After a long break, the FIM World Superbike Championship, returns to action in Germany, at the Lausitzring Eurospeedway. It is mid-September, with eight races left. Jonathan Rea leads Tom Sykes by 46 points. We are in Germany in WSBK for the first time since 2013, and also, the Lausitzring is on the schedule for the first time since 2007. The last time races were held here, former riders Noriyuki Haga of Japan, and Troy Bayliss from Australia, won them. 2.65 miles, 14 turns. Part oval and part road course. This is the only tri-oval speedway in Europe. Races 19 and 20 will be run this weekend. Noriyuki Haga has the lap record at 1:38.622. We have a look at current weather conditions before race one of the weekend. 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature. 28 degrees Celsius (82 degrees Fahrenheit), track temperature.
Winds out of the northeast at four miles an hour, eight kilometers an hour, just outside the town of Klettwitz, Germany, in Brandenburg, between Dresden and Berlin. Jonathan Rea is sixth on the grid, in his worst starting spot of the whole year. Kawasaki Racing Team didn't test at Lausitzring with their World Superbike. They only ran their Superstock 1000 bikes. How will the race go for the green bikes? Overtaking should be quite difficult here at the Lausitzring. Link together each apex through the infield section of the course before you come back out onto the oval. Watch out for Markus Reiterberger in his home race, on the BMW. He might go on attack mode in this race.
Chaz Davies is another man who could have something to say, taking just his third career WSBK pole. Davies won at the Nurburgring. He's won it on an Aprilia and a BMW. Could he win in Germany, on a Ducati? It is good to see Markus Reiterberger back, and he's had 12 weeks to recover. He scored points on his WSBK debut at the Nurburgring back in 2013. The pit lane will open in a minute. Nicky Hayden starts high up on the grid. Lots of news about rider moves for 2017. Nicky Hayden will have a new Honda team mate next year, with Stefan Bradl moving across from MotoGP.
Yours truly also has to catch up with MotoGP coverage. Look for those races, to come. Michael van der Mark leaves Honda at the end of this year, and moves to the Yamaha squad for 2017. van der Mark will be team mates at Yamaha, with Alex Lowes. Marco Melandri returns to World Superbike with Ducati next year. Melandri will team up with Chaz Davies next year. Melandri tried his hand at MotoGP, but, it didn't work out. He ran with Ducati in MotoGP with Casey Stoner, and that didn't go to plan. Eugene Laverty will also be back with Milwaukee Racing and Aprilia. No news on who Laverty's team mate will be for next year, yet. It will be Lorenzo Savadori, more than likely. The full WSBK calendar has yet to be released for 2017.
In fact, it has been confirmed that Savadori will race at Aprilia, as announced, yesterday (Thursday). Jonathan Rea starts sixth on the grid today, which is his worst qualifying effort, (amazingly), since Malaysia in 2015. Good to see Markus Reiterberger recovered from his back injuries, after crashing before Laguna Seca, recuperating during the summer break. It is hard to not wish away the rest of this season, getting ready for next year. No one has put in a proper race simulation. Josh Brookes is the only rider to have run WSBK here at the Lausitzring. The afternoon qualifying session was broken up by a red flag.
Oh dear. Karel Abraham may have more trouble with his Milwaukee BMW. Three times this year, Abraham has missed the boat, and his bike has failed to start races. Let's hope this isn't a fourth time. How long will the Pirelli tires last? When will they suffer a drop off? No one knows. Riders may push early, and manage the tires towards the end of the race. No chances for a full race simulation, for these two 21 lap races. Let's take a look at some of the history of WSBK racing in Deutschland. We've had 60 German races in the 28 year history of WSBK. Davide Tardozzi did the double in both German races in 1988.
German races have been held at tracks like the Nurburgring, Motorsport Arena Oschersleben, and in 1988, WSBK actually raced at the spectacular, old layout at Hockenheim... 4.2 miles, with a couple of really long, fast straightaways. 21 seconds until the pit lane closes, and it could be game over for Karel Abraham before we even start this one. Another Super Pole, and another new Tissot watch, and chance to sign the camera lens, for Chaz Davies. It's his second Tissot Super Pole of 2016. We have seen Michael van der Mark, Chaz Davies, and "Mr. Super Pole" himself, Tom Sykes, earn P1 honors. Sykes must have a watch for every time zone in the world, as yours truly always speculates when he does earn one.
Jonathan Rea is the odd bloke out. He's not qualified on pole yet this year. 200 points remain up for grabs in the final eight races, and four rounds of this season, including today. Sykes rolls off second. Nicky Hayden is on the front row of the grid for the first time this year, qualifying third. Chaz Davies keeps winning the Pirelli Best Lap Award, much like Sykes dominates Super Pole and earns all of those beautiful watches. It's great to see fast laps recognized that way. Davide Giugliano strolls his way to his Ducati, rolling off eighth. Lorenzo Savadori is fourth, right on the second row of the grid. The mascot for the Lausitzring, is actually a bloke dressed in a dog costume. The dog has floppy ears, it's tail, and a pair of overalls on.
That's a pretty big dog. The grid size is growing, and the big dogs in WSBK are moving ahead to try and go for the championship. Jordi Torres has a top five start on the Althea BMW. Everyone thought Markus Reiterberger would have the best BMW S1000RR on the grid. Nope. Torres is the man of the hour for BMW at their home race in Germany. Torres is a solid rider, and he slips into the sharp end of the order, unnoticed. Jonathan Rea, as mentioned, is sixth. Leon Camier on the MV Agusta rolls off seventh. Camier is having a strong season. He is British, but now resides in Andorra. His best 2016 finish was back in April at Assen. He finished fourth at "The Cathedral".
Camier finished fourth in one race at Donington Park, and also finished fifth at Donington and Imola. Davide Giugliano has made it to his motorcycle, again, rolling off eighth. Giugliano has yet to win in what will be his 108th WSBK start. He's been so close this year, and hasn't made it, and will be left out in the cold, without a ride at Ducati, next year. Sylvain Guintoli is back racing again of course, and he starts ninth on the Yamaha. We saw Giugliano finish second to Tom Sykes at Donington, Sepang, and Laguna Seca, last time out. Michael van der Mark completes the top ten. Davide Giugliano is probably the biggest disappointment of 2016.
The decision for Ducati to hire the services of Marco Melandri for next year, now makes more sense. Markus Reiterberger is 11th. BMW has their home race here. But they are based in the south of Germany, while we race in east Germany, near Brandenburg. Alex Lowes starts 12th despite wrecking twice already this weekend. Alex Lowes started his summer by winning the Suzuka 8 Hours in Japan of course, and he was faster, than his team mate, MotoGP rider, Pol Espargaro. Xavi Fores rolls off 13th. Next up, is Dominic Schmitter. Completing the top 15 is our old buddy, Roman "The Platypus" Ramos.
Now we move to the blokes towards the rear of the starting grid. Anthony West, rolls off 16th. West needs sponsorship, and if he does get it, he could return to race at Pedercini Kawasaki, in 2017. He's pretty much raced in every motorcycle road racing series on the planet. 17th is Josh Brookes. Brookes had a wreck on Friday, and that's put him behind the eight ball for this weekend. Chaz Davies has secured the 100th pole for a British rider in World Superbike. Davies has done the double the last two times he's been on pole. How many Welshman have won pole in WSBK? No mas. So, Davies could set a record. Four minutes, and we'll be ready to race in Germany. It's a relief to see WSBK back in action.
Luca Scassa of Italy is back in action, rolling off 19th. He's covering for Fabio Menghi, who has injuries again. Poor old Fabio had one injury at the beginning of the year, came back, re-injured himself, and now, has to sit on the sidelines for the rest of 2016. Let's hope he's back in time for the start of 2017. Cheers. Get well soon, Fabio. WSBK is back on track. We have three makes and their top riders, on the front row of the grid. Nicky Hayden third, for Honda. Tom Sykes, second, for Kawasaki. Chaz Davies, the pole man, for Ducati. World Superbike is back, at the Lausitzring, and the race, is next!
The Lausitzring is 4.2 kilometers, 2.6 miles, and uses part of the oval speedway, and an infield road course. Weather conditions at post time, remain unchanged from what they were before. Air temp in the mid 60s Fahrenheit, and track temp in the low 80s Fahrenheit. On Friday, there were 17 wrecks in total across the three classes including World Superbike, and the two other classes you will hear about in race reports, World Supersport, and the European Super Stock 1000 Cup. Points as of now, (there are 200 or so points left up for grabs in 2016), see Rea leading Sykes by 46 markers. 368 to 322. It's all Kawasaki. The Ducati boys are mathematically eliminated from championship contention with Davies 108 points behind, and Giugliano 183 points in-arrears.
Giugliano is tied with Michael van der Mark in points. So, those two are scrapping for fourth place in the championship. We've got three races to go at Magny Cours in France, Jerez, in Spain, and Losail, in Qatar. All these races will take place, before the end of October. What will Jonathan Rea do from sixth on the grid? The tire situation is wide open here, and defined by what make of bike someone rides. Here's a breakdown.
Yamaha: (Guintoli/Lowes) A spec front tire/B spec rear tire
Ducati (Davies/Giugliano) B spec front tire/B spec rear tire (medium compound)
Kawasaki (Rea/Sykes) A spec front tire/B spec rear tire
Same scenario as Kawasaki, for most of the rest of the field, no matter the make of motorcycle.
Battle is now set to recommence in World Superbike. Davies on pole. It's lights out, and away we go! Rea and Sykes get fabulous starts! Rea has already made it to third from sixth on the grid! Davies leads over Sykes and Rea. Davide Giugliano is fourth. Kawasaki's are the meat in the sandwich with the Ducati bikes as the bread right now. Nicky Hayden has sunk down the order from the front row, and Italy's Gianluca Vizziello may have jumped the start. There's a gap now developing between Jonathan Rea and Tom Sykes. Giugliano is pushing, behind Rea as we watch one of the Milwaukee BMW's go off the road.
Karel Abraham is down and out across the oval. Game over. Hayden languishes down in seventh place. Lorenzo Savadori, Jordi Torres, and Xavi Fores all had great starts to this race. Sylvain Guintoli is also playing catch up on the second Yamaha, trying to make up ground, passing his team mate, Alex Lowes. Tight apexes taken into turn ten before the downhill s curves of turns 11-14. Leon Camier is applying the blowtorch to Michael van der Mark. Honda vs. MV Agusta. Davies leads Sykes by 6/10ths of a second. Rea is 1.8 seconds behind. It's a scrum, between Giugliano and Savadori. They are really fighting with each other for position.
Davies ekes out a one second gap over Tom Sykes. Davies surely has confidence in his Ducati at the moment. Lorenzo Savadori passes Davide Giugliano. Jonathan Rea is losing ground to Davies and Sykes as Nicky Hayden passes Jordi Torres. Poor old Jordi Torres has waited for something to happen. But, Savadori passes Giugliano, and Torres is down to seventh. Torres has his hands full with Michael van der Mark. It's Honda vs. BMW and the Spaniard vs. the Dutchman. Leon Camier is ninth on the MV Agusta followed by Markus Reiterberger on the sister BMW. Reiterberger makes up one place, in this, his home round of the championship.
Xavi Fores runs 11th. Like Markus Reiterberger, Fores ran in the IDM, the German Superbike Championship, here at the Lausitzring. Sylvain Guintoli, Alex Lowes, Anthony West, and Roman Ramos, complete the top 15. Chaz Davies has broken the old track record set here in 2007. Noriyuki Haga set the WSBK track record here in 2007 at 1:38.622, and Davies, has broken the nearly decade old mark, running 1:37.357. Meanwhile, Gianluca Vizziello is penalized, for jumping the start. Additionally, it is indeed game over for Karel Abraham. He got to start this race, but has since retired.
Chaz Davies opens his lead over Tom Sykes, to two seconds. Lorenzo Savadori closes in on Jonathan Rea. But that's not the only tussle. Nicky Hayden is right on Davide Giugliano's rear wheel. Jonathan Rea is half a second faster than Tom Sykes. Rea is a man on a mission. If the race ended this way, the gap between Rea and Sykes would be 42 points. On lap four, though, Rea is closing up on his Kawasaki team mate. Lorenzo Savadori on the Aprilia is also flying. He's 2/10ths of a second quicker than Jonathan Rea is at the moment. Before too long, we may have one, long six wheeled bike racing for second.
Nicky Hayden makes an inside pass on Davide Giugliano. Reiterberger and Xavi Fores are both struggling. Again, these two have won the last two IDM German Superbike championships. Jordi Torres knows he can pass an ill handling Ducati, which is what Davide Giugliano has. But, by the same token, he has to protect his own race, from being spoiled by Leon Camier and Michael van der Mark. Torres tries forcing the bike under Giugliano in the braking zone, but has to think better of it. Savadori and Rea want in on this party as well. It's all coming to the fore here in Germany. The fans are getting bang for their Deutschmark today!
Torres says, "enough of this. I'm coming inside!" Giugliano slides the Ducati, to slam the door in Torres' face. Giugliano keeps the door shut, as Torres' knocking gets ever louder to say, "Davide! Let me in!" Chaz Davies holds a three second lead over Tom Sykes. Jonathan Rea has caught his KRT team mate, and Lorenzo Savadori, has reeled in both the green bikes and wants to make a move. If Savadori passes, Rea will lose points in the championship. Torres has finally passed Davide Giugliano. If Tom Sykes can't hold off Lorenzo Savadori and Jonathan Rea, he'll give Rea a major points advantage, heading into race two on Sunday, and also, into the final six races (three rounds) of 2016.
Sykes has to focus on finishing second as Chaz Davies is out for a cruise now. Unless something happens to the Welshman on the Ducati, Sykes may just have to hold station. Sykes will have to push like no tomorrow and throw caution to the wind, if he wants to win the title. A battle goes on for eleventh between Xavi Fores and Sylvain Guintoli. Yamaha tested here at the Lausitzring over the summer break. But we expected them to be a lot higher in the order than they're currently running. Leon Camier passes Davide Giugliano for ninth spot. Reiterberger on the BMW runs behind Davide Giugliano at the moment.
But, folks, we have a crash. It's a Kawsaki, down in the gravel. That's Jonathan Rea, down and out! Rea retired last time out, at Laguna Seca in July, and now, it has happened again! Per Arriba, cannot believe his eyes! Kawasaki has to be dumbfounded by this one. Talk about a blow with a sledgehammer, to the championship hopes of Jonathan Rea! Rea is down, in turn eight, on lap eight, spewing gravel as he gets moving again, which has to be painful for the marshals, getting it sprayed in their faces. Timing and scoring corrects, to show turn ten is where Rea ditched the motorcycle. Rea is off the road another time. He can't keep control of the bike.
Folks, everything we just talked about, you can tear up the paper and toss it in the trash. Sharpen your pencils and get your notebooks ready, because we'll have more math to crunch before the end of this one. Tom Sykes can now perhaps realistically try to go for the title, as he runs second behind Chaz Davies. Sykes is now 26 points in-arrears, with 175 up for grabs. Rea retires for the second straight race. More trouble, as Lorenzo Savadori's Aprilia gives up the ghost. Savadori has wrecked at turn eight. Has Savadori fallen twice? This is getting weirder and weirder, here at the Laustizring.
Rea was tossed off the bike. That's a mechanical issue. You just don't see a rider bucked off his motorcycle like that. Rea's bike had an issue, downshifting, and sounded like it went straight into neutral before the coup de gras and Rea becoming a helpless passenger aboard a runaway motorbike. Rea sees the replay on the television in the garage, and is absolutely livid. The wheels keep falling off the wagon. Another domino, down. Markus Reiterberger on the BMW is slowing. Game over for the home favorite. Is this the Superbike race nobody wants to win? Mechanical issues for Reiterberger.
Reiterberger pummels the fuel tank of his BMW, saying, "you bloody stupid motorcycle! You let me down!" Chaz Davies leads nine laps into this first race. Now the points margins are changing. At this rate, Rea leads Sykes merely by 26 points, and Davies by 83, with a large gap to fourth place Michael van der Mark. Rea has essentially lost 40 points here. Tom Sykes is amazed, as P2 will be fine for him. Nicky Hayden runs two seconds behind Sykes as Chaz Davies leads by six seconds. Davide Giugliano has now dropped to seventh place. If it stays this way, Rea will lose 40 points to Sykes.
Hayden may get his third podium, including his podium at Assen and his win in Malaysia at Sepang. Nicky Hayden is two seconds behind Tom Sykes. How fast will Jordi Torres catch Hayden? We're halfway home in race one here in Germany. The points scoring finishers right now, it would appear are:
1. Chaz Davies
2. Tom Sykes
3. Nicky Hayden
4. Jordi Torres
5. Michael van der Mark
6. Leon Camier
7. Davide Giugliano
8. Xavi Fores
9. Alex Lowes
10. Sylvain Guintoli
11. Anthony West
12. Alex De Angelis
13. Roman Ramos
14. Josh Brookes
15. Dominic Schmitter
Nicky Hayden is third, but two seconds behind Tom Sykes. How fast will Jordi Torres catch him? He's half a second faster than Hayden. We're essentially halfway home now. Torres, van der Mark, and Camier, continue to scrap for fourth, fifth, and sixth place, where they are currently each running. Jonathan Rea has been struggling all weekend, as Chaz Davies is just 4/10ths of a second or so off the fastest lap of the race and his B spec Pirelli tires are working well. Tire wear is not the issue like many riders thought it would be here at Lausitzring.
If Sykes wins, the gap would come down to 21 points. But, it doesn't seem likely. But, Jonathan Rea is not going to wrap up the championship at the next race at Magny Cours next time out. Jerez in Spain is another race where it could happen. But, it will be hard to tell now that Rea is out of this first race in Germany. Rea was pushing too hard, perhaps. Leon Camier makes an inside move on Michael van der Mark and makes it stick. Josh Brookes is in the points on the Milwaukee BMW. He is languishing in 14th, though. Leon Camier will have his third top five of the season.
It is unlikely Josh Brookes will stay in World Superbike. He could either race in MotoAmerica, or, in the British Superbike Championship, next year. Dominic Schmitter will pick up the last available point. Alex De Angelis runs 12th. He is the sole remaining Aprilia in the race after Lorenzo Savadori's wreck. Davies sets a new fast lap at 1:37.908. Sylvain Guintoli is in tenth, and he's back in action after suffering a broken ankle in a qualifying crash at Imola, way back in June. Chaz Davies is dominating this race. He leads by nine seconds.
If Davies wins this race, it will be his most dominating victory of the year, leading by nine seconds. He beat Tom Sykes at Aragon in Spain, by 6.4 seconds. Davies has also solved an injury he had to some discs in his back that he'd been dealing with for a few years. Davies may win in Germany on three different motorcycles. He won at the Nurburgring on an Aprilia and a BMW. He could win at Lausitzring on a Ducati, but it won't help him in the championship. He had issues at Donington, Misano, and Laguna Seca. Michael van der Mark has some front end washout on the Honda transferring from the oval to the road course.
There's a big bump where the two track surfaces meet, and that instantly upsets the motorcycle. Alex De Angelis may be having a few problems as we come to the end of race one at the Lausitzring. Leon Camier will have another top five run. Chaz Davies is used to these "roval" race tracks which are part oval and part road course, due to his experience racing in the old AMA Supersport and AMA Superbike categories in the United States. This might be an easy win for Davies, with five laps left. Davies leads Sykes by ten seconds. Sykes is 1.5 seconds ahead of Nicky Hayden. Chaz Davies will very likely win this race.
Nicky Hayden ekes out time on Tom Sykes. Hayden will not get a chance to pass Sykes, it seems. The gap will b 26 points in the championship. Leon Camier is 3/4 of a second faster than Tom Sykes. Chaz Davies leads by 11 seconds and has whistled off into the distance. Jordi Torres is going to get his and BMW's fifth top five finish in 2016. This is the first time ever, that a BMW motorcycle has run a World Superbike race at the Lausitzring. Alex Lowes passes Yamaha team mate Sylvain Guintoli. Xavi Fores is in tenth, and Anthony West is 11th after passing Alex De Angelis, who still has his Aprilia, in this race.
Ramos and Brookes are 13th and 14th, while in 15th, it's Luca Scassa, the Italian fill-in rider for the injured Fabio Menghi. Two laps to go now. What can Nicky Hayden do about Tom Sykes? What can Leon Camier do about Jordi Torres? Michael van der Mark and Davide Giugliano continue their battle. Nicky Hayden is flying, and has just set the fastest lap at 1:38.285. Compare that, with Sykes at 1:38.498. Nicky Hayden might not be able to make the move on Sykes with one and a quarter laps left.
It's the final lap for Chaz Davies. He's in cruise mode, while other riders are scrapping for position. Can Leon Camier do anything about Jordi Torres? Nicky Hayden could score a podium. This is Hayden's first race at the Lausitzring. He's raced in MotoGP at the Sachsenring many times before. Camier, meanwhile, is right on the back wheel of Jordi Torres. There are passing zones where Camier could overhaul Torres. Through turn nine they come. It won't be enough running to turn ten for Camier. But, it's all about the most dominant victory we have seen from Chaz Davies yet this season.
Davies will bank his 14th career WSBK win and his fifth of 2016. Davies wins three races in Germany, for three different manufacturers, dominating race one here, at the Lausitzring!
World Superbike Race 1: #7 Chaz Davies GBR. Ducati 1199 Panigale R
Race two, is on deck.
Tom Sykes reduces Jonathan Rea's championship lead to 26 points. Nicky Hayden third. Completing the top ten it is Torres, Camier, van der Mark, Giugliano, Lowes, Guintoli, and Fores. Great first race. We'll see what race two holds in store. The championship is blown wide open. Davies has indeed won three races in Germany, on three different motorcycles. Michael van der Mark moves up to fourth in the standings.
If the Sunday race, today, stays dry, could Chaz Davies do the double? The sky is cloudy, and those clouds, could produce rain, throwing a true spanner into the works. The wind is picking up. The temperatures are much cooler than what we saw on Saturday. 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature. 21 degrees Celsius (69 degrees Fahrenheit), track temperature. Jonathan Rea's wreck in yesterday's race was indeed caused after he hit a false neutral. In the 15 minute morning warmup on Sunday, Rea had to sit up on the motorcycle.
Markus Reiterberger had an electrical issue and lost drive in the Saturday race. Markus Reiterberger still has three engines he can use this season, even though he missed a race last time out at Laguna Seca due to injury. Nicky Hayden has been building momentum this whole season, and has been consistent. Jordi Torres might have another solid race on Sunday. Lorenzo Savadori, after his wreck on Saturday, he might be able to improve. The riders head out on their sighting lap. Don't count out Leon Camier on the MV Agusta. 21 laps scheduled again, for this race.
Yet another Best Lap award for Chaz Davies, awarded by Pirelli. Davies and Sykes are 1-2 on the grid. The red flag waves at the end of pit lane. No one is allowed to leave pit lane, after their sighting laps have been completed. It is rumored that Nicky Hayden will ride in the upcoming MotoGP race in Aragon, Spain. Will that happen? We don't know yet. Lorenzo Savadori rolls off fourth. Nicky Hayden could stand in for Jack Miller in MotoGP, if need be. Leon Camier rolls off seventh.
We should have some great riders coming to WSBK next year, as people come across from MotoGP and come up from World Super Sport. Markus Reiterberger rolls off 11th, as fans observe the German national anthem. Drama is on, now. Rain has started to fall. It could be light spots. The wet tires are coming out. A weather update for you, ladies and gentlemen. Current temps have dropped by one degree. 14 degrees Celsius (57 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature, with the same track temp mentioned earlier. Could the start be delayed? Pawel Szkopek for Team Toth, has been praying for rain. What will he do in heavy rain?
Let's not get too excited here, folks. The start has been delayed. Michael van der Mark rolls off tenth. We wait for the announcement of the new race schedule. The Lausitzring has shown all four seasons over the last few days. Hot, humid, mosquitoes have been around, and now, rain. How much rain will fall. It looks heavier than what it is. But, it's a consistent drizzle right now. Intermediate tires are available. Xavi Fores, the 2014 IDM champion, is getting tires swapped on his bike. Markus Reiterberger had not raced at the Lausitzring in the rain. Preload and suspension settings are being adjusted.
The riders at the sharp end of the grid are going to have to make tire decisions, soon. We should start this second race, in another 12 minutes. The race distance has been reduced by a lap, to 20 laps. We will have the quick start procedure. The motto right now is, don't panic. The race director and clerk of the course, are checking the course in the Alfa Romeo Giulietta course car. Roman Ramos starts 15th. We are on the long motorcycle circuit configuration here at the Lausitzring. There will be a warmup lap, coming around to the grid, and only one mechanic is allowed on the grid. The grid girls will be happy to get out of the rain.
Australian Anthony West, who we saw do well on Saturday, thrives in wet conditions. The Alfa Romeo 4C safety car takes off. There may be a dry line that could develop quickly. Nicky Hayden is a confident rider in the rain. Anthony West, and Sylvain Guintoli, are also good rain riders. This could be one heck of a wildcard race for the championship. Everyone will scramble for grip. We have to find out how much water will be on the road. It's a one groove track. It's a true lottery. Switch on the rear safety light, as we get underway on the warmup lap. Do what you like with the tires.
Gently, boys. This is going to be wild. The tension will be so thick, you can cut it with a knife. This is the sighting lap, and then, the warmup lap, followed by a race start. The rain is bucketing down. It's practically a washout on the back straight. More adjustments are being made to the motorcycles. The rain continues to come down. Two minutes until the start of the formation lap. Chaz Davies is changing a shock on his Ducati. Take a gamble, for sure. Anything can happen, in the course of the 20 laps coming up. One minute until the formation lap. Do your best to be sure you're ready to start. Be patient.
Kawasaki is making a last minute tire change. The cloud is hanging low in the sky, and it's a wet race. There is one more warmup lap before the start. 230 horsepower under the riders. Be careful, in the wet. More changes in weather conditions. It continues to cool. We are now at 12 degrees Celsius (53 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature, and 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature. The rain is cooling the track surface and the air temp down. The grass is damp, and we might just have bikes scattering all over the place. Let's hope everyone will be safe.
Could some of the lower placed riders like Pawel Szkopek, or Anthony West, have a chance in this race? Stay calm. 20 laps, on a saturated speedway, here in Germany. The start, has been delayed, again! Ugh! Just as we were about to go racing, we have to look at safety, first thing. Blinding rain falls now. Yellow flags are shown. Start delayed. What time, will this race start? Riders are discussing the fact that you just can't see anything in all this rain. We wait, wait, and wait, for mother nature. We are also supposed to race the Superstock 1000 race later on. Three months off for those boys, it should be interesting.
Racers are now going to go up to race control, to talk things over with the FIM officials (the international motorcycle racing governing body), and with DORNA, who holds commercial rights for World Superbike and also for MotoGP. Puddles gather all around the speedway. We wait, and wait, and wait some more. Alex Lowes is becoming a much better rider than he once was. The clouds are beginning to lift. Potentially, the weather might improve. Commentators Greg Haines and Steve English, are discussing the best grandstands at the tracks run by World Superbike. Riders are leaving the meeting with the safety commission. So, we shall be updated soon, on what the status of race two, will be.
Race Direction is headed out in the Alfa Giulietta course car, to take a look at the track. There is a wall of water you will hit, and that creates difficulty for all the riders, informing other riders of what is happening. Neutrality in race direction, based on rider input, is very important. Race Direction will announce what will happen, in a few minutes. We have the five minute board, for an open pit lane, for one minute for riders to get back on the grid. Quick restart procedure, and we will now have a 16 lap race. Riders are putting on their rain gear. Pit lane opens in two minutes.
With Jonathan Rea's riding style, on the Kawasaki, to play devil's advocate, it could be that his handling of the gearbox, could have caused a false neutral, and his crash in the Saturday Lausitzring race. The riders are coming back on track. Another exploratory lap is being carried out by the riders. We'll wait five minutes, and do another warmup lap. We are under the quick start procedure. Wet weather races are difficult for everyone. No changes in the weather conditions, folks. Temperatures are the same as the last time we checked.
We will finally start this race. Saeed Al Sulaiti has fallen on the sighting lap. Al Sulaiti hoped for a good race today, after having clutch troubles in yesterday's race. Once again, Saturday winner, Chaz Davies is on pole. Watch out for Jonathan Rea. He leads the world championship, and starts sixth on the grid. Saeed Al Sulaiti has rejoined this race, at the back of the grid where he was scheduled to start anyway. Al Sulaiti may actually be in pit lane and not taking the start of race two. Al Sulaiti will start, right at the back. Good news. 230 horsepower will be launched, right now, in the wet. Red lights on. Red lights out! Release the beasts! It's WSBK race two in Germany!
Sykes and Rea both have lightning starts and Davies doesn't. Lorenzo Savadori moves inside of Chaz Davies. Sykes, Davis, Rea, the top three. The rainmeister, Anthony West, on Kawasaki #13 is moving up fast. Nicky Hayden and Alex Lowes both got bad starts. In a wet race, a rider could usually have a shot to win right from the opening laps. 16 laps, race distance in the second race for WSBK of course. Tom Sykes runs wide, allowing his team mate to go for the lead. Anthony West is trying to make his move on Michael van der Mark. Davide Giugliano makes his move inside of Chaz Davies.
Rea leads, and he was fastest in a wet practice session on Friday. Davide Giugliano is second. But suddenly, Tom Sykes goes down! He hits the deck, in the wet! The championship balance will swing back in favor of Jonathan Rea, with Sykes' fall. The front end of the #66 Kawasaki washes out under braking. In the meantime, Alex De Angelis moves up to fifth spot on the Aprilia. Davies and Savadori resume their scrap. Tom Sykes has rejoined the race. He may have been down, but he is not out. De Angelis made up 13 places in one lap! Holy smokes! Nicky Hayden languishes down in 18th place.
Speaking of languishing, Tom Sykes is 24th and last on the road at the moment. Sykes' fall is a carbon copy, in the same corner, of Nicky Hayden spilling his Honda, yesterday. Davide Giugliano is hanging tough and putting pressure on the Kawasaki of Jonathan Rea. The Aprilia RSV4 is often the fastest motorcycle through the speed traps. Rea sets fastest lap so far at a 1:59.632. Your top fifteen at this stage is:
1. Jonathan Rea
2. Davide Giugliano
3. Lorenzo Savadori
4. Chaz Davies
5. Alex De Angelis
6. Leon Camier
7. Anthony West
8. Xavi Fores
9. Michael van der Mark
10. Jordi Torres
11. Sylvain Guintoli
12. Josh Brookes
13. Alex Lowes
14. Markus Reiterberger
15. Roman Ramos
Leon Camier has ridden far beyond expectations of the MV Agusta F4 1000 and could potentially bring MV Agusta their first WSBK podium this year. Lorenzo Savadori makes a move on Chaz Davies. Savadori makes the move stick even though Davies challenges. Chaz Davies has been passed by Alex De Angelis. Davies is losing points in the championship due to all this shuffling. Jonathan Rea leads Davide Giugliano by 7/10ths of a second. Pawel Szkopek is now up into the points in 14th spot as Anthony West and Leon Camier crowd Davies. Xavi Fores is coming, and Fores knows this speedway.
Over the bumps, transitioning from the road course to the oval section. Sykes has lost time after his crash. Sykes is closing up on Peter Sebestyen for 22nd spot. Leon Camier puts a move on Davies. Davies comes back with more speed and says, "knock, knock. Leon, I got you back, dude." It's get your own back time, here at the Lausitzring. West is inside Camier. Camier says, "not now, daddy-o", and slams the door in his face. Karel Abraham is off the road on the Milwaukee BMW. Nicky Hayden passes Roman Ramos for 15th and is back into the points.
West is on a mission after race one winner, Chaz Davies. Fores goes inside Camier, and, we have a problem, ladies and gentlemen. Giugliano is down! He's crashed out of this one. Poor old Davide, was in second spot, right behind Jonathan Rea. Ouch! The bike throws him off and he lands hard, on his left shoulder and arm. Giugliano got too excited, went over the edge, and paid the price. Alex De Angelis is up to third, applying the blowtorch to Lorenzo Savadori. You cannot fault the rider in a crash like Giugliano had, because the rear of the motorcycle snaps away and there is nothing he can do except hold on for the ride.
At the moment, we could see two Aprilia's on the podium. But, Anthony West, in fourth, may have other ideas as he runs side by side with Xavi Fores. Leon Camier wants a piece of Chaz Davies. Davies gets passed by Camier for seventh place. Fores is up to fourth spot. Fores is the leading Ducati mounted rider at the moment. Lap 11, we're halfway home in race two. Alex De Angelis, might get the iron man award at the end of this one, making up fifteen places, and currently being shown in a podium spot. Nicky Hayden is back into the points. Davide Giugliano goes to the medical center for a checkup. Sykes is trying to make up ground, and is soon to try to pass Gianluca Vizziello on the Grillini entered privateer Kawasaki.
Ten laps left. Actually, we are one lap from halfway. How will the tires hold up? Savadori has now turned the fastest lap of this race. Savadori runs fast lap (we don't know the time), but it's irrelevant now, as Savadori is out. Game over. He's just crashed out of a podium spot after setting fastest lap! What a shame. De Angelis moves the sister Aprilia into second, and Xavi Fores is promoted to third on the Barni Racing Ducati. Savadori slams the bike onto the pavement, losing it into the turn, in a shower of sparks. Another one is down and out. Anthony West. Game over.
So, this shuffles the deck. Leon Camier is up to fourth on the MV, with Chaz Davies now fifth on the sole remaining Ducati factory bike. Camier has to try getting past Fores for MV Agusta's first podium with ten laps left. More drama as Jordi Torres crashes the BMW. This promotes Pawel Szkopek to tenth on the Toth Racing Yamaha YZF R1. Torres has the same type of gut wrenching crash, that we saw from Giugliano earlier. Tap the gas into the right hand turn, too much power, and get tossed off the bike. Rea leads by 10.5 seconds, the same margin Davies won the Saturday race by. Alex De Angelis is going to give Aprilia their first podium in WSBK.
Pawel Szkopek moves past Alex Lowes for ninth. Team Toth Yamaha, passes the factory bike. Nicky Hayden runs 11th, followed by Roman Ramos, Luca Scassa, Gianluca Vizziello, and Markus Reiterberger, to complete the top fifteen. Tom Sykes is 16th, five seconds away from Reiterberger. Alex De Angelis is still second, behind Jonathan Rea, with eight laps left. We are halfway home in race two in Germany. Xavi Fores is catching Alex De Angelis, who has not had a podium since the end of the 2012 Moto2 season. Xavi Fores looks to be catching De Angelis.
Sylvain Guintoli is catching the chap who will replace him at Yamaha in 2017, Michael van der Mark. Xavi Fores, he's hoping for a podium, after racing in so many categories. He's done 125cc, Moto2, MotoGP, World Supersport and World Superbike, and has never had a career podium, except for winning the 2014 IDM championship for Superbikes in Germany. Rea consolidates his lead and sets new fast lap at 1:57.363. As Rea leads, Markus Reiterberger is the latest to feel the wrath of the Lausitzring in the wet. Both Althea BMW's have retired from this race. Tom Sykes now enters the points.
Sylvain Guintoli now passes Michael van der Mark, who will be his Yamaha team mate in WSBK next year. But, Alex Lowes on the sister Yamaha has also crashed out. Lowes runs into a damp spot, and ditches the motorcycle. Nicky Hayden can't stop his Honda, and just keeps going, without hitting anything. Lowes says, "what did I do wrong? Nothing!" Karel Abraham is now in the points. Tom Sykes moves to 14th. Gianluca Vizziello is 13th for Grillini Kawasaki. Nicky Hayden is 12th, moving Luca Scassa up to 11th on the VFT Racing Ducati. Roman Ramos has made it to the top ten. Good work for "The Platypus". Pawel Szkopek is ninth, which is amazing.
The points as they run now, mean Rea has a 49 point cushion over Sykes, 393-344. Davies is on 296 points, 97 out of the lead, and in fourth, is van der Mark on 204 points, 189 behind. Rea is going to increase his lead and take three points out of Tom Sykes, headed to the penultimate race of 2016. Saeed Al Sulaiti has also crashed out. Both Pedercini Kawasaki's have crashed today. Chaz Davies and Sylvain Guintoli are fighting for fifth and sixth places. Rea, Sykes, and Davies, will be the three riders with a shot at the title, with two rounds to go.
Leon Camier continues to close up on Xavi Fores. Leon Camier is trying to give MV Agusta their first WSBK podium, but has finished on the rostrum himself. He's done so nine times. It's definitely game over for Saeed Al Sulaiti. Alex De Angelis' podium, will be the first for Aprilia, since Leon Haslam won the finale in Qatar, last year. The track is drying out and these guys are still on wet weather tires. Fores brings fast lap down to 1:56.386. Pawel Szkopek has sadly crashed out from ninth place. He's back in the action, but, he could still try to be in the points.
Give a call to Josh Brookes. It's been a tough season for the reigning British Superbike champion. But he's hung in there in his debut WSBK season. Szkopek is still in 14th. De Angelis is 14.4 seconds behind Jonathan Rea as another rider has fallen. Dominic Schmitter hits the deck, at turn ten. Game over for Schmitter. Michael van der Mark has crashed at turn nine. That's been calamity corner all day and lots of damage to the Honda. Any time a motorcycle has hit the grass or the gravel, it starts to barrel roll away from it's rider. That crash, promotes Josh Brookes back up to seventh.
Amazingly, van der Mark is still on the motorcycle. He's got to score points and can run until he gets the black flag. Sylvain Guintoli has had a great comeback. Guintoli tries the outside and makes a pass on Davies. Davies wants it back. Guintoli holds the spot over Davies. It's the final lap of the race. Jonathan Rea leads Alex De Angelis by 12.9 seconds. Peter Sebestyen could get a point if there is an incident on the final lap, as Rea laps him. Jonathan Rea is going to win race two at Lausitzring, and extend the gap to team mate Tom Sykes, to 48 markers with two rounds to go. Leon Camier will finish, but is running considerably slower on the MV. Can Guintoli catch Camier?
De Angelis will score a podium for the first time, for Aprilia, and Xavi Fores, will also score his first WSBK podium. Jonathan Rea has turned his race around, after a disaster on Saturday. He comes back, to win WSBK race two at the Lausitzring! Rea is your dominant winner! Rea may very well have wrapped up the championship. De Angelis and Fores will be over the moon to finish on the podium. The top ten is Rea, De Angelis, Fores, Camier, Guintoli, Chaz Davies, Josh Brookes, Michael van der Mark, Roman Ramos, and Nicky Hayden.
World Superbike Race 2: #1 Jonathan Rea GBR. Kawasaki ZX10R
Just at the end, Tom Sykes passes Gianluca Vizziello for 12th spot. Pawel Szkopek won't win, but he'll finish. Karel Abraham is the last rider in the points. Peter Sebestyen is the final finisher, as eight riders retired. Rea has a 47 point lead in the points. What a race in Germany. That's going to be one we'll remember for a long time. Three races remain in the World Superbike championship for 2016. Next up is France at Circuit de Nevers in Magny Cours, next weekend. Stay tuned for a race report on that one. We still have Supersport and Superstock 1000 to cover from here in Germany. Stay tuned for those races, too. For now, it's auf wiedersehen, until we meet again, for more WSBK racing action, in the junior classes.
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