Here are the highlights from Moto 2 at Assen, and the Dutch TT. It's a hot day for racing. 24 laps are scheduled for the Moto 2 bikes. Pol Espargaro and Mattia Pasini both crashed in the morning warmup. Pol Espargaro has pole position. The bikes set off on their warmup lap. We are ready to race at Assen in the Moto 2 race at the Dutch TT.
Toni Elias crashes on the warmup lap! Ugh! He's had a fraught season and it only continues. We're ready for a start. At the start, Scott Redding gets a good jump as Pol Espargaro takes the lead with Tito Rabat and others. Passini, Anthony West, and Dominik Aegerter are in this thing already. Here comes Rabat and Johann Zarco is surely going for it. Redding is pushing hard. Anthony West tries hanging with the leaders. He won the 2003 250cc race at Assen, a decade ago. Xavier Simeon moves to third past Tito Rabat. The Belgian, who we rode onboard with at Spa in another blog entry, days ago.
Espargaro wants to run wide and try Redding. Redding says, "no way, man." There are no gaps in the front group at all, of 25 bikes. Dominik Aegerter gets around Tito Rabat. These 600cc machines are really close together. Two laps in the books. Mike DiMeglio is fastest on track. Not sure of the lap time. Again, the graphic is hard to see. Mika Kallio now takes fast lap. Aegerter blocks Simeon. All this racing is going to help Espargaro and Redding. Mike DiMeglio continues to run fast laps. Espargaro has crashed twice, while Redding has scored points in every race.
The next race is the halfway point of the season at the Sachsenring. Aegerter passes Simeon, forcing him to sit up. Keep in mind, MotoGP is the only class that goes to Laguna Seca Raceway. Moto 2 and Moto 3, they don't race there, instead, racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Dominik Aegerter sets a new fastest lap. 1:39.217 is the time. Redding continues to set the pace at the front. Tito Rabat is now fourth. Espargaro is being pressured by Aegerter. Can Aegerter stay in position to the end? The battle is for second between Espargaro and Aegerter.
But, Simone Corsi crashes. Did he hit the gas too quickly? Espargaro passes. Aegerter actually goes through on both Espargaro and Redding. He came back at Espargaro, and Dominik Aegerter is like, "while you guys fight, I'm taking the lead!" Espargaro still leads as Redding still challenges, eight laps into the race. Redding can't get an advantage down the back straightaway. Redding and Espargaro come through on Dominik Aegerter. Mika Kallio is sixth. Redding, Simeon, Kallio, and West are all in this scrum. So is Zarco.
Some of these guys are former 125cc champs. Tom Luthi, and Louis Rossi are both running well. Alex de Angelis runs in 14th. Espargaro runs fast lap again. Not sure of the time. The range of lap times is low 1:39s and the fastest is 1:38.9 to 1:39 flat. Simone Corsi pits. Scott Redding is right on top of Pol Espargaro now. It's a two man race, with Dominik Aegerter third. Nico Terol has had a horrible race. He won in Austin, Texas, and had success in Italy. Espargaro runs 1:38.8 as the nw fast lap. Can Redding make a move?
There are rumors that Redding and Espargaro will go into MotoGP next year. Time will tell. Look at Marc Marquez. He came from Moto 2 and has already tasted success riding with the big guys. Aegerter is being pushed by Rabat and Zarco. Nine laps remain. Laps are winding down. Scott Redding continus to push hard, going after Espargaro. Tito Rabat looks like he'll escape as Tito Rabat is clearing Johann Zarco. Redding wants to beat Espargaro. right now, the pace is fluctuating. Espargaro = 1:39.2. Redding = 1:39.5.
Zarco and Aegerter continue their battle. Mika Kallio and Xavier Simeon follow. 1:38.9 for both of thse guys. Six laps to the finish. Espargaro continues to lead. Who will win the Dutch TT Moto 2 race? Tom Luthi passes Anthony West. Luthi has moved from 17th to ninth. Espargaro lets Redding by. Hmmm. Does Espargaro have tire issues? Redding leads. He knows what Espargaro's got. Redding leads the championship. What is happening to Pol Espargaro? Can Redding increase his lead? Yes. Four laps left.
Redding takes over. He wants to hold off Espargaro. He did a 1:40.1 which is a second slower than the previous lap or two. Mike DiMeglio is out of this one. He's crashed. Aegerter is coming back. He's found some new energy. Tito Rabat and Johann Zarco are also up there. Mika Kallio doesn't have much of a chance to push. There's a four bike battle for third. Espargaro is pushing hard. Has Redding gained enough over Espargaro?
Two laps remain now. Espargaro keeps going. A lap and a half to go. Redding won't get off easy here. Espargaro might make a last gasp effort to try and pass. Redding might watch and he might fight back. Here comes Redding. He's lining up for a pass. Redding can't quite do it. Can Redding move past Espargaro? No. It's going to come down to the last corner on the last lap. Dominik Aegerter is third and Mika Kallio is fourth. Can Redding do anything with Pol Espargaro? Into the chicane. These guys are pushing. Espargaro is going to do it, winning the Dutch TT!
#40 Pol Espargaro ESP Kalex Granollers
The next Moto 2 race will be the German Grand Prix at the Saschenring in Saxony, Germany, in two weeks.
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
MotoGP Round 7: Holland (Dutch TT)
Round seven of the MotoGP World Championship is the Dutch Grand Prix (Dutch TT, or Tourist Trophy), at the Assen circuit in Assen, Holland. The official race name is the Iveco TT Assen. Jorge Lorenzo has had an issue. As the morning warmup unfolds, Valentino Rossi is fastest. Rain has been in the forecast through the weekend. It will be mostly cloudy, and dry. Jorge Lorenzo had a monster wreck on Thursday in practice. Marc Marquez also wrecked. He broke a finger and a toe. Jorge Lorenzo broke his left collarbone, but might still race today.
Dani Pedrosa also had a huge crash. This track is known as "The Cathedral" of motorcycle racing. The track is 2.8 miles long. It can reward, and punish equally. This is the 65th running of thee race in the World Championship. After Jorge Lorenzo's crash, Yamaha team director Massimo Merigali explained the whole situation where Lorenzo flew back to Barcelona overnight and had surgery on his collarbone, putting in a titanium plate, and Lorenzo will race today.
Lorenzo is in pain, but he passed two physical tests. In qualifying, Cal Crutchlow has taken his first MotGP pole, and became the first British rider to take pole in over a decade. Stefan Bradl will start third. Valentino Rossi has fourth. Dani Pedrosa managed to qualify fifth. Aleix Espargaro scores the highest qualifying place for a CRT bike. Michele Pirro fills in for Ben Spies once again and Ivan Silva fills in for Hiroshi Aoyama who hurt his hand last time out in Mugello.
The weather is improving as the bikes set out on their warmup lap. Assen is 2.8 miles, with 18 corners. It's a speedy track with cambered turns. Assen has been on the calendar since the MotoGP World Championship started in 1949. 26 laps scheduled. Can Cal Crutchlow win his first race? Can Stefan Bradl? At the start, Jorge Lorenzo has a good start and Dani Pedrosa takes the lead. Crutchlow slides from third to fifth. Valentino Rossi is fourth behind Marc Marquez who passes Stefan Bradl immediately.
Jorge Lorenzo is up to eighth. Honda's are 1-2-3. Bradley Smith runs wide and Aleix Espargaro is right on top of him. Rossi passes Stefan Bradl for third spot. He was forced to sit up. Lorenzo flies past Bradley Smith. Cal Crutchlow has to fly on full fuel tanks. Pedrosa leads it. Crutchlow will get stronger as the race goes on. Lorenzo is now fifth. Smith is passed by Espargaro. Valentino Rossi is fastest, running a lap at 1:35 flat. They run down the back straight, which is crooked, somewhat. Rossi has won the Assen TT seven times.
Rossi cannot get to Marquez. Not yet anyway. Cal Crutchlow is fastest, continuing to run 1:35 flat laps. Rossi is still pushing Crutchlow through the corner. Rossi is making his move. Pedrosa, Rossi, and Marquez are running in the top three. This is Rossi's best race since round one in Qatar back in April. Rossi is being urged on by his fans in Italy. Rossi is now a half a second quicker than Pedrosa. This Dutch TT is definitely heating up.
Valentino Rossi has passed deep on the brakes, passing Pedrosa, picking up the lead! The fans are going berserk! Lorenzo is third, and hanging in there, even with the collarbone he's had surgery on with a titanium plate, and eight screws in it. Stefan Bradl and Aleix Espargaro are sixth and seventh followed by Alvaro Bautista, Nicky Hayden, and Andrea Dovizioso. Pedrosa and Rossi run 1:35.3 along with Crutchlow. Lorenzo is fastest at 1:35.1 as he's closing on Marc Marquez. Eight laps are complete.
Cal Crutchlow runs behind Jorge Lorenzo. Marquez is dropping behind Pedrosa and Rossi. Crutchlow continues to push Lorenzo. He's not giving up. Ten laps are in the books. Three laps to halfway. Stefan Bradl languishes in sixth as Alvaro Bautista passes Aleix Espargaro. Dovizioso and Hayden run together. Nicky Hayden won at Assen in 2006. Lorenzo is slowing down a bit, starting to feel uncomfortable, very likely dealing with some pain. These riders are supercharged. A broken collarbone would leave a mere mortal human being in tears.
Lukas Pesek retires from the race. Crutchlow is losing time to Marquez and Lorenzo. Rossi has not won since 2010. The race is now half over. The two Honda's can't quite keep up with Rossi's Yamaha. Jorge Lorenzo is still running fourth. Cal Crutchlow passes Lorenzo. This is the battle to watch on the track. Crutchlow gos quicker as the fuel load burns off. The Repsol Honda's are hanging on. Alvaro Bautista is under pressure from Aleix Espargaro for seventh. Bradley Smith is eleventh, as Hayden and Dovizioso battle on their Ducati's. Both of the riders for Ducati have not had the best weekends. Ducati seems to be languishing once again.
Marquez gets by Pedrosa for second place. Eight laps remain, and Valentino Rossi stretches his margin. Crutchlow is coming, and fast. The gap between Pedrosa and Crutchlow is closing. This will be monstrous for the world championship. Rossi has 105 overall victories. Could he get 106 today? Dani Pedrosa runs deep into the corner. Marquez has cleared Pedrosa, but can't make headway to catch Rossi. Six laps remain in the Dutch TT. Crutchlow is going after Marquez, and he DOES make it past Pedrosa! Wow! Pedrosa will be kicking himself! Can Crutchlow catch Marquez? Jorge Lorenzo is keeping the championship alive.
Pedrosa is not going to keep up with Crutchlow. Rossi is still looking for victory. Can he do it? Crutchlow runs a 1:35.1. He's 6/10ths behind Marquez. Crutchlow is continuing to hound Marquez. Crutchlow is strong through the exit of the corners as Marquez is going wide. Crutchlow has to focus on his own race, but he's closing on Marquez. He's not going to make it work. Valentino Rossi will win his first race in almost three years! Crutchlow is being blocked by Marquez. The Rossi fans are going wild! This is the last lap. Marquez holds the advantage.
Rossi is going to win this race. it's undeniable. But, Crutchlow loses ground. He's off the road slightly, and will have to settle for third. He clips the rear wheel of Marquez's motorcycle. :"The Doctor" is back in the house! Those two years at Ducati are going to be a distant memory. Rossi is going to win his eighth Dutch TT! It is his 80th MotoGP win! Wow!
#46 Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha
Lorenzo has his own victory, finishing this race after being in absolute agony due to that collarbone injury. No Pedrosa and No Lorenzo on the podium. Whoa. Rossi is champ, today. Rossi hasn't won in 45 races. The streak is over! The next race is the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring in Saxony, Germany, coming up in two weeks.
Dani Pedrosa also had a huge crash. This track is known as "The Cathedral" of motorcycle racing. The track is 2.8 miles long. It can reward, and punish equally. This is the 65th running of thee race in the World Championship. After Jorge Lorenzo's crash, Yamaha team director Massimo Merigali explained the whole situation where Lorenzo flew back to Barcelona overnight and had surgery on his collarbone, putting in a titanium plate, and Lorenzo will race today.
Lorenzo is in pain, but he passed two physical tests. In qualifying, Cal Crutchlow has taken his first MotGP pole, and became the first British rider to take pole in over a decade. Stefan Bradl will start third. Valentino Rossi has fourth. Dani Pedrosa managed to qualify fifth. Aleix Espargaro scores the highest qualifying place for a CRT bike. Michele Pirro fills in for Ben Spies once again and Ivan Silva fills in for Hiroshi Aoyama who hurt his hand last time out in Mugello.
The weather is improving as the bikes set out on their warmup lap. Assen is 2.8 miles, with 18 corners. It's a speedy track with cambered turns. Assen has been on the calendar since the MotoGP World Championship started in 1949. 26 laps scheduled. Can Cal Crutchlow win his first race? Can Stefan Bradl? At the start, Jorge Lorenzo has a good start and Dani Pedrosa takes the lead. Crutchlow slides from third to fifth. Valentino Rossi is fourth behind Marc Marquez who passes Stefan Bradl immediately.
Jorge Lorenzo is up to eighth. Honda's are 1-2-3. Bradley Smith runs wide and Aleix Espargaro is right on top of him. Rossi passes Stefan Bradl for third spot. He was forced to sit up. Lorenzo flies past Bradley Smith. Cal Crutchlow has to fly on full fuel tanks. Pedrosa leads it. Crutchlow will get stronger as the race goes on. Lorenzo is now fifth. Smith is passed by Espargaro. Valentino Rossi is fastest, running a lap at 1:35 flat. They run down the back straight, which is crooked, somewhat. Rossi has won the Assen TT seven times.
Rossi cannot get to Marquez. Not yet anyway. Cal Crutchlow is fastest, continuing to run 1:35 flat laps. Rossi is still pushing Crutchlow through the corner. Rossi is making his move. Pedrosa, Rossi, and Marquez are running in the top three. This is Rossi's best race since round one in Qatar back in April. Rossi is being urged on by his fans in Italy. Rossi is now a half a second quicker than Pedrosa. This Dutch TT is definitely heating up.
Valentino Rossi has passed deep on the brakes, passing Pedrosa, picking up the lead! The fans are going berserk! Lorenzo is third, and hanging in there, even with the collarbone he's had surgery on with a titanium plate, and eight screws in it. Stefan Bradl and Aleix Espargaro are sixth and seventh followed by Alvaro Bautista, Nicky Hayden, and Andrea Dovizioso. Pedrosa and Rossi run 1:35.3 along with Crutchlow. Lorenzo is fastest at 1:35.1 as he's closing on Marc Marquez. Eight laps are complete.
Cal Crutchlow runs behind Jorge Lorenzo. Marquez is dropping behind Pedrosa and Rossi. Crutchlow continues to push Lorenzo. He's not giving up. Ten laps are in the books. Three laps to halfway. Stefan Bradl languishes in sixth as Alvaro Bautista passes Aleix Espargaro. Dovizioso and Hayden run together. Nicky Hayden won at Assen in 2006. Lorenzo is slowing down a bit, starting to feel uncomfortable, very likely dealing with some pain. These riders are supercharged. A broken collarbone would leave a mere mortal human being in tears.
Lukas Pesek retires from the race. Crutchlow is losing time to Marquez and Lorenzo. Rossi has not won since 2010. The race is now half over. The two Honda's can't quite keep up with Rossi's Yamaha. Jorge Lorenzo is still running fourth. Cal Crutchlow passes Lorenzo. This is the battle to watch on the track. Crutchlow gos quicker as the fuel load burns off. The Repsol Honda's are hanging on. Alvaro Bautista is under pressure from Aleix Espargaro for seventh. Bradley Smith is eleventh, as Hayden and Dovizioso battle on their Ducati's. Both of the riders for Ducati have not had the best weekends. Ducati seems to be languishing once again.
Marquez gets by Pedrosa for second place. Eight laps remain, and Valentino Rossi stretches his margin. Crutchlow is coming, and fast. The gap between Pedrosa and Crutchlow is closing. This will be monstrous for the world championship. Rossi has 105 overall victories. Could he get 106 today? Dani Pedrosa runs deep into the corner. Marquez has cleared Pedrosa, but can't make headway to catch Rossi. Six laps remain in the Dutch TT. Crutchlow is going after Marquez, and he DOES make it past Pedrosa! Wow! Pedrosa will be kicking himself! Can Crutchlow catch Marquez? Jorge Lorenzo is keeping the championship alive.
Pedrosa is not going to keep up with Crutchlow. Rossi is still looking for victory. Can he do it? Crutchlow runs a 1:35.1. He's 6/10ths behind Marquez. Crutchlow is continuing to hound Marquez. Crutchlow is strong through the exit of the corners as Marquez is going wide. Crutchlow has to focus on his own race, but he's closing on Marquez. He's not going to make it work. Valentino Rossi will win his first race in almost three years! Crutchlow is being blocked by Marquez. The Rossi fans are going wild! This is the last lap. Marquez holds the advantage.
Rossi is going to win this race. it's undeniable. But, Crutchlow loses ground. He's off the road slightly, and will have to settle for third. He clips the rear wheel of Marquez's motorcycle. :"The Doctor" is back in the house! Those two years at Ducati are going to be a distant memory. Rossi is going to win his eighth Dutch TT! It is his 80th MotoGP win! Wow!
#46 Valentino Rossi ITA Yamaha
Lorenzo has his own victory, finishing this race after being in absolute agony due to that collarbone injury. No Pedrosa and No Lorenzo on the podium. Whoa. Rossi is champ, today. Rossi hasn't won in 45 races. The streak is over! The next race is the German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring in Saxony, Germany, coming up in two weeks.
Friday, June 28, 2013
Bike Road Racing Series round 1: Cookstown, Part 1
Round one of the 2013 Bike Road Racing Series took place last month, in May. It's time for the official start of the 2013 Bike Road Racing season in Northern Ireland. This Cookstown 100 is the oldest motorcycle race in Ireland. William and Michael Dunlop, the brothers, are the guys to beat this time around. Michael Dunlop has factory supported bikes for all the classes he runs in. Guy Martin is also back, trying to steal the Dunlop brothers' thunder.
Cookstown is a clockwise track, just over two miles long. Gorton corner is the first one, with ripples on the pavement. Keep it tight on turn in. Watch for wheelspin, coming to McAdoo. Then, go up the hill. There's a bump that loosens the rear wheel, into McAney. Then, go towards The Farm. Move to the right. Watch out for moving all over the road. Brake again, to a right/left flick, and cross the finish line. It's time first, for the big 1000cc monsters. The Superbikes are going to race. It's the Superstock race, with a couple big Superbikes (Guy Martin, and Michael Dunlop), tossed in to make things interesting.
The weather is great. Ryan Farquhar and Adrian Archibald are not racing this year. They've chosen to either retire from the sport, or take a hiatus. But, the new faces to watch, are familiar names from last season in 2012, like Dean Harrison and Derek Sheils. We're ready to get Bike Road Racing 2013 underway, folks. Here we go!
At the start, Guy Martin gets swamped. Derek Sheils on the #82 Kawasaki got the hole shot. Michael Dunlop runs second. Dunlop is wasting no time, passing Derek Sheils almost immediately. See ya later, dude! Martin and Dunlop are both going for it into Gorton corner for the first time. Shields outbrakes Dunlop into the corner. This is going to be a hot and heavy contest at the sharp end. Shields is P1 at the moment. Now, more fun, as the second wave of bikes takes off.
Brian McCormack and Dean Harrison are ones to watch in this second wave. These guys have already had a race (a non championship warmup event at Scarborough race course). Guy Martin gets around Davey Morgan. Shields still has the lead. Dean Harrison immediately dispenses with Brian McCormack. The bikes fly over the jumps on the hilly part of the circuit. They make their way through Craig Mound corner. William Dunlop is behind. He's nowhere to be found in the lead scrap. Guy Martin makes the jump, lands, but has a huge wiggle! Thankfully, he stays on the motorcycle!
Two laps done and dusted. Dunlop still leads. This is Derek Shields' first race at Cookstown in three years. Guy Martin wants by him. Harrison runs well. Sheils is actually running one of Adrian Archibald's old bikes... a Kawasaki. Dean Harrison is still fifth, three seconds behind Dunlop. Martin can't get by Shields into McAdoo. More bikes are in the hunt. Michael Pearson, Alan Bullard, Steven Thompson, and Brock Barber. Martin is now second, reeling in Michael Dunlop... or trying to. Dunlop has a big advantage. Martin makes the jump stick this time, and tries to get by Shields.
Michael Pearson is the other rider up at the sharp end here. No yellow flags so far in this race. Michael Sweeney grabs a bunch of front brake into the corner. Dunlop is on cruise control at the front. He leads Guy Martin by two seconds. Shields and Pearson battle for third place. Michael Dunlop is about to get his 68th career Irish Bike Road Racing win. One lap to go, folks. Dean Harrison's placing matches his bike number. He's fifth. Dunlop has 2.5 seconds on Martin now. Jamie Hamilton will finish in the top six. Haven't called his name yet today.
This will be another win for the Dunlop family. These guys are professionals and know how to win these road circuit motorcycle races. Michael Dunlop wins.
#3 Michael Dunlop Honda
Here's the top five.
1. #3 Michael Dunlop Honda
2. #7 Guy Martin Suzuki
3. #82 Derek Sheils Honda
4. #36 Michael Pearson BMW
5. #5 Dean Harrison Kawasaki
The next race of the day sees a combination of 125cc bikes with a Moto 3 bike. Now, there's just one Moto 3 spec cycle in this contest. This is the 125/Moto 3 Cookstown Town Center Forum race. At the start, William Dunlop gets the jump on his #6 James Delaney Honda. He's going for it, down towards Gorton, as the second wave is ready to roll. Jack Sands on bike #14 and Maria Costello (#84), lead this charge. Sam Dunlop on bike #33 is also going to be in there. Sam Dunlop is William's cousin. Another Sam, (Sam WIlson), is now behind Michael Dunlop.
Paul Robinson (another Dunlop cousin), is also in the hunt. It's a family affair here at Cookstown in a way. William Dunlop leads, and has held the 125cc lap record for three years at 1:34.75. Out of Mackney, the bikes are single file. Sam Wilson runs wide out of Craig Mound corner. This puts space between Wilson and Dunlop. Dunlop completes lap one at 1:44.1. Dunlop has the speed advantage so far in the 125cc contest. Paul Robinson seems to be reeling in Sam Wilson ever so slightly. Bruce Moulds and Nigel Moore are battling for fourth spot.
William Dunlop is booking it. He has no immediate threats for the race lead at the moment. Over Black's Jump, he carries on, pushing his bike to the limit. Wilson is falling behind. He sets fast time at 1:36.69. He leads by 3.5 seconds. Paul Robison is falling back, too. He's about a second behind Wilson's bike. Wilson and Robison continue their battle. Nigel Moore is now fourth. Dunlop approaches Craig Mount and stalls the motor at the crossroads. Dunlop is in trouble. It's game over. Sam Wilson shoots into the lead. Robinson and Wilson are side by side. Bikes #56 and #18 respectively. Wilson wants by, but can't get there.
Robinson extends his lead. Two laps to go in this race. Robinson, Wilson, and Moore, run 1-2-3. Moles is fourth. Sam Dunlop is fifth. Warren Reid runs sixth. Seventh belongs to Maria Costello on her Moto 3 spec bike. Paul Robinson is into the last corner and will win the 125cc/Moto 3 race. Nigel Moore retires his bike, promoting Bruce Moulds to third. Here are the results.
#18 Paul Robinson Aprilia
1. #18 Paul Robinson Aprilia
2. #56 Sam Wilson Honda
3. #9 Bruce Moulds Honda
4. #84 Maria Costello Honda
5. #33 Sam Dunlop Honda
A couple final notes on this race. William Dunlop had mechanical issues in the 250cc Grand Prix event. Trevor Reid also crashed at Braeside corner, bringing out a red flag. This next race is combining the 250cc GP and Moto 450cc classes. This will be a combined race. William Dunlop and Davy Morgan start first and second.
At the start, Sam Wilson gets the jump almost immediately. The 450cc bikes start in a second wave. Dave Walsh cannot get his bike started. Dunlop passes Morgan into Gorton corner. Anthony McCulligan leads the Moto 450 field. The bikes stream into McAdoo for the first time. William Dunlop is chasing down Sam Wilson. Darren Gilpin leads Moto 450 on bike #38. Seamus Elliott is in second, having switched from a 250cc bike to a 450cc one over the off season. Davey Morgan is charging through this field. In fourth, it's Tommy Henry on bike #74. Davey Morgan is looking for a way by William Dunlop. Can he do it?
Davey Morgan does make the pass. Kevin Straga is back there somewhere, too. Sam Wilson gets passed and gos from first to third. Tommy Morgan, John Ella and Kevin Stragga follow. Seamus Elliott and Darren Gilpin are 1-2 in Moto 450. Sam Wilson passes Davy Morgan into Mackney. Morgan attacks Wilson on the uphill and over Black's Jump. William Dunlop sweeps into Craig Mount. Into the crossroads, it's the last lap. Dunlop is going to win. But Sam Wilson and Davey Morgan will fight it out to the finish. Wilson passes Morgan into Mackney.
Seamus Elliott still leads the 450cc bikes, which lap about eight seconds slower than the 250cc machines do. Dunlop looks to be headed for the win, as Morgan needs to be closer to Wilson to take over second place. Davy Morgan is going to go for it around Sam Wilson. William Dunlop will win this race. Dunlop, Wilson, and Morgan, are the top three.
#6 William Dunlop Honda
Who takes the 450s? Seamus Elliott takes it. Here's your top five.
1. #6 William Dunlop Honda
2. #56 Sam Wilson Honda
3. #71 Davy Morgan Honda
4. #173 John Ella Honda
5. #74 Tommy Henry Honda
Here are the Moto 450 results.
1. #97 Seamus Elliott Yamaha
2. #8 Anthony McColgan KTM
3. #38 Darren Gilpin Honda
4. #28 Stephen Davison Yamaha
5. #171 Dave Walsh KTM
600 Supersport is on deck, and again, we will not see Adrian Archibald or Ryan Farquhar in any of the races this year it doesn't seem like. This race will be eight laps. We are ready for a start. It's Michael Dunlop and Derek Sheils first and second. At the start, Guy Martin gets a huge jump from the second row, rocketing off the starting blocks! Dean Harrison is right at the back of group one as the second wave of bikes takes off.
Jamie Hamilton, Davey Morgan, and Rob Wilson are the top three riders in the second wave. Guy Martin and Michael Sweeney are the first two bikes. Martin, Sweeney, Pearson, Dunlop, and Sheils, are your top five. Michael Dunlop holds the lap record for the 600s at 1:24 and change, which is slightly slower than the Superbikes. Dean Harrison rides in sixth. But, it will be a battle for fourth and fifth between Dunlop and Martin, more than likely. Martin increases his lead out of Craig Mount. Michael Sweeney runs wide at the crossroads.
Shiels misses his braking point, losing ground. Michael Dunlop is on the grass, sweeping by Michael Pearson! Whoa! How close do you like it? Martin chases after Dunlop. The gap between Martin and Dunlop, is closing, and quickly. Dunlop is going for it. The fans know what he's up to. Dean Harrison is going to pass Derek Sheils! He also blows past Sweeney! This is going to be quite the finish! Harrison passes Sheils and Sweeney! Dunlop is closing. He's 7/10ths behind Martin. They cross the line side by side! Harrison wants to pass Sheils into Gorton. Sheils is close. Harrison gains a spot as Dunlop is catching Martin on the last lap of the race.
Guy Martin beats Dunlop by a whisker! Harrison is third.
#77 Guy Martin Suzuki
Here are the results.
1. #77 Guy Martin Suzuki
2. #6 Michael Dunlop Honda
3. #5 Dean Harrison Yamaha
4. #82 Derek Sheils Honda
5. #36 Michael Pearson Suzuki
The final race of the day will be the Supersport B race presented by Braeside Bar & Restaurant. These guys didn't make the cut for the first 600cc Supersport race. It's like the B Main in sprint car racing. Robbie Lyall and Andy Lawson are 1-2. The bikes fly up to Gorton. Lyle is going to take the lead. The second wave is away. Lawson leads over Lyle, Dave Hewson, Phil Archer, and Scott Campbell. Andy Lawson leads. Lawson leads Lyall by a second at the end of lap one. Scott Campbell is on bike #55 in fourth. Mark Goodings is fourth, with Dave Hewson, fifth.
Hewson passes Lyall coming to Black's Jump. Lawson leads by 2.3 seconds over a hammer and tongs battle between Hewson, Campbell, and Lyall. Scott Campbell makes a pass on the extreme outside line as the bikes go three wide. Hewson and Campbell keep going at it. Gary Miller runs ninth. Hewson and Campbell participate in a halfway long jump competition, and Campbell has the edge in that department. Daley Mathison and Mark Goodings fight for fifth overall. It's the last lap, and Lawson still leads it. Hewson and Campbell battle through Gorton for the final time.
Mark Goodings and Gary Graves are both pushing hard wanting to break the top five. Campbell and Hewson still are in a fight for position as the flag approaches. Lawson wins this one, folks. Matthison wants to take fourth from Robbie Lyall on corrected time.
#10 Andy Lawson Kawasaki
The results:
1. #10 Andy Lawson Kawasaki
2. #55 Scott Campbell Yamaha
3. #19 Dave Hewson Yamaha
4. #104 Daley Mathison Suzuki
5. #43 Robbie Lyall Kawasaki
That's it for now. This is part one in a two part synopsis of the race. Will have day two action later. Stay tuned for part two, in the not too distant future.
Cookstown is a clockwise track, just over two miles long. Gorton corner is the first one, with ripples on the pavement. Keep it tight on turn in. Watch for wheelspin, coming to McAdoo. Then, go up the hill. There's a bump that loosens the rear wheel, into McAney. Then, go towards The Farm. Move to the right. Watch out for moving all over the road. Brake again, to a right/left flick, and cross the finish line. It's time first, for the big 1000cc monsters. The Superbikes are going to race. It's the Superstock race, with a couple big Superbikes (Guy Martin, and Michael Dunlop), tossed in to make things interesting.
The weather is great. Ryan Farquhar and Adrian Archibald are not racing this year. They've chosen to either retire from the sport, or take a hiatus. But, the new faces to watch, are familiar names from last season in 2012, like Dean Harrison and Derek Sheils. We're ready to get Bike Road Racing 2013 underway, folks. Here we go!
At the start, Guy Martin gets swamped. Derek Sheils on the #82 Kawasaki got the hole shot. Michael Dunlop runs second. Dunlop is wasting no time, passing Derek Sheils almost immediately. See ya later, dude! Martin and Dunlop are both going for it into Gorton corner for the first time. Shields outbrakes Dunlop into the corner. This is going to be a hot and heavy contest at the sharp end. Shields is P1 at the moment. Now, more fun, as the second wave of bikes takes off.
Brian McCormack and Dean Harrison are ones to watch in this second wave. These guys have already had a race (a non championship warmup event at Scarborough race course). Guy Martin gets around Davey Morgan. Shields still has the lead. Dean Harrison immediately dispenses with Brian McCormack. The bikes fly over the jumps on the hilly part of the circuit. They make their way through Craig Mound corner. William Dunlop is behind. He's nowhere to be found in the lead scrap. Guy Martin makes the jump, lands, but has a huge wiggle! Thankfully, he stays on the motorcycle!
Two laps done and dusted. Dunlop still leads. This is Derek Shields' first race at Cookstown in three years. Guy Martin wants by him. Harrison runs well. Sheils is actually running one of Adrian Archibald's old bikes... a Kawasaki. Dean Harrison is still fifth, three seconds behind Dunlop. Martin can't get by Shields into McAdoo. More bikes are in the hunt. Michael Pearson, Alan Bullard, Steven Thompson, and Brock Barber. Martin is now second, reeling in Michael Dunlop... or trying to. Dunlop has a big advantage. Martin makes the jump stick this time, and tries to get by Shields.
Michael Pearson is the other rider up at the sharp end here. No yellow flags so far in this race. Michael Sweeney grabs a bunch of front brake into the corner. Dunlop is on cruise control at the front. He leads Guy Martin by two seconds. Shields and Pearson battle for third place. Michael Dunlop is about to get his 68th career Irish Bike Road Racing win. One lap to go, folks. Dean Harrison's placing matches his bike number. He's fifth. Dunlop has 2.5 seconds on Martin now. Jamie Hamilton will finish in the top six. Haven't called his name yet today.
This will be another win for the Dunlop family. These guys are professionals and know how to win these road circuit motorcycle races. Michael Dunlop wins.
#3 Michael Dunlop Honda
Here's the top five.
1. #3 Michael Dunlop Honda
2. #7 Guy Martin Suzuki
3. #82 Derek Sheils Honda
4. #36 Michael Pearson BMW
5. #5 Dean Harrison Kawasaki
The next race of the day sees a combination of 125cc bikes with a Moto 3 bike. Now, there's just one Moto 3 spec cycle in this contest. This is the 125/Moto 3 Cookstown Town Center Forum race. At the start, William Dunlop gets the jump on his #6 James Delaney Honda. He's going for it, down towards Gorton, as the second wave is ready to roll. Jack Sands on bike #14 and Maria Costello (#84), lead this charge. Sam Dunlop on bike #33 is also going to be in there. Sam Dunlop is William's cousin. Another Sam, (Sam WIlson), is now behind Michael Dunlop.
Paul Robinson (another Dunlop cousin), is also in the hunt. It's a family affair here at Cookstown in a way. William Dunlop leads, and has held the 125cc lap record for three years at 1:34.75. Out of Mackney, the bikes are single file. Sam Wilson runs wide out of Craig Mound corner. This puts space between Wilson and Dunlop. Dunlop completes lap one at 1:44.1. Dunlop has the speed advantage so far in the 125cc contest. Paul Robinson seems to be reeling in Sam Wilson ever so slightly. Bruce Moulds and Nigel Moore are battling for fourth spot.
William Dunlop is booking it. He has no immediate threats for the race lead at the moment. Over Black's Jump, he carries on, pushing his bike to the limit. Wilson is falling behind. He sets fast time at 1:36.69. He leads by 3.5 seconds. Paul Robison is falling back, too. He's about a second behind Wilson's bike. Wilson and Robison continue their battle. Nigel Moore is now fourth. Dunlop approaches Craig Mount and stalls the motor at the crossroads. Dunlop is in trouble. It's game over. Sam Wilson shoots into the lead. Robinson and Wilson are side by side. Bikes #56 and #18 respectively. Wilson wants by, but can't get there.
Robinson extends his lead. Two laps to go in this race. Robinson, Wilson, and Moore, run 1-2-3. Moles is fourth. Sam Dunlop is fifth. Warren Reid runs sixth. Seventh belongs to Maria Costello on her Moto 3 spec bike. Paul Robinson is into the last corner and will win the 125cc/Moto 3 race. Nigel Moore retires his bike, promoting Bruce Moulds to third. Here are the results.
#18 Paul Robinson Aprilia
1. #18 Paul Robinson Aprilia
2. #56 Sam Wilson Honda
3. #9 Bruce Moulds Honda
4. #84 Maria Costello Honda
5. #33 Sam Dunlop Honda
A couple final notes on this race. William Dunlop had mechanical issues in the 250cc Grand Prix event. Trevor Reid also crashed at Braeside corner, bringing out a red flag. This next race is combining the 250cc GP and Moto 450cc classes. This will be a combined race. William Dunlop and Davy Morgan start first and second.
At the start, Sam Wilson gets the jump almost immediately. The 450cc bikes start in a second wave. Dave Walsh cannot get his bike started. Dunlop passes Morgan into Gorton corner. Anthony McCulligan leads the Moto 450 field. The bikes stream into McAdoo for the first time. William Dunlop is chasing down Sam Wilson. Darren Gilpin leads Moto 450 on bike #38. Seamus Elliott is in second, having switched from a 250cc bike to a 450cc one over the off season. Davey Morgan is charging through this field. In fourth, it's Tommy Henry on bike #74. Davey Morgan is looking for a way by William Dunlop. Can he do it?
Davey Morgan does make the pass. Kevin Straga is back there somewhere, too. Sam Wilson gets passed and gos from first to third. Tommy Morgan, John Ella and Kevin Stragga follow. Seamus Elliott and Darren Gilpin are 1-2 in Moto 450. Sam Wilson passes Davy Morgan into Mackney. Morgan attacks Wilson on the uphill and over Black's Jump. William Dunlop sweeps into Craig Mount. Into the crossroads, it's the last lap. Dunlop is going to win. But Sam Wilson and Davey Morgan will fight it out to the finish. Wilson passes Morgan into Mackney.
Seamus Elliott still leads the 450cc bikes, which lap about eight seconds slower than the 250cc machines do. Dunlop looks to be headed for the win, as Morgan needs to be closer to Wilson to take over second place. Davy Morgan is going to go for it around Sam Wilson. William Dunlop will win this race. Dunlop, Wilson, and Morgan, are the top three.
#6 William Dunlop Honda
Who takes the 450s? Seamus Elliott takes it. Here's your top five.
1. #6 William Dunlop Honda
2. #56 Sam Wilson Honda
3. #71 Davy Morgan Honda
4. #173 John Ella Honda
5. #74 Tommy Henry Honda
Here are the Moto 450 results.
1. #97 Seamus Elliott Yamaha
2. #8 Anthony McColgan KTM
3. #38 Darren Gilpin Honda
4. #28 Stephen Davison Yamaha
5. #171 Dave Walsh KTM
600 Supersport is on deck, and again, we will not see Adrian Archibald or Ryan Farquhar in any of the races this year it doesn't seem like. This race will be eight laps. We are ready for a start. It's Michael Dunlop and Derek Sheils first and second. At the start, Guy Martin gets a huge jump from the second row, rocketing off the starting blocks! Dean Harrison is right at the back of group one as the second wave of bikes takes off.
Jamie Hamilton, Davey Morgan, and Rob Wilson are the top three riders in the second wave. Guy Martin and Michael Sweeney are the first two bikes. Martin, Sweeney, Pearson, Dunlop, and Sheils, are your top five. Michael Dunlop holds the lap record for the 600s at 1:24 and change, which is slightly slower than the Superbikes. Dean Harrison rides in sixth. But, it will be a battle for fourth and fifth between Dunlop and Martin, more than likely. Martin increases his lead out of Craig Mount. Michael Sweeney runs wide at the crossroads.
Shiels misses his braking point, losing ground. Michael Dunlop is on the grass, sweeping by Michael Pearson! Whoa! How close do you like it? Martin chases after Dunlop. The gap between Martin and Dunlop, is closing, and quickly. Dunlop is going for it. The fans know what he's up to. Dean Harrison is going to pass Derek Sheils! He also blows past Sweeney! This is going to be quite the finish! Harrison passes Sheils and Sweeney! Dunlop is closing. He's 7/10ths behind Martin. They cross the line side by side! Harrison wants to pass Sheils into Gorton. Sheils is close. Harrison gains a spot as Dunlop is catching Martin on the last lap of the race.
Guy Martin beats Dunlop by a whisker! Harrison is third.
#77 Guy Martin Suzuki
Here are the results.
1. #77 Guy Martin Suzuki
2. #6 Michael Dunlop Honda
3. #5 Dean Harrison Yamaha
4. #82 Derek Sheils Honda
5. #36 Michael Pearson Suzuki
The final race of the day will be the Supersport B race presented by Braeside Bar & Restaurant. These guys didn't make the cut for the first 600cc Supersport race. It's like the B Main in sprint car racing. Robbie Lyall and Andy Lawson are 1-2. The bikes fly up to Gorton. Lyle is going to take the lead. The second wave is away. Lawson leads over Lyle, Dave Hewson, Phil Archer, and Scott Campbell. Andy Lawson leads. Lawson leads Lyall by a second at the end of lap one. Scott Campbell is on bike #55 in fourth. Mark Goodings is fourth, with Dave Hewson, fifth.
Hewson passes Lyall coming to Black's Jump. Lawson leads by 2.3 seconds over a hammer and tongs battle between Hewson, Campbell, and Lyall. Scott Campbell makes a pass on the extreme outside line as the bikes go three wide. Hewson and Campbell keep going at it. Gary Miller runs ninth. Hewson and Campbell participate in a halfway long jump competition, and Campbell has the edge in that department. Daley Mathison and Mark Goodings fight for fifth overall. It's the last lap, and Lawson still leads it. Hewson and Campbell battle through Gorton for the final time.
Mark Goodings and Gary Graves are both pushing hard wanting to break the top five. Campbell and Hewson still are in a fight for position as the flag approaches. Lawson wins this one, folks. Matthison wants to take fourth from Robbie Lyall on corrected time.
#10 Andy Lawson Kawasaki
The results:
1. #10 Andy Lawson Kawasaki
2. #55 Scott Campbell Yamaha
3. #19 Dave Hewson Yamaha
4. #104 Daley Mathison Suzuki
5. #43 Robbie Lyall Kawasaki
That's it for now. This is part one in a two part synopsis of the race. Will have day two action later. Stay tuned for part two, in the not too distant future.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Xavier Simeon @ Spa Francorchamps
Watch this epic video of Xavier Simeon thrashing his Moto 2 bike around Spa Francorchamps. He is riding a race ready Honda CBR600RR. Hmmm. I wonder about MotoGP racing at Spa. That would be fun, but perhaps, a bit too dangerous. Bikes speeding through Eau Rouge? Ooh. Fun! But, scary, too.
Dutch TT Preview
This weekend marks the 65th running of the Dutch TT at Assen in Holland, and it is also the next round of the MotoGP World Championship. Yours truly is looking forward to it. The races will be run on Saturday as opposed to Sunday. So, look for a race report on Saturday morning, with the usual reports following about Moto 2 and Moto 3, after that.
http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/motogp-assen-hosts-65th-dutch-tt/
http://moto-racing.speedtv.com/article/motogp-assen-hosts-65th-dutch-tt/
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
AMA Round 3: Triumph Superbike Classic presented by America's First Federal Credit Union
Here are the race results from round three of the AMA Pro Road Racing Championship at Barber Motorsports Park. The Triumph Superbike Classic presented by America's First Federal Credit Union.
Once again, Josh Hayes dominates both the AMA Superbike races, winning each of them, both 21 laps in length
#1 Josh Hayes Yamaha R1
Also on a Yamaha, Cameron Beaubier wins the AMA GoPro Daytona Sportbike division races, and sweeps both, just as Josh Hayes did in Superbike.
#6 Cameron Beaubier Yamaha YZF R6
Joe Roberts on his Honda CBR600RR mastered the field in both of the AMA Supersport races at Mid Ohio.
#2 Joe Roberts Honda CBR600RR
In the Harley Davidson class (the name used to be XR1200, but it may have been changed by the organizers), Steve Rapp was the winner. Rapp has experience in Superbike as well.
#5 Steve Rapp Harley Davidson
These races will be rebroadcast on TV. So, maybe, a follow up summary of some of them will come. Stay tuned, fans. The next race on the AMA schedule is the Buckeye Superbike Weekend, presented by Dunlop Tire at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, coming up in less than three weeks. It is scheduled for mid July.
Once again, Josh Hayes dominates both the AMA Superbike races, winning each of them, both 21 laps in length
#1 Josh Hayes Yamaha R1
Also on a Yamaha, Cameron Beaubier wins the AMA GoPro Daytona Sportbike division races, and sweeps both, just as Josh Hayes did in Superbike.
#6 Cameron Beaubier Yamaha YZF R6
Joe Roberts on his Honda CBR600RR mastered the field in both of the AMA Supersport races at Mid Ohio.
#2 Joe Roberts Honda CBR600RR
In the Harley Davidson class (the name used to be XR1200, but it may have been changed by the organizers), Steve Rapp was the winner. Rapp has experience in Superbike as well.
#5 Steve Rapp Harley Davidson
These races will be rebroadcast on TV. So, maybe, a follow up summary of some of them will come. Stay tuned, fans. The next race on the AMA schedule is the Buckeye Superbike Weekend, presented by Dunlop Tire at the Mid Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio, coming up in less than three weeks. It is scheduled for mid July.
Monday, June 24, 2013
2012 SBK dyno chart
Horsepower figures for the 2012 FIM World Superbikes, based on individual bikes tested on the dynomometer. Sourced from Facebook and that page that was mentioned here called 2Wheeled Racing News And Views.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)