The Suzuka 8 Hours is another legendary race, and is the third of four rounds in the FIM World Endurance Championship. It has been run every year since 1978. This is a major race as it coincides with off weekends in the FIM MotoGP and World Superbike schedules, attracting many top riders from those series, in addition to star riders from Japan. So, there's quite a variety of talent that converges upon the Suzuka circuit for this event every single year.
A field of 58 bikes will start the race in it's 35th season. The circuit was built in 1962 and is a unique circuit. Many Japanese teams are here, trying to win their home race. This event is very unique. Fujio Yoshimura who runs the Yoshimura Suzuki team explains that it's special when a Japanese entrant can win and beat the best from Europe. Yoshimura has quite the collection of riders for this race including Josh Waters from the Australian Superbike Championship, Leon Camier from FIM World Superbike, and Nobuatsu Aoki. Honda will also have a major presence, because Suzuka is their home track. They've won 24 of 34 races held at Suzuka.
Those victories came in 1979, '81, '82, '84, '85, '86, '89, '91, '92, '94, '95, '97, '98, '99, '00, '01, '02, '03, '04, '05, and '06 as well as '08, '10, and '11. Comparably, Suzuki has five victories, to Yamaha's four wins. Kawasaki has won once, in 1993, with Scott Russell and Aaron Slight. Suzuki won in the early years, three times in 1978, '80, and '83. But, it took them 24 years before winning the event again in 2007 with a bike in the hands of Japanese riders Yukio Kagayama and Kousuke Akiyoshi, while also winning in 2009 with a GSXR1000 ridden by Nobuatsu Aoki, Kazuki Tokudome, and Daisaku Sakai.
Yamaha's triumphs came in the '80s and '90s, in 1985, '87, '90, and '96. The last win for Yamaha came in 1996 at the hands of two riders who would go on to battle in World Superbike competition in the late '90s and early 2000s for different teams, running Honda's. Colin Edwards and Noriyuki Haga teamed up for a victory in the '96 race. Haga is back on a Yamaha this year for Monster Energy Yamaha YART. Honda TT Legends team manager Havier Beltran explains that the Japanese riders from their own series are really competitive, high caliber athletes and know this track well.
Honda TT Legends will retain their three rider British team of Cameron Donald, John McGuinness, and Australian rider Jason O'Halloran. Another team to look out for is the #11 F.C.C. TSR Honda team with former FIM Grand Prix champion on 250cc and 500cc machinery, Tadayuki "Taddy" Okada, sharing with current Honda World Superbike racer Johnny Rea, and Kohsuke Akiyoshi. One guest on hand for this race is five time 500cc World Champion motorcycle racer, Australia's Mick Doohan. Doohan won the event in 1991 with fellow Aussie 500cc champion Wayne Gardner, on a Honda RZF750.
Gardner went on to win the race the next year in 1992, on the same bike, with Aussie motorcycle and car racer, Darryl Beattie. Doohan explains that this race, even though it's just eight hours, is very difficult because of the weather conditions changing, and the heat factor, being in the height of the summer months with heat, and occasionally, rain, or worse, a typhoon. This years event looks to be dry and sunny. On pole for this race will be YART, with Kasayuki Nakasuga riding the opening stint in the race. The lap time was 2:06.845.
YART are of course on pole, but Yoshimura Suzuki and Musashi Harc Pro will also be competitive with Yuki Takahashi who has run in 125cc, 250cc, MotoGP, and Moto 2 racing. Also on the rider's strength for bike #634 will be factory Honda World Superbike star, Hiroshi Aoyama. Yamaha gets their first pole at Suzuki in twelve years, since Noriyuki Haga was still riding for them.
At the start, the riders run to their bikes. Who will get the lead off the start? It's the #7 Yamaha of Katsuyuki Nagasuka. He is opening a gap over everyone else just through the first few corners. FCC TSR Honda is a short distance behind the top three. It's Musashi, YART, and in third, bike #12, the Yoshimura Suzuki with Leon Camier, Josh Waters, and current rider, Nobuatsu Aoki. Rider Tommy Hill completes the trio along with Nakasuga and Haga at YART. Nakasuga was running well, passing lapped riders, but, he threw it away, ditching the bike moments later.
Nakasuga is OK. But, in that tumble, the bike is comprehensively damaged. Team mate Tommy Hill is decidedly upset by this incident. YART hadn't even made a pit stop yet! Team manager Mandy Kainz is aware they will fall sharply down the order. FCC TSR Honda is coming quickly and passes Musashi RT Harc-Pro. Yoshimura Suzuki is not anywhere to be seen. They're probably around, just further back in the order. The two best regular teams in the World Endurance Championship in this race are SERT (Suzuki Endurance Racing Team), and BMW Motorrad France. Once again, FCC TSR Honda is now leading.
The Yoshimura bike is one of the first to make a scheduled pit stop. Ditto for Musashi and FCC TSR Honda. There are rider changeovers, as well as new tires and full fuel tanks for these bikes. The leading teams have identical, very quick pit stops. After two hours, here's the running order:
1. EWC #11 FCC TSR Honda Honda CBR1000RR
Akiyoshi/Rea/Okada
2. EWC #634 Musashi Harc Pro Honda CBR1000RR
Takahashi/Kiyonari/Aoyama
3. EWC #12 Yoshimura Suzuki Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Camier/Waters/Aoki
4. EWC #1 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Philippe/Delhalle/Kagayama
5. EWC #99 BMW Motorrad France 99 BMW S1000RR
Gimbert/Nigon/Cudlin
6. EWC #01 Evangelion Test Type 01 Trick Star Kawasaki ZX10R
Serazawa/Deguchi/Izutsu
7. EWC #104 Toho Racing w/Moriwaki Honda CBR1000RR
Yamaguchi/Takahashi/Teshima
8. EWC #94 Yamaha France GMT 94 Yamaha R1
Checa/Foray/Lagrive
9. EWC #32 Moto Map Supply Suzuki GSXR1000
Konno/Tsuda/Tamitsuji
10. EWC #25 Honda Suzuka Racing Team Honda CBR1000RR
Tokudome/Yasuda/Kitaguchi
At the four hour mark, it continued to be a battle between FCC TSR Honda and Musashi Harc Pro. SERT is on the same lap with the top two and one lap adrift is the #99 BMW S1000RR for BMW Motorrad France. The #12 Yoshimura Suzuki is in pit lane with an oil leak, and, to add insult to injury, a stop and go penalty, possibly for speeding in the pit lane. Team manager for Yoshimura Suzuki, Yohei Kato explains what happened.
Leon Camier was on the bike, and there was something that happened with him ignoring a local yellow flag. This has relegated Yoshimura Suzuki out of a points paying spot, much less a position to fight for the race win. Meanwhile, SERT moves to second spot in the overall behind FCC TSR Honda. SERT is now the only factory represented Suzuki team in the race since Yoshimura's demise earlier. SERT team manager Dominique Meliand, reviews their situation at this juncture of the race. They are on pace with the rest of the leaders, and could move forward in the race and the championship standings.
Meliand says, "Suzuka is a fabulous place to race. It's very long and very difficult. It's tough to keep up the pressure with so many experts here. Wait and see what happens." Meanwhile, BMW Motorrad France pits. They've been running around third place (the last spot on the podium), after winning in Qatar last time out. FCC Honda remains in the lead. Yamaha GMT 94 is also in contention. But apparently, they've gone down to just two riders. David Checa and Kenny Foray are handling the bike, after Mathieu Lagrive was also initially listed on the squad.
They are passed by bike #104 (the Toho/Moriwaki Honda). The next target for them is Musashi Harc Pro which has fallen down the order after running second earlier on in this race. Yamaha GMT 94 team manager Christophe Guyot (a former rider and race winner himself), is confident. Guyot explains that the bike had a tire issue with David Checa aboard. They made a pit stop shortly afterward. Kenny Foray takes over the bike. Mathieu Lagrive is injured and is not able to ride in this race. The Bolliger Kawasaki is doing well, running in the top fifteen, on this, their third appearance in the Suzuka 8 Hours.
They've just cracked the top fifteen halfway through the race as the bike is being brought in for a pit stop. The regular trio of riders for the team is featured including Austrian, Horst Saiger, Switzerland's Roman Stamm, and Frenchman, Jerome Tangre. Team manager for Bolliger Kawasaki, Hanspeter Bigler is confident. At the sharp end, it's still a battle between FCC TSR Honda leading and Musashi Harc Pro in second with their similar bike. Musashi Harc Pro makes a pit stop, having completed 110 laps so far. The #12 Yoshimura Suzuki, meanwhile, is in the garage.
The team is still trying to fix the oil leak that has plagued them since early on in the going. Immediately after this FCC Honda is in the lane. There will be a rider change, tire change, and a tank of fuel. The race is officially half over. Here are the four hour standings (the top ten).
1. EWC #634 Musashi Harc Pro Honda CBR1000RR
Takahashi/Kiyonari/Aoyama
2. EWC #11 FCC TSR Honda Honda CBR1000RR
Akiyoshi/Rea/Okada
3. EWC #1 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Philippe/Delhalle/Kagayama
4. EWC #99 BMW Motorrad France 99 BMW S1000RR
Gimbert/Nigon/Cudlin
5. EWC #104 Toho Racing w/Moriwaki Honda CBR1000RR
Yamaguchi/Takahashi/Teshima
6. EWC #32 Moto Map Supply Suzuki GSXR1000
Konno/Tsuda/Tamitsuji
7. EWC #01 Evangelion Test Type 01 Trick Star Kawasaki ZX10R
Serazawa/Deguchi/Izutsu
8. EWC #94 Yamaha France GMT 94 Yamaha R1
Checa/Foray
9. EWC #25 Honda Suzuka Racing Team Honda CBR1000RR
Tokudome/Yasuda/Kitaguchi
10. EWC #090 Teluru & Emobile - Kohara RT Honda CBR1000RR
Tsujimura/Noda/Watanabe
The second half of the race is now unfolding. A battle is brewing between Teluru & Emobile, and, Evangelion Trick Star. It's Kawasaki vs. Honda. Both of these teams are wildcard Japanese entries who are not a part of the regular teams roster in the FIM World Endurance Championship. Musashi and FCC continue scrapping at the front of the pack. The FCC Honda pulls away. The team of Rea, Okada, and Akiyoshi, are proving difficult to keep up with.
The Musashi bike pits. Riders are slightly tiring, and there is a rider change on bike #634. Not sure if it's Takahashi, Kiyonara, or Aoyama who gets on the bike. Toho Racing Moriwaki is running well with their trio of Tatsuya Yamaguchi, Yuki Takahashi, and Yusuke Teshima on their Honda. They are running in a top five position. Can they challenge BMW Motorrad France and SERT? Team manager Fi Asa says the riders are enjoying the race and that their lap times are very consistent. Honda TT Legends is running well, too, according to Havier Beltrand.
After the interview with Beltrand, right on cue, the #77 bike pits. They are looking to move into the top fifteen. Also pitting, it's BMW Motorrad France. They want to get on the podium with their trio of riders (Damien Cudlin, Sebastien Gimbert, and Erwin Nigon. FCC TSR Honda continues to lead. With the pit stop cycle, FCC Honda leapfrogs Musashi and takes over P1. But, things go from bad to worse for Musashi. Ryuichi Kiyonari ditched the bike in a huge way, making contact on the pavement, with the fuel tank. Thus, the bike goes up into a fireball!
Kiyonari is OK. But, he will not be a repeat winner of this event as he was in 2011 teaming with Kosuke Akiyoshi, and Shinichi Itoh on another Honda bike, ironically, for the same team leading this year's event, FCC TSR Honda with #11 on the fairing. Musashi team manager Shigeki Honda has a never say die attitude and says the team will be back for future races. The bikes run behind the safety car after the accident as the track is under a full course yellow.
Six hours gone in the race already. Two remain. Here's the standings as they run in the top ten.
1. EWC #11 FCC TSR Honda Honda CBR1000RR
Akiyoshi/Rea/Okada
2. EWC #1 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Philippe/Delhalle/Kagayama
3. EWC #99 BMW Motorrad France 99 BMW S1000RR
Gimbert/Nigon/Cudlin
4. EWC #104 Toho Racing w/Moriwaki Honda CBR1000RR
Yamaguchi/Takahashi/Teshima
5. EWC #01 Evangelion Test Type 01 Trick Star Kawasaki ZX10R
Serazawa/Deguchi/Izutsu
6. EWC #25 Honda Suzuka Racing Team Honda CBR1000RR
Tokudome/Yasuda/Kitaguchi
7. EWC #32 Moto Map Supply Suzuki GSXR1000
Konno/Tsuda/Tamitsuji
8. EWC #090 Teluru & Emobile - Kohara RT Honda CBR1000RR
Tsujimura/Noda/Watanabe
9. EWC #94 Yamaha France GMT 94 Yamaha R1
Checa/Foray
10. EWC #71 Honda Dream RT/Sakurai Honda Honda CBR1000RR
Maxwell/Stauffer
Moving to tenth is the #71 Honda Dream RT machine, a Honda CBR1000RR shared by Australian riders Wayne Maxwell, and Jamie Stauffer. Bike #11 pits. It's a routine stop. Tires, fuel, and a rider change. They're lead is growing with only two hours left in the race. SERT also pits for routine service. They lead the points, but were not expected to run well with all the competitive Japanese teams in the field. Yet, they're right in contention towards the end of this one.
Somehow or other, Yamaha GMT 94 sneaks into a podium position with the duo of David Checa and Kenny Foray. They would eventually finish in third place. FCC TSR Honda did take the race victory in the Suzuka 8 Hours. Their second consecutive win. The team of Johnny Rea, Tadiyuki Okada, and Kohsuke Akiyoshi win it!
#11 EWC: Akiyoshi/Rea/Okada Honda CBR1000RR
This gives Honda their 25th win in 35 runnings of this race! Wow! Suzuka is their home track, so, they surely have the upper hand on their competition. Two more races to run. They have already taken place. But, when available, they'll be highlighted here in the not too distant future. The next race will be the 8 Hours of Oschersleben at the Motorsport Arena Oschersleben in Oschersleben, Germany, followed by the season finale, the motorcycle version of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, at the Bugatti Circuit within the Le Mans track in Le Mans, France.
Stay tuned for reports on those races when they are available.
Friday, September 14, 2012
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Marco Simoncelli tribute
To remember the late Marco Simoncelli, who was killed in a race at Misano Adriatico on the MotoGP weekend there last year, riders in all three classes (MotoGP, Moto 2, and Moto 3), took to the track on bicycles for some victory laps. This is a beautiful tribute. Follow the link to see it by typing into your browser.
http://www.motogp.com/en/videos/free+videos#MotoGP+riders+pay+Tribute+to+Marco+Simoncelli
http://www.motogp.com/en/videos/free+videos#MotoGP+riders+pay+Tribute+to+Marco+Simoncelli
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
AMA Pro Racing round 9: American Red Cross Devils Showdown presented by Team Promotion
Round nine for AMA Pro Racing is the American Red Cross Devil's Showdown presented by Team Promotion. This is the Superbike race. Last year, the race at New Jersey Motorsports Park was very dramatic, leading up to the championship. The Superbikes are ready to race. The silly season is in full wing. Josh Hayes will likely come back for a fifth season with Monster Energy Yamaha. Danny Eslick says he wants to be around on the EBR next year. Larry Pegram will likely be back. But, it may be with a different brand than BMW. Ben Bostrom doesn't have any idea what his plans will be.
There will be three races to go after this weekend. Ben Bostrom and Roger Hayden could very well be back with Jordan Suzuki next year. Josh Herrin will also be bake with Monster Energy Yamaha. Blake Young needs to just ride his bike and race. Chris Fillmore is back in Superbike on his KTM after being injured. He's still recuperating, but, he's back on the bike. Taylor Knapp and Ben Bostrom might also be in contention in this race. Ditto for Roger Hayden. Also, Steve Rapp qualifies second. He led last year and set fast lap in this race last year. Rapp scored two points in MotoGP back in their race at Indianapolis of course.
Josh Hayes has pole for this race for Superbikes. Blake Young starts eleventh. Will he be able to run up front? We'll see. At the start, Roger Hayden got bogged down and Josh Hayes takes the lead along with Blake Young as Josh Herrin pulls off the road immediately. He continues, but must have some kind of problem. Steve Rapp runs behind Blake Young while Josh Hayes just pulls away from everyone else which is a typical performance for him. Steve Rapp is hounding Blake Young right now. Taylor Knapp passes Geoff May as Blake Young runs off the road and Steve Rapp passes. This race has two laps gone of 23 scheduled.
The order is Hayes, Rapp, Young, Knapp, and May. Danny Eslick is coming to grips with the EBR and the handling of the bike. Geoff May has that figured out. Eric Buell Racing is running well though as there's a battle between Larry Pegram, Chris Fllmore and others. Actually, Pegram is further down the order as Steve Rapp crashes out of second spot! Ugh! Rapp is a retirement. Ben Bostrom passes Chris Fillmore on the KTM. Chris Ullrich chases Larry Pegram. Larry Pegram will run in Superbike, but he needs to decide what bike he will use. Pegram is hounding bike #25 of David Anthony.
Geoff May tries passing Blake Young after passing Taylor Knapp successfully. Meanwhile, Josh Hayes is riding off into the sunset. Young and Taylor Knapp still scrap as Geoff May has fallen back. Hayes has run a 1:22 flat. Other riders are in the 1:23 bracket. Geoff May ran wide in turn one. Ben Bostrom holds sixth place right now. Actually, Chris Clark has just passed him for that spot and he's gone down a few, possibly as team mate Roger Hayden is seventh now followed by Larry Pegram, Chris Fillmore and others. Josh Herrin is followed by Danny Eslick, Chris Ullrich and David Anthony.
A lap or so to halfway in this race. Blake Young hangs onto second just barely as it's a four rider battle, thirteen and a half seconds behind Josh Hayes. Hayes' crew uses 320 millimeter brake rotors for more braking force by putting shims between the brake caliper and the forks. Chris Clark is in the pits. He's not feeling well, so, he's going to retire or something. Don't race if you're ill. Hayes leads by a country mile. He's got a seventeen and a half second lead. Blake Young holds second and Ben Bostrom is in a podium spot, but wants by Young for sure.
Young remains second. Josh Herrin holds off Larry Pegram and Roger Hayden. Can Bostrom pass Young? Hayes is riding very professionally and he'll stay with Yamaha next year. Ullrich and Eslick are scrapping. Chris Ullrich was testing a new motorcycle in Spain. He's a motorcycle test rider for a living in addition to racing. It's Young, Bostrom, and Knapp, battling as this race draws to a close. Five laps remaining. The three way battle continues. It's three Suzuki's battling for the final podium places. Bostrom takes second spot with three laps left. He goes to the inside under Blake Young in the braking zone. Roger Hayden ran wide in turn one and ran off the road while battling with Larry Pegram on his BMW.
Josh Herrin has worked his way up to sixth from last spot. It's the last lap now. Josh Hayes may stay in AMA Superbike, but he's good enough of a rider that he could go to World Superbike or MotoGP. He's going to be third on the all-time win list in AMA Superbike. He wins his twelfth race of the year, tying Mat Mladin's record for the most wins in a single season. There's a second race. Those results will come eventually.
#1 Josh Hayes Yamaha R1
Hayes could have a future in MotoGP more than likely. Yamaha does not have a team in World Superbike. Coming up, it's Daytona Sportbike race two. In race one, Cameron Beaubier was the winner. But, Martin Cardenas is also in contention. Beaubier got to the front and separated from the pack.; At the start of the race on Saturday, there were some issues as Corey West and Tommy Aquino had a big crash. Dane Westby moved in and for the lead it was Martin Cardenas vs. Cameron Beaubier.
Beaubier won by two hundredths of a second! Yikes!
#6 Cameron Beaubier Yamaha YZF R6
Aaron Gobert is in this race and also, Bobby Fong should be competitive. There was some rain the day before. Cameron Beaubier has had a cold and a sore throat. But, he feels better now. At the start, Martin Cardenas gets the lead with Jason DiSalvo second on the Triumph. J.D. Beach and another rider both go wide. Not sure who the second rider was. Tommy Hayden passes Cameron Beaubier into turn eight. There's a battle between Bobby Fong and Tommy Aquino. Hayden wants by DiSalvo and gets by the Triumph.
This race will be 23 laps. Bobby Fong is going after Cameron Beaubier as Huntley Nash is out of this race. Tommy Aquino might have found a good setup with his bike after running the first Daytona Sportbike race yesterday. Dane Westby is moving up, but Tommy Hayden has a massive high side and Cameron Beaubier runs, wham!, right into him! This race is red flagged. Ouch! Tommy Hayden could have been knocked out by that crash. He flew into the air! He runs wide and he absolutely flies into the air. They hit a patch of water. Beaubier had the bike come back up on him and knock his visor out of his helmet. What a savage crash!
Everyone should be OK. But, it looked really bad. The red flag has been lifted though, and the Daytona Sportbike race will get back to green. Both riders walked away from that wicked wreck. Tommy Hayden will be checked at the hospital. Beaubier is sore, but he might continue. Probably not. The race restarts as Martin Cardenas leads into turn one. Jason DiSalvo and Tommy Aquino follow. Bobby Fong passes Aquino. Dane Westby is also riding well. Jason DiSalvo has a mechanical problem with the Triumph Daytona 675. There's something wrong in the engine.
Bobby Fong closes up on Martin Cardenas. Cardenas wants a title but Fong is not running for points. Nineteen laps to go. Tommy Aquino on the Yamaha follows. Aquino got into an incident the day before with Cory West and West got the worst of it. Jake Gagne and Dane Westby are fourth and fifth. Jake Zemke is also coming up. He got off track at the initial start with J.D. Beach. Cardenas still leads over Bobby Fong and Tommy Aquino. Cardenas brakes late, collapsing the front forks, making the bike wiggle. He's got a softer preload on top of the spring. He has more feel with the motorcycle that way.
Cardenas has led every lap so far, but Tommy Aquino sets fast lap at 1:24.154. One lap to halfway. These bikes don't use traction control like the Superbikes do. Dane Westby sets a new fast lap at a 1:23.8, so, 3/10ths quicker than Tommy Aquino. Dane Westby continues to move in on Martin Cardenas and Bobby Fong as Cardenas runs a 1:24 flat. Westby is even faster, bringing the laps down each lap between a 1:23.9 and a 1:23.6 with ten laps left to run. Westby has passed Aquino. He passes Bobby Fong, and he'll now go after Martin Cardenas. Westby has moved all the way from 13th to second. Well, he made a mistake, letting Bobby Fong by.
Westby comes back by. Westby is now right on top of Martin Cardenas. Into turn one, Tommy Aquino stays right with the top three. Westby runs a 1:23.3. The Dunlop tires are working very well. Fong got right up on Westby almost locking the front end of the bike! Tommy Aquino is keeping pace very well and he ran in Europe for a while. But, he's back in the states and has improved as a rider. There are just six laps left in the Daytona Sportbike race. Dane Westby has taken the lead. He flew past Cardenas in a double apex corner. Fong went by Westby, and he goes three wide, past Fong and a backmarker! Three wide! Yikes! Four laps remaining.
Now, it's a three way battle between Westby, Fong, and Cardenas. Two laps remain. It's a three way fight to the finish for the win. Three wide! Martin Cardenas sweeps around both Westby and Fong! Westby challenges. Cardenas takes the defensive line. Cardenas runs wide and reels the bike back in. Who gets the run? Martin Cardenas wins it by five hundredths of a second! Cory West beats Jake Zemke and J.D. Beach for sixth, seventh and eighth! What a race!
#36 Martin Cardenas Suzuki GSXR 600
Up next, it's the second race for the Superbikes.
Josh Hayes is really getting his name put into the record books with his dominance this season. Can anyone challenge him? Chris Clark is feeling better than he was during the first race. At the start, Ben Bostrom gets a good start as Josh Herrin gets third. Josh Hayes shoots into the lead. Now, can Hayes open it up. Herrin goes to second. Bostrom is off course. He loses spots. He's dropped like a stone. Herrin is tryin to keep up with Hayes. The EBR's are third and fourth. Blake Young, Roger Hayden, and Steve Rapp all battle. Taylor Knapp is also in this pack.
Rapp passes Hayden. Who's got the legs on the straight? Kawasaki vs. Suzuki. Larry Pegram is running better on the #72 BMW. Geoff May is now third on the first EBR as Danny Eslick on the sister bike is down the order a bit. Geoff May is closing on Josh Herrin. Pegram leads. Hayden and Eslick are fighting hammer and tongs. Four of 23 laps completed. Geoff May is battling Josh Herrin. Blake Young fends off Steve Rapp. Taylor Knapp, Larry Pegram, Danny Eslick, Chris Fillmore, and Chris Clark all are in the bottom half of the top ten to twelve bikes.
Geoff May steals second from Herrin, but no. Herrin charges right back by. Herrin carried one wheel off the ground. There used to be a 750cc class for bikes, but now, there's just two (600cc and 1000cc bikes). Roger Hayden and Steve Rapp tussle for fifth, continuing their battle. Hayes continues to lead this race. He's not using traction control for these races. Dunlop's tires are made in both the U.S. and England, and there's a new tire being created, a soft compound tire. Ben Bostrom has passed Larry Pegram for ninth place.
This race is approaching the halfway mark. Bostrom tries passing Eslick and put's the Jordan Racing Suzuki up another spot. Yes, the owner of that bike is basketball legend, Michael Jordan. Chris Fillmore is running well on his KTM. They might be back next year. One has to wonder if makes like BMW or KTM will have a presence in AMA Superbike in 2013. Hayes has a seven and a half second lead. Only 18% of the distance on this track at NJMP is at full throttle. Ten laps remaining. Taylor Knapp and Steve Rapp battle for sixth. Ben Bostrom flies by Taylor Knapp.
Steve Rapp will be the next bike on Bostrom's list. Chris Clark has made his way to thirteenth spot in his first season with Suzuki after riding Yamaha's in the past. Geoff May takes a tumble and is out of the race, putting his hands up to express frustration at Blake Young who was pressuring him. May throws his hands up as if to say, "what the heck did you do to me?" This race is under yellow as bike #78 of Reese Wacker slams into another bike, the #511 bike of Tim Bemisderfer. No yellow flag. Bostrom tries passing Blake Young.
Bostrom passes Young and there's another pass on Steve Rapp by Taylor Knapp. Bostrom pulls away from Blake Young with just four laps left. Josh Hayes still maintains a huge lead. Blake Young is riding in essence, an evolved, three year old bike that champion rider Mat Mladin rode. Danny Eslick, Larry Pegram, and Chris Fillmore battle for eighth through tenth. It's EBR vs. BMW vs. KTM. It would be great to have Honda and Kawasaki back on a factory basis. The white flag is out for Josh Hayes.
Winning this race will be Josh Hayes, easily. Monster Graves Yamaha has separated themselves from the pack. He'll get another victory!
#1 Josh Hayes Yamaha R1
So, Hayes wins his thirteenth race of the year!
James Rispoli on his Suzuki GSX-R 600 won the first Supersport race and the win in the second event for that class went to Triumph rider, Dustin Dominguez. In the XR1200 class (highlighted of course earlier in the season for their support races to MotoGP at Indianapolis), Shane Narbonne on bike #46 was the winner.
The penultimate race of the AMA season will be the Triumph Big Kahuna Miami at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida, taking place in less than two weeks.
There will be three races to go after this weekend. Ben Bostrom and Roger Hayden could very well be back with Jordan Suzuki next year. Josh Herrin will also be bake with Monster Energy Yamaha. Blake Young needs to just ride his bike and race. Chris Fillmore is back in Superbike on his KTM after being injured. He's still recuperating, but, he's back on the bike. Taylor Knapp and Ben Bostrom might also be in contention in this race. Ditto for Roger Hayden. Also, Steve Rapp qualifies second. He led last year and set fast lap in this race last year. Rapp scored two points in MotoGP back in their race at Indianapolis of course.
Josh Hayes has pole for this race for Superbikes. Blake Young starts eleventh. Will he be able to run up front? We'll see. At the start, Roger Hayden got bogged down and Josh Hayes takes the lead along with Blake Young as Josh Herrin pulls off the road immediately. He continues, but must have some kind of problem. Steve Rapp runs behind Blake Young while Josh Hayes just pulls away from everyone else which is a typical performance for him. Steve Rapp is hounding Blake Young right now. Taylor Knapp passes Geoff May as Blake Young runs off the road and Steve Rapp passes. This race has two laps gone of 23 scheduled.
The order is Hayes, Rapp, Young, Knapp, and May. Danny Eslick is coming to grips with the EBR and the handling of the bike. Geoff May has that figured out. Eric Buell Racing is running well though as there's a battle between Larry Pegram, Chris Fllmore and others. Actually, Pegram is further down the order as Steve Rapp crashes out of second spot! Ugh! Rapp is a retirement. Ben Bostrom passes Chris Fillmore on the KTM. Chris Ullrich chases Larry Pegram. Larry Pegram will run in Superbike, but he needs to decide what bike he will use. Pegram is hounding bike #25 of David Anthony.
Geoff May tries passing Blake Young after passing Taylor Knapp successfully. Meanwhile, Josh Hayes is riding off into the sunset. Young and Taylor Knapp still scrap as Geoff May has fallen back. Hayes has run a 1:22 flat. Other riders are in the 1:23 bracket. Geoff May ran wide in turn one. Ben Bostrom holds sixth place right now. Actually, Chris Clark has just passed him for that spot and he's gone down a few, possibly as team mate Roger Hayden is seventh now followed by Larry Pegram, Chris Fillmore and others. Josh Herrin is followed by Danny Eslick, Chris Ullrich and David Anthony.
A lap or so to halfway in this race. Blake Young hangs onto second just barely as it's a four rider battle, thirteen and a half seconds behind Josh Hayes. Hayes' crew uses 320 millimeter brake rotors for more braking force by putting shims between the brake caliper and the forks. Chris Clark is in the pits. He's not feeling well, so, he's going to retire or something. Don't race if you're ill. Hayes leads by a country mile. He's got a seventeen and a half second lead. Blake Young holds second and Ben Bostrom is in a podium spot, but wants by Young for sure.
Young remains second. Josh Herrin holds off Larry Pegram and Roger Hayden. Can Bostrom pass Young? Hayes is riding very professionally and he'll stay with Yamaha next year. Ullrich and Eslick are scrapping. Chris Ullrich was testing a new motorcycle in Spain. He's a motorcycle test rider for a living in addition to racing. It's Young, Bostrom, and Knapp, battling as this race draws to a close. Five laps remaining. The three way battle continues. It's three Suzuki's battling for the final podium places. Bostrom takes second spot with three laps left. He goes to the inside under Blake Young in the braking zone. Roger Hayden ran wide in turn one and ran off the road while battling with Larry Pegram on his BMW.
Josh Herrin has worked his way up to sixth from last spot. It's the last lap now. Josh Hayes may stay in AMA Superbike, but he's good enough of a rider that he could go to World Superbike or MotoGP. He's going to be third on the all-time win list in AMA Superbike. He wins his twelfth race of the year, tying Mat Mladin's record for the most wins in a single season. There's a second race. Those results will come eventually.
#1 Josh Hayes Yamaha R1
Hayes could have a future in MotoGP more than likely. Yamaha does not have a team in World Superbike. Coming up, it's Daytona Sportbike race two. In race one, Cameron Beaubier was the winner. But, Martin Cardenas is also in contention. Beaubier got to the front and separated from the pack.; At the start of the race on Saturday, there were some issues as Corey West and Tommy Aquino had a big crash. Dane Westby moved in and for the lead it was Martin Cardenas vs. Cameron Beaubier.
Beaubier won by two hundredths of a second! Yikes!
#6 Cameron Beaubier Yamaha YZF R6
Aaron Gobert is in this race and also, Bobby Fong should be competitive. There was some rain the day before. Cameron Beaubier has had a cold and a sore throat. But, he feels better now. At the start, Martin Cardenas gets the lead with Jason DiSalvo second on the Triumph. J.D. Beach and another rider both go wide. Not sure who the second rider was. Tommy Hayden passes Cameron Beaubier into turn eight. There's a battle between Bobby Fong and Tommy Aquino. Hayden wants by DiSalvo and gets by the Triumph.
This race will be 23 laps. Bobby Fong is going after Cameron Beaubier as Huntley Nash is out of this race. Tommy Aquino might have found a good setup with his bike after running the first Daytona Sportbike race yesterday. Dane Westby is moving up, but Tommy Hayden has a massive high side and Cameron Beaubier runs, wham!, right into him! This race is red flagged. Ouch! Tommy Hayden could have been knocked out by that crash. He flew into the air! He runs wide and he absolutely flies into the air. They hit a patch of water. Beaubier had the bike come back up on him and knock his visor out of his helmet. What a savage crash!
Everyone should be OK. But, it looked really bad. The red flag has been lifted though, and the Daytona Sportbike race will get back to green. Both riders walked away from that wicked wreck. Tommy Hayden will be checked at the hospital. Beaubier is sore, but he might continue. Probably not. The race restarts as Martin Cardenas leads into turn one. Jason DiSalvo and Tommy Aquino follow. Bobby Fong passes Aquino. Dane Westby is also riding well. Jason DiSalvo has a mechanical problem with the Triumph Daytona 675. There's something wrong in the engine.
Bobby Fong closes up on Martin Cardenas. Cardenas wants a title but Fong is not running for points. Nineteen laps to go. Tommy Aquino on the Yamaha follows. Aquino got into an incident the day before with Cory West and West got the worst of it. Jake Gagne and Dane Westby are fourth and fifth. Jake Zemke is also coming up. He got off track at the initial start with J.D. Beach. Cardenas still leads over Bobby Fong and Tommy Aquino. Cardenas brakes late, collapsing the front forks, making the bike wiggle. He's got a softer preload on top of the spring. He has more feel with the motorcycle that way.
Cardenas has led every lap so far, but Tommy Aquino sets fast lap at 1:24.154. One lap to halfway. These bikes don't use traction control like the Superbikes do. Dane Westby sets a new fast lap at a 1:23.8, so, 3/10ths quicker than Tommy Aquino. Dane Westby continues to move in on Martin Cardenas and Bobby Fong as Cardenas runs a 1:24 flat. Westby is even faster, bringing the laps down each lap between a 1:23.9 and a 1:23.6 with ten laps left to run. Westby has passed Aquino. He passes Bobby Fong, and he'll now go after Martin Cardenas. Westby has moved all the way from 13th to second. Well, he made a mistake, letting Bobby Fong by.
Westby comes back by. Westby is now right on top of Martin Cardenas. Into turn one, Tommy Aquino stays right with the top three. Westby runs a 1:23.3. The Dunlop tires are working very well. Fong got right up on Westby almost locking the front end of the bike! Tommy Aquino is keeping pace very well and he ran in Europe for a while. But, he's back in the states and has improved as a rider. There are just six laps left in the Daytona Sportbike race. Dane Westby has taken the lead. He flew past Cardenas in a double apex corner. Fong went by Westby, and he goes three wide, past Fong and a backmarker! Three wide! Yikes! Four laps remaining.
Now, it's a three way battle between Westby, Fong, and Cardenas. Two laps remain. It's a three way fight to the finish for the win. Three wide! Martin Cardenas sweeps around both Westby and Fong! Westby challenges. Cardenas takes the defensive line. Cardenas runs wide and reels the bike back in. Who gets the run? Martin Cardenas wins it by five hundredths of a second! Cory West beats Jake Zemke and J.D. Beach for sixth, seventh and eighth! What a race!
#36 Martin Cardenas Suzuki GSXR 600
Up next, it's the second race for the Superbikes.
Josh Hayes is really getting his name put into the record books with his dominance this season. Can anyone challenge him? Chris Clark is feeling better than he was during the first race. At the start, Ben Bostrom gets a good start as Josh Herrin gets third. Josh Hayes shoots into the lead. Now, can Hayes open it up. Herrin goes to second. Bostrom is off course. He loses spots. He's dropped like a stone. Herrin is tryin to keep up with Hayes. The EBR's are third and fourth. Blake Young, Roger Hayden, and Steve Rapp all battle. Taylor Knapp is also in this pack.
Rapp passes Hayden. Who's got the legs on the straight? Kawasaki vs. Suzuki. Larry Pegram is running better on the #72 BMW. Geoff May is now third on the first EBR as Danny Eslick on the sister bike is down the order a bit. Geoff May is closing on Josh Herrin. Pegram leads. Hayden and Eslick are fighting hammer and tongs. Four of 23 laps completed. Geoff May is battling Josh Herrin. Blake Young fends off Steve Rapp. Taylor Knapp, Larry Pegram, Danny Eslick, Chris Fillmore, and Chris Clark all are in the bottom half of the top ten to twelve bikes.
Geoff May steals second from Herrin, but no. Herrin charges right back by. Herrin carried one wheel off the ground. There used to be a 750cc class for bikes, but now, there's just two (600cc and 1000cc bikes). Roger Hayden and Steve Rapp tussle for fifth, continuing their battle. Hayes continues to lead this race. He's not using traction control for these races. Dunlop's tires are made in both the U.S. and England, and there's a new tire being created, a soft compound tire. Ben Bostrom has passed Larry Pegram for ninth place.
This race is approaching the halfway mark. Bostrom tries passing Eslick and put's the Jordan Racing Suzuki up another spot. Yes, the owner of that bike is basketball legend, Michael Jordan. Chris Fillmore is running well on his KTM. They might be back next year. One has to wonder if makes like BMW or KTM will have a presence in AMA Superbike in 2013. Hayes has a seven and a half second lead. Only 18% of the distance on this track at NJMP is at full throttle. Ten laps remaining. Taylor Knapp and Steve Rapp battle for sixth. Ben Bostrom flies by Taylor Knapp.
Steve Rapp will be the next bike on Bostrom's list. Chris Clark has made his way to thirteenth spot in his first season with Suzuki after riding Yamaha's in the past. Geoff May takes a tumble and is out of the race, putting his hands up to express frustration at Blake Young who was pressuring him. May throws his hands up as if to say, "what the heck did you do to me?" This race is under yellow as bike #78 of Reese Wacker slams into another bike, the #511 bike of Tim Bemisderfer. No yellow flag. Bostrom tries passing Blake Young.
Bostrom passes Young and there's another pass on Steve Rapp by Taylor Knapp. Bostrom pulls away from Blake Young with just four laps left. Josh Hayes still maintains a huge lead. Blake Young is riding in essence, an evolved, three year old bike that champion rider Mat Mladin rode. Danny Eslick, Larry Pegram, and Chris Fillmore battle for eighth through tenth. It's EBR vs. BMW vs. KTM. It would be great to have Honda and Kawasaki back on a factory basis. The white flag is out for Josh Hayes.
Winning this race will be Josh Hayes, easily. Monster Graves Yamaha has separated themselves from the pack. He'll get another victory!
#1 Josh Hayes Yamaha R1
So, Hayes wins his thirteenth race of the year!
James Rispoli on his Suzuki GSX-R 600 won the first Supersport race and the win in the second event for that class went to Triumph rider, Dustin Dominguez. In the XR1200 class (highlighted of course earlier in the season for their support races to MotoGP at Indianapolis), Shane Narbonne on bike #46 was the winner.
The penultimate race of the AMA season will be the Triumph Big Kahuna Miami at the Homestead-Miami Speedway in Homestead, Florida, taking place in less than two weeks.
Monday, September 10, 2012
FIM World Superbike round 12: Germany
Round twelve of the FIM World Superbike Championship takes place at the legendary Nurburgring in Nurburg, Germany, located in the Eiffel Mountains.
Three rounds remain in the championship for 2012. The bikes are coming to the grid for race one. This is BMW's home track of course. Max Biaggi is on pole for the race. Here we go.
At the start, Tom Sykes and Max Biaggi both get good starts for this 20 lap race. Michele Fabrizio high sides the bike and is out. Tom Sykes is in the lead. Marco Melandri is fourth now. Sykes is followed by Biaggi and Carlos Checa. Checa won at the Nurburgring last year in a wet race. Marco Melandri is fifth with Johnny Rea sixth. Sykes runs a lap of 1:57.2. Eugene Laverty is also moving forward as he wants to get by Biaggi, his Aprilia team mate. The tire situation seems as if it will be a mix between soft and hard compound tires. There would also be a choice of medium compounds. The Ducati's can run with a soft rear tire, but it's uncertain about the other bikes like the BMW's for instance.
Max Biaggi is holding on with Johnny Rea following. But, Carlos Checa crashes! The champ tries to get around Johnny Rea and ditches the bike. Johnny Rea also loses his bike. He's out of it. They are dropping like flies as Sykes and Biaggi are the two tussling for the lead. Sykes runs a 1:55.4 and Biaggi is two tenths quicker. Davide Giugliano battles Leon Haslam and Loris Baz is also in it. That 1:55.2 time for Biaggi is a new record. Davide Giugliano ditches his bike, too. It's a low side crash. The grip level makes the track fast, and the riders will sometimes lose hold on the bikes.
Four laps completed out of 20 scheduled. Bret McCormick is doing well after being injured with a broken neck at the beginning of the season. There's talk that Chaz Davies will run for BMW next year, replacing Leon Haslam. He makes a move on Eugene Laverty. Will Davies pull away from his fellow Aprilia rider? Uh oh. Davies almost loses the bike! But, he held on! Phew! He got up on the handlebars. But, Melandri has crashed! He's gone down and BMW will be beside themselves! They're leading the championship in their home race! Not anymore.
Sykes and Biaggi are continuing their battle. Biaggi will pick up points with Melandri's retirement. The championship lead will undoubtedly change. Biaggi will have a one and a half point lead over Melandri going into race two and for the final two races in Portugal and France. It's Kawasaki vs. Aprilia now. Biaggi passes on the inside but Sykes gets him right back. It's Yorkshire vs. Rome. Biaggi must focus on the Kawasaki. Some of the other riders might not be in contention. It's a two bike race right now. Two laps to halfway in race one. The battle ensues between Chaz Davies and Eugene Laverty. There's also speculation for next year. Should Max Biaggi retire, Eugene Laverty could be number one at Aprilia next year.
It seems that Max Biaggi has a smoother riding style than Tom Sykes. Kawasaki tends to ear their tires down as Loris Baz makes a good move. Sykes and Biaggi are running identical lap times. Biaggi looks up the inside of Sykes, but Sykes shuts the door into the Mercedes Arena section of the track. This race is half over now. Guintoli, Haslam, Baz, and Camier are battling for sixth spot. Kawasaki is searching for another title. They've had one in World Superbike with Scott Russell back in 1993. Biaggi goes around Sykes again, taking the lead. But, Sykes might not be done yet.
Chaz Davies has not passed Eugene Laverty yet. Max Biaggi will indeed take over the championship lead from Marco Melandri. BMW leads Aprilia in the manufacturer's cup as well. Sykes is losing his tires. He struggles to stay with Biaggi and is being reeled in by both Laverty and Davies. Leon Camier chases Leon Haslam. Can the Suzuki get around the BMW? The Suzuki's have struggled all season. But, they could be coming around on their setup. Sykes, unfortunately, will drop two positions in the points, should Biaggi win this race.
Leon Camier passes Leon Haslam and looks to pass Sylvain Guintoli. Carlos Checa is still running even though he's not in contention. But, with two laps to go, it looks like Biaggi has this race in the bag. There's still seven laps to go yet. Biaggi runs a 1:56.7 and Sykes does a 1:57.9. Laverty goes to second and Chaz Davies will also get around Tom Sykes. Davies passes Sykes. But, don't count out Loris Baz. He's still coming. Baz, Guintoli, and Camier all are quicker than Tom Sykes. Leon Camier passes Sylvain Guintoli. Jakub Smrz is not in this race. Laverty is faster than Davies by five kilometers per hour. 271 km/h vs. 266 km/h.
John Hopkins has had a bad race and a lackluster season in a way. Hopkins used to run MotoGP. Davies is not quite close enough to get around Eugene Laverty. It's crunch time in a way for both of these guys to show what they've got. Loris Baz spills his bike! He's still not gotten a result for a good while. So, Leon Camier moves up. Three laps to go. It's going to be a 1-2-3 finish for Aprilia more than likely. But also, don't forget that Leon Camier might just pass Tom Sykes. Camier is quicker. 1:57.4 compared to 1:58.7. People wrote Biaggi off after the Brno race. But, he's back now.
It's the last lap of race one. Chaz Davies still wants by Laverty. Laverty is in control right now over Davies. What will happen? Biaggi is going to win the race and take over the championship lead. Leon Camier will get fifth and Sylvain Guintoli sixth. Biaggi will win it and Aprilia get's their 1-2-3 with Laverty second and Davis third. Factory Aprilia's get a 1-2.
#3 Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia RSV4 Factory
Race two is on deck. Suzuki will make some changes for next year to try and get the GSXR1000 more competitive as that bike has been around for quite a while now. It will be interesting to see what they can do.
Max Biaggi has pole after winning race one. At the start, Tom Sykes and Max Biaggi get a good start, but Eugene Laverty gets the lead. Johnny Rea is in contention already for this 20 lap race. Marco Melandri is fourth ahead of Chaz Davies. John Hopkins runs in the top ten. Marco Melandri has to beat Biaggi and Tom Sykes has to win this race. A very simple scenario. Leon Camier got swamped. But, Max Biaggi has crashed! How on earth did that happen? Biaggi gets back on the bike. Has he got damage? Marco Melandri is now second with Chaz Davies third. Laverty ran wide and Biaggi lost the bike over the bumps in one of the corners.
Laverty is now down in seventh place. Davies runs quickest lap at 1:56.2. Carlos Checa is tenth. Davide Giugliano passes Johnny Rea. Biaggi runs a 1:58.1. Melandri might go quicker towards the end of the race. Giugliano battles Rea and Leon Haslam moves around Laverty. Then, the positions swap. Eugene Laverty passes him back. Rea runs fourth. Max Biaggi is way down in 22nd spot. He battles the privateer BMW of Italy's Norino Brignola. Checa runs fast lap at 1:56.3. He's slower than Biaggi was in race one. Rea and Giugliano still scrap and Eugene Laverty is also there. Coming into the downhill left hander, there's a five bike scrap going on into another hairpin before going uphill.
Four laps complete in race two. Chaz Davies can go for it as he's not in contention for the title. Johnny Rea runs wide and loses out to Davide Giugliano and Eugene Laverty. The top three bikes are a half second quicker than everyone else. Melandri passes Tom Sykes for the lead. Melandri can gain points now that Biaggi is down the order as Leon Camier passes Carlos Checa. Johnny Rea is 3.8 seconds behind the lead battle. Marco Melandri is opening a gap. Melandri runs a 1:56.6. Chaz Davies has gone to second now, passing Tom Sykes. Davies is beginning to move in on Melandri now, too.
Carlos Checa runs a 1:56.6 in sixth spot. Leon Camier runs another quick lap. But, Melandri is out with ANOTHER crash! Say what! Leon Haslam passes Checa. Chaz Davies could win this thing. He's in the lead over Tom Sykes. Biaggi is behind Laverty and can pass Brett McCormick, too. One lap to halfway as Haslam dumps his bike, too. Another BMW, gone! BMW has had a nightmare weekend on their home turf. Johnny Rea might also get on the podium. Laverty passes Rea but Rea won't have it. This is a good scrap! Carlos Checa and Davide Giugliano still are in contention as Biaggi moves to sixteenth.
Biaggi has damage. But he's still going. Halfway home in race two now. It's Davies, Sykes, Laverty and Rea. Laverty is closing up on Sykes half a second a lap. Biaggi passes both Jakub Smrz and Maxime Berger for Effenbert Liberty Racing. Chaz Davies runs another quick lap. Tom Sykes could get a top six finish as he runs a 1:57.3. Biaggi could have trouble with a wire on his gearshift after that fall. Leon Camier is in a battle and Carlos Checa is also moving rapidly. Seven laps to go. Johnny Rea runs a 1:57 flat while other riders are in the 1:56 range.
Chaz Davies could very well win. Not sure if the Welshman has won a Superbike race yet. Leon Camier will finish this race. Tom Sykes is losing ground. He's not had the race he's wanted. Just six laps left to run now. Johnny Rea runs fifth. Leon Camier passes Tom Sykes. Eugene Laverty almost runs into Tom Sykes. Bret McCormick slides onto the gravel but stays on the bike. Eugene Laverty passes Tom Sykes. Johnny Rea will also be lurking behind the Kawasaki. Max Biaggi is now fourteenth, passing Hiroshi Aoyama. Chaz Davies wants his first win in WSBK on the Park & Go privateer Aprilia RSV4. He could have a factory ride for either Aprilia, BMW, or Honda, ahead of him.
Four laps left. Biaggi has to pass Maxime Berger in thirteenth. Biaggi might have an eight and a half point gap going into the next race weekend. Loris Baz and Sylvain Guintoli are battling and Biaggi passes Berger. Meanwhile, Biaggi now needs to catch John Hopkins and should easily do so. In the meantime, Chaz Davies could very well win this race. Carlos Checa is battling Tom Sykes. But, Sykes is quicker on the Kawasaki than Checa's Ducati. Leon Camier battles Eugene Laverty and Laverty makes the pass. Biaggi is now three seconds behind John Hopkins. Laverty wants a podium and Camier wants a win.
Tom Sykes passes Checa back. But, with one lap to go, Davies runs a 1:57.4. and he'll likely win this. Laverty is quicker than Camier. Davies' team is called Park & Go. Well, forget the park part. Just go! Biaggi is up by a second a half over Hopkins. These have been some really good races. Chaz Davies is going to win the Superbike race in Germany. He's won the World Supersport championship. But, he'll win his first ever Superbike race! Davies wins it! Laverty is second with Camier third!
#19 Chaz Davies GBR Aprilia RSV4 Factory
Aprilia wins both races in Germany with two different riders. Just two races remain in the 2012 FIM World Superbike Championship. The penultimate race of the season will be at the Portimao circuit in Portimao, Portugal coming up in less than two weeks.
Three rounds remain in the championship for 2012. The bikes are coming to the grid for race one. This is BMW's home track of course. Max Biaggi is on pole for the race. Here we go.
At the start, Tom Sykes and Max Biaggi both get good starts for this 20 lap race. Michele Fabrizio high sides the bike and is out. Tom Sykes is in the lead. Marco Melandri is fourth now. Sykes is followed by Biaggi and Carlos Checa. Checa won at the Nurburgring last year in a wet race. Marco Melandri is fifth with Johnny Rea sixth. Sykes runs a lap of 1:57.2. Eugene Laverty is also moving forward as he wants to get by Biaggi, his Aprilia team mate. The tire situation seems as if it will be a mix between soft and hard compound tires. There would also be a choice of medium compounds. The Ducati's can run with a soft rear tire, but it's uncertain about the other bikes like the BMW's for instance.
Max Biaggi is holding on with Johnny Rea following. But, Carlos Checa crashes! The champ tries to get around Johnny Rea and ditches the bike. Johnny Rea also loses his bike. He's out of it. They are dropping like flies as Sykes and Biaggi are the two tussling for the lead. Sykes runs a 1:55.4 and Biaggi is two tenths quicker. Davide Giugliano battles Leon Haslam and Loris Baz is also in it. That 1:55.2 time for Biaggi is a new record. Davide Giugliano ditches his bike, too. It's a low side crash. The grip level makes the track fast, and the riders will sometimes lose hold on the bikes.
Four laps completed out of 20 scheduled. Bret McCormick is doing well after being injured with a broken neck at the beginning of the season. There's talk that Chaz Davies will run for BMW next year, replacing Leon Haslam. He makes a move on Eugene Laverty. Will Davies pull away from his fellow Aprilia rider? Uh oh. Davies almost loses the bike! But, he held on! Phew! He got up on the handlebars. But, Melandri has crashed! He's gone down and BMW will be beside themselves! They're leading the championship in their home race! Not anymore.
Sykes and Biaggi are continuing their battle. Biaggi will pick up points with Melandri's retirement. The championship lead will undoubtedly change. Biaggi will have a one and a half point lead over Melandri going into race two and for the final two races in Portugal and France. It's Kawasaki vs. Aprilia now. Biaggi passes on the inside but Sykes gets him right back. It's Yorkshire vs. Rome. Biaggi must focus on the Kawasaki. Some of the other riders might not be in contention. It's a two bike race right now. Two laps to halfway in race one. The battle ensues between Chaz Davies and Eugene Laverty. There's also speculation for next year. Should Max Biaggi retire, Eugene Laverty could be number one at Aprilia next year.
It seems that Max Biaggi has a smoother riding style than Tom Sykes. Kawasaki tends to ear their tires down as Loris Baz makes a good move. Sykes and Biaggi are running identical lap times. Biaggi looks up the inside of Sykes, but Sykes shuts the door into the Mercedes Arena section of the track. This race is half over now. Guintoli, Haslam, Baz, and Camier are battling for sixth spot. Kawasaki is searching for another title. They've had one in World Superbike with Scott Russell back in 1993. Biaggi goes around Sykes again, taking the lead. But, Sykes might not be done yet.
Chaz Davies has not passed Eugene Laverty yet. Max Biaggi will indeed take over the championship lead from Marco Melandri. BMW leads Aprilia in the manufacturer's cup as well. Sykes is losing his tires. He struggles to stay with Biaggi and is being reeled in by both Laverty and Davies. Leon Camier chases Leon Haslam. Can the Suzuki get around the BMW? The Suzuki's have struggled all season. But, they could be coming around on their setup. Sykes, unfortunately, will drop two positions in the points, should Biaggi win this race.
Leon Camier passes Leon Haslam and looks to pass Sylvain Guintoli. Carlos Checa is still running even though he's not in contention. But, with two laps to go, it looks like Biaggi has this race in the bag. There's still seven laps to go yet. Biaggi runs a 1:56.7 and Sykes does a 1:57.9. Laverty goes to second and Chaz Davies will also get around Tom Sykes. Davies passes Sykes. But, don't count out Loris Baz. He's still coming. Baz, Guintoli, and Camier all are quicker than Tom Sykes. Leon Camier passes Sylvain Guintoli. Jakub Smrz is not in this race. Laverty is faster than Davies by five kilometers per hour. 271 km/h vs. 266 km/h.
John Hopkins has had a bad race and a lackluster season in a way. Hopkins used to run MotoGP. Davies is not quite close enough to get around Eugene Laverty. It's crunch time in a way for both of these guys to show what they've got. Loris Baz spills his bike! He's still not gotten a result for a good while. So, Leon Camier moves up. Three laps to go. It's going to be a 1-2-3 finish for Aprilia more than likely. But also, don't forget that Leon Camier might just pass Tom Sykes. Camier is quicker. 1:57.4 compared to 1:58.7. People wrote Biaggi off after the Brno race. But, he's back now.
It's the last lap of race one. Chaz Davies still wants by Laverty. Laverty is in control right now over Davies. What will happen? Biaggi is going to win the race and take over the championship lead. Leon Camier will get fifth and Sylvain Guintoli sixth. Biaggi will win it and Aprilia get's their 1-2-3 with Laverty second and Davis third. Factory Aprilia's get a 1-2.
#3 Max Biaggi ITA Aprilia RSV4 Factory
Race two is on deck. Suzuki will make some changes for next year to try and get the GSXR1000 more competitive as that bike has been around for quite a while now. It will be interesting to see what they can do.
Max Biaggi has pole after winning race one. At the start, Tom Sykes and Max Biaggi get a good start, but Eugene Laverty gets the lead. Johnny Rea is in contention already for this 20 lap race. Marco Melandri is fourth ahead of Chaz Davies. John Hopkins runs in the top ten. Marco Melandri has to beat Biaggi and Tom Sykes has to win this race. A very simple scenario. Leon Camier got swamped. But, Max Biaggi has crashed! How on earth did that happen? Biaggi gets back on the bike. Has he got damage? Marco Melandri is now second with Chaz Davies third. Laverty ran wide and Biaggi lost the bike over the bumps in one of the corners.
Laverty is now down in seventh place. Davies runs quickest lap at 1:56.2. Carlos Checa is tenth. Davide Giugliano passes Johnny Rea. Biaggi runs a 1:58.1. Melandri might go quicker towards the end of the race. Giugliano battles Rea and Leon Haslam moves around Laverty. Then, the positions swap. Eugene Laverty passes him back. Rea runs fourth. Max Biaggi is way down in 22nd spot. He battles the privateer BMW of Italy's Norino Brignola. Checa runs fast lap at 1:56.3. He's slower than Biaggi was in race one. Rea and Giugliano still scrap and Eugene Laverty is also there. Coming into the downhill left hander, there's a five bike scrap going on into another hairpin before going uphill.
Four laps complete in race two. Chaz Davies can go for it as he's not in contention for the title. Johnny Rea runs wide and loses out to Davide Giugliano and Eugene Laverty. The top three bikes are a half second quicker than everyone else. Melandri passes Tom Sykes for the lead. Melandri can gain points now that Biaggi is down the order as Leon Camier passes Carlos Checa. Johnny Rea is 3.8 seconds behind the lead battle. Marco Melandri is opening a gap. Melandri runs a 1:56.6. Chaz Davies has gone to second now, passing Tom Sykes. Davies is beginning to move in on Melandri now, too.
Carlos Checa runs a 1:56.6 in sixth spot. Leon Camier runs another quick lap. But, Melandri is out with ANOTHER crash! Say what! Leon Haslam passes Checa. Chaz Davies could win this thing. He's in the lead over Tom Sykes. Biaggi is behind Laverty and can pass Brett McCormick, too. One lap to halfway as Haslam dumps his bike, too. Another BMW, gone! BMW has had a nightmare weekend on their home turf. Johnny Rea might also get on the podium. Laverty passes Rea but Rea won't have it. This is a good scrap! Carlos Checa and Davide Giugliano still are in contention as Biaggi moves to sixteenth.
Biaggi has damage. But he's still going. Halfway home in race two now. It's Davies, Sykes, Laverty and Rea. Laverty is closing up on Sykes half a second a lap. Biaggi passes both Jakub Smrz and Maxime Berger for Effenbert Liberty Racing. Chaz Davies runs another quick lap. Tom Sykes could get a top six finish as he runs a 1:57.3. Biaggi could have trouble with a wire on his gearshift after that fall. Leon Camier is in a battle and Carlos Checa is also moving rapidly. Seven laps to go. Johnny Rea runs a 1:57 flat while other riders are in the 1:56 range.
Chaz Davies could very well win. Not sure if the Welshman has won a Superbike race yet. Leon Camier will finish this race. Tom Sykes is losing ground. He's not had the race he's wanted. Just six laps left to run now. Johnny Rea runs fifth. Leon Camier passes Tom Sykes. Eugene Laverty almost runs into Tom Sykes. Bret McCormick slides onto the gravel but stays on the bike. Eugene Laverty passes Tom Sykes. Johnny Rea will also be lurking behind the Kawasaki. Max Biaggi is now fourteenth, passing Hiroshi Aoyama. Chaz Davies wants his first win in WSBK on the Park & Go privateer Aprilia RSV4. He could have a factory ride for either Aprilia, BMW, or Honda, ahead of him.
Four laps left. Biaggi has to pass Maxime Berger in thirteenth. Biaggi might have an eight and a half point gap going into the next race weekend. Loris Baz and Sylvain Guintoli are battling and Biaggi passes Berger. Meanwhile, Biaggi now needs to catch John Hopkins and should easily do so. In the meantime, Chaz Davies could very well win this race. Carlos Checa is battling Tom Sykes. But, Sykes is quicker on the Kawasaki than Checa's Ducati. Leon Camier battles Eugene Laverty and Laverty makes the pass. Biaggi is now three seconds behind John Hopkins. Laverty wants a podium and Camier wants a win.
Tom Sykes passes Checa back. But, with one lap to go, Davies runs a 1:57.4. and he'll likely win this. Laverty is quicker than Camier. Davies' team is called Park & Go. Well, forget the park part. Just go! Biaggi is up by a second a half over Hopkins. These have been some really good races. Chaz Davies is going to win the Superbike race in Germany. He's won the World Supersport championship. But, he'll win his first ever Superbike race! Davies wins it! Laverty is second with Camier third!
#19 Chaz Davies GBR Aprilia RSV4 Factory
Aprilia wins both races in Germany with two different riders. Just two races remain in the 2012 FIM World Superbike Championship. The penultimate race of the season will be at the Portimao circuit in Portimao, Portugal coming up in less than two weeks.
Friday, September 7, 2012
FIM World Endurance Championship round 2: 8 Hours of Doha Doha, Qatar
In years past, this race has been the season finale. But, it's now the second round. It will be hot because it's in the desert and the weather changes a lot. The race will be run between 5;00 P.M. and 1;00 A.M. on June 9th.
The tire manufacturers will have a real test on their hands in this event with the track conditions. They include Michelin, Pirelli, and Dunlop. This is the first of three eight hour races in a row. An eight hour event is very different. Use the entire fuel capacity available, try to spend the least amount of time in the pits. The strategies are more adaptable in eight hour races as compared to the 24 hour races. Yamaha has won three races in Qatar. The other two races have been won by SERT. BMW Motorrad France has pole with their #99 bike. Erwan Nigon is the rider setting pole time. He shares with Sebastien Gimbert and Damien Cudlin.
Anthony West from Moto 2 and MotoGP will be in this race, on bike #95 for Qatar Endurance Racing Team on their Suzuki GSXR 1000 sharing with Nasser Al Malki and Elena Rossell. A smallish field of 23 bikes are set to start the race. At the start, BMW Motorrad France gets the early lead. Erwan Nigon leads into the first corner. However, it's not BMW. It's Suzuki and Yamaha getting the jump as SERT takes P1 with Vincent Philippe at the controls of their GSXR1000. With two hours gone, BMW leads. Suzuki chases them with Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle, and Yukio Kagayama in second.
Bolliger Kawasaki and Honda TT Legends run fourth and fifth. Meanwhile, in Super Stock, it's bike #95 leading. This is the Qatar Endurance Racing Team Suzuki with Anthony West, Nasser Al Malki, and check the third rider. It's supposed to be Elena Rossell, but the graphic lists rider Nina Prinz. Clarification. This is a four rider team with Nina Prinz. So, the lineup is West/Al Malki/Rossell/Prinz. The safety car is dispatched after a crash by the #4 Yamalube Folch Endurance bike. This is the Yamaha R1 shared by Daniel Ribalta, Arturo Tizon, and Roberto Martinez.
The #4 bike is brought back to it's garage. Pit stop time now. First in is the #13 bike for Penz 13 Kraftwerk. This is the Super Stock division BMW S1000RR being shared by Pedro Vallcaneras, Michal Filla, and Gregory Fastre. Honda TT Legends now pits their CBR1000RR. Michael Laverty will take over from Ryuichi Kiyonari. But, at the sharp end, it's still a battle between Suzuki and Yamaha (SERT and YART, respectively). Former World Superbike standout Noriyuki Haga is riding for YART in place of Steve Martin. Haga shares with regular team riders Gwen Giabbani, and Igor Jerman.
BMW continues to run well, but another Yamaha team (Yamaha GMT 94) is not having the race they expected to. Sharing the #94 Yamaha R1, it's the usual trio of David Checa, Kenny Foray, and Mathieu Lagrive. Noriyuki Haga on the #7 bike has not competed in World Superbike for a number of years, instead focusing on the British Superbike Championship. Michael Laverty, likewise, is a British Superbike regular. Bolliger Team Switzerland and their Kawasaki ZX10R is running well. The regular riding trio is in command, including Horst Saiger, Roman Stamm, and Jerome Tangre.
As the sun sets, Folch Endurance emerges from the garage, ready to get back into the race. Daniel Ribalta's earlier crash didn't hurt the bike too badly. Retiring from competition at this stage, it's the #44 Superstock team No Limits Motor Racing with a Suzuki GSXR1000. The rider's strength included a trio of Italians. Simone Saltarelli, Fabrizio Perotti, and Cristiano Erbacci. The motor blew on the bike according to team manager, Moreno Codeluppi. The sun has now set on the Losail International Circuit, getting into the second half of this race.
Folch Endurance is still pounding around after being in the garage. Here's the clarification with the second Qatari bike. This is the team bike to the one being ridden in part by Anthony West. This second bike was a late entry and the number cannot be deciphered. Presumably, it is bike #96. Elena Rossell shares this bike with Saeed Al Sulaiti and Sultan Al Kuwari. Yamaha GMT 94 makes a scheduled pit stop. They won the 8 Hours of Doha last year. Next in the queue to pit lane, it's YART. The #95 bike also comes in, mentioned earlier. Nina Prinz takes over for her first stint in the race.
The standings after two hours look like this.
1. EWC #99 BMW Motorrad France BMW S1000RR
Gimbert/Cudlin/Nigon
2. EWC #7 Monster Energy Yamaha
YART Yamaha R1
Haga/Jerman/Giabbani
3. EWC #1 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Philippe/Delhalle/Kagayama
4. EWC #8 Boliger Team Switzerland Kawasaki ZX10R
Saiger/Stamm/Tangre
5. EWC #77 Honda TT Legends Honda CBR1000RR
Kiyonari/Laverty/O'Halloran
6. SST #95 Qatar Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Al Malki/West/ Rosell
7. SST #13 Penz 13 Kraftwerk/Herpigny Racing BMW S1000RR
Valcaneras/Filla/Fastre
8. SST #50 Team Motors Events
AMT Assurances Suzuki GSXR1000
Savary/Dietrich/Moreira
9. SST #96 Qatar Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Al Mannai/Al Naimi/Al Naimi
10. SST #67 Starteam 67 Suzuki GSXR1000
Lucas/Hart/Diguet
At the halfway mark of four hours, it's still BMW Motorrad France in the lead. Right now, they have two laps in hand over the Boliger Team. Honda TT Legends has gone from fifth to third in the overall. Honda TT Legends makes a pit stop. For the three riders (Kiyonari, Laverty, and O'Halloran), they are acclimating well to roles as substitute riders for this race.
This is the first race at night for Jason O'Halloran. But his team mate Ryuichi Kiyonari has been a veteran of endurance motorcycle road racing, having competed several times in what will be round three of the series, the Suzuka 8 Hours. Shortly after two hours, Yamaha GMT 94 was in the garage, fixing the bike. Team manager Christophe Guyot explains that David Checa was running slower lap times than the team expected. The bike could be overheating. That called for a radiator change.
Yamaha GMT 94 retired shortly after, and, SERT is having their own problems. They have a faulty oil line. With the delays, YART moves up in the standings, but they are not immune to their own setbacks. Something was wrong in the engine department on their Yamaha R1. Gwen Giabbani and Noriyuki Haga handled most of the riding chores during this part of the race. In Super Stock, the battle is between QERT and Penz 13 Kraftwerk. In the third hour now (not the fourth as mentioned before), the two QERT bikes battle together and almost have a run-in with one another.
QERT team manager Luis Solano says that a good result is expected, but, it can never be completely certain in endurance motorcycle road racing. Interestingly, QERT is only three laps behind the leading team of BMW Motorrad France. BMW team manager Michael Bartholemy is confident. BMW's consistency on pit stops allows them to retain their lead in this race, which they've pretty much held since lap one. Bolliger is now second on their Kawasaki ZX10R. Bolliger flies the flag for Kawasaki in Qatar as SRC Kawasaki who won the Bol D'or, are not taking part in the Qatar round.
Another team having a good run is DG Sport in Superstock. This is bike #9, a Belgian run team with a Yamaha R1. Sharing the riding chores are Didier van Keymeulen, Alex Cudlin, and Gianluca Vizziello. The #9 bike pits for routine service, with a crewman calling to the rider, "lights! Lights out!", making sure he knows to turn off the headlight in the box. DG Sport team manager Olivier Aerts says that with well planned strategy, the team can work through some of the issues they've been dealing with.
YART and their #7 bike with one rider being Noriyuki Haga, has retired with engine maladies. Team manager Mandy Kainz says that thy hope to have more luck at the Suzuka 8 Hours.
Here are the standings after the halfway mark in the event (four hours).
1. EWC #99 BMW Motorrad France BMW S1000RR
Gimbert/Cudlin/Nigon
2. EWC #8 Boliger Team Switzerland Kawasaki ZX10R
Saiger/Stamm/Tangre
3. EWC #77 Honda TT Legends Honda CBR1000RR
Kiyonari/Laverty/O'Halloran
4. SST #95 Qatar Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Al Malki/West/Rosell
5. SST #13 Penz 13 Kraftwerk/Herpigny Racing BMW S1000RR
Valcaneras/Filla/Fastre
6. SST #50 Team Motors Events
AMT Assurances Suzuki GSXR1000
Savary/Dietrich/Moreira
7. SST #68 Atomic Motorsport Suzuki GSXR1000
Muteau/Jond/Devoyan
8. SST #9 DG Sport Yamaha R1
van Keymeulen/Cudlin/Vizziello
9. EWC #1 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Philippe/Delhalle/Kagayama
10. SST #96 Qatar Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Al Mannai/Al Naimi/Al Naimi
With their problems, SERT has dropped from third to ninth in the overall. With two hours or so to go (at the six hour mark), Bolliger Kawasaki is still in a good position to take the fight to BMW Motorrad France. They make a scheduled pit stop. Team manager for Bolliger, Hanspeter Bigler is confident about the team's chances for a good result. Honda TT Legends is hanging on to third position right now.
SERT makes a scheduled pit stop and are just five laps behind now. They can gain ground. QERT and Kraftwerk battle it out in Super Stock. Kraftwerk makes a scheduled pit stop. Michael Laverty is doing his first night race for Honda TT Legends. Folch Endurance is also still on track, trying to pick up points despite their fraught race. QERT was doing well, but one of their bikes had to retire at the six hour mark with mechanical troubles.
This is the first race for one of the riders at night for Honda TT Legends. It's probably Jason O'Halloran as both Michael Laverty and Riyuchi Kiyonari have experience with endurance races. Daniel Ribalta thought he had issues with the #4 Yamaha. But, that isn't the case. The bike seems to be running smoothly once more. It is discovered that the second QERT bike went out with crankshaft issues. SERT pits for another rider change as they continue their quest to get on the podium. SERT has had trouble with an oil line and that's what set them back.
The sister bike for QERT II has also given up the ghost. So, both bikes are now on the list of retirements as this race is headed for it's closing stages. Team manager Luis Solano explains that it's the crankshaft. The engines are under a lot of load. Bike #95 leads Super Stock though. At the six hour mark, here are the standings.
1. EWC #99 BMW Motorrad France BMW S1000RR
Gimbert/Cudlin/Nigon
2. EWC #8 Boliger Team Switzerland Kawasaki ZX10R
Saiger/Stamm/Tangre
3. EWC #77 Honda TT Legends Honda CBR1000RR
Kiyonari/Laverty/O'Halloran
4. SST #95 Qatar Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Al Malki/West/Rosell
5. EWC #1 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Philippe/Delhalle/Kagayama
6. SST #13 Penz 13 Kraftwerk/Herpigny Racing BMW S1000RR
Valcaneras/Filla/Fastre
7. SST #50 Team Motors Events
AMT Assurances Suzuki GSXR1000
Savary/Dietrich/Moreira
8. SST #9 DG Sport Yamaha R1
van Keymeulen/Cudlin/Vizziello
9. SST #68 Atomic Motorsport Suzuki GSXR1000
Muteau/Jond/Devoyon
10. EWC #14 Maco Racing Yamaha R1
Pridmore/Junod/Black
The Yamaha that has inherited tenth spot has former AMA Superbike star and current SPEED motorcycling analyst Jason Pridmore as one of it's riders. The team runs fifth in class in Endurance World Cup, and tenth in the overall. There are just two hours left to race, but the drivers are getting tired. Honda TT Legends makes a pit stop. They could get their first podium this season. Bolliger is currently second and it looks like BMW Motorrad France will win this race.
SERT makes their final pit stop. They will finish fourth, four laps behind the winner. Team Motors Events looks like they'll get on the Super Stock podium. The QERT bike of West, Prinz, and Al Malki makes it's last pit stop. BMW Motorrad France makes their last pit stop. They will score what is only their second victory in endurance motorcycle road racing. BMW Motorrad France wins it with Sebastien Gimbert, Damien Cudlin, and Erwan Nigon! Qatar Endurance Racing wins Super Stock.
EWC: #99 Gimbert/Cudlin/Nigon BMW S1000RR
SST: #95 Al Malki/West/Rosell Suzuki GSXR1000
The next race on the calendar for the FIM World Endurance Championship is the legendary 8 Hours of Suzuka. Stay tuned for a report on that event in the not too distant future.
The tire manufacturers will have a real test on their hands in this event with the track conditions. They include Michelin, Pirelli, and Dunlop. This is the first of three eight hour races in a row. An eight hour event is very different. Use the entire fuel capacity available, try to spend the least amount of time in the pits. The strategies are more adaptable in eight hour races as compared to the 24 hour races. Yamaha has won three races in Qatar. The other two races have been won by SERT. BMW Motorrad France has pole with their #99 bike. Erwan Nigon is the rider setting pole time. He shares with Sebastien Gimbert and Damien Cudlin.
Anthony West from Moto 2 and MotoGP will be in this race, on bike #95 for Qatar Endurance Racing Team on their Suzuki GSXR 1000 sharing with Nasser Al Malki and Elena Rossell. A smallish field of 23 bikes are set to start the race. At the start, BMW Motorrad France gets the early lead. Erwan Nigon leads into the first corner. However, it's not BMW. It's Suzuki and Yamaha getting the jump as SERT takes P1 with Vincent Philippe at the controls of their GSXR1000. With two hours gone, BMW leads. Suzuki chases them with Vincent Philippe, Anthony Delhalle, and Yukio Kagayama in second.
Bolliger Kawasaki and Honda TT Legends run fourth and fifth. Meanwhile, in Super Stock, it's bike #95 leading. This is the Qatar Endurance Racing Team Suzuki with Anthony West, Nasser Al Malki, and check the third rider. It's supposed to be Elena Rossell, but the graphic lists rider Nina Prinz. Clarification. This is a four rider team with Nina Prinz. So, the lineup is West/Al Malki/Rossell/Prinz. The safety car is dispatched after a crash by the #4 Yamalube Folch Endurance bike. This is the Yamaha R1 shared by Daniel Ribalta, Arturo Tizon, and Roberto Martinez.
The #4 bike is brought back to it's garage. Pit stop time now. First in is the #13 bike for Penz 13 Kraftwerk. This is the Super Stock division BMW S1000RR being shared by Pedro Vallcaneras, Michal Filla, and Gregory Fastre. Honda TT Legends now pits their CBR1000RR. Michael Laverty will take over from Ryuichi Kiyonari. But, at the sharp end, it's still a battle between Suzuki and Yamaha (SERT and YART, respectively). Former World Superbike standout Noriyuki Haga is riding for YART in place of Steve Martin. Haga shares with regular team riders Gwen Giabbani, and Igor Jerman.
BMW continues to run well, but another Yamaha team (Yamaha GMT 94) is not having the race they expected to. Sharing the #94 Yamaha R1, it's the usual trio of David Checa, Kenny Foray, and Mathieu Lagrive. Noriyuki Haga on the #7 bike has not competed in World Superbike for a number of years, instead focusing on the British Superbike Championship. Michael Laverty, likewise, is a British Superbike regular. Bolliger Team Switzerland and their Kawasaki ZX10R is running well. The regular riding trio is in command, including Horst Saiger, Roman Stamm, and Jerome Tangre.
As the sun sets, Folch Endurance emerges from the garage, ready to get back into the race. Daniel Ribalta's earlier crash didn't hurt the bike too badly. Retiring from competition at this stage, it's the #44 Superstock team No Limits Motor Racing with a Suzuki GSXR1000. The rider's strength included a trio of Italians. Simone Saltarelli, Fabrizio Perotti, and Cristiano Erbacci. The motor blew on the bike according to team manager, Moreno Codeluppi. The sun has now set on the Losail International Circuit, getting into the second half of this race.
Folch Endurance is still pounding around after being in the garage. Here's the clarification with the second Qatari bike. This is the team bike to the one being ridden in part by Anthony West. This second bike was a late entry and the number cannot be deciphered. Presumably, it is bike #96. Elena Rossell shares this bike with Saeed Al Sulaiti and Sultan Al Kuwari. Yamaha GMT 94 makes a scheduled pit stop. They won the 8 Hours of Doha last year. Next in the queue to pit lane, it's YART. The #95 bike also comes in, mentioned earlier. Nina Prinz takes over for her first stint in the race.
The standings after two hours look like this.
1. EWC #99 BMW Motorrad France BMW S1000RR
Gimbert/Cudlin/Nigon
2. EWC #7 Monster Energy Yamaha
YART Yamaha R1
Haga/Jerman/Giabbani
3. EWC #1 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Philippe/Delhalle/Kagayama
4. EWC #8 Boliger Team Switzerland Kawasaki ZX10R
Saiger/Stamm/Tangre
5. EWC #77 Honda TT Legends Honda CBR1000RR
Kiyonari/Laverty/O'Halloran
6. SST #95 Qatar Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Al Malki/West/ Rosell
7. SST #13 Penz 13 Kraftwerk/Herpigny Racing BMW S1000RR
Valcaneras/Filla/Fastre
8. SST #50 Team Motors Events
AMT Assurances Suzuki GSXR1000
Savary/Dietrich/Moreira
9. SST #96 Qatar Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Al Mannai/Al Naimi/Al Naimi
10. SST #67 Starteam 67 Suzuki GSXR1000
Lucas/Hart/Diguet
At the halfway mark of four hours, it's still BMW Motorrad France in the lead. Right now, they have two laps in hand over the Boliger Team. Honda TT Legends has gone from fifth to third in the overall. Honda TT Legends makes a pit stop. For the three riders (Kiyonari, Laverty, and O'Halloran), they are acclimating well to roles as substitute riders for this race.
This is the first race at night for Jason O'Halloran. But his team mate Ryuichi Kiyonari has been a veteran of endurance motorcycle road racing, having competed several times in what will be round three of the series, the Suzuka 8 Hours. Shortly after two hours, Yamaha GMT 94 was in the garage, fixing the bike. Team manager Christophe Guyot explains that David Checa was running slower lap times than the team expected. The bike could be overheating. That called for a radiator change.
Yamaha GMT 94 retired shortly after, and, SERT is having their own problems. They have a faulty oil line. With the delays, YART moves up in the standings, but they are not immune to their own setbacks. Something was wrong in the engine department on their Yamaha R1. Gwen Giabbani and Noriyuki Haga handled most of the riding chores during this part of the race. In Super Stock, the battle is between QERT and Penz 13 Kraftwerk. In the third hour now (not the fourth as mentioned before), the two QERT bikes battle together and almost have a run-in with one another.
QERT team manager Luis Solano says that a good result is expected, but, it can never be completely certain in endurance motorcycle road racing. Interestingly, QERT is only three laps behind the leading team of BMW Motorrad France. BMW team manager Michael Bartholemy is confident. BMW's consistency on pit stops allows them to retain their lead in this race, which they've pretty much held since lap one. Bolliger is now second on their Kawasaki ZX10R. Bolliger flies the flag for Kawasaki in Qatar as SRC Kawasaki who won the Bol D'or, are not taking part in the Qatar round.
Another team having a good run is DG Sport in Superstock. This is bike #9, a Belgian run team with a Yamaha R1. Sharing the riding chores are Didier van Keymeulen, Alex Cudlin, and Gianluca Vizziello. The #9 bike pits for routine service, with a crewman calling to the rider, "lights! Lights out!", making sure he knows to turn off the headlight in the box. DG Sport team manager Olivier Aerts says that with well planned strategy, the team can work through some of the issues they've been dealing with.
YART and their #7 bike with one rider being Noriyuki Haga, has retired with engine maladies. Team manager Mandy Kainz says that thy hope to have more luck at the Suzuka 8 Hours.
Here are the standings after the halfway mark in the event (four hours).
1. EWC #99 BMW Motorrad France BMW S1000RR
Gimbert/Cudlin/Nigon
2. EWC #8 Boliger Team Switzerland Kawasaki ZX10R
Saiger/Stamm/Tangre
3. EWC #77 Honda TT Legends Honda CBR1000RR
Kiyonari/Laverty/O'Halloran
4. SST #95 Qatar Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Al Malki/West/Rosell
5. SST #13 Penz 13 Kraftwerk/Herpigny Racing BMW S1000RR
Valcaneras/Filla/Fastre
6. SST #50 Team Motors Events
AMT Assurances Suzuki GSXR1000
Savary/Dietrich/Moreira
7. SST #68 Atomic Motorsport Suzuki GSXR1000
Muteau/Jond/Devoyan
8. SST #9 DG Sport Yamaha R1
van Keymeulen/Cudlin/Vizziello
9. EWC #1 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Philippe/Delhalle/Kagayama
10. SST #96 Qatar Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Al Mannai/Al Naimi/Al Naimi
With their problems, SERT has dropped from third to ninth in the overall. With two hours or so to go (at the six hour mark), Bolliger Kawasaki is still in a good position to take the fight to BMW Motorrad France. They make a scheduled pit stop. Team manager for Bolliger, Hanspeter Bigler is confident about the team's chances for a good result. Honda TT Legends is hanging on to third position right now.
SERT makes a scheduled pit stop and are just five laps behind now. They can gain ground. QERT and Kraftwerk battle it out in Super Stock. Kraftwerk makes a scheduled pit stop. Michael Laverty is doing his first night race for Honda TT Legends. Folch Endurance is also still on track, trying to pick up points despite their fraught race. QERT was doing well, but one of their bikes had to retire at the six hour mark with mechanical troubles.
This is the first race for one of the riders at night for Honda TT Legends. It's probably Jason O'Halloran as both Michael Laverty and Riyuchi Kiyonari have experience with endurance races. Daniel Ribalta thought he had issues with the #4 Yamaha. But, that isn't the case. The bike seems to be running smoothly once more. It is discovered that the second QERT bike went out with crankshaft issues. SERT pits for another rider change as they continue their quest to get on the podium. SERT has had trouble with an oil line and that's what set them back.
The sister bike for QERT II has also given up the ghost. So, both bikes are now on the list of retirements as this race is headed for it's closing stages. Team manager Luis Solano explains that it's the crankshaft. The engines are under a lot of load. Bike #95 leads Super Stock though. At the six hour mark, here are the standings.
1. EWC #99 BMW Motorrad France BMW S1000RR
Gimbert/Cudlin/Nigon
2. EWC #8 Boliger Team Switzerland Kawasaki ZX10R
Saiger/Stamm/Tangre
3. EWC #77 Honda TT Legends Honda CBR1000RR
Kiyonari/Laverty/O'Halloran
4. SST #95 Qatar Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Al Malki/West/Rosell
5. EWC #1 Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Suzuki GSXR1000
Philippe/Delhalle/Kagayama
6. SST #13 Penz 13 Kraftwerk/Herpigny Racing BMW S1000RR
Valcaneras/Filla/Fastre
7. SST #50 Team Motors Events
AMT Assurances Suzuki GSXR1000
Savary/Dietrich/Moreira
8. SST #9 DG Sport Yamaha R1
van Keymeulen/Cudlin/Vizziello
9. SST #68 Atomic Motorsport Suzuki GSXR1000
Muteau/Jond/Devoyon
10. EWC #14 Maco Racing Yamaha R1
Pridmore/Junod/Black
The Yamaha that has inherited tenth spot has former AMA Superbike star and current SPEED motorcycling analyst Jason Pridmore as one of it's riders. The team runs fifth in class in Endurance World Cup, and tenth in the overall. There are just two hours left to race, but the drivers are getting tired. Honda TT Legends makes a pit stop. They could get their first podium this season. Bolliger is currently second and it looks like BMW Motorrad France will win this race.
SERT makes their final pit stop. They will finish fourth, four laps behind the winner. Team Motors Events looks like they'll get on the Super Stock podium. The QERT bike of West, Prinz, and Al Malki makes it's last pit stop. BMW Motorrad France makes their last pit stop. They will score what is only their second victory in endurance motorcycle road racing. BMW Motorrad France wins it with Sebastien Gimbert, Damien Cudlin, and Erwan Nigon! Qatar Endurance Racing wins Super Stock.
EWC: #99 Gimbert/Cudlin/Nigon BMW S1000RR
SST: #95 Al Malki/West/Rosell Suzuki GSXR1000
The next race on the calendar for the FIM World Endurance Championship is the legendary 8 Hours of Suzuka. Stay tuned for a report on that event in the not too distant future.
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Bike Road Racing Series: Isle of Man TT/Southern 100
This is the biggest road race of them all. This race is the Isle of Man TT. This is the fastest track on the open road racing circuit and will be blogged in one entry even though the race itself has two parts to the broadcast. For more of the history of the Isle of Man TT, check out the Wikipedia article on the event.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Man_TT
On June 19th, the Bike Road Racing Series ran the Isle of Man TT which is also known as the Southern 100 International Road Races in Northern Ireland, on the Isle of Man. Ryan Farquhar will be running only his 650cc and 1000cc Superbike bikes at this race, not running his 600cc bike. Michael Dunlop says he has some work to do to catch up to his competition in all three classes he'll be riding in. The track being dealt with on the Isle of Man is 4 and 1/4 miles long. Corners include Ballakeighan, Iron Gate, Joey's Gate, Ballabeg Hairpin, Williams corner, Cross Four-Ways, Church Bends, Great Meadow (including a very long, fast straightaway), Stadium Bend, Castletown corner, and over the finish line.
The track is known as the Billown Circuit. The opening race will be a mix of 600cc and 1000cc bikes. This is the Corlett's Trophies race. At the start, Michael Dunlop and Ryan Farquhar both get good jumps off the line in the first wave. The bikes approach Ballakeighan for the first time. There's just one wave of bikes starting this race, so, a smaller field to be sure. Dunlop and Farquhar battle each other early on.
The bikes are now approaching the Ballabeg hairpin. Farquhar seems to take wider entrances into the corners than Dunlop does.
Rookie Jamie Hamilton has also made a good start to this race as the riders wend their way through the stone walls and twisting curves on this track. Guy Martin begins to catch up with the leading duo and this pack is breaking away from everyone else. Ian Lougher runs fifth with Conor Cummins right behind. Michael Dunlop continues pulling out a gap over Ryan Farquhar. Further down the field a battle ensues between bike #40 of Paul Duckett, bike #93 of Paul Cranston, and others. The straightaway coming to the stadium section is the fastest part of this track.
Farquhar clips a curb with his rear wheel, allowing Guy Martin to get by him successfully. The bikes are spread out going into a section of track called the Bomb Hole. Martin seems to be gaining on Farquhar through the twists and turns. The race is approaching halfway on lap three out of a total of eight. Bike #36 Michael Pearson passes fellow rider Russ Malford on bike #72. Ian Lougher is riding well and there are numerous other contenders at this stage including Jamie Coward and Paul Shoesmith. Connor Cummins has fallen behind just slightly. Michael Dunlop tries mightily to keep the front wheel of his motorcycle planted going into Iron Gate.
Ian Lougher on the Kawasaki is the most successful rider in the history of the Southern 100 races, having won 32 individual events coming into this week of racing. Mark Parrott on bike #14 seems to be running well. Jamie Hamilton holds off the charge of another rookie rider in Dean Harrison on the #11 bike. Michael Dunlop sets a new lap record at 2:15.89. Jamie Hamilton is on the ragged edge, nearly sideways into Castletown corner! Veteran rider Michael Pearson on bike #30 is also in this scrap. Farquhar is still in third spot. Michael Pearson passes Jamie Hamilton as it seems as though Martin is catching Farquhar. Dunlop passes bike #49 of Carl Roberts, a backmarker.
It's Conor Cummins who is charging after Ryan Farquhar right now. It's the last lap of this first race combining the 600cc and 1000cc bikes. Conor Cummins wants by Farquhar. He is after a podium spot in this race on the Isle of Man. The top two in the 600cc class are Ivan Linton on bike #12 and Jamie Coward on bike #10. If Cummins wants to pass, he must make his move very soon. It will happen, more than likely in Castletown just before the finish line.
Michael Dunlop easily wins this race. But, Farquhar crumbles under pressure, making a mistake and allowing Martin to go by!
#1 Michael Dunlop Honda 1000
The next race is for sidecars, with a rider and a passenger. It's been a while since riders have gone three wheelin' at this race. Refer to a blog post earlier on strictly about sidecar racing. On pole will be the Birchall brothers, Ben and Tom, with their #3 Honda 600cc sidecar cycle. There are about ten of these bikes on the grid. At the start, the pole winning team of Dan Sail and Tim Reeves jumps into the lead. Conrad Harrison and his partner are now second. Need to figure out the teams and will write out the top five at the end of this race beyond the winners.
Another brother team that won the championship years ago is third. This is the #1 Yamaha 600 sidecar of Ian and Carl Bell. Tim Reeves and Dan Sayle still lead, but there's an outbraking battle. The Harrison/Chauhun Honda runs in fourth. These sidecars have very little suspension travel and the rider in the seat of the sidecar must hold on for dear life! The Bell team is a father and son effort. The distance for this event will be six laps. Martin Wheelock and Kenny Cole are in contention. It's already seeming as if the mantra in this event is, "don't make ANY mistakes, whatever you do."
No new rider has ever won a sidecar race in the Southern 100. Tim Reeves could make history. Craig Lambert and Dickey Gale are fourth. Dickey Gale has been racing on the sidecar circuit for three decades. These sidecar cycles are very aerodynamic, but also very fragile. David Hurst and Ben Bins are running well. Through Church Bend, the race order hasn't changed at all. Conrad Harrison and his passenger have been running well. Reeves has gapped the Bell's and the Bell's have gapped everyone else.
At the end of lap two, Reeves sets a best lap time of 2:37.5. Dan Sail is doing very well and is an experienced rider and sidecar passenger. There is a four way scrap for third spot. The Birchal's try making a move, but it doesn't work. Racing these sidecars is more like racing a car than a motorcycle because of how wide they are. Harrison and Chauhun have been under pressure from the Birchall's and other competitors throughout this event. There was about to be a serious pass made, but the road was WAY too narrow for it to work.
Greg Lambert outbrakes himself but still holds the machine together! Lambert and Gale made the pass and blocked successfully. Conrad Harrison passes Greg Lambert. The Birchall's pass Lambert and his passenger. Ian and Carl Bell are being hounded by other riders at this point. Sidecars #27 and #42 of Alan Walden and John Chandler battle. There is just one lap to go now with five of six complete. Ben and Tom Birchall make a successful pass. Conrad Harrison is trying to pass. Can he make it? Yes! Harrison passes Birchall!
Remember, the Birchall brothers are newcomers to the Bike Road Racing Series and to the sidecar class. Lambert and Gale still challenge. Conrad Harrison almost wipes out his sidecar! The Birchall's pass. Tim Reeves and Dan Sayle win it!
Here's the top five for Sidecars
1. #77 Reeves/Sayle Honda 600
2. #1 Bell/Bell Yamaha 600
3. #3 Birchall/Birchall Honda 600
4. #4 Harrison/Chauhun Honda 600
5. #7 Lambert/Gale Honda 600
Day two of competition on the Isle of Man begins with the Total Oils Senior Race for the Superbikes.
At the start, Ryan Farquhar gets the jump over everyone else going into the first corner. Conor Cummins is coming up the order, but, riding on-board with Ian Lougher, there's contact between two bikes already. Jamie Hamilton and Guy Martin bang into each other. Farquhar leads towards the Ballabeg hairpin. Michael Dunlop is the only one bold and daring enough to make a pass in that corner, getting by Ryan Farquhar. Cummins tries passing Lougher, but it won't work. In the meantime, Michael Dunlop is getting away from everybody.
Ian Dunlop and Cameron Donald are not in this senior race nor even at the TT this year. Dunlop is injured and Donald's father is ill. Lougher and Cummins will keep battling through this race it appears. Ryan Farquhar is out of this race. He's nowhere to be seen among the two battles in the top four that are separated. Lougher gets by Cummins into Castletown corner. Lougher gets by Cummins through Ballakeighan. Cummins comes back around Lougher into Iron Gate. Ryan Farquhar is stuck in a gaggle of maybe half a dozen bikes all battling for position.
Dean Harrison on the #11 Kawasaki chases down Jamie Hamilton and their battle definitely resumes. Guy Martin continues to chase down Dunlop. Michael Pearson makes a pass through the Bomb Hole. Dean Harrison had to hold back briefly to get by the lapped bike of Stuart Osborne (#55), and that gave Pearson a chance to look to pass. Michael Dunlop sets a new outright lap speed record at 130.34 miles per hour. Harrison and Hamilton continue their scrap for fifth spot. In negotiating traffic, Guy Martin has slowed slightly and that will not allow him to win the senior race. It will be Michael Dunlop winning this eight lap, 27 mile event.
#1 Michael Dunlop Honda
Race two of the second day will be a combined event for 250cc and 650cc bikes. This is all one race with no separate classes or podium finishers. This is the Mann Auto Car Sales 250/650cc race without William Dunlop on the grid. At the start, Hamilton takes the lead as riders scramble for position. Just eight 250cc bikes appear on this grid, which shows that (as highlighted in the Cookstown 100 and the North West 200 from earlier on), the category is in decline. There are a bunch of riders all in single file, jockeying for spots in this race so far.
Farquhar continues chasing Hamilton. The 650cc bikes are becoming popular because they have more power and are more controllable than say a 250cc racer. Interestingly, Farquhar and Hamilton are team mates in this division, riding under the same colors. The battle at the top continues even though there's also decent racing for third through fifth place with at least one or two 250cc bikes in the mix. The top two are all over each other through Cross Four Ways and into the next chicane. These riders are now shoulder to shoulder! This is just like a MotoGP race! Yikes!
It's still Hamilton vs. Farquhar for the lead of this race. Hamilton passes Ryan Farquhar again as these riders show their performance on the Super Twin bikes. The highest running 250cc bike is Chris Palmer in third spot right behind the lead battle. Ian Lougher on bike #3 is the fifth placed rider in this event at the moment. The bikes move towards Castletown corner to complete another lap and it's clear that the 650cc Super Twins have an advantage. Some of these guys are taking real risks, passing in spots where they shouldn't.
The 250cc fans want Chris Palmer to do well, getting in front of his rivals on the big bikes. Hamilton passes Ryan Farquhar. Some attention is being paid to bikes further down the order. But, it's really the Hamilton/Farquhar scrap that is being highlighted for this event. Ryan Farquhar will win it over Jamie Hamilton.
#77 Ryan Farquhar Kawasaki
Chris Palmer on the little 250cc Honda gets third! Wow!
The next event is the 600 Supersport race.
This is always a close race. At the start of the Radcliffe Butchers 600cc race, it's Michael Dunlop taking the lead. Conor Cummins also gets a banzai start. He passes the #12 bike of Ivan Linton. Ian Lougher is in second place. Jamie Coward is in fourth place. Lougher and Cummins are second and third right now and it's a good performance for Ian Lougher even though he likes riding the 1000cc machines more than the 600s. It's Cummins, Dunlop, Lougher. Davy Morgan is slightly farther behind.
Russ Malford wants to pass Guy Martin. Michael Pearson and Dean Harrison also are looking in on this battle. This event is eight laps or 32 miles. Dunlop has closed on Cummins. It's a battle of Yamaha vs. Suzuki. Mark Parrot is fourth. Dunlop makes the pass on Cummins successfully. He timed the move perfectly going into Ballakeighan. Cummins passes Dunlop into Iron Gate and Dunlop will not force the issue. Dunlop then goes by Cummins into the Ballabeg hairpin.
Guy Martin apparently has a terminal problem with his bike. He will be a DNF in the 600cc Supersport race. Cummins was going too fast and almost somersaulted over the handlebars! Whoa! It's now a three bike breakaway at the front. No further dramas. Michael Dunlop will win the 600cc race.
#1 Michael Dunlop Yamaha
The finale for the race weekend will be a combined race for the 125cc and 400cc bikes. There will be oh, fifteen or so 125cc machines running here. The race will be six laps and all the heavy hitters are in it. At the start, Chris Palmer gets the early lead over Ian Lougher. Ryan Farquhar should be running a 400cc bike, but he's not entered in this race. James Cowton on bike #52 (a rookie), leads. Sam Wilson on bike #119 is also running well as they approach the Bomb Hole for the first time.
Chris Palmer makes a good overtaking move. Dave Taylor on bike #51 is running fifth behind Sam Wilson. Riders like Ross Johnson and Dave Kennington are also in this battle. Chris Palmer seems to be getting a run for his money by one of the 400cc machines. Ryan Kneen is pulling away from Chris Palmer. Kneen rides bike #85 in second spot. These smaller displacement bikes can be very temperamental. These bikes are going three wide into corners, easily.
There's hardly any space between the groups of bikes in this race. Cowton tries going for the lead, but, he knows he won't have space to make a move on Kneen. Palmer, meanwhile, may lose third spot. Palmer has dropped down to fourth place on his 125cc machine. The two 400cc bikes are pulling away consistently from the 125s. Ross Johnson on bike #22 is being harried by Dave Taylor. James Cowton still wants by Ryan Kneen on bike #85.
Nigel Moore on bike #70 is in sixth place. Dave Corlett and Peter Haymans battle over a spot on bikes #100 and #75 respectively. It's Ryan Kneen and James Cowton who will battle for victory in this race. Sam Wilson beats Chris Palmer to the line. But, indeed, Kneen will be the winner of this event for the Station Garage 125cc/400cc class.
#115 Ryan Kneen Kawasaki
Thus concludes another race for the Bike Road Racing Series. If there are more, they will be blogged here in the future. Stay tuned.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Man_TT
On June 19th, the Bike Road Racing Series ran the Isle of Man TT which is also known as the Southern 100 International Road Races in Northern Ireland, on the Isle of Man. Ryan Farquhar will be running only his 650cc and 1000cc Superbike bikes at this race, not running his 600cc bike. Michael Dunlop says he has some work to do to catch up to his competition in all three classes he'll be riding in. The track being dealt with on the Isle of Man is 4 and 1/4 miles long. Corners include Ballakeighan, Iron Gate, Joey's Gate, Ballabeg Hairpin, Williams corner, Cross Four-Ways, Church Bends, Great Meadow (including a very long, fast straightaway), Stadium Bend, Castletown corner, and over the finish line.
The track is known as the Billown Circuit. The opening race will be a mix of 600cc and 1000cc bikes. This is the Corlett's Trophies race. At the start, Michael Dunlop and Ryan Farquhar both get good jumps off the line in the first wave. The bikes approach Ballakeighan for the first time. There's just one wave of bikes starting this race, so, a smaller field to be sure. Dunlop and Farquhar battle each other early on.
The bikes are now approaching the Ballabeg hairpin. Farquhar seems to take wider entrances into the corners than Dunlop does.
Rookie Jamie Hamilton has also made a good start to this race as the riders wend their way through the stone walls and twisting curves on this track. Guy Martin begins to catch up with the leading duo and this pack is breaking away from everyone else. Ian Lougher runs fifth with Conor Cummins right behind. Michael Dunlop continues pulling out a gap over Ryan Farquhar. Further down the field a battle ensues between bike #40 of Paul Duckett, bike #93 of Paul Cranston, and others. The straightaway coming to the stadium section is the fastest part of this track.
Farquhar clips a curb with his rear wheel, allowing Guy Martin to get by him successfully. The bikes are spread out going into a section of track called the Bomb Hole. Martin seems to be gaining on Farquhar through the twists and turns. The race is approaching halfway on lap three out of a total of eight. Bike #36 Michael Pearson passes fellow rider Russ Malford on bike #72. Ian Lougher is riding well and there are numerous other contenders at this stage including Jamie Coward and Paul Shoesmith. Connor Cummins has fallen behind just slightly. Michael Dunlop tries mightily to keep the front wheel of his motorcycle planted going into Iron Gate.
Ian Lougher on the Kawasaki is the most successful rider in the history of the Southern 100 races, having won 32 individual events coming into this week of racing. Mark Parrott on bike #14 seems to be running well. Jamie Hamilton holds off the charge of another rookie rider in Dean Harrison on the #11 bike. Michael Dunlop sets a new lap record at 2:15.89. Jamie Hamilton is on the ragged edge, nearly sideways into Castletown corner! Veteran rider Michael Pearson on bike #30 is also in this scrap. Farquhar is still in third spot. Michael Pearson passes Jamie Hamilton as it seems as though Martin is catching Farquhar. Dunlop passes bike #49 of Carl Roberts, a backmarker.
It's Conor Cummins who is charging after Ryan Farquhar right now. It's the last lap of this first race combining the 600cc and 1000cc bikes. Conor Cummins wants by Farquhar. He is after a podium spot in this race on the Isle of Man. The top two in the 600cc class are Ivan Linton on bike #12 and Jamie Coward on bike #10. If Cummins wants to pass, he must make his move very soon. It will happen, more than likely in Castletown just before the finish line.
Michael Dunlop easily wins this race. But, Farquhar crumbles under pressure, making a mistake and allowing Martin to go by!
#1 Michael Dunlop Honda 1000
The next race is for sidecars, with a rider and a passenger. It's been a while since riders have gone three wheelin' at this race. Refer to a blog post earlier on strictly about sidecar racing. On pole will be the Birchall brothers, Ben and Tom, with their #3 Honda 600cc sidecar cycle. There are about ten of these bikes on the grid. At the start, the pole winning team of Dan Sail and Tim Reeves jumps into the lead. Conrad Harrison and his partner are now second. Need to figure out the teams and will write out the top five at the end of this race beyond the winners.
Another brother team that won the championship years ago is third. This is the #1 Yamaha 600 sidecar of Ian and Carl Bell. Tim Reeves and Dan Sayle still lead, but there's an outbraking battle. The Harrison/Chauhun Honda runs in fourth. These sidecars have very little suspension travel and the rider in the seat of the sidecar must hold on for dear life! The Bell team is a father and son effort. The distance for this event will be six laps. Martin Wheelock and Kenny Cole are in contention. It's already seeming as if the mantra in this event is, "don't make ANY mistakes, whatever you do."
No new rider has ever won a sidecar race in the Southern 100. Tim Reeves could make history. Craig Lambert and Dickey Gale are fourth. Dickey Gale has been racing on the sidecar circuit for three decades. These sidecar cycles are very aerodynamic, but also very fragile. David Hurst and Ben Bins are running well. Through Church Bend, the race order hasn't changed at all. Conrad Harrison and his passenger have been running well. Reeves has gapped the Bell's and the Bell's have gapped everyone else.
At the end of lap two, Reeves sets a best lap time of 2:37.5. Dan Sail is doing very well and is an experienced rider and sidecar passenger. There is a four way scrap for third spot. The Birchal's try making a move, but it doesn't work. Racing these sidecars is more like racing a car than a motorcycle because of how wide they are. Harrison and Chauhun have been under pressure from the Birchall's and other competitors throughout this event. There was about to be a serious pass made, but the road was WAY too narrow for it to work.
Greg Lambert outbrakes himself but still holds the machine together! Lambert and Gale made the pass and blocked successfully. Conrad Harrison passes Greg Lambert. The Birchall's pass Lambert and his passenger. Ian and Carl Bell are being hounded by other riders at this point. Sidecars #27 and #42 of Alan Walden and John Chandler battle. There is just one lap to go now with five of six complete. Ben and Tom Birchall make a successful pass. Conrad Harrison is trying to pass. Can he make it? Yes! Harrison passes Birchall!
Remember, the Birchall brothers are newcomers to the Bike Road Racing Series and to the sidecar class. Lambert and Gale still challenge. Conrad Harrison almost wipes out his sidecar! The Birchall's pass. Tim Reeves and Dan Sayle win it!
Here's the top five for Sidecars
1. #77 Reeves/Sayle Honda 600
2. #1 Bell/Bell Yamaha 600
3. #3 Birchall/Birchall Honda 600
4. #4 Harrison/Chauhun Honda 600
5. #7 Lambert/Gale Honda 600
Day two of competition on the Isle of Man begins with the Total Oils Senior Race for the Superbikes.
At the start, Ryan Farquhar gets the jump over everyone else going into the first corner. Conor Cummins is coming up the order, but, riding on-board with Ian Lougher, there's contact between two bikes already. Jamie Hamilton and Guy Martin bang into each other. Farquhar leads towards the Ballabeg hairpin. Michael Dunlop is the only one bold and daring enough to make a pass in that corner, getting by Ryan Farquhar. Cummins tries passing Lougher, but it won't work. In the meantime, Michael Dunlop is getting away from everybody.
Ian Dunlop and Cameron Donald are not in this senior race nor even at the TT this year. Dunlop is injured and Donald's father is ill. Lougher and Cummins will keep battling through this race it appears. Ryan Farquhar is out of this race. He's nowhere to be seen among the two battles in the top four that are separated. Lougher gets by Cummins into Castletown corner. Lougher gets by Cummins through Ballakeighan. Cummins comes back around Lougher into Iron Gate. Ryan Farquhar is stuck in a gaggle of maybe half a dozen bikes all battling for position.
Dean Harrison on the #11 Kawasaki chases down Jamie Hamilton and their battle definitely resumes. Guy Martin continues to chase down Dunlop. Michael Pearson makes a pass through the Bomb Hole. Dean Harrison had to hold back briefly to get by the lapped bike of Stuart Osborne (#55), and that gave Pearson a chance to look to pass. Michael Dunlop sets a new outright lap speed record at 130.34 miles per hour. Harrison and Hamilton continue their scrap for fifth spot. In negotiating traffic, Guy Martin has slowed slightly and that will not allow him to win the senior race. It will be Michael Dunlop winning this eight lap, 27 mile event.
#1 Michael Dunlop Honda
Race two of the second day will be a combined event for 250cc and 650cc bikes. This is all one race with no separate classes or podium finishers. This is the Mann Auto Car Sales 250/650cc race without William Dunlop on the grid. At the start, Hamilton takes the lead as riders scramble for position. Just eight 250cc bikes appear on this grid, which shows that (as highlighted in the Cookstown 100 and the North West 200 from earlier on), the category is in decline. There are a bunch of riders all in single file, jockeying for spots in this race so far.
Farquhar continues chasing Hamilton. The 650cc bikes are becoming popular because they have more power and are more controllable than say a 250cc racer. Interestingly, Farquhar and Hamilton are team mates in this division, riding under the same colors. The battle at the top continues even though there's also decent racing for third through fifth place with at least one or two 250cc bikes in the mix. The top two are all over each other through Cross Four Ways and into the next chicane. These riders are now shoulder to shoulder! This is just like a MotoGP race! Yikes!
It's still Hamilton vs. Farquhar for the lead of this race. Hamilton passes Ryan Farquhar again as these riders show their performance on the Super Twin bikes. The highest running 250cc bike is Chris Palmer in third spot right behind the lead battle. Ian Lougher on bike #3 is the fifth placed rider in this event at the moment. The bikes move towards Castletown corner to complete another lap and it's clear that the 650cc Super Twins have an advantage. Some of these guys are taking real risks, passing in spots where they shouldn't.
The 250cc fans want Chris Palmer to do well, getting in front of his rivals on the big bikes. Hamilton passes Ryan Farquhar. Some attention is being paid to bikes further down the order. But, it's really the Hamilton/Farquhar scrap that is being highlighted for this event. Ryan Farquhar will win it over Jamie Hamilton.
#77 Ryan Farquhar Kawasaki
Chris Palmer on the little 250cc Honda gets third! Wow!
The next event is the 600 Supersport race.
This is always a close race. At the start of the Radcliffe Butchers 600cc race, it's Michael Dunlop taking the lead. Conor Cummins also gets a banzai start. He passes the #12 bike of Ivan Linton. Ian Lougher is in second place. Jamie Coward is in fourth place. Lougher and Cummins are second and third right now and it's a good performance for Ian Lougher even though he likes riding the 1000cc machines more than the 600s. It's Cummins, Dunlop, Lougher. Davy Morgan is slightly farther behind.
Russ Malford wants to pass Guy Martin. Michael Pearson and Dean Harrison also are looking in on this battle. This event is eight laps or 32 miles. Dunlop has closed on Cummins. It's a battle of Yamaha vs. Suzuki. Mark Parrot is fourth. Dunlop makes the pass on Cummins successfully. He timed the move perfectly going into Ballakeighan. Cummins passes Dunlop into Iron Gate and Dunlop will not force the issue. Dunlop then goes by Cummins into the Ballabeg hairpin.
Guy Martin apparently has a terminal problem with his bike. He will be a DNF in the 600cc Supersport race. Cummins was going too fast and almost somersaulted over the handlebars! Whoa! It's now a three bike breakaway at the front. No further dramas. Michael Dunlop will win the 600cc race.
#1 Michael Dunlop Yamaha
The finale for the race weekend will be a combined race for the 125cc and 400cc bikes. There will be oh, fifteen or so 125cc machines running here. The race will be six laps and all the heavy hitters are in it. At the start, Chris Palmer gets the early lead over Ian Lougher. Ryan Farquhar should be running a 400cc bike, but he's not entered in this race. James Cowton on bike #52 (a rookie), leads. Sam Wilson on bike #119 is also running well as they approach the Bomb Hole for the first time.
Chris Palmer makes a good overtaking move. Dave Taylor on bike #51 is running fifth behind Sam Wilson. Riders like Ross Johnson and Dave Kennington are also in this battle. Chris Palmer seems to be getting a run for his money by one of the 400cc machines. Ryan Kneen is pulling away from Chris Palmer. Kneen rides bike #85 in second spot. These smaller displacement bikes can be very temperamental. These bikes are going three wide into corners, easily.
There's hardly any space between the groups of bikes in this race. Cowton tries going for the lead, but, he knows he won't have space to make a move on Kneen. Palmer, meanwhile, may lose third spot. Palmer has dropped down to fourth place on his 125cc machine. The two 400cc bikes are pulling away consistently from the 125s. Ross Johnson on bike #22 is being harried by Dave Taylor. James Cowton still wants by Ryan Kneen on bike #85.
Nigel Moore on bike #70 is in sixth place. Dave Corlett and Peter Haymans battle over a spot on bikes #100 and #75 respectively. It's Ryan Kneen and James Cowton who will battle for victory in this race. Sam Wilson beats Chris Palmer to the line. But, indeed, Kneen will be the winner of this event for the Station Garage 125cc/400cc class.
#115 Ryan Kneen Kawasaki
Thus concludes another race for the Bike Road Racing Series. If there are more, they will be blogged here in the future. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Moto 3: Czech Republic
Here are the highlights of the Moto 3 race from Brno in the Czech Republic.
It's going to be a wet race at Brno. On the pole will be Maverick Vinales. Mahindra will collaborate with Suter for a Moto 3 bike beginning next year. This race will be 19 laps.
At the start, Sandro Cortese and Zulfahmi Khairuddin both get the jump. Take it easy around the track as it's still drying out. Alex Rins and Jonas Folger are running well as Vinales passes Cortese with Folger following. Although, Khairuddin has the race lead right now. Jakub Kornfeil is also running well as is wildcard rider John McPhee. Efrin Vazquez takes over the lead. Vazquez has a wet rear tire. Rider Danny Webb has joined the commentary team for this race. He's not out on track, but is in the booth. Webb's bike is being ridden by someone else. Khairuddin and Folger are quick on wet tires.
Riding on wet tires on a dry track is horrendous because the bike is moving around and the tires have no grip and are really sticky. Sandro Cortese is tracking Maverick Vinales with Luis Salom also up there. Salom was the surprise winner at Indianapolis in Moto 3 of course. John McPhee is running well. McPhee and another wildcard rider, Miroslav Popow are battling. McPhee is on slicks. Popow runs in Italian Moto 3. Efrin Vazquez has led three laps. But Jonas Folger is coming quickly, too.
Riding on wet tires when the track is dry, they'll just disintegrate and break up. Vazquez is battling Folger, hoping for more rain. Jonas Folger won in 2011 at Silverstone in the wet. Miroslav Popow is third. He's running consistent laps, too. Zulfahmi Khairuddin is also consistent. Stay on the track and stay at the sharp end of the battles. Jakub Kornfeil follows Popow. Cortese, Vinales, Salom, Miguel Oliviera and Alex Rins are the top five right now. Khairuddin battles McPhee. Vinales has to be glued to Cortese in the points table. Moto 3 just has one race remaining in it's season. McPhee runs wide into the stadium section but is still running well.
There could be two Czech riders on the podium and the fans are going crazy with their air horns! Jakub Kornfeil could be on the podium along with Miroslav Popow. Just twelve laps to go. John McPhee is still running and his problems seemed to have cleared up. Jonas Folger is also being cheered for by his fans from Germany. Folger is ahead by ten seconds. He wants his second Moto 3 win. Khairuddin passes Vazquez. Zulfahmi Khairuddin is running quicker than Popow right now. Maverick Vinales sets fast lap at 2:13.4. McPhee gains another spot, but Vazquez is having a lackluster race.
Tony Finsterbusch is having issues. It was thought he'd retire, but, he may be back out in the race on his bike, shortly. Vinales sets fast lap again in eighth spot. He's close behind Sandro Cortese. Cortese wants to pass John McPhee. Ten laps remain. Luis Salom lunges his bike and McPhee passes. Zulfahmi Khairuddin wants his first podium. But he'll have to pass Miroslav Popow first. Cortese is opening a gap over Vinales. Can Sandro Cortese catch Jakub Kornfeil? He might. Vinales needs to do something if he wants to keep himself in the championship hunt.
Kornfeil is running well, but Cortese is getting closer. Jonas Folger has a twelve second gap over everyone else. He's checking out. Folger really wants another win and in his first ride for a new team, he got third at Indy. Maverick Vinales runs fastest lap. 2:10.693. Kornfeil leads Cortese by five and a half seconds. He'll have to catch up for second place. Alex Rins and Khairuddin battle. McPhee and Popow started well, but they're falling behind down to twelfth and thirteenth respectively. Danny Kent follows Miguel Oliveira. Jonas Folger looks to be the one to win this race if he can hold onto the bike for another six laps.
Cortese won't want Vinales to finish ahead of him. Fans continue to urge Jakub Kornfeil on as Vinales runs another fast lap. Alex Rins and Luis Salom battle which will allow Danny Kent to get closer as he fends off a challenge from Miguel Oliviera. As the track dries, things are changing. Vinales and Cortese battle into the Kevin Schwantz corner. Zulfahmi Khairuddin has crashed. He won't finish. As the pace quickens, a rider is more prone to making mistakes. Luis Salom wants to pounce. Popow has fallen down right on the front straight. He's out of the race. Fortunately, the marshals picked up the bike. Popow tried to save the bike after clipping Alexi Masbou.
He was able to get away from the bike. Zulfahmi Khairuddin is out. Three laps remaining. Danny Kent sets fast lap at 2:09.888. Jonas Folger is sure to win. But, who else gets podium spots? Kornfeil resets fast lap. Folger has a nine second lead. Sandro Cortese and Maverick Vinales both want by Jakub Kornfeil. Luis Salom also wants another win after taking one at Indianapolis last time out. Kornfeil might be able to block Vinales. Kornfeil shuts the door on Vinales. It's the last lap. Luis Salom has passed both Kornfeil and Vinales! Can he catch Cortese?
It's a three way race for second. Kornfeil won't get the podium. Kornfeil is fifth. Jonas Folger will win. Alberto Moncayo is not racing. He's been dropped from his team. But, Jonas Folger will indeed win this race. For second, Cortese and Salom battle. Salom gets second with Cortese third and Vinales fourth. Jonas Folger is the winner!
#94 Jonas Folger GER Kalex KTM
The next Moto 3 race is at San Marino in Italy at the Misano World Circuit in a shade over two weeks time.
It's going to be a wet race at Brno. On the pole will be Maverick Vinales. Mahindra will collaborate with Suter for a Moto 3 bike beginning next year. This race will be 19 laps.
At the start, Sandro Cortese and Zulfahmi Khairuddin both get the jump. Take it easy around the track as it's still drying out. Alex Rins and Jonas Folger are running well as Vinales passes Cortese with Folger following. Although, Khairuddin has the race lead right now. Jakub Kornfeil is also running well as is wildcard rider John McPhee. Efrin Vazquez takes over the lead. Vazquez has a wet rear tire. Rider Danny Webb has joined the commentary team for this race. He's not out on track, but is in the booth. Webb's bike is being ridden by someone else. Khairuddin and Folger are quick on wet tires.
Riding on wet tires on a dry track is horrendous because the bike is moving around and the tires have no grip and are really sticky. Sandro Cortese is tracking Maverick Vinales with Luis Salom also up there. Salom was the surprise winner at Indianapolis in Moto 3 of course. John McPhee is running well. McPhee and another wildcard rider, Miroslav Popow are battling. McPhee is on slicks. Popow runs in Italian Moto 3. Efrin Vazquez has led three laps. But Jonas Folger is coming quickly, too.
Riding on wet tires when the track is dry, they'll just disintegrate and break up. Vazquez is battling Folger, hoping for more rain. Jonas Folger won in 2011 at Silverstone in the wet. Miroslav Popow is third. He's running consistent laps, too. Zulfahmi Khairuddin is also consistent. Stay on the track and stay at the sharp end of the battles. Jakub Kornfeil follows Popow. Cortese, Vinales, Salom, Miguel Oliviera and Alex Rins are the top five right now. Khairuddin battles McPhee. Vinales has to be glued to Cortese in the points table. Moto 3 just has one race remaining in it's season. McPhee runs wide into the stadium section but is still running well.
There could be two Czech riders on the podium and the fans are going crazy with their air horns! Jakub Kornfeil could be on the podium along with Miroslav Popow. Just twelve laps to go. John McPhee is still running and his problems seemed to have cleared up. Jonas Folger is also being cheered for by his fans from Germany. Folger is ahead by ten seconds. He wants his second Moto 3 win. Khairuddin passes Vazquez. Zulfahmi Khairuddin is running quicker than Popow right now. Maverick Vinales sets fast lap at 2:13.4. McPhee gains another spot, but Vazquez is having a lackluster race.
Tony Finsterbusch is having issues. It was thought he'd retire, but, he may be back out in the race on his bike, shortly. Vinales sets fast lap again in eighth spot. He's close behind Sandro Cortese. Cortese wants to pass John McPhee. Ten laps remain. Luis Salom lunges his bike and McPhee passes. Zulfahmi Khairuddin wants his first podium. But he'll have to pass Miroslav Popow first. Cortese is opening a gap over Vinales. Can Sandro Cortese catch Jakub Kornfeil? He might. Vinales needs to do something if he wants to keep himself in the championship hunt.
Kornfeil is running well, but Cortese is getting closer. Jonas Folger has a twelve second gap over everyone else. He's checking out. Folger really wants another win and in his first ride for a new team, he got third at Indy. Maverick Vinales runs fastest lap. 2:10.693. Kornfeil leads Cortese by five and a half seconds. He'll have to catch up for second place. Alex Rins and Khairuddin battle. McPhee and Popow started well, but they're falling behind down to twelfth and thirteenth respectively. Danny Kent follows Miguel Oliveira. Jonas Folger looks to be the one to win this race if he can hold onto the bike for another six laps.
Cortese won't want Vinales to finish ahead of him. Fans continue to urge Jakub Kornfeil on as Vinales runs another fast lap. Alex Rins and Luis Salom battle which will allow Danny Kent to get closer as he fends off a challenge from Miguel Oliviera. As the track dries, things are changing. Vinales and Cortese battle into the Kevin Schwantz corner. Zulfahmi Khairuddin has crashed. He won't finish. As the pace quickens, a rider is more prone to making mistakes. Luis Salom wants to pounce. Popow has fallen down right on the front straight. He's out of the race. Fortunately, the marshals picked up the bike. Popow tried to save the bike after clipping Alexi Masbou.
He was able to get away from the bike. Zulfahmi Khairuddin is out. Three laps remaining. Danny Kent sets fast lap at 2:09.888. Jonas Folger is sure to win. But, who else gets podium spots? Kornfeil resets fast lap. Folger has a nine second lead. Sandro Cortese and Maverick Vinales both want by Jakub Kornfeil. Luis Salom also wants another win after taking one at Indianapolis last time out. Kornfeil might be able to block Vinales. Kornfeil shuts the door on Vinales. It's the last lap. Luis Salom has passed both Kornfeil and Vinales! Can he catch Cortese?
It's a three way race for second. Kornfeil won't get the podium. Kornfeil is fifth. Jonas Folger will win. Alberto Moncayo is not racing. He's been dropped from his team. But, Jonas Folger will indeed win this race. For second, Cortese and Salom battle. Salom gets second with Cortese third and Vinales fourth. Jonas Folger is the winner!
#94 Jonas Folger GER Kalex KTM
The next Moto 3 race is at San Marino in Italy at the Misano World Circuit in a shade over two weeks time.
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