both Jorge Navarro, and Romano Fenati!  Navarro immediately claws his way back ahead of Fenati.  Andrea Locatelli falls and rejoins the race.  A piece of debris, meanwhile, has fallen off Gabriel Rodrigo's motorcycle.  Four laps to go, with Bastianini still in P1.  Binder runs off the road and gets back on!  How did he save that one?!

Gabriel Rodrigo has to give up a few places.  Brad Binder has now fallen to eight spot.  Rodrigo hit the rear of Binder's motorcycle, snapping him sideways.  He was blessed that he didn't fall down!  Navarro leads.  Two laps to go.  If Binder charges back for a win, you might as well give him the championship and call it the comeback of the century!  Aron Canet is up to third and Jorge Navarro leads.  But, Khairul Idham Pawi is down!  Pawi tucks the front, and it's game over!  Two laps left and Navarro leads by 3/10ths of a second.  Binder passes Bulega and is now sixth.

Now, Gabriel Rodrigo has crashed.  Rodrigo is absolutely furious!  Did he have a brake problem?  Rodrigo folds the front into turn one.  Binder is now fifth, 6/10ths of a second behind the leader.  Jorge Navarro can win if Romano Fenati and Enea Bastianini find themselves in a dust up for position.  Fenati passes Bastianini, and this opens the door for Jorge Navarro to take win number one in Moto3.  We are on the final lap here at Barcelona, in Moto3.  Binder is quickest on track at 1:54.301.  The gap from Navarro to Binder is 1.1 seconds and Binder has picked off Canet.

Fenati goes inside Bastianini.  Canet is going after Binder now.  Oh!  Brad Binder takes both the Italians in one pass!  He only now has to catch Jorge Navarro and a fourth consecutive Moto3 win, will be his.  Fenati is going to fight Binder through turn ten.  The gap between Navarro and Binder is now just over 6/10ths of a second.  Binder has to defend second as Romano Fenati looks inside to make a move.  Fenati nearly folds the front, and Binder slams the door in his face!  Navarro needs a win, desperately.  Will he get it?  Will Binder have the last word as we get close to the finish line?

Jorge Navarro is the winner, of his first ever Moto3 Grand Prix!  Brad Binder comes second, after an amazing last lap!  Enea Bastianini finishes third.  Darryn Bindern will score a boatload of points in 12th.  Would it have been different if Binder hadn't tangled with Gabriel Rodrigo?  A flag is flown in memory of Luis Salom.  Jorge Navarro has had 36 races before taking his first Grand Prix win.  Karel Hanika crashes out on the final lap.

#9 Jorge Navarro     ESP.    Honda  

Next up for Moto3 is the "Cathedral of Speed" for the Dutch TT at Assen, in Holland.  That race, has happened.  But, look for an update, on 2 Wheelin', very soon.