A stand-in rider for Yamaha's World Superbike team, has been found, as Sylvain Guintoli continues to recover after his accident at Imola. Current MotoAmerica Yamaha racer, Cameron Beaubier will make his World Superbike debut, next weekend, at the Donington Park circuit in England.
http://www.motoamerica.com/beaubier-to-make-world-superbike-debut-at-donington-park
Saturday, May 21, 2016
Friday, May 20, 2016
more blog updates on the way
Stay tuned, for updates, on MotoGP, and also, from the Sepang, Malaysia round for World Superbike and World Supersport. Those updates, will be on the way, when yours truly, has ample time, to draft them.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
FIM Superstock 1000 Round 3: Imola, Italy
We are ready, for round three of the FIM Superstock 1000 European Cup! Two riders have won so far. Roberto Tamburini has pole, and he has yet to score points in the Cup, this year. Rain is forecast, here at Imola, this Sunday afternoon. Will we see it during the STK1000 race? Raffaele De Rosa, leads the championship in STK1000 for the Althea BMW team who also field Jordi Torres and Markus Reiterberger in World Superbike. De Rosa, won the last STK1000 race we saw, in Holland, at Assen. Weather conditions are like this, at post time. 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit) air temperature, and the track temperature is up slightly, to 22 degrees Celsius (71 degrees Fahrenheit). The pit lane will open momentarily. Raffaele De Rosa, has the points lead right now. He has five points over Michael Ruben Rinaldi. Leandro Mercado won the first race, at Aragon, Spain, but, he mixed tires at Assen and that didn't go so well. Mercado has a penalty point for causing a wreck in practice.
Marco Faccani (2014 Superstock 600 champ), is third. De Rosa, is fourth. Marco Faccani has not had all smooth sailing this season so far. He was supposed to be on the front row in Spain at Motorland Aragon for the season opener. However, he had an issue on the second warmup lap following that monster crash we had at the initial start of the race. Recall, that ten or eleven riders all spilled their bikes, at the outset of that race. That was a wild one to be sure. Will it be tamer here at Imola? No rider in this field has won in STK1000 at Imola. Lorenzo Savadori won in 2015, and Ondrej Jezek, in 2014. Ducati has had a great weekend in Superbike, with the double by Chaz Davies as you've already read about. Can they back up that success in Superstock 1000? We're going to find out, soon.
Leandro Mercado runs for the aruba.it Junior Team, and Marco Faccani is running with Triple M Racing. We look at Gregg Black on the #16 MTM/HS Kawasaki ZX10R. Black, is from Derby, England, and he'll be set to go, actually, next weekend, for his home race, at Donington Park. Details on that race, coming, at the end of this report. Remember, these guys do not run the flyaway races. They only run, in Europe. Luca Salvadori has done well on the #123 GP Project Aprilia RSV4 RF. Roberto Tamburini is on pole, for the first time this year, and for the fourth time in his career. Leandro Mercado is second. Marco Faccani rolls off third. Raffaele De Rosa is fourth, followed by Kevin Calia, Luca Salvadori, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, Toprak Razgatlioglu (making his first start of the season), and Luca Vitale.
Roberto Tamburini has not scored points yet this season, after moving from BMW to Aprilia. Pit lane is open and all the riders and their bikes are out on the speedway now. There was a horrid crash in STK1000 earlier this weekend. Leandro Mercado has been given a penalty point because of it. In practice, Mercado wiped out Federico D'Annunzio on the #41 BMW S1000RR for FDA Racing Team, his own team. D'Annunzio, was in pain, and he was so angry, he threw gravel at Leandro Mercado saying, "take that, you idiot!" D'Annunzio has every right to perhaps call Mercado a bad name, because this crash, took him out of this race, with a dislocated left shoulder. Ambition lets itself outweigh talent. The bikes are on their sighting lap.
There can be a big difference in speed between these riders. On the same section of track, Switzerland's Thomas Toffel was given a similar penalty, on the #34 Motos Vionnet BMW S1000RR. Toffel is a DNQ for this race. He was outside the 107% threshold and had to go home. So, a disappointment for Motos Vionnet. Michael Ruben Rinaldi is the "Mr. Smiley" of this paddock in WSBK and STK1000, much like Daniel Ricciardo in Formula 1 car racing. He has reason to smile, because he has been on the podium in the first two races. Let us take a look at the tires these blokes race on.
Very similar to Supersport, the Stock 1000 bikes are on the Pirelli Super Corse tire. These are tires that are confirmed legal by the DOT (Department of Transportation), and you can buy them, for your high performance motorcycle, if you own and ride one (a Ducati, Yamaha, Honda, BMW, Kawasaki etc.). You can buy the slick Pirelli tires used in World Superbike, to race track days with your road going bike. But, the difference is, with the Super Corse tires, those can be used on the road and bought by the customer. If you go to Pirelli's webpage, check out these tires, and those are the same ones these riders race on. That's what Superstock 1000 is all about. You don't have the advanced electronics, exhaust systems, brakes etc. you have on a Superbike. These are much closer to your road going motorcycle, except, turned into a racing bike.
Leandro Mercado is second. Marco Faccani is third. All three major classes have common tires to use in damp and full rain conditions. Raffaele De Rosa, rolls off fourth, as mentioned earlier. Lots of talent in this field even though this class is geared to gentlemen racers. There are some real pros in this field, who maybe just couldn't quite find success in Superbike. Kevin Calia is fifth. Luca Salvadori rolls off sixth. Seventh, is our aforementioned pal, Michael Ruben Rinaldi. Eighth is Toprak Ratzgatlioglu, the protege of Kenan Sofuoglu in World Supersport, who, you heard about in yesterday's race report, winning World Supersport.
Luca Vitali starts ninth. Rounding out the top ten is Sebastien Suchet. Both Yamaha STK1000 riders, Florian Marino and Ricardo Russo, are out of action, with broken legs. A couple motorcycle racing veterans are subbing for them including Louis Rossi, who we have heard of in Moto2 competition before, and Niccolo Canepa. Canepa, has been ill, with stomach ailments. Luca Marconi rolls off eleventh. Luca Marconi rolls off 11th, with Andrea Mantovani, next up. The weather should be OK and we'll get through this STK1000 race. The track is bone dry. But, the big challenge will be the narrow first turn. Louis Rossi starts 13th. The first turn is a big challenge.
Louis Rossi was racing for Yamaha in the FIM World Endurance Championship. But, after crashing in the first 24 hour race, the team said, "don't call us, we'll call you." Starting fourteenth, is a familiar name to Grand Prix motorcycle racing fans. Matteo Ferrari. He's a wildcard for this weekend's race on the DMR Racing BMW S1000RR. Fabio Massei is 15th. Another rider will not be able to start. Italian Roberto Mercandelli on the #93 Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX10R. He crashed in qualifying and as a result, Mercandelli fractured his right wrist and hurt his left wrist, too. He was checked out at the hospital. But, he won't race today. Neither will poor old Bryan Staring. Staring fractured his leg in training, and is recuperating.
We look again, at the front row. Facani, Tamburini, and Mercado. Will one of the Italian marques win at home at Imola in STK1000? We're about to find out. The rider who is caboose on this field, has a penalty in his future. That's Luca Oppedisano of Italy on the #91 Saviofficina Racing Team Kawasaki ZX10R. The bikes are on their warmup lap. The weather looks good. There are ominous dark clouds around the circuit. Let's hope they don't drop any rain. With 36 riders and bikes, we'll see if we get through the first corner on the first lap cleanly. That's a dozen bikes per mile of this 3 mile track at Imola.
Some major guests have been checking things out at Imola this weekend. Jack Miller (who was in the commentators booth for the World Supersport race), Loris Baz, and four-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing champion Kork Ballington, who won titles in the 1970s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kork_Ballington
Everyone is getting a feeling for the track on dry tires. Imola is a classic and unique race track. The bikes form up on the grid. Let's hope everyone gets through the Tambarello chicane, cleanly. Raffaele De Rosa won last time out at Assen by 10.1 seconds. It was the largest STK1000 winning margin since Sylvain Barrier won at the Nurburgring in 2012. Now, it's time, to bring the action! Superstock 1000 at Imola, is underway! Oh dear! Roberto Tamburini gets a bad start! Leandro Mercado leads this race, which will see a distance of 14 laps. Marco Faccani is second. Hold your breath. Is everyone going to get through without falling?
Phew! Yes! So far so good. Raffaele De Rosa passes Roberto Tamburini and we watch the Yamaha riders go at it. Remember, the fill-in riders for Yamaha are Louis Rossi and Niccolo Canepa. Leandro Mercado has the advantage as the bikes hit Tosa for the first time. Kevin Calia has also made a good start. Michael Ruben Rinaldi is in push, push, push mode, and he has jumped from seventh up to fourth already! Louis Rossi also picks up a few places. Raffaele De Rosa is going for it, sweeping up the inside of Kevin Calia! Roberto Tamburini is now up behind Kevin Calia. These two are team mates, as we hit the Variante Alta. Toprak Razgatlioglu has made a decent start in his first STK1000 race of 2016.
Luca Vitali and Sebastien Suchet were right with each other going through the corner. Louis Rossi is now attacking Fabio Massei for tenth place. Poor old Niccolo Canepa! He's sunk like a stone way down to 26th place. Again, he is team mate to Louis Rossi on the Yamaha YZF R1. Louis Rossi has cut the chicane at Variante Bassa, and has to stop for five seconds. Raffaele De Rosa is in a scrap with Michael Ruben Rinaldi. Marco Faccani meanwhile, wants to put pressure on Leandro Mercado. No one has jumped the start of this race. Oh dear. The black and orange mechanical black flags are flying. We have a rider in trouble. It is Marco Sbaiz, the Italian, on the #26 Berclaz Racing By MotoXRacing Yamaha YZF R1.
Sbaiz must be trailing smoke from the back of the motorcycle. Marco Facani is right behind Leandro Mercado, and we see Roberto Tamburini letting Michael Ruben Rinaldi know he's there. Poor old Tamburini or ("Tambu") as he's called, has dropped to sixth. De Rosa is pushing past Facani, and he's set the fastest lap of the race so far on the Althea BMW at 1:49.922. Tamburini follows Rinaldi. Lonely in seventh spot is Toprak Razgatlioglu. Luca Vitale is eighth, followed by Fabio Massei and Sebastien Suchet. Luca Salvadori has dropped places from where he started. Matteo Ferrari runs 12th and has an appropriate name to be racing with, here at Imola. Andrea Mantovani is 13th, followed by Jeremy Guarnoni, and in 15th, it's Alessandro Andreaozzi, of Italy, who had a big crash at Assen.
Andreaozzi also wrecked, in practice, here at Imola. But right now, he has the #121 Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX10R running just fine, in this race. Toprak Razgatlioglu weaves through Piratella and was a magnificent sight to see in Superstock 600 racing, last year. Raffaele De Rosa takes the lead of this motorcycle race, on lap three, from Leandro Mercado. Mercado does not want De Rosa to get in front. Why? De Rosa, will leave everyone else in his dust, whistling off into the distance. Someone has been off, indicated by tire tracks, through the gravel trap at the Villeneuve chicane. Right now it is Ducati, BMW, Ducati, Aprilia, the top four bikes.
Faccani runs wide through Aqua Minerale. Leandro Mercado didn't want to see this. But, Raffaele De Rosa, has made the pass, for the lead. We now have a scrap, between Marco Facani and Kevin Calia. Calia looks to be getting the better of Facani through the corner. Side by side through Rivazza! This is good stuff! Leandro Mercado has likely lost the fairing off his Ducati. The marshals should black flag him for that. No, it's not the fairing. It's the right side bodywork, that has come loose from the motorcycle. Despite the bodywork damage, Mercado is still giving De Rosa, a tough run for his money.
De Rosa has to ride on the defensive into Aqua Minerale. Kevin Calia sets a new fast lap record at 1:49.847. Calia and Facani are still chasing the top two. Michael Ruben Rinaldi holds fifth spot. Leandro Mercado makes a move on Raffaele De Rosa and takes the lead. Mercado leads as we work lap six. Nine laps left. Lap seven, next time around, is the halfway mark in this STK1000 contest. The top fifteen looks like this.
1. Leandro Mercado
2. Raffaele De Rosa
3. Kevin Calia
4. Marco Facani
5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi
6. Roberto Tamburini
7. Toprak Razgatlioglu
8. Luca Vitali
9. Sebastien Suchet
10. Luca Salvadori
11. Fabio Massei
12. Andrea Mantovani
13. Matteo Ferrari
14. Jeremy Guarnoni
15. Luca Marconi.
Raffaele De Rosa is pushing so hard, he almost runs up the back of Leandro Mercado! It's a battle for the lead, as Raffaele De Rosa slides past Leandro Mercado. Kevin Calia is right behind the Argentinian. Mercado is really pushing. He has an advantage over De Rosa, because the Ducati has more top end speed than the BMW does. Calia runs the fastest time of the top three at 1:49.946, while De Rosa and Mercado are in the 1:50 bracket. 1:50.094 for Mercado. 1:50.100 for De Rosa. Michael Ruben Rinaldi is fifth, and this could hurt him, in the points championship for the cup.
Under the bridge they come. The sound is tremendous, as the BMW and the Ducati, have very distinctive engine notes. Both are 1000cc displacement. But, it's a neat contrast between the wailing shriek of the BMW and the low rumble of the Ducati V Twin. 35 riders are still running. Marco Sbaiz is out, but, the last man in the field is Ukraine's Konstantin Pisarev. Pushing is De Rosa as he tries to pass Mercado. But, we've had a wreck! Michael Ruben Rinaldi has ditched the motorcycle! This is crucial. Rinaldi is second in the STK Cup standings to Raffaele De Rosa. The front end digs in and pitches Rinaldi off of the bike into Tambarello, with seven laps left.
More drama! Marco Faccani has also wiped out! We have some rain on the road, too. The temperature has also dropped. Faccani loses it early on the entry to Tosa, and tumbles off the bike. There is a huge black cloud at the middle of the track towards Tambarello and into Tosa. Does this mean we end another STK1000 race, early? Luca Vitali has passed Sebastien Suchet, and Luca Salvadori has passed Fabio Massei, too. We have a three-way battle for the lead. It's Mercado, De Rosa, and Calia. Michael Ruben Rinaldi has rejoined the race, and we hope there's no gravel spewed all over the speedway. Kevin Calia is the fastest man on this race track right now, with a lap record.
Kevin Calia has set a new lap record at Imola, 74 thousandths of a second quicker, than the 2015 lap record set by Roberto Tamburini. Tamburini's former record = 1:49.868. Calia's new record = 1:49.794. De Rosa and Mercado almost touch on the front straight! Louis Rossi has recovered back up to 23rd place. Michael Ruben Rinaldi has rejoined the race. But, he is way down in 34th spot. Mercado, has seemingly pulled the pin. He's stretching his lead to 6/10ths of a second. Mercado resets fastest lap with a new record at 1:49.659. Can Kevin Calia pass Raffaele De Rosa? Let's revisit the top 15 spots.
1. Leandro Mercado
2. Raffaele De Rosa
3. Kevin Calia
4. Roberto Tamburini
5. Toprak Razgatlioglu
6. Luca Vitali
7. Sebastien Suchet
8. Luca Salvadori
9. Fabio Massei
10. Andrea Mantovani
11. Jeremy Guarnoni
12. Matteo Ferrari
13. Luca Marconi
14. Niccolo Canepa
15. Alessandro Andreozzi
We have now passed 2/3rds distance (nine laps), and have five remaining. De Rosa is still at the sharp end. We've lost another rider as Luca Marconi has crashed out of 13th spot. He has fallen at Piratella. Four laps to go. Toprak Razgatlioglu flashes by on his Kawasaki ZX10R and has had a good race today. Louis Rossi is coming back through the pack after getting a penalty for cutting a corner. Rossi wants to get by Swiss rider Eric Vionnet. De Rosa wiggles through Aqua Minerale. That was a HUGE wiggle! We saw Sylvain Guintoli crash there in qualifying, and hurt himself, so he was not able to start the Superbike races.
Kevin Calia passes De Rosa. De Rosa has to watch out, because, he's the points leader in the STK1000 Euro Cup. Calia has his #74 Aprilia up to second place. Three laps left now. Kevin Calia is trying to challenge Leandro Mercado for the win. Calia has had one STK1000 podium, but has not won a race yet. Mercado begins pulling away from Kevin Calia. Kevin Calia wiggles the bike out of the final chicane at Rivazza. We have quite the battle raging for the back half of the top ten. Fabio Massei tries diving under Luca Vitali. Jeremy Guarnoni is at the back of this group, and has MotoGP rider Loris Baz here, spotting for him. Baz, of course, ran for Kawasaki in World Superbike a few years ago.
Sebastien Suchet heads a freight train of motorcycles up ahead of Guarnoni. Luca Vitali makes a late inside lunge, and makes it stick! Sebastien Suchet has a good line into Aqua Minerale. This battle is Suchet, Massei, Salvadori, Guarnoni, and at the end of the group are Matteo Ferrari and Niccolo Canepa. It's the final lap in STK1000. The top three are split apart. Leandro Mercado has riddent a great race even missing the bodywork from the side of his Ducati, revealing the mechanical workings of that motorcycle. Vitale, Suchet, and Guarnoni continue their fight as this race is nearly done and dusted, ladies and gentlemen. This is proper Superstock 1000 racing, at its best!
Suchet squeezes Massei into Villeneuve. Suchet and Massei are side by side! Guarnoni splits the Yamaha's and he's up to eighth place! Luca Savadori had a big slide through Tosa and that opened the door for Guarnoni to pass. But, despite the earlier heroics from Raffaele De Rosa, it is going to be Leandro Mercado, taking his second Superstock 1000 win of the season, here at Imola! Calia is second, with De Rosa, third. Mercado and De Rosa, are tied for the points lead! How close do you like it?
#36 Leandro Mercado ARG. Ducati 1199 Panigale R
Toprak Razgatlioglu is fifth. The final battle for the back half of the top dozen is in this order. Vitali, Suchet, Mantovani, Massei, Ferrari, Guarnoni, and Canepa. Luca Salvadori, after starting sixth, crashed his GP Project Aprilia, and he low sides his GP Project Aprilia a few hundred meters from home. Michael Ruben Rinaldi scores nil points. Leandro Mercado has done it again after disappointment at Assen. Two out of three for Mercado. Could Leandro Mercado run in Superbike next year? We'll see. Also, Emanuele Pusceddu is under investigation, but it does not matter. Raffaele De Rosa maintains his 100% podium finish record and is the only rider to finish on the podium in the first three races. De Rosa has his eighth straight podium.
The next race for these blokes, is at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England. It is the halfway mark in the cup season, round four of eight, and is coming up, next weekend.
Marco Faccani (2014 Superstock 600 champ), is third. De Rosa, is fourth. Marco Faccani has not had all smooth sailing this season so far. He was supposed to be on the front row in Spain at Motorland Aragon for the season opener. However, he had an issue on the second warmup lap following that monster crash we had at the initial start of the race. Recall, that ten or eleven riders all spilled their bikes, at the outset of that race. That was a wild one to be sure. Will it be tamer here at Imola? No rider in this field has won in STK1000 at Imola. Lorenzo Savadori won in 2015, and Ondrej Jezek, in 2014. Ducati has had a great weekend in Superbike, with the double by Chaz Davies as you've already read about. Can they back up that success in Superstock 1000? We're going to find out, soon.
Leandro Mercado runs for the aruba.it Junior Team, and Marco Faccani is running with Triple M Racing. We look at Gregg Black on the #16 MTM/HS Kawasaki ZX10R. Black, is from Derby, England, and he'll be set to go, actually, next weekend, for his home race, at Donington Park. Details on that race, coming, at the end of this report. Remember, these guys do not run the flyaway races. They only run, in Europe. Luca Salvadori has done well on the #123 GP Project Aprilia RSV4 RF. Roberto Tamburini is on pole, for the first time this year, and for the fourth time in his career. Leandro Mercado is second. Marco Faccani rolls off third. Raffaele De Rosa is fourth, followed by Kevin Calia, Luca Salvadori, Michael Ruben Rinaldi, Toprak Razgatlioglu (making his first start of the season), and Luca Vitale.
Roberto Tamburini has not scored points yet this season, after moving from BMW to Aprilia. Pit lane is open and all the riders and their bikes are out on the speedway now. There was a horrid crash in STK1000 earlier this weekend. Leandro Mercado has been given a penalty point because of it. In practice, Mercado wiped out Federico D'Annunzio on the #41 BMW S1000RR for FDA Racing Team, his own team. D'Annunzio, was in pain, and he was so angry, he threw gravel at Leandro Mercado saying, "take that, you idiot!" D'Annunzio has every right to perhaps call Mercado a bad name, because this crash, took him out of this race, with a dislocated left shoulder. Ambition lets itself outweigh talent. The bikes are on their sighting lap.
There can be a big difference in speed between these riders. On the same section of track, Switzerland's Thomas Toffel was given a similar penalty, on the #34 Motos Vionnet BMW S1000RR. Toffel is a DNQ for this race. He was outside the 107% threshold and had to go home. So, a disappointment for Motos Vionnet. Michael Ruben Rinaldi is the "Mr. Smiley" of this paddock in WSBK and STK1000, much like Daniel Ricciardo in Formula 1 car racing. He has reason to smile, because he has been on the podium in the first two races. Let us take a look at the tires these blokes race on.
Very similar to Supersport, the Stock 1000 bikes are on the Pirelli Super Corse tire. These are tires that are confirmed legal by the DOT (Department of Transportation), and you can buy them, for your high performance motorcycle, if you own and ride one (a Ducati, Yamaha, Honda, BMW, Kawasaki etc.). You can buy the slick Pirelli tires used in World Superbike, to race track days with your road going bike. But, the difference is, with the Super Corse tires, those can be used on the road and bought by the customer. If you go to Pirelli's webpage, check out these tires, and those are the same ones these riders race on. That's what Superstock 1000 is all about. You don't have the advanced electronics, exhaust systems, brakes etc. you have on a Superbike. These are much closer to your road going motorcycle, except, turned into a racing bike.
Leandro Mercado is second. Marco Faccani is third. All three major classes have common tires to use in damp and full rain conditions. Raffaele De Rosa, rolls off fourth, as mentioned earlier. Lots of talent in this field even though this class is geared to gentlemen racers. There are some real pros in this field, who maybe just couldn't quite find success in Superbike. Kevin Calia is fifth. Luca Salvadori rolls off sixth. Seventh, is our aforementioned pal, Michael Ruben Rinaldi. Eighth is Toprak Ratzgatlioglu, the protege of Kenan Sofuoglu in World Supersport, who, you heard about in yesterday's race report, winning World Supersport.
Luca Vitali starts ninth. Rounding out the top ten is Sebastien Suchet. Both Yamaha STK1000 riders, Florian Marino and Ricardo Russo, are out of action, with broken legs. A couple motorcycle racing veterans are subbing for them including Louis Rossi, who we have heard of in Moto2 competition before, and Niccolo Canepa. Canepa, has been ill, with stomach ailments. Luca Marconi rolls off eleventh. Luca Marconi rolls off 11th, with Andrea Mantovani, next up. The weather should be OK and we'll get through this STK1000 race. The track is bone dry. But, the big challenge will be the narrow first turn. Louis Rossi starts 13th. The first turn is a big challenge.
Louis Rossi was racing for Yamaha in the FIM World Endurance Championship. But, after crashing in the first 24 hour race, the team said, "don't call us, we'll call you." Starting fourteenth, is a familiar name to Grand Prix motorcycle racing fans. Matteo Ferrari. He's a wildcard for this weekend's race on the DMR Racing BMW S1000RR. Fabio Massei is 15th. Another rider will not be able to start. Italian Roberto Mercandelli on the #93 Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX10R. He crashed in qualifying and as a result, Mercandelli fractured his right wrist and hurt his left wrist, too. He was checked out at the hospital. But, he won't race today. Neither will poor old Bryan Staring. Staring fractured his leg in training, and is recuperating.
We look again, at the front row. Facani, Tamburini, and Mercado. Will one of the Italian marques win at home at Imola in STK1000? We're about to find out. The rider who is caboose on this field, has a penalty in his future. That's Luca Oppedisano of Italy on the #91 Saviofficina Racing Team Kawasaki ZX10R. The bikes are on their warmup lap. The weather looks good. There are ominous dark clouds around the circuit. Let's hope they don't drop any rain. With 36 riders and bikes, we'll see if we get through the first corner on the first lap cleanly. That's a dozen bikes per mile of this 3 mile track at Imola.
Some major guests have been checking things out at Imola this weekend. Jack Miller (who was in the commentators booth for the World Supersport race), Loris Baz, and four-time Grand Prix motorcycle racing champion Kork Ballington, who won titles in the 1970s.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kork_Ballington
Everyone is getting a feeling for the track on dry tires. Imola is a classic and unique race track. The bikes form up on the grid. Let's hope everyone gets through the Tambarello chicane, cleanly. Raffaele De Rosa won last time out at Assen by 10.1 seconds. It was the largest STK1000 winning margin since Sylvain Barrier won at the Nurburgring in 2012. Now, it's time, to bring the action! Superstock 1000 at Imola, is underway! Oh dear! Roberto Tamburini gets a bad start! Leandro Mercado leads this race, which will see a distance of 14 laps. Marco Faccani is second. Hold your breath. Is everyone going to get through without falling?
Phew! Yes! So far so good. Raffaele De Rosa passes Roberto Tamburini and we watch the Yamaha riders go at it. Remember, the fill-in riders for Yamaha are Louis Rossi and Niccolo Canepa. Leandro Mercado has the advantage as the bikes hit Tosa for the first time. Kevin Calia has also made a good start. Michael Ruben Rinaldi is in push, push, push mode, and he has jumped from seventh up to fourth already! Louis Rossi also picks up a few places. Raffaele De Rosa is going for it, sweeping up the inside of Kevin Calia! Roberto Tamburini is now up behind Kevin Calia. These two are team mates, as we hit the Variante Alta. Toprak Razgatlioglu has made a decent start in his first STK1000 race of 2016.
Luca Vitali and Sebastien Suchet were right with each other going through the corner. Louis Rossi is now attacking Fabio Massei for tenth place. Poor old Niccolo Canepa! He's sunk like a stone way down to 26th place. Again, he is team mate to Louis Rossi on the Yamaha YZF R1. Louis Rossi has cut the chicane at Variante Bassa, and has to stop for five seconds. Raffaele De Rosa is in a scrap with Michael Ruben Rinaldi. Marco Faccani meanwhile, wants to put pressure on Leandro Mercado. No one has jumped the start of this race. Oh dear. The black and orange mechanical black flags are flying. We have a rider in trouble. It is Marco Sbaiz, the Italian, on the #26 Berclaz Racing By MotoXRacing Yamaha YZF R1.
Sbaiz must be trailing smoke from the back of the motorcycle. Marco Facani is right behind Leandro Mercado, and we see Roberto Tamburini letting Michael Ruben Rinaldi know he's there. Poor old Tamburini or ("Tambu") as he's called, has dropped to sixth. De Rosa is pushing past Facani, and he's set the fastest lap of the race so far on the Althea BMW at 1:49.922. Tamburini follows Rinaldi. Lonely in seventh spot is Toprak Razgatlioglu. Luca Vitale is eighth, followed by Fabio Massei and Sebastien Suchet. Luca Salvadori has dropped places from where he started. Matteo Ferrari runs 12th and has an appropriate name to be racing with, here at Imola. Andrea Mantovani is 13th, followed by Jeremy Guarnoni, and in 15th, it's Alessandro Andreaozzi, of Italy, who had a big crash at Assen.
Andreaozzi also wrecked, in practice, here at Imola. But right now, he has the #121 Team Pedercini Kawasaki ZX10R running just fine, in this race. Toprak Razgatlioglu weaves through Piratella and was a magnificent sight to see in Superstock 600 racing, last year. Raffaele De Rosa takes the lead of this motorcycle race, on lap three, from Leandro Mercado. Mercado does not want De Rosa to get in front. Why? De Rosa, will leave everyone else in his dust, whistling off into the distance. Someone has been off, indicated by tire tracks, through the gravel trap at the Villeneuve chicane. Right now it is Ducati, BMW, Ducati, Aprilia, the top four bikes.
Faccani runs wide through Aqua Minerale. Leandro Mercado didn't want to see this. But, Raffaele De Rosa, has made the pass, for the lead. We now have a scrap, between Marco Facani and Kevin Calia. Calia looks to be getting the better of Facani through the corner. Side by side through Rivazza! This is good stuff! Leandro Mercado has likely lost the fairing off his Ducati. The marshals should black flag him for that. No, it's not the fairing. It's the right side bodywork, that has come loose from the motorcycle. Despite the bodywork damage, Mercado is still giving De Rosa, a tough run for his money.
De Rosa has to ride on the defensive into Aqua Minerale. Kevin Calia sets a new fast lap record at 1:49.847. Calia and Facani are still chasing the top two. Michael Ruben Rinaldi holds fifth spot. Leandro Mercado makes a move on Raffaele De Rosa and takes the lead. Mercado leads as we work lap six. Nine laps left. Lap seven, next time around, is the halfway mark in this STK1000 contest. The top fifteen looks like this.
1. Leandro Mercado
2. Raffaele De Rosa
3. Kevin Calia
4. Marco Facani
5. Michael Ruben Rinaldi
6. Roberto Tamburini
7. Toprak Razgatlioglu
8. Luca Vitali
9. Sebastien Suchet
10. Luca Salvadori
11. Fabio Massei
12. Andrea Mantovani
13. Matteo Ferrari
14. Jeremy Guarnoni
15. Luca Marconi.
Raffaele De Rosa is pushing so hard, he almost runs up the back of Leandro Mercado! It's a battle for the lead, as Raffaele De Rosa slides past Leandro Mercado. Kevin Calia is right behind the Argentinian. Mercado is really pushing. He has an advantage over De Rosa, because the Ducati has more top end speed than the BMW does. Calia runs the fastest time of the top three at 1:49.946, while De Rosa and Mercado are in the 1:50 bracket. 1:50.094 for Mercado. 1:50.100 for De Rosa. Michael Ruben Rinaldi is fifth, and this could hurt him, in the points championship for the cup.
Under the bridge they come. The sound is tremendous, as the BMW and the Ducati, have very distinctive engine notes. Both are 1000cc displacement. But, it's a neat contrast between the wailing shriek of the BMW and the low rumble of the Ducati V Twin. 35 riders are still running. Marco Sbaiz is out, but, the last man in the field is Ukraine's Konstantin Pisarev. Pushing is De Rosa as he tries to pass Mercado. But, we've had a wreck! Michael Ruben Rinaldi has ditched the motorcycle! This is crucial. Rinaldi is second in the STK Cup standings to Raffaele De Rosa. The front end digs in and pitches Rinaldi off of the bike into Tambarello, with seven laps left.
More drama! Marco Faccani has also wiped out! We have some rain on the road, too. The temperature has also dropped. Faccani loses it early on the entry to Tosa, and tumbles off the bike. There is a huge black cloud at the middle of the track towards Tambarello and into Tosa. Does this mean we end another STK1000 race, early? Luca Vitali has passed Sebastien Suchet, and Luca Salvadori has passed Fabio Massei, too. We have a three-way battle for the lead. It's Mercado, De Rosa, and Calia. Michael Ruben Rinaldi has rejoined the race, and we hope there's no gravel spewed all over the speedway. Kevin Calia is the fastest man on this race track right now, with a lap record.
Kevin Calia has set a new lap record at Imola, 74 thousandths of a second quicker, than the 2015 lap record set by Roberto Tamburini. Tamburini's former record = 1:49.868. Calia's new record = 1:49.794. De Rosa and Mercado almost touch on the front straight! Louis Rossi has recovered back up to 23rd place. Michael Ruben Rinaldi has rejoined the race. But, he is way down in 34th spot. Mercado, has seemingly pulled the pin. He's stretching his lead to 6/10ths of a second. Mercado resets fastest lap with a new record at 1:49.659. Can Kevin Calia pass Raffaele De Rosa? Let's revisit the top 15 spots.
1. Leandro Mercado
2. Raffaele De Rosa
3. Kevin Calia
4. Roberto Tamburini
5. Toprak Razgatlioglu
6. Luca Vitali
7. Sebastien Suchet
8. Luca Salvadori
9. Fabio Massei
10. Andrea Mantovani
11. Jeremy Guarnoni
12. Matteo Ferrari
13. Luca Marconi
14. Niccolo Canepa
15. Alessandro Andreozzi
We have now passed 2/3rds distance (nine laps), and have five remaining. De Rosa is still at the sharp end. We've lost another rider as Luca Marconi has crashed out of 13th spot. He has fallen at Piratella. Four laps to go. Toprak Razgatlioglu flashes by on his Kawasaki ZX10R and has had a good race today. Louis Rossi is coming back through the pack after getting a penalty for cutting a corner. Rossi wants to get by Swiss rider Eric Vionnet. De Rosa wiggles through Aqua Minerale. That was a HUGE wiggle! We saw Sylvain Guintoli crash there in qualifying, and hurt himself, so he was not able to start the Superbike races.
Kevin Calia passes De Rosa. De Rosa has to watch out, because, he's the points leader in the STK1000 Euro Cup. Calia has his #74 Aprilia up to second place. Three laps left now. Kevin Calia is trying to challenge Leandro Mercado for the win. Calia has had one STK1000 podium, but has not won a race yet. Mercado begins pulling away from Kevin Calia. Kevin Calia wiggles the bike out of the final chicane at Rivazza. We have quite the battle raging for the back half of the top ten. Fabio Massei tries diving under Luca Vitali. Jeremy Guarnoni is at the back of this group, and has MotoGP rider Loris Baz here, spotting for him. Baz, of course, ran for Kawasaki in World Superbike a few years ago.
Sebastien Suchet heads a freight train of motorcycles up ahead of Guarnoni. Luca Vitali makes a late inside lunge, and makes it stick! Sebastien Suchet has a good line into Aqua Minerale. This battle is Suchet, Massei, Salvadori, Guarnoni, and at the end of the group are Matteo Ferrari and Niccolo Canepa. It's the final lap in STK1000. The top three are split apart. Leandro Mercado has riddent a great race even missing the bodywork from the side of his Ducati, revealing the mechanical workings of that motorcycle. Vitale, Suchet, and Guarnoni continue their fight as this race is nearly done and dusted, ladies and gentlemen. This is proper Superstock 1000 racing, at its best!
Suchet squeezes Massei into Villeneuve. Suchet and Massei are side by side! Guarnoni splits the Yamaha's and he's up to eighth place! Luca Savadori had a big slide through Tosa and that opened the door for Guarnoni to pass. But, despite the earlier heroics from Raffaele De Rosa, it is going to be Leandro Mercado, taking his second Superstock 1000 win of the season, here at Imola! Calia is second, with De Rosa, third. Mercado and De Rosa, are tied for the points lead! How close do you like it?
#36 Leandro Mercado ARG. Ducati 1199 Panigale R
Toprak Razgatlioglu is fifth. The final battle for the back half of the top dozen is in this order. Vitali, Suchet, Mantovani, Massei, Ferrari, Guarnoni, and Canepa. Luca Salvadori, after starting sixth, crashed his GP Project Aprilia, and he low sides his GP Project Aprilia a few hundred meters from home. Michael Ruben Rinaldi scores nil points. Leandro Mercado has done it again after disappointment at Assen. Two out of three for Mercado. Could Leandro Mercado run in Superbike next year? We'll see. Also, Emanuele Pusceddu is under investigation, but it does not matter. Raffaele De Rosa maintains his 100% podium finish record and is the only rider to finish on the podium in the first three races. De Rosa has his eighth straight podium.
The next race for these blokes, is at Donington Park in Leicestershire, England. It is the halfway mark in the cup season, round four of eight, and is coming up, next weekend.
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
FIM World Supersport: Imola, Italy
We are at Imola in Italy, for round five of the FIM World Supersport Championship. Rain is on the horizon. We have had four different winners in four races, including Randy Krummenacher, Jules Cluzel, Kenan Sofuoglu, and Kyle Smith. Will we see our first repeat winner in 2016? Stay tuned, to find out. We have had heavy rains in Italy, overnight, and it's still raining, as we approach the start of the World Supersport race. Looking at the temperatures, right now, it is 15 degrees Celsius (59 degrees Fahrenheit), air temperature, and 19 degrees Celsius (66 degrees), track temperature. Will we see weather changes? Rain was supposed to be falling, but there's none seen in Emilia Romagna right now. We have a huge crowd on hand.
Mist is hanging in the park, among the trees, here at Imola right now. Randy Krummenacher has a ten point lead in the championship over his Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team mate, Kenan Sofuoglu. Randy Krummenacher has to try and beat Sofuoglu, who has a riding style, that this track at Imola, suits. Jules Cluzel is on pole. MotoGP rider Jack Miller, joins world feed commentators for WSBK, Greg Haines and Steve English. We have 17 laps scheduled for this WSSP race, and if we have to shorten it for any reason, 2/3rds distance, would mean ending the race on lap 11. Jules Cluzel surprised everyone with his pole position run. Cluzel has the confidence. Zulfahmi Khairuddin went through Super Pole 1 and Super Pole 2, ending up 11th on the grid, and he has adapted to World Supersport, after coming from Moto3.
Randy Krummenacher, a similar situation, after struggling on a Moto2 bike for a few years. Alessandro Zaccone on the #61 San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki ZX6R is the quickest ESS rider. Remember, ESS is the European Supersport Cup, where these riders, are racing, for their own championship, only competing, in Europe, very similar to the Superstock 1000 bikes, and you will hear about STK1000 from Imola, soon, here on 2 Wheelin' Stay tuned for that, as we now focus on WorldSSP. P.J. Jacobsen has to bounce back, and score points. Last time out at Assen, in Holland, he went through the whole spectrum of emotions, crashing, a number of times, and after one wreck, only going out and crashing, again.
P.J. Jacobsen, will be looking to definitely score points, here at Imola. The bikes are on their sighting lap at this time. P.J.Jacobsen, has been linked, to a move, from Supersport, to Moto2 competition. The Moto2 bikes are prototype machines as opposed to production based motorcycles like they are here in Supersport. But, Sam Lowes, and Franco Morbidelli, who started their careers on production based 600cc motorcycles, are two examples, of riders, who are doing well in Moto2 at the moment. 600cc bikes make for some great racing as we see Jules Cluzel starting from pole.
Kenan Sofuoglu has picked up his 17th straight front row start. Sofuoglu has raced in World Supersport now, for ten years, so, it is doubtful he'd move up to World Superbike, or to MotoGP. But, in that time, he has become a great rider on these 600cc bikes. Patrick Jacobsen is third. Randy Krummenacher starts fourth. Ayrton Badovini is sixth. Badovini is riding in place of the injured Glenn Scott on the #86 Gemar Balloons - Team Lorini Hond CBR600RR. Lorenzo Zanetti starts fifth on the #87 MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta F3 675.
Zanetti is the only rider, other than Kenan Sofuoglu, who has won a World Supersport race here, at Imola. He did so two years ago (in 2014), on a Honda. Zanetti is running an Ayrton Senna tribute crash helmet, because this race, falls, 22 years, to the day, May 1st, 1994, that the great Formula 1 champion, Ayrton Senna, was killed, here at Imola. So was then F1 rookie, Roland Ratzenberger. Federico Caricasulo is seventh. Alex Baldolini will roll off in eighth place. Five minutes until the race start for the 600s. Kyle Ryde is making his debut in WSSP at Imola, much like Nicky Hayden did in Superbike, highlighted yesterday.
Gino Rea is ninth on the grid on the GRT Racing Team MV Agusta, and rounding out the top ten qualifiers, will be Ondrej Jezek for GoEleven Kawasaki. Zulfahmi Khairuddin starts eleventh. Nicolas Terol rolls off 13th. Kyle Smith is 14th. He is riding the #111 CIA Landlord Insurance Honda CBR600RR. Alessandro Zaccone is 12th. Jules Cluzel, is going to lead this field, from his third consecutive Imola pole. Because of technical issues in Superpole, Luke Stapleford (another contender in the Supersport division), is right at the back of this 37 bike field. He is 36th out of 37. Canadian Braeden Ortt is caboose on this field and has a penalty.
Dark clouds are surrounding the speedway here at Imola. Will the skies open during the Supersport race? It looks as if the clouds appear at Rivazza and also at Piratella. Again, if it begins raining hard and we are past halfway in the race, it will be called official. Braeden Ortt, the Canadian rider mentioned earlier, is in pit lane. Let's hope he can make the start, from pit lane, and we will have a full, massive field, of 37 motorcycles, ready to bring the thunder, in World Supersport, here at Imola. The revs come up. Great to have you with us, for this fifth round of World Supersport, at Imola. Here come the lights.
Go! Who will lead down to the first corner? Jules Cluzel leads Kenan Sofuoglu. Cluzel holds the lead as they speed through Tambarello for the first time. Tipping it left for the Villeneuve chicane, it looks like this massive field of 600cc motorcycles, might get through cleanly. Randy Krummenacher has made a good start, and is up to third. He has passed P.J. Jacobsen. Jacobsen is fourth, as the riders head to Tosa for the first time. Randy Krummenacher has caught Kenan Sofuoglu. As we start this 17 lap race, there are damp patches on the speedway already. Alessandro Zaccone is starting to make up ground already. Cluzel leads, from Sofuoglu and Krummnenacher.
Alex Baldolini wiggles his motorcycle and has to sit up through Aqua Minerale for the first time. Sofuoglu makes a move for the lead as we really don't see anyone taking risks in the first couple laps. Sofuoglu runs wide into the Villeneuve chicane and Jules Cluzel says, "merci beaucoup" and moves into the race lead. Krummenacher is also right there. P.J. Jacobsen has also caught the Kawasaki's. He's running fourth right now. On lap two of 17, only 1.6 seconds covers the top eight riders. Sofuoglu, Cluzel, Krummenacher, Jacobsen, Federico Caricasulo, Ayrton Badovini, Alessandro Zaccone, and Lorenzo Zanetti.
If rain comes, lap 11 is the cutoff. So, these boys are definitely running in sprint mode as Caricasulo wants to make a move. Nobody jumped the start. Everyone is looking for the right line on the road at the moment. Uh oh. There could be problems, for Kenan Sofuoglu. Smoke appears from the back of his Kawasaki ZX6R. Correction. It's the team bike of Randy Krummenacher. Oil smoke emanates from the tailpipe. Sofuoglu is being shown the mechanical black flag or "meatball" flag (a black flag, with a red dot), because of the oil smoke. Sofuoglu, the championship leader, will have to pull off the track.
Sofuoglu makes a move, and he still has not pulled off the road even though he knows he needs to. We have a red flag out on the track as well. Krummenacher's Kawasaki is also smoking, and as the riders slow down, they are making him aware of that. The red flag, could be for two reasons. Oil has been dropped all over the road. Or, there has also been a wreck. Christian Gammarino has ditched his bike at Variante Alta. Gamarino is on the #11 Team GoEleven Kawasaki ZX6R. Game over for Gamarino. Krummenacher is now under investigation by the stewards, as we see the Gamarino incident in replay.
Christian Gammarino got on the grass, tried to ride over it, and lost control, with the motorcycle fishtailing and landing Gammarino... bonk!, right on his shoulder. The bike is right in the middle of the racing line, hence the red flag. Illia Michalchik ran off the road in avoidance, on his #55 DS Junior Team Kawasaki ZX6R. If the bike can run, Gammarino will try getting it back to the pits, to fix it, just as P.J. Jacobsen did in the last round at Assen. The red flag is out, and Randy Krummenacher is grass tracking his Kawasaki because if he rides on the racing line, he fears the bike will puke oil everywhere.
Maybe oil is not even the issue, even though Krummenacher's motorcycle, was smoking earlier, as the rest of the riders head to pit lane and the garages. Race control says Krummenacher will not be allowed to restart the race. He dumped so much oil, and ignored the warning flags. It's game over for Randy Krummenacher. If you still have power from the motorcycle, you'll keep going. If there is something wrong with the bike, that is understandable. But, maybe the fairing is being touched by the exhaust pipe, creating the smoke. Spare a thought for Randy Krummenacher, because he was putting on a spirited ride before retiring from this race.
There was a similar incident in a 2014 MotoGP race at Sepang (which you likely read about here on 2 Wheelin'), where Pol Espargaro had smoke spewing from the Tech3 Yamaha, and fellow rider Scott Redding was flagging him down. On that occasion, the oil leaked onto the rear tire, and threw Espargaro off the motorcycle in turn one. Randy Krummenacher is back in the garage, having a heated discussion with crew chief Andrew Pitt. Scott Smart, from the FIM is also in this discussion. Krummencher rode past the black flag, and because he didn't pull off to the side of the road, he won't be able to restart this race. Indeed it is game over for Krummenacher.
This race is null and void, and we will restart the race, with the quick start procedure, going on another warm up lap, and we will restart this race a bit later on. Janos Chrobak was very fortunate to avoid Christian Gammarino's spilled bike. Someone could put fresh tires on for the second half of this race. Well, the second start, more or less. We may be in for a battle between Kenan Sofuoglu and Jules Cluzel. Pit lane will open seven minutes from now, and there will be a warmup lap, the grid will be set, and another warmup lap, before restarting the race. Javier Orellana is in pit lane. But, he has parted company with Wilsport Racedays Honda.
Australian rider Jed Metcher is his replacement. In two rounds time, at Donington Park in England, we could have Hikari Okubo and Tom Sykes, doing Elvis, karaoke style. Hmmm. A little concert, before the race. How entertaining. Anyhow, how many points will Cluzel and Sofuoglu make up? Pit lane opens in two minutes. Christian Gammarino is fine, after his crash. Braeden Ortt will start from the grid. We have 35 bikes starting. A new rider is running on the #81 Profile Racing Triumph Daytona 675. Luke Stapleford had a falling out with the team, and team principal Simon Buckmaster has hired Sweden's Christoffer Bergman, who was riding another bike before that, (the CIA Landlord Insurance Honda CBR600RR).
The bikes are now on their sighting lap. Nico Terol has had a hard time in WSBK. He was dropped by Althea, and raced for MV Agusta. But he is now running well in WSSP. He is a 125cc champion and a Moto2 race winner. Terol was running for Althea when they ran Ducati's last year. Christian Gammarino is now ready to restart this race from 18th on the grid. We will restart and run this race for eleven laps. The riders are out on their warm up lap. Gino Rea will start from pit lane for the restart. Will he start? Or, does he have a problem? A bitter disappointment for Gino Rea. He was on the podium in Holland, last time out. This should be a three man race, between Sofuoglu, Jacobsen, and Cluzel.
We're ready, for a restart in WSSP at Imola! Go! Kenan Sofuoglu shoots up alongside Jules Cluzel. Cluzel dives into Tambarello later on the brakes, and takes the race lead. The field goes cleanly through Tambarello for the first time. Through the Villeneuve chicane, Sofuoglu is all over Cluzel like el cheapo suito here. Cluzel leads, Sofuoglu second, Jacobsen third, and Ayrton Badovini is also moving up. He is up to fourth spot on bike #86. Alex Baldolini is fifth, with two more Italian riders in hot pursuit. Lorenzo Zanetti and Federico Caricasulo. Sofuoglu leads. Will he and Jules Cluzel be able to break away from P.J. Jacobsen and Ayrton Badovini?
Zanetti passes Baldolini running deep into the corner. Sofuoglu has the advantage at the moment. Federico Caricasulo is seventh. Alessandro Zaccone is the leading ESS rider. He is running eighth. Ondrej Jezek and Nico Terol complete the top ten. Assen winner Kyle Smith is way down in 15th. P.J. Jacobsen has moved up to second place. P.J. Jacobsen runs ahead of Jules Cluzel, and meanwhile, Cluzel is falling into the clutches of Ayrton Badovini on the #86 Gemar Balloons - Team Lorini Honda CBR600RR. Badovini has lots of experience.
Right behind them, is Lorenzo Zanetti followed by Federico Caricasulo, and Alex Baldolini is also there. Through Aqua Minerale, Cluzel hesitates to put the power down on that MV Agusta F3 675. Badovini is gaining on Cluzel. Caricasulo passes Alessandro Zaccone through Rivazza. Zulfahmi Khairuddin is in trouble. He's sinking like a stone, as Kenan Sofuoglu sets fastest lap of this race so far at 1:52.512. Lorenzo Zanetti (who won for Honda in WSSP here at Imola in 2014), has passed his MV Agusta team mate, Jules Cluzel. Game over for Zulfahmi Khairuddin. If a rider overshoots one of the chicanes, they have to wait five seconds and then, they are released by the marshal.
Jacobsen and Zanetti are closing on Sofuoglu. New fast lap. Federico Caricasulo runs a 1:52.350. Caricasulo is seventh as Zanetti wants to dive by Badovini into the Villeneuve chicane. Badovini has done well. Hikari Okubo and Braeden Ortt have both crashed out. Into Aqua Minerale, Ayrton Badovini and Baldolini battle with Zannetti. Stefan Hill is also having issues. Hill has pulled off at Rivazza where he also had a wreck on Friday. P.J. Jacobsen is faster during the first part of the lap, and then, on the second half of the course, Kenan Sofuoglu has the edge.
Gino Rea continues to have issues as he crashes through Rivazza, rejoins the race, but can't keep the motorcycle together. Gino Rea, lays his bike down through Rivazza and he's right up against the motorcycle of Christian Gammarino who has already wrecked once in this race, grinding along the pavement. Gino Rea has actually managed to rejoin this race after that little incident. Fastest lap for Sofuoglu. He brings it down to a 1:51.986. Jules Cluzel has caught P.J. Jacobsen as we approach the halfway mark in this race.
Yellow flags are out at Variante Bassa, because of all the gravel that has been kicked up there. Looking at the trap speeds, Zanetti is fastest of all, running 258.6 kilometers an hour (161.625 miles an hour). Oh dear! Another crash! Italian wildcard rider Michael Canducci has crashed his #65 Green Speed Kawasaki ZX6R. Kyle Ryde also crashes at turn one, Tambarello. No. Ryde has not gone down. Ondrej Jezek is running well. His name, translates, to... get this!... Andrew Hedgehog! There was a car racer, named Giovanni Lavaggi, and his name, translated to, Johnny Carwash, in English. So, we have Andrew Hedgehog, and Johnny Carwash! Oh dear! How embarrassing!
Ondrej Jezek came up through Superstock 1000 racing, a class you will hear about, from their race, here at Imola as well. Cluzel is now right behind Jacobsen. Kenan Sofuoglu is likely going to extend his lead. P.J. Jacobsen is pushing, and Jules Cluzel is struggling with the MV Agusta at the moment. Track conditions continue to change. Jacobsen slides the Honda CBR600 as he mashes the gas. Tosa and Variante Alta are the two places where this happens the most. Looking at the fastest laps of four of the top six riders, Alex Baldolini has the fastest one at 1:52.429.
This race, signals a change in the points lead. Kenan Sofuoglu, will take the points lead away from Randy Krummenacher, who has led since the season opener in Australia at Phillip Island, back in February. The next race, is in Malaysia. Stay tuned for further details, after this thrilling race at Imola, concludes. Ayrton Badovini has dropped back behind Federico Caricasulo. He has also lost a spot to Alessandro Zaccone. Ondrej Jezek, our buddy, Mr. Hedgehog, is catching Ayrton Badovini for eighth spot. Tenth through fifteenth is Nico Terol, Robbie Rolfo, Kevin Wahr (on the team bike to Ayrton Badovini), Kyle Smith, (who has had a real costly weekend here at Imola), Axel Bassani, and Ilya Mikhalchik.
Kyle Ryde is still racing, in 17th spot. Jules Cluzel passes Lorenzo Zanetti. Kyle Smith, who won at Assen, last time out, is only going to score three points, finishing 13th. 13 is not his lucky number today, folks. We have yellow flags waving at Piratella. Kenan Sofuoglu is gapping his competition. Now, about the yellow at Piratella. Hungarian rider Janos Chrobak has crashed out of this one. Chrobak is on the #119 Schmidt Racing MV Agusta F3 675. He is team mates with Nico Terol on that Schmidt Racing squad. Baldolini and Caricasulo, meanwhile, nearly have a coming together. Those two got through Tosa corner cleanly. Correction, it was Lorenzo Zanetti.
Baldolini has broken away from Zanetti. Caricasulo and Lorenzo Zaccone battle for sixth and seventh. Rather, Caricasulo has sixth, and Zaccone, wants it. Cluzel is chipping away at Sofuoglu. But, the charge, for Jules Cluzel, has perhaps come too little too late. Zanetti, Caricasulo, and Zaccone, have not finished their scrap for position yet, even though this race, is drawing to a close. Sofuoglu leads Cluzel by 1.1 seconds. Caricasulo wiggles and holds onto his bike. It is the final lap. Zaccone is looking to fight Caricasulo through Piratella on the run down to Aqua Minerale.
Cluzel has put up a good fight. But, he is one second behind Kenan Sofuoglu. Kenan Sofuoglu will become the first repeat winner in FIM World Supersport in 2016. P.J. Jacobsen will have his first podium finish, since Thailand. Into the Variante Bassa for the final time, Kenan Sofuoglu wins for the second time, leading the points! Ondrej Jezek has passed Caricasulo. Zaccone also passes Zanetti.
#1 Kenan Sofuoglu TUR. Kawasaki ZX6R
Sofuoglu has his second win, his 73rd podium, and the 34th win of his WSSP career. The next race for FIM World Supersport, happened at the Sepang Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Stay tuned, for that race report, coming soon.
Mist is hanging in the park, among the trees, here at Imola right now. Randy Krummenacher has a ten point lead in the championship over his Kawasaki Puccetti Racing team mate, Kenan Sofuoglu. Randy Krummenacher has to try and beat Sofuoglu, who has a riding style, that this track at Imola, suits. Jules Cluzel is on pole. MotoGP rider Jack Miller, joins world feed commentators for WSBK, Greg Haines and Steve English. We have 17 laps scheduled for this WSSP race, and if we have to shorten it for any reason, 2/3rds distance, would mean ending the race on lap 11. Jules Cluzel surprised everyone with his pole position run. Cluzel has the confidence. Zulfahmi Khairuddin went through Super Pole 1 and Super Pole 2, ending up 11th on the grid, and he has adapted to World Supersport, after coming from Moto3.
Randy Krummenacher, a similar situation, after struggling on a Moto2 bike for a few years. Alessandro Zaccone on the #61 San Carlo Team Italia Kawasaki ZX6R is the quickest ESS rider. Remember, ESS is the European Supersport Cup, where these riders, are racing, for their own championship, only competing, in Europe, very similar to the Superstock 1000 bikes, and you will hear about STK1000 from Imola, soon, here on 2 Wheelin' Stay tuned for that, as we now focus on WorldSSP. P.J. Jacobsen has to bounce back, and score points. Last time out at Assen, in Holland, he went through the whole spectrum of emotions, crashing, a number of times, and after one wreck, only going out and crashing, again.
P.J. Jacobsen, will be looking to definitely score points, here at Imola. The bikes are on their sighting lap at this time. P.J.Jacobsen, has been linked, to a move, from Supersport, to Moto2 competition. The Moto2 bikes are prototype machines as opposed to production based motorcycles like they are here in Supersport. But, Sam Lowes, and Franco Morbidelli, who started their careers on production based 600cc motorcycles, are two examples, of riders, who are doing well in Moto2 at the moment. 600cc bikes make for some great racing as we see Jules Cluzel starting from pole.
Kenan Sofuoglu has picked up his 17th straight front row start. Sofuoglu has raced in World Supersport now, for ten years, so, it is doubtful he'd move up to World Superbike, or to MotoGP. But, in that time, he has become a great rider on these 600cc bikes. Patrick Jacobsen is third. Randy Krummenacher starts fourth. Ayrton Badovini is sixth. Badovini is riding in place of the injured Glenn Scott on the #86 Gemar Balloons - Team Lorini Hond CBR600RR. Lorenzo Zanetti starts fifth on the #87 MV Agusta Reparto Corse MV Agusta F3 675.
Zanetti is the only rider, other than Kenan Sofuoglu, who has won a World Supersport race here, at Imola. He did so two years ago (in 2014), on a Honda. Zanetti is running an Ayrton Senna tribute crash helmet, because this race, falls, 22 years, to the day, May 1st, 1994, that the great Formula 1 champion, Ayrton Senna, was killed, here at Imola. So was then F1 rookie, Roland Ratzenberger. Federico Caricasulo is seventh. Alex Baldolini will roll off in eighth place. Five minutes until the race start for the 600s. Kyle Ryde is making his debut in WSSP at Imola, much like Nicky Hayden did in Superbike, highlighted yesterday.
Gino Rea is ninth on the grid on the GRT Racing Team MV Agusta, and rounding out the top ten qualifiers, will be Ondrej Jezek for GoEleven Kawasaki. Zulfahmi Khairuddin starts eleventh. Nicolas Terol rolls off 13th. Kyle Smith is 14th. He is riding the #111 CIA Landlord Insurance Honda CBR600RR. Alessandro Zaccone is 12th. Jules Cluzel, is going to lead this field, from his third consecutive Imola pole. Because of technical issues in Superpole, Luke Stapleford (another contender in the Supersport division), is right at the back of this 37 bike field. He is 36th out of 37. Canadian Braeden Ortt is caboose on this field and has a penalty.
Dark clouds are surrounding the speedway here at Imola. Will the skies open during the Supersport race? It looks as if the clouds appear at Rivazza and also at Piratella. Again, if it begins raining hard and we are past halfway in the race, it will be called official. Braeden Ortt, the Canadian rider mentioned earlier, is in pit lane. Let's hope he can make the start, from pit lane, and we will have a full, massive field, of 37 motorcycles, ready to bring the thunder, in World Supersport, here at Imola. The revs come up. Great to have you with us, for this fifth round of World Supersport, at Imola. Here come the lights.
Go! Who will lead down to the first corner? Jules Cluzel leads Kenan Sofuoglu. Cluzel holds the lead as they speed through Tambarello for the first time. Tipping it left for the Villeneuve chicane, it looks like this massive field of 600cc motorcycles, might get through cleanly. Randy Krummenacher has made a good start, and is up to third. He has passed P.J. Jacobsen. Jacobsen is fourth, as the riders head to Tosa for the first time. Randy Krummenacher has caught Kenan Sofuoglu. As we start this 17 lap race, there are damp patches on the speedway already. Alessandro Zaccone is starting to make up ground already. Cluzel leads, from Sofuoglu and Krummnenacher.
Alex Baldolini wiggles his motorcycle and has to sit up through Aqua Minerale for the first time. Sofuoglu makes a move for the lead as we really don't see anyone taking risks in the first couple laps. Sofuoglu runs wide into the Villeneuve chicane and Jules Cluzel says, "merci beaucoup" and moves into the race lead. Krummenacher is also right there. P.J. Jacobsen has also caught the Kawasaki's. He's running fourth right now. On lap two of 17, only 1.6 seconds covers the top eight riders. Sofuoglu, Cluzel, Krummenacher, Jacobsen, Federico Caricasulo, Ayrton Badovini, Alessandro Zaccone, and Lorenzo Zanetti.
If rain comes, lap 11 is the cutoff. So, these boys are definitely running in sprint mode as Caricasulo wants to make a move. Nobody jumped the start. Everyone is looking for the right line on the road at the moment. Uh oh. There could be problems, for Kenan Sofuoglu. Smoke appears from the back of his Kawasaki ZX6R. Correction. It's the team bike of Randy Krummenacher. Oil smoke emanates from the tailpipe. Sofuoglu is being shown the mechanical black flag or "meatball" flag (a black flag, with a red dot), because of the oil smoke. Sofuoglu, the championship leader, will have to pull off the track.
Sofuoglu makes a move, and he still has not pulled off the road even though he knows he needs to. We have a red flag out on the track as well. Krummenacher's Kawasaki is also smoking, and as the riders slow down, they are making him aware of that. The red flag, could be for two reasons. Oil has been dropped all over the road. Or, there has also been a wreck. Christian Gammarino has ditched his bike at Variante Alta. Gamarino is on the #11 Team GoEleven Kawasaki ZX6R. Game over for Gamarino. Krummenacher is now under investigation by the stewards, as we see the Gamarino incident in replay.
Christian Gammarino got on the grass, tried to ride over it, and lost control, with the motorcycle fishtailing and landing Gammarino... bonk!, right on his shoulder. The bike is right in the middle of the racing line, hence the red flag. Illia Michalchik ran off the road in avoidance, on his #55 DS Junior Team Kawasaki ZX6R. If the bike can run, Gammarino will try getting it back to the pits, to fix it, just as P.J. Jacobsen did in the last round at Assen. The red flag is out, and Randy Krummenacher is grass tracking his Kawasaki because if he rides on the racing line, he fears the bike will puke oil everywhere.
Maybe oil is not even the issue, even though Krummenacher's motorcycle, was smoking earlier, as the rest of the riders head to pit lane and the garages. Race control says Krummenacher will not be allowed to restart the race. He dumped so much oil, and ignored the warning flags. It's game over for Randy Krummenacher. If you still have power from the motorcycle, you'll keep going. If there is something wrong with the bike, that is understandable. But, maybe the fairing is being touched by the exhaust pipe, creating the smoke. Spare a thought for Randy Krummenacher, because he was putting on a spirited ride before retiring from this race.
There was a similar incident in a 2014 MotoGP race at Sepang (which you likely read about here on 2 Wheelin'), where Pol Espargaro had smoke spewing from the Tech3 Yamaha, and fellow rider Scott Redding was flagging him down. On that occasion, the oil leaked onto the rear tire, and threw Espargaro off the motorcycle in turn one. Randy Krummenacher is back in the garage, having a heated discussion with crew chief Andrew Pitt. Scott Smart, from the FIM is also in this discussion. Krummencher rode past the black flag, and because he didn't pull off to the side of the road, he won't be able to restart this race. Indeed it is game over for Krummenacher.
This race is null and void, and we will restart the race, with the quick start procedure, going on another warm up lap, and we will restart this race a bit later on. Janos Chrobak was very fortunate to avoid Christian Gammarino's spilled bike. Someone could put fresh tires on for the second half of this race. Well, the second start, more or less. We may be in for a battle between Kenan Sofuoglu and Jules Cluzel. Pit lane will open seven minutes from now, and there will be a warmup lap, the grid will be set, and another warmup lap, before restarting the race. Javier Orellana is in pit lane. But, he has parted company with Wilsport Racedays Honda.
Australian rider Jed Metcher is his replacement. In two rounds time, at Donington Park in England, we could have Hikari Okubo and Tom Sykes, doing Elvis, karaoke style. Hmmm. A little concert, before the race. How entertaining. Anyhow, how many points will Cluzel and Sofuoglu make up? Pit lane opens in two minutes. Christian Gammarino is fine, after his crash. Braeden Ortt will start from the grid. We have 35 bikes starting. A new rider is running on the #81 Profile Racing Triumph Daytona 675. Luke Stapleford had a falling out with the team, and team principal Simon Buckmaster has hired Sweden's Christoffer Bergman, who was riding another bike before that, (the CIA Landlord Insurance Honda CBR600RR).
The bikes are now on their sighting lap. Nico Terol has had a hard time in WSBK. He was dropped by Althea, and raced for MV Agusta. But he is now running well in WSSP. He is a 125cc champion and a Moto2 race winner. Terol was running for Althea when they ran Ducati's last year. Christian Gammarino is now ready to restart this race from 18th on the grid. We will restart and run this race for eleven laps. The riders are out on their warm up lap. Gino Rea will start from pit lane for the restart. Will he start? Or, does he have a problem? A bitter disappointment for Gino Rea. He was on the podium in Holland, last time out. This should be a three man race, between Sofuoglu, Jacobsen, and Cluzel.
We're ready, for a restart in WSSP at Imola! Go! Kenan Sofuoglu shoots up alongside Jules Cluzel. Cluzel dives into Tambarello later on the brakes, and takes the race lead. The field goes cleanly through Tambarello for the first time. Through the Villeneuve chicane, Sofuoglu is all over Cluzel like el cheapo suito here. Cluzel leads, Sofuoglu second, Jacobsen third, and Ayrton Badovini is also moving up. He is up to fourth spot on bike #86. Alex Baldolini is fifth, with two more Italian riders in hot pursuit. Lorenzo Zanetti and Federico Caricasulo. Sofuoglu leads. Will he and Jules Cluzel be able to break away from P.J. Jacobsen and Ayrton Badovini?
Zanetti passes Baldolini running deep into the corner. Sofuoglu has the advantage at the moment. Federico Caricasulo is seventh. Alessandro Zaccone is the leading ESS rider. He is running eighth. Ondrej Jezek and Nico Terol complete the top ten. Assen winner Kyle Smith is way down in 15th. P.J. Jacobsen has moved up to second place. P.J. Jacobsen runs ahead of Jules Cluzel, and meanwhile, Cluzel is falling into the clutches of Ayrton Badovini on the #86 Gemar Balloons - Team Lorini Honda CBR600RR. Badovini has lots of experience.
Right behind them, is Lorenzo Zanetti followed by Federico Caricasulo, and Alex Baldolini is also there. Through Aqua Minerale, Cluzel hesitates to put the power down on that MV Agusta F3 675. Badovini is gaining on Cluzel. Caricasulo passes Alessandro Zaccone through Rivazza. Zulfahmi Khairuddin is in trouble. He's sinking like a stone, as Kenan Sofuoglu sets fastest lap of this race so far at 1:52.512. Lorenzo Zanetti (who won for Honda in WSSP here at Imola in 2014), has passed his MV Agusta team mate, Jules Cluzel. Game over for Zulfahmi Khairuddin. If a rider overshoots one of the chicanes, they have to wait five seconds and then, they are released by the marshal.
Jacobsen and Zanetti are closing on Sofuoglu. New fast lap. Federico Caricasulo runs a 1:52.350. Caricasulo is seventh as Zanetti wants to dive by Badovini into the Villeneuve chicane. Badovini has done well. Hikari Okubo and Braeden Ortt have both crashed out. Into Aqua Minerale, Ayrton Badovini and Baldolini battle with Zannetti. Stefan Hill is also having issues. Hill has pulled off at Rivazza where he also had a wreck on Friday. P.J. Jacobsen is faster during the first part of the lap, and then, on the second half of the course, Kenan Sofuoglu has the edge.
Gino Rea continues to have issues as he crashes through Rivazza, rejoins the race, but can't keep the motorcycle together. Gino Rea, lays his bike down through Rivazza and he's right up against the motorcycle of Christian Gammarino who has already wrecked once in this race, grinding along the pavement. Gino Rea has actually managed to rejoin this race after that little incident. Fastest lap for Sofuoglu. He brings it down to a 1:51.986. Jules Cluzel has caught P.J. Jacobsen as we approach the halfway mark in this race.
Yellow flags are out at Variante Bassa, because of all the gravel that has been kicked up there. Looking at the trap speeds, Zanetti is fastest of all, running 258.6 kilometers an hour (161.625 miles an hour). Oh dear! Another crash! Italian wildcard rider Michael Canducci has crashed his #65 Green Speed Kawasaki ZX6R. Kyle Ryde also crashes at turn one, Tambarello. No. Ryde has not gone down. Ondrej Jezek is running well. His name, translates, to... get this!... Andrew Hedgehog! There was a car racer, named Giovanni Lavaggi, and his name, translated to, Johnny Carwash, in English. So, we have Andrew Hedgehog, and Johnny Carwash! Oh dear! How embarrassing!
Ondrej Jezek came up through Superstock 1000 racing, a class you will hear about, from their race, here at Imola as well. Cluzel is now right behind Jacobsen. Kenan Sofuoglu is likely going to extend his lead. P.J. Jacobsen is pushing, and Jules Cluzel is struggling with the MV Agusta at the moment. Track conditions continue to change. Jacobsen slides the Honda CBR600 as he mashes the gas. Tosa and Variante Alta are the two places where this happens the most. Looking at the fastest laps of four of the top six riders, Alex Baldolini has the fastest one at 1:52.429.
This race, signals a change in the points lead. Kenan Sofuoglu, will take the points lead away from Randy Krummenacher, who has led since the season opener in Australia at Phillip Island, back in February. The next race, is in Malaysia. Stay tuned for further details, after this thrilling race at Imola, concludes. Ayrton Badovini has dropped back behind Federico Caricasulo. He has also lost a spot to Alessandro Zaccone. Ondrej Jezek, our buddy, Mr. Hedgehog, is catching Ayrton Badovini for eighth spot. Tenth through fifteenth is Nico Terol, Robbie Rolfo, Kevin Wahr (on the team bike to Ayrton Badovini), Kyle Smith, (who has had a real costly weekend here at Imola), Axel Bassani, and Ilya Mikhalchik.
Kyle Ryde is still racing, in 17th spot. Jules Cluzel passes Lorenzo Zanetti. Kyle Smith, who won at Assen, last time out, is only going to score three points, finishing 13th. 13 is not his lucky number today, folks. We have yellow flags waving at Piratella. Kenan Sofuoglu is gapping his competition. Now, about the yellow at Piratella. Hungarian rider Janos Chrobak has crashed out of this one. Chrobak is on the #119 Schmidt Racing MV Agusta F3 675. He is team mates with Nico Terol on that Schmidt Racing squad. Baldolini and Caricasulo, meanwhile, nearly have a coming together. Those two got through Tosa corner cleanly. Correction, it was Lorenzo Zanetti.
Baldolini has broken away from Zanetti. Caricasulo and Lorenzo Zaccone battle for sixth and seventh. Rather, Caricasulo has sixth, and Zaccone, wants it. Cluzel is chipping away at Sofuoglu. But, the charge, for Jules Cluzel, has perhaps come too little too late. Zanetti, Caricasulo, and Zaccone, have not finished their scrap for position yet, even though this race, is drawing to a close. Sofuoglu leads Cluzel by 1.1 seconds. Caricasulo wiggles and holds onto his bike. It is the final lap. Zaccone is looking to fight Caricasulo through Piratella on the run down to Aqua Minerale.
Cluzel has put up a good fight. But, he is one second behind Kenan Sofuoglu. Kenan Sofuoglu will become the first repeat winner in FIM World Supersport in 2016. P.J. Jacobsen will have his first podium finish, since Thailand. Into the Variante Bassa for the final time, Kenan Sofuoglu wins for the second time, leading the points! Ondrej Jezek has passed Caricasulo. Zaccone also passes Zanetti.
#1 Kenan Sofuoglu TUR. Kawasaki ZX6R
Sofuoglu has his second win, his 73rd podium, and the 34th win of his WSSP career. The next race for FIM World Supersport, happened at the Sepang Circuit in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Stay tuned, for that race report, coming soon.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
FIM World Superbike Round 5: Imola, Italy
Round five of the World Superbike Championship sees another historic track being raced at. We are at the Autodromo Enzo E Dino Ferrari in Imola, Italy. Over the last two years, Jonathan Rea has done the double here, twice. 2014 with Honda, and 2015 with Kawasaki. However, here in Italy, the hometown crowd... the Tifosi, will be out in force, as Ducati starts 1-2 on the grid for the first race of the weekend. This legendary speed palace was constructed in 1953, and modified in 2010. It is a 3 mile, counterclockwise track. This first event, will be the ninth race of the season. The air temperature before we go racing for the first race is at 20 degrees Celsius, 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Track temperature is 31 degrees Celsius, 87 degrees Fahrenheit. What a gorgeous spring day in Italy. World Superbike has raced at Imola, since 2001. However, they did not race in 2007 or 2008, because of the track being refurbished.
So, in those years, the alternate races, were held in Valencia, Spain. Jonathan Rea is pulling ahead in the championship. Chaz Davies has his first, and Ducati's first pole of 2016. We are ready to race in the first race. This is the first of two races in Italy. One event, here at Imola, and another, at the Misano Adriatico circuit. Now, we will not see Yamaha's Sylvain Guintoli racing in any events this weekend, due to the fact he had a huge crash in Super Pole 2, bringing out the red flag. Guintoli gets launched off his Yamaha, into orbit, and smashes into the pavement! Ouch! He fractured his left leg, and sustained a concussion in the incident.
Thankfully, the 2014 World Superbike champion, is OK. Guintoli was in the top twelve at the time. Jonathan Rea will start third. But, Chaz Davies, has gone to pole. Chaz Davies is on his third engine, and Jonathan Rea is as well. Tom Sykes is starting off the front row, because he has had braking issues through the weekend. At least Sykes is in a good spot, but, he needs to get a run on Jonathan Rea when the lights go out. The Ducati's are also very quick off the line. There have been directives from the FIM and Dorna on jump starts. We've seen this in MotoGP as of late, as well.
If there are jump starts, riders will be notified ASAP of their infractions. The engine info has also been revealed and how many engines have been used by certain teams already this season. Generators have to be removed within three minutes of the warm up lap, and one minute, for tire warmers. There are also practice restrictions, and test restrictions. If riders can test their WSBK equipment in the endurance races (like the Suzuka 8 Hours), going out in practi ce, but not entering the race. Jonathan Rea tested the World Endurance spec Kawasaki in Japan, last year. The loophole is being tightened, so no riders can get an advantage from it. Any testing done for the endurance races, cannot become an advantage within World Superbike competition.
We are fifteen minutes away from the race getting underway. Back in the day, Italian car makers like Ferrari, and Maserati, needed a test track. That's why this speed palace at Imola, was built. The parkland around the speedway is significant. We are in the province of Bologna, and the region of Emilia Romagna. Ducati are a part of this area of Italy, and 2016, marks the 90th anniversary of the company. Davide Giugliano starts on the front row of the grid for his home race, for the third successive year. Ducati has taken a 1-2 on the grid. So, if they lead here, and even more so if they win, the crowd will go absolutely bonkers.
Here's more, about the museum, that is within the grounds of the Imola race track. The Checco Costa Museum. Costa founded a 200 mile motorcycle race here at Imola.
http://www.centrotraduzioni.com/en/checco-costa-museum/
Again, Tom Sykes will start fourth. Daniele Manca, Mayor of Imola, presented Chaz Davies with his Tissot watch for earning pole position for the Saturday race. World Ducati Week, will take place, in July, around the same time of the coverage of World Superbike here in the U.S. at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California. Yours truly, will obviously be here, to cover that one. Lorenzo Savadori starts fifth on the grid. He made his debut in the race in Russia, in 2013, at Moscow Raceway. It was a one-off race with Pedercini. The second race, that weekend, was cancelled after a horrid accident involving Italian Andrea Antonelli in the World Supersport race.
Jordi Torres, lines up sixth on the Althea BMW S1000RR. He scored his first podium, in WSBK, here at Imola, last year, riding for Aprilia. The Aprilia, is a good bike, and it was running at the sharp end, last year, with Jordi Torres and Leon Haslam aboard. Leon Camier starts seventh on the MV Agusta 1000 F4. Markus Reiterberger starts eighth on the sister BMW S1000RR for Althea BMW. Nicky Hayden, a native of Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S.A., starts ninth, on the Honda CBR1000RR SP. Matteo Baiocco lines up tenth, on another Ducati.
Michael van der Mark, is 11th on the grid, and was beaten in qualifying by team mate, Hayden. Another Ducati rider, starts twelfth, and that is Xavi Fores. Alex Lowes is next up, on the Yamaha YZF R1. Joshua Brookes starts 14th on the Milwaukee BMW. Next up is his Milwaukee BMW team mate, Karel Abraham. Up next on the grid, is the Aprilia RSV4 with Alex de Angelis riding. 17th is the Kawasaki ZX10R of Dominic Schmitter. Up next is the Yamaha YZF R1 ridden by Peter Sebestyen. Sebestyen is the fill-in rider for Imre Toth at Toth Yamaha.
Behind Sebestyen, is his team mate, Pawel Szkopek. Correction. Peter Sebestyen is a full-time rider for team Toth. The fill-in for Imre, who stands next to one of his two motorcycles, is indeed Pawel Szkopek. Josh Hook on the Grillini Kawasaki ZX10R starts 20th. Rumors are that Hook could move away from the Grillini team and on to another team, somewhere. Saeed Al Sulaiti is next. He did not qualify for the races in the Netherlands a few weeks ago. Five minutes to go before the start, as the Alfa Romeo 4C safety car, pulls away.
We remember, (as the WSBK races at Imola took place on April 30th and May 1st), the lives, of Roland Ratzenberger, and Ayrton Senna, who both lost their lives, on this very weekend in the Formula 1 San Marino Grand Prix car race, here at Imola. Insofar as tire selection, Chaz Davies has a hard front Pirelli and a softer rear. Today, it's all about personal preference. Everyone on the grid, is running different combinations. Jonathan Rea is using B tires on both ends of the bike. Davide Giugliano using the A tire on both ends. Chaz Davies has the C front tire and the A rear tire. Ducati 1-2 at Imola. We're ready to go racing.
Eight out of 13 doubles have been achieved at Imola. But, there's drama, even before this race starts! We've had a wreck, on the warm up lap before the riders and bikes go onto the grid, for the start! Coming out of the Variante Alta, there are two riders, down and out. Dominic Schmitter is one, and yours truly is not sure who the other rider is. Ah. Peter Sebestyen was the other rider. Sebestyen, appeared to be in pain. In 1991 at the Formula 1 San Marino Grand Prix, Alain Prost, spun his Ferrari off the road, on the warmup lap, here at Imola. Prost, didn't start the race, and that's why he took a year off in 1992, coming back in '93 and winning the World Championship on four wheels.
Lucas Mahias has also been ruled out of action. So, four riders, won't start this race, here at Imola. The start of this race, has been delayed. Davide Giugliano signals to his team, "should I leave the engine running, or shut it off?" Jordi Torres ditches his BMW on the grid, momentarily. Whoops. Apologies. Alex De Angelis, drops his motorcycle. It's embarrassing for the two teams. Last year, 13 riders finished this race (in race two). It is indeed game over for Dominic Schmitter, and for Peter Sebestyen. They won't make the actual start of this race at Imola.
All this action was thought to be in Aqua Minerale, but it isn't. It's at the Variante Alta. With all this ruckus on the grid, some riders, have to make a quick pit stop, for the restroom. When you have to, you have to. Start's delayed. Go for it. It looks like Peter Sebestyen is being taken via ambulance, to the hospital, for a checkup and hopefully he has no serious injuries. In replay, we see Dominic Schmitter flew off his bike, slamming the ground. Then, Sebestyen runs over Dominic Schmitter and Sebestyen, tumbles through the grass, possibly being clipped by his own motorcycle! Ouch!
Race control decides to delay the start of this one, folks. You might as well go to the refrigerator and find something to snack on, or, a cold beverage of your choice, while we sort this mess out. May I suggest, leftover pizza. So many riders are now out of commission for this race. Sylvain Barrier isn't here, as he's recovering from a crash suffered at Motorland Aragon in Spain last time out. Lucas Mahias was hurt this weekend, and so was Sylvain Guintoli of course, as mentioned at the top of this race report. Peter Sebestyen and Dominic Schmitter, will be recuperating during this one, too. So, we have quite a few riders out of action for WSBK race one at Imola.
We have more drama, as Davide Giugliano, motions to his crew, asking, "should I shut off the engine?" ...And, more drama! Jordi Torres ditches the Althea BMW on the starting grid. Whoops. That's Alex De Angelis, on the Aprilia. He was probably a tad flustered. It's got to be embarrassing for Team Toth and Grillini. It can happen. Game over for Sebestyen and Dominic Schmitter. Poor Peter Sebestyen, who went flying over the top of his motorcycle, and was hit by it, coming out of Aqua Minerale.
Riders down the order, could finish in the top ten. We are going to shorten this race, by one lap. It will be 18 laps instead of 19 tours around Imola. Davide Giugliano has to show he can challenge Chaz Davies on race terms. He's got to be ready to take the fight to his Ducati team mate. This will change some tire strategies, slightly. We will use the quick start procedure for this one. 18 laps scheduled. Three minutes from now, we will restart. This is the second straight year a red flag has affected WSBK at Imola. Last year, David Salom crashed at Rivazza, and Jonathan Rea won the race.
Sylvain Guintoli wrecked in Rivazza, and poor Yamaha, as Riccardo Russo and Florian Marino for Yamaha Superstock, and now, Sylvain Guintoli, is hurt. One minute, to the warmup lap. Psych yourself up to race again. It's tough to do. Sylvain Guintoli had a fractured ankle and a concussion. Best wishes to Sylvain Guintoli. We are off on the second warm up lap. It is exciting, for the fans, to get involved and meet the riders in the paddock. Don't cross over the line at the Variante Bassa, because if you cut the corner, you will be penalized and have to wait five seconds, before you can properly rejoin the speedway.
Green flag at the back. We should race, now. We see gaps in the grid where Peter Sebestyen and Dominic Schmitter, should have been. Now, w are indeed ready to race, World Superbike style, at Imola! Red lights out! Go! Jonathan Rea is a rocket off the start, and is splitting the two Ducati's headed for Tambarello. Chaz Davies leads on the Ducati. But, Davide Giugliano on the sister Ducati is swallowed up by both Kawasaki Racing Team riders. It's an early battle between Honda and BMW. Michael van der Mark, vs. Markus Reiterberger. Into Tosa, Giugliano wants by Rea, as we watch Jordi Torres move to sixth on the Althea BMW.
Torres runs right behind Lorenzo Savadori at this point. Nicky Hayden runs in front of Leon Camier. They fly through Piratella corner. If he's held up by Tom Sykes, Davide Giugliano will get impatient. Sykes was disrupted on Friday, with rear brake problems. Chaz Davies wants to open a gap and pull away from Sykes, and his team mate. Leon Camier moves to seventh on the MV Agusta. No riders jumped the start. Phew! That's a relief. Chaz Davies is a half a second quicker than Jonathan Rea on lap one, running a 1:47.2. Lorenzo Savadori stays fifth, where he started. But, he is gaining on the trio of second, third, and fourth, including Rea, Sykes, and Giugliano.
Jordi Torres is sixth as the riders run through Variante Alta. We look at a battle behind Jordi Torres. He leads the scrap for the back half of the top ten, also featuring Camier, Hayden, Michael van der Mark, and Reiterberger. Eleven through to fifteen, it is Alex Lowes, Xavi Fores, Matteo Baiocco, Alex De Angelis, and, Josh Brookes. Rea is 7/10ths of a second behind Davies, and piling on the pressure. Davies sets fastest lap so far at 1:46.716. Tom Sykes has had all sorts of trouble this weekend, as documented. So, he is surely playing catch up right now. Everyone else is in damage limitation mode, as Chaz Davies says, "see ya!" to his competition.
Davies has now run two consecutive laps at 1:46.7. Leon Camier on the MV Agusta gave the marque it's best ever WSBK finish at Assen, last time out. He is having a good run in race one at Imola, so far. Camier closes on Torres, and Torres, on Savadori. It's Aprilia vs. BMW vs. MV Agusta. Nicky Hayden's Honda is also coming, and fast. Look out, Leon Camier. "The Kentucky Kid", will soon be on your tail. Hayden's team mate Michael van der Mark isn't far behind either. Josh Brookes has also made a pass on Alex De Angelis. The two Milwaukee BMW's of Josh Brookes and Karel Abraham, run 14th and 16th.
Tom Sykes is falling into a hole, in points, behind team mate Jonathan Rea, like he did last year at this time. He is 58 points behind, while in 2015, he had a 67 point gap to make up. That's a big mountain to climb, this early in the season. Rea tries closing on Davies as we work lap six of 18. We are a third of the way through this race. Halfway on lap nine, is just three laps from now. Savadori, Torres, and Camier, are now running right together. Nicky Hayden, soldiers on, in eighth, but is losing ground to the three aforementioned riders. Leon Camier takes a wide, sweeping line, making a big mistake, out of Tosa corner.
There's a big drop between Piratella and Aqua Minerale. If you walk the track without any action, you can hear animals all around, as you are in the middle of a park. A steep climb to Variante Alta, and a big drop again, to Rivazza. There is a church off to the right of that corner. There are houses, and a restaurant, right outside the track. At Imola, you can watch the races, from your house, if you like. Lorenzo Savadori looks the wrong way, and, zoom! Jordi Torres, passes him, like he was tied to a fence post. So does Leon Camier. A double whammy for Savadori. These boys are just about to lap Poland's Pawel Szkopek, who we also saw race last time out, in Holland.
Jonathan Rea is closing the gap to Chaz Davies. Rea is very close to putting in a new lap record. Davies and Rea are three seconds clear of Tom Sykes. Giugliano is languishing in fourth as the poplar seeds fly. Only one Italian rider has won in WSBK at Imola. Michele Fabrizio did so, in 2009. As we approach halfway, some battles are simmering all over the track. We watch Nicky Hayden chasing down Lorenzo Savadori. Davide Giugliano must know that Jordi Torres and Leon Camier, are both catching him. Oh boy. Jonathan Rea has had an off course excursion, at turn seven. This can't be good.
Into Tosa, he runs wide, onto the grass. Tom Sykes is going to be right behind his Kawasaki team mate. Meanwhile, Chaz Davies whistles off into the distance, with four seconds in hand. He says mille grazie to his competition. Davies had been putting pressure on Rea, and running wide into Tosa, he's lost 3.7 seconds. Sykes is trying to catch Rea as they run through Rivazza. Lorenzo Savadori is passed by Michael van der Mark. Game over for Saeed al-Sulaiti on the Pedercini Kawasaki. Now, we have the Honda team mates battling each other. Markus Reiterberger on the Althea BMW passes Xavi Fores on the Barni Racing Ducati.
Matteo Baiocco is also catching up with this group. He is riding the #151 VFT Racing Ducati. We hope to see Fabio Menghi (the regular rider for that team), back in action, at the next Italian race of the season, at Misano Adriatico, a bit later on. Now it is Yamaha vs. BMW as Markus Reiterberger looks to pass Alex Lowes. Reiterberger passes the Yamaha into Rivazza. But... it's all for naught as he runs way wide, into the gravel trap! Stay in the saddle, Markus! He's sprayed gravel dust all over his Pirelli tires. It's easy to overshoot the Rivazza chicanes. Seven laps remain in race one, but, don't go away. Immediately after this, we follow on to the Sunday race.
Hayden and van der Mark on the Honda's head another group of riders, with Alex Lowes pushing hard to make up ground. Lorenzo Savadori, meanwhile, has fallen down the order quite a bit. Jordi Torres, meanwhile, has passed Davide Giugliano. Leon Camier on the MV Agusta is now gaining on Giugliano. Leon Camier is coming, and fast. He wants to get MV Agusta to the sharp end of this championship. We've got rumors already flying for 2017. Will Tom Sykes continue with Kawasaki? Giugliano has to show more to keep his ride. Alex Lowes was rumored to be moving to Tech3 Yamaha in MotoGP, and also, Marco Melandri might move to Yamaha in WSBK.
We've seen the same thing in MotoGP. More racing from their end, coming up here on 2 Wheelin' too. Stay tuned, folks. Leon Camier passes Davide Giugliano under braking. Lap 14 of 18. Five laps left, with Chaz Davies in a large lead. Davies leads by 5.5 seconds. Rea slides through Tambarello. Rea hits the metal curb into Variante Bassa. The metal curbs are for motorcycle racing, and not used for car races. Chaz Davies has checked out. He's topped every session so far, and on the 90th anniversary of Ducati, he could win from pole at Imola. The Tifosi will go crazy. Jonathan Rea is suffering from a major lack of rear grip.
Rea struggles and Tom Sykes is the more comfortable Kawasaki rider. Tosa and Variante Alta will be good passing places. From seventh through twelfth, we've got a dandy of a battle going on, featuring Nicky Hayden and Michael van der Mark on the factory Honda's. Lorenzo Savadori on the Aprilia is next, followed by Alex Lowes on the Yamaha, and also, Xavi Fores and Matteo Baiocco. Will Tom Sykes pass Jonathan Rea in the last three laps of race one? Sykes may have to force the issue. The two factory Kawasaki's approach the lapped motorcycle, of Pawel Szkopek, on the Team Toth Yamaha. These boys are going to catch Szkopek into Tosa. It should be interesting.
Szkopek does the wise thing, and does not challenge, moving aside, for the leaders to pass. Nicky Hayden and company, are still battling, all the way down to 12th with Matteo Baiocco back there. Matteo Baiocco has caught this bunch, and is right behind Xavi Fores. We have Hayden, van der Mark, Savadori, Lowes, Fores, and Baiocco, all racing together. Oh boy. Leon Camier has been off the road. This allows Davide Giugliano to pass. van der Mark has passed Nicky Hayden, and now, these boys are going to catch Leon Camier and eat him alive.
Well, maybe not. Camier now looks to have the MV Agusta back on the button. Tom Sykes has to take advantage of Jonathan Rea riding defensively. Rea has to defend for one more lap. Michael van der Mark passes Nicky Hayden, and might make an impression on Leon Camier. It's the last lap, and it looks like Chaz Davies is going to win this race, for Ducati, at home. Alex Lowes passes Xavi Fores. Jonathan Rea is ahead of his team mate going from Tosa to Piratella. No matter what happens in Sunday's race two, Jonathan Rea will maintain his points lead. Sykes tries to make a move into Variante Alta, but isn't close enough.
Chaz Davies is going to win. Chaz Davies wins race one at Imola! The Tifosi go nuts! Rea beats Sykes. Fourth for Jordi Torres and his best finish, as well as BMW's best result, so far this season. Giugliano fifth, Camier sixth, van der Mark, seventh. Savadori comes home eighth, followed by Hayden and Fores, the top ten.
World Superbike Race 1: #7 Chaz Davies GBR. Ducati 1199 Panigale R
Davide Giugliano is 19.9 seconds, behind Davies, at the finish. Sunday's race two, is on deck. Davies has his third 2016 win, and the twelfth of his career. Josh Brookes finishes 14th on the Milwaukee BMW. Alex De Angelis, picks up a point. Ducati are definitely improving. Davies had a bad race at Assen, with a second, and a fifth. Jonathan Rea is very consistent with his points finishes. Tom Sykes can be satisfied with this result, as the air horns honk, to salute the riders. We send best wishes to Sylvain Guintoli, recovering in the hospital, here in Imola.
The Ducatisti (as opposed to the Tifosi for Ferrari), are loving this! Race two, coming your way, next. Chaz Davies has a good relationship with his chief mechanic, Alberto Colombo, just as it is for Per Arriba, Jonathan Rea's Kawasaki chief mechanic.
Following a dominant Davies performance on Saturday, will Chaz Davies and Ducati, do another double? We've had something like nine double race winners at Enzo E Dino Ferrari, since 2001. The most famous WSBK battle at this palace of speed, was in 2002 between now legendary riders, Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards. Weather conditions show an air temperature of 16 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit), and track temperature at 21 degrees Celsius (69 degrees Fahrenheit). Jonathan Rea will have a comfortable championship lead headed to the next race.
Racing in Italy, is not just about great food (pizza, pasta, gelato ice cream), but, it's about passion, with names like Ferrari, Maserati, Ducati, MV Agusta, and Aprilia. Ducati has been trying to replace green, with red, as the color of World Superbike 2016. Can Kawasaki come back in race two at Imola, and paint the town green? We'll see. The Ducatisti sure hope not. We had an all British podium in the Saturday race. So, British riders, have scored 502 podium finishes in WSBK history. MV Agusta has already had to withdraw a couple allocated engines. You get seven for the season, and they had to use an eighth motor, last year. They've withdrawn their second and fourth motors from the allocation.
The MV Agusta has to be the fourth best bike on the grid, behind the Kawasaki, the Ducati, and the Honda. The only thing lacking in the MV Agusta 1000 F4 is top end power. Xavi Fores had a fire on his bike in free practice on Friday, going into Piratella corner. Let us hope we don't get rain. Five minutes before pit lane closes, and the bikes are headed for the grid, for the sighting lap and the warmup lap. Alex Lowes is pleased with the progress for Pata Yamaha. Will Yamaha have to replace Sylvain Guintoli with another rider for the next race in Malaysia at the Sepang circuit?
Rumors continue to fly that Tom Sykes' relationship with Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki, is souring. He wants to work in a better environment where the team can be more accommodating to him. Does this mean he may sign for Ducati in the future? Chaz Davies has shown his strength over the rest of the field. Has Kawasaki found a solution after Saturday? Will Davide Giugliano run better? Again, more tumors. Alex Lowes could race for Tech3 Yamaha in MotoGP. Marco Melandri has been linked to a deal with PATA Yamaha in World Superbike. Former WSBK champion, (in 2003), Neil Hodgson (who manages Alex Lowes), claims his moving to Tech3 is complete rubbish.
Once again, Lorenzo Savadori starts fifth on the grid on the Aprilia. This (along with the same position and the same result in race one yesterday), is Aprilia's best qualifying effort of the 2016 season to date. Savadori won in Superstock 1000 here last year, en route to the class title. That is a race, you will read about here on 2 Wheelin', later in the week. Stay tuned. Jordi Torres is ready to race, and he had his maiden WSBK podium here, in race two, for Aprilia, last year. But, the BMW needs to gain more speed. Josh Brookes is still struggling on the Milwaukee BMW. Giugliano has his 24th front row start. That puts him level with Akira Yanagawa and Eugene Laverty.
MotoGP racer Jack Miller, is here, as a guest or a fan, this weekend, and has caught up with Nicky Hayden, to have a chat, before the race. Markus Reiterberger starts eighth. The Honda riders have struggled this weekend. Matteo Baiocco rolls off tenth. Xavi Fores starts 12th to match the number on his motorcycle. In 13th, Alex Lowes. After his horrid crash, Sylvain Guintoli, was indeed injured. He should recover, before the next race. Details, at the close of this race. Sylvain Guintoli has been very solid this year so far.
Alex De Angelis is 16th. He had to have surgery on his right bicep in Faenza, Italy. Dominic Schmitter will race after that horrid incident in race one. He had back pain. Peter Sebestyen will not race in race two. Loris Baz from MotoGP is here. He had a good career in WSBK starting 61 career races, earning two wins, and 14 podiums. Baz used to be Tom Sykes' Kawasaki team mate. Peter Sebestyen hurt his left foot in yesterday's crash. It's been stitched up. But he is not fit to start this second race and will have to watch. Roman Ramos also crashed earlier in the weekend. So, sadly, "Mr. Consistency", as he is known, won't race at Imola.
Ramos' replacement is Italian Gianluca Vizziello, for Go11 Kawasaki, as we look at Pawel Szkopek, starting 18th on one of the Team Toth Yamaha's. Vizziello did not qualify for Saturday. But, he will race today, after being in the 107% limit in qualifying. Josh Hook is 19th. If we get a race of high attrition, there could be some points scored. 13 riders finished race two at Imola last year. Saeed Al Sulaiti is 20th. The aforementioned Gianluca Vizziello is 21st. Vizziello has run in the FIM Endurance World Championship this year. He made his WSBK debut though, way back in 2005. The engines are fired. We have a Ducati 1-2 in the team's home round at Imola.
Can Giugliano finish closer to Davies, this time? Can Davies do the double? Before yesterday, Davies had never led a lap at Imola, and it was a lights to flag win. What will Sunday hold in store? Stand by, for action, coming up in minutes. Jonathan Rea has done the double, twice here at Imola over the past two years. He did it for Honda in 2014 and Kawasaki in 2015. Ducati has won on their home track, the most. They have 14 wins while Honda has seven, and Kawasaki, four. The whole field ran with different Pirelli tire combinations in the Saturday race. More uniformity in tires, is present, for Sunday.
At post time, the air temperature is 16 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit), the track temp is 22 degrees Celsius (71 degrees Fahrenheit). Both Ducati's run on the harder front and rear tires. We are ready to bring the action, in race two. Can Davies make it nine doubles since 2001 here at Imola? We're about to find out, together. Go! Race two is on! Davies has the advantage, and Jonathan Rea gets a good start as Davide Giugliano fires his way to the front! Davies in the middle, Giugliano on the outside as we come to Tambarello for the first time. Rea splits the two Ducati's. Sykes is dropping down the order, and Luca Savadori on the Aprilia is coming up to the sharp end, too.
Davide Giugliano is now fifth as the riders enter the Villeneuve chicane. Nicky Hayden has also made his way into the top six. Alex Lowes is also moving up. We should have a 19 lap race for race two. Tom Sykes is now pushing Jonathan Rea already. Leon Camier goes inside Nicky Hayden coming through Rivazza. Matteo Baiocco is trying to make a move on Alex De Angelis. Josh Brookes has gone off the road as he was fighting with Alex De Angelis. Vizziello has also made a good start, to be right behind Josh Brookes.
Michael van der Mark has Jordi Torres all over him. Torres wanted to make a move through Aqua Minerale. He couldn't do it. Tom Sykes is doing his best, to get by Jonathan Rea as well. Rea has the speed. But the line through the corner, makes it harder to pass. Davies leads as Sykes is right behind Rea. Davide Giugliano is much faster and is gaining on the Aprilia with Savadori in the seat. Michael van der Mark once again, has his hands full, with Jordi Torres. Karel Abraham and Gianluca Vizziello are now down at the back of this field. Karel Abraham has crashed out of this race. Bad luck for the Milwaukee BMW rider.
Josh Hook has also crashed, and so has Gianluca Vizziello. Poor old Josh Hook, has had a bad season so far. Sykes tries to keep Rea at bay, but Davies is getting away. He is motoring and is really going for it. Xavi Fores has passed Matteo Baiocco, and Jonathan Rea cannot slow down through the Variante Bassa as Davies rockets away. Giugliano, Lowes, Reiterberger, Camier, Hayden, Torres, van der Mark, Fores, Baiocco, De Angelis, and Brookes, complete the top fifteen. Down the order, we have synchronized crashing.
Vizziello and Brookes both crash at the same time out of Rivazza. Synchronized crashing, here at Imola and Pawel Szkopek also nearly got collected. We saw a lot of gravel thrown down during the World Supersport race, a race you will hear about, later on, perhaps, tomorrow. So, stay tuned for that as it's equally as wild when the 600cc bikes and riders come out to play. Poor old Gianluca Vizziello had very little time to get acclimated to the circuit. So, no wonder he didn't start this race off on the right foot. Davies starts pulling away from the two Kawasaki riders, who have had several issues this weekend.
Alex Lowes is surely catching Lorenzo Savadori, and Davide Giugliano. Reiterberger is sliding the rear tire and Leon Camier is gaining. Reiterberger's BMW team mate Jordi Torres has also had great pace. Through the Variante Bassa, the riders complete another lap. Jonathan Rea is fastest of all in terms of top speed at 286 kilometers per hour (178 miles an hour). Savadori, Giugliano, and Lowes, are in their own battle, and then, so are Reiterberger, Hayden, Camier, and Torres. Giugliano flicks the Ducati through Aqua Minerale. It is hard to retrieve crashed bikes here at Imola, because unlike more modern circuits, there isn't a service road around the perimeter of the speedway.
This is an old school track. There's no question. Giugliano slices by Savadori. Giugliano defends. The Aprilia RSV is even quicker than the Kawasaki ZX10R. Davies sets fastest lap so far at 1:47.240. Rea and Sykes are still battling. Jonathan Rea has a HUGE wiggle, and almost ditches the bike, surely! He was jolly lucky to stay in the saddle that time! Save of the century. His motorcycle, turned into a bucking bronco! It is now a fight for second between the two green Kawasaki's. Chaz Davies, has once again said, "cheery bye, chaps. I'm outta here!" Davies is on a Sunday cruise, once again.
Some major passing has been going on. Leon Camier passes Markus Reiterberger for seventh, and Nicky Hayden gets by Jordi Torres, for ninth. The two BMW riders are surely having to earn their money on this Sunday. Jonathan Rea is still dirt tracking it through Piratella where he had a major moment in Friday practice. We are just 1/3rd through this race and Jonathan Rea already has handling issues with his Kawasaki. Rea has had a major struggle to make the 2016 Kawasaki work the way he wants it to. Will Tom Sykes make a move? Davies has a huge lead, of 3.5 seconds over Jonathan Rea.
Matteo Baiocco has had an off course excursion at Tambarello, and rejoined, but is 15th. He's lost a place to Alex De Angelis as Alex Lowes tries to make a move on Lorenzo Savadori. Davies is now only 3.2 seconds ahead. He has dropped into the 1:48 bracket. Matteo Baiocco has pulled the VFT Racing Ducati into the lane. He's out. He is still subbing for the injured Fabio Menghi. Alex Lowes passes Lorenzo Savadori into the Variante Alta, as Nicky Hayden is the meat in a BMW sandwich. Savadori loses another place, giving way to Leon Camier, and he now finds himself in seventh place. Into Rivazza, Torres wants to dive inside Hayden.
He is setting up, for a pass. Michael van der Mark on the sister factory Honda has fallen four seconds behind these blokes who continue to duke it out from position. We are at the halfway mark, now. Honda has not had the pace we've expected, during this race. No sign of rain now, but there have been dark clouds around all day. Jordi Torres is a very patient person, but, he knows he needs to pass Hayden, ASAP. Torres runs wide. Nicky Hayden slides down the 20 meter hill, which is about 60 feet. Pawel Szkopek has made it into the points as Chaz Davies continues to lead. The gap is down to three seconds between Rea and Davies. We have a mano e mano fight between Rea and Davies.
Has Jonathan Rea had another off track incident at Tosa? Davies is up by 5.3 seconds. Rea can't get the motorcycle slowed down into the Variante Alta. With seven laps remaining, Sykes has to take advantage of this. But, catching is one thing, and passing, is something, completely different. Pawel Szkopek has lost two spots, and is under investigation, by the stewards. Has he cut a chicane someplace? Szkopek is running behind Dominic Schmitter. Saeed al Sulaiti is also back there. Jordi Torres and Nicky Hayden have both passed Markus Reiterberger. Rea just have not found the balance of his motorcycle.
Matteo Baiocco moves out of Chaz Davies' way. Six laps left. Sykes' last lap is quicker than Jonathan Rea, just factoring in the two factory Kawasaki riders. 1:47.550 for Sykes, vs. 1:47.796 for Rea. Reiterberger loses a spot to his team mate, and Jordi Torres wants by Lorenzo Savadori. Leon Camier is slicing through the pack and has passed Alex Lowes for fifth. The MV Agusta is really improving as a motorcycle at this point. With five laps left, it may truly be game over for Matteo Baiocco who has pulled into pit lane. Pawel Szkopek faces a ride through penalty, and so, he'll come through the longest pit lane on the WSBK calendar. He will have to cruise through the lane at 60 kilometers an hour (37 miles an hour).
Davies leads with four and a half laps left, leading by 5.5 seconds. Tom Sykes is putting personal best sector times in all the time, but can't catch Rea. Davide Giugliano remains fifth. Torres is catching Savadori. Torres might catch them. We'll see. He is not close enough to Savadori into Aqua Minerale. Szkopek will take his ride through penalty. Torres said the BMW does not work on a full fuel load or with new tires. It is better in the second stage. Josh Brookes is fighting through the field, running a lonely 13th place. Brookes is learning how to ride the bike. In British Superbike, where he comes from racing, there are no electronic aids allowed on the motorcycle. That's what he is used to. So, it is hard, to manipulate the traction control, that is seen here in WSBK.
Again, Davies is cruising, and he'll take ten points out of Jonathan Rea's points lead headed to the next race. Two laps left. Jonathan Rea has yet to finish off the podium this season. Davide Giugliano will finish in the top four. Now, it is the last lap. Giugliano had a problem in race one on Saturday. But, today, on Sunday, it's a better result. It is the last lap, and it's been a cakewalk for Chaz Davies. Two fast laps, and he'll take two wins here, too. Jonathan Rea will maintain second spot as Saeed Al Sulaiti runs wide. Ducati wins race two, and does the double! The Ducatisi will go nuts!
Poor old Lorenzo Savadori has finished 11th. He had a really bad last lap, losing ten seconds. He stopped on the front straight. Davies dominates at Imola!
World Superbike Race 2: #7 Chaz Davies GBR. Ducati 1199 Panigale R
Chaz Davies, has done the double. We have had nine doubles here at Imola since 2001. Ducati has won four races this year. The team welcomes their man home, and is ecstatic! The next race happened at the Sepang Circuit, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for World Superbike. Coverage, will come, soon. Stay tuned.
So, in those years, the alternate races, were held in Valencia, Spain. Jonathan Rea is pulling ahead in the championship. Chaz Davies has his first, and Ducati's first pole of 2016. We are ready to race in the first race. This is the first of two races in Italy. One event, here at Imola, and another, at the Misano Adriatico circuit. Now, we will not see Yamaha's Sylvain Guintoli racing in any events this weekend, due to the fact he had a huge crash in Super Pole 2, bringing out the red flag. Guintoli gets launched off his Yamaha, into orbit, and smashes into the pavement! Ouch! He fractured his left leg, and sustained a concussion in the incident.
Thankfully, the 2014 World Superbike champion, is OK. Guintoli was in the top twelve at the time. Jonathan Rea will start third. But, Chaz Davies, has gone to pole. Chaz Davies is on his third engine, and Jonathan Rea is as well. Tom Sykes is starting off the front row, because he has had braking issues through the weekend. At least Sykes is in a good spot, but, he needs to get a run on Jonathan Rea when the lights go out. The Ducati's are also very quick off the line. There have been directives from the FIM and Dorna on jump starts. We've seen this in MotoGP as of late, as well.
If there are jump starts, riders will be notified ASAP of their infractions. The engine info has also been revealed and how many engines have been used by certain teams already this season. Generators have to be removed within three minutes of the warm up lap, and one minute, for tire warmers. There are also practice restrictions, and test restrictions. If riders can test their WSBK equipment in the endurance races (like the Suzuka 8 Hours), going out in practi ce, but not entering the race. Jonathan Rea tested the World Endurance spec Kawasaki in Japan, last year. The loophole is being tightened, so no riders can get an advantage from it. Any testing done for the endurance races, cannot become an advantage within World Superbike competition.
We are fifteen minutes away from the race getting underway. Back in the day, Italian car makers like Ferrari, and Maserati, needed a test track. That's why this speed palace at Imola, was built. The parkland around the speedway is significant. We are in the province of Bologna, and the region of Emilia Romagna. Ducati are a part of this area of Italy, and 2016, marks the 90th anniversary of the company. Davide Giugliano starts on the front row of the grid for his home race, for the third successive year. Ducati has taken a 1-2 on the grid. So, if they lead here, and even more so if they win, the crowd will go absolutely bonkers.
Here's more, about the museum, that is within the grounds of the Imola race track. The Checco Costa Museum. Costa founded a 200 mile motorcycle race here at Imola.
http://www.centrotraduzioni.com/en/checco-costa-museum/
Again, Tom Sykes will start fourth. Daniele Manca, Mayor of Imola, presented Chaz Davies with his Tissot watch for earning pole position for the Saturday race. World Ducati Week, will take place, in July, around the same time of the coverage of World Superbike here in the U.S. at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California. Yours truly, will obviously be here, to cover that one. Lorenzo Savadori starts fifth on the grid. He made his debut in the race in Russia, in 2013, at Moscow Raceway. It was a one-off race with Pedercini. The second race, that weekend, was cancelled after a horrid accident involving Italian Andrea Antonelli in the World Supersport race.
Jordi Torres, lines up sixth on the Althea BMW S1000RR. He scored his first podium, in WSBK, here at Imola, last year, riding for Aprilia. The Aprilia, is a good bike, and it was running at the sharp end, last year, with Jordi Torres and Leon Haslam aboard. Leon Camier starts seventh on the MV Agusta 1000 F4. Markus Reiterberger starts eighth on the sister BMW S1000RR for Althea BMW. Nicky Hayden, a native of Owensboro, Kentucky, U.S.A., starts ninth, on the Honda CBR1000RR SP. Matteo Baiocco lines up tenth, on another Ducati.
Michael van der Mark, is 11th on the grid, and was beaten in qualifying by team mate, Hayden. Another Ducati rider, starts twelfth, and that is Xavi Fores. Alex Lowes is next up, on the Yamaha YZF R1. Joshua Brookes starts 14th on the Milwaukee BMW. Next up is his Milwaukee BMW team mate, Karel Abraham. Up next on the grid, is the Aprilia RSV4 with Alex de Angelis riding. 17th is the Kawasaki ZX10R of Dominic Schmitter. Up next is the Yamaha YZF R1 ridden by Peter Sebestyen. Sebestyen is the fill-in rider for Imre Toth at Toth Yamaha.
Behind Sebestyen, is his team mate, Pawel Szkopek. Correction. Peter Sebestyen is a full-time rider for team Toth. The fill-in for Imre, who stands next to one of his two motorcycles, is indeed Pawel Szkopek. Josh Hook on the Grillini Kawasaki ZX10R starts 20th. Rumors are that Hook could move away from the Grillini team and on to another team, somewhere. Saeed Al Sulaiti is next. He did not qualify for the races in the Netherlands a few weeks ago. Five minutes to go before the start, as the Alfa Romeo 4C safety car, pulls away.
We remember, (as the WSBK races at Imola took place on April 30th and May 1st), the lives, of Roland Ratzenberger, and Ayrton Senna, who both lost their lives, on this very weekend in the Formula 1 San Marino Grand Prix car race, here at Imola. Insofar as tire selection, Chaz Davies has a hard front Pirelli and a softer rear. Today, it's all about personal preference. Everyone on the grid, is running different combinations. Jonathan Rea is using B tires on both ends of the bike. Davide Giugliano using the A tire on both ends. Chaz Davies has the C front tire and the A rear tire. Ducati 1-2 at Imola. We're ready to go racing.
Eight out of 13 doubles have been achieved at Imola. But, there's drama, even before this race starts! We've had a wreck, on the warm up lap before the riders and bikes go onto the grid, for the start! Coming out of the Variante Alta, there are two riders, down and out. Dominic Schmitter is one, and yours truly is not sure who the other rider is. Ah. Peter Sebestyen was the other rider. Sebestyen, appeared to be in pain. In 1991 at the Formula 1 San Marino Grand Prix, Alain Prost, spun his Ferrari off the road, on the warmup lap, here at Imola. Prost, didn't start the race, and that's why he took a year off in 1992, coming back in '93 and winning the World Championship on four wheels.
Lucas Mahias has also been ruled out of action. So, four riders, won't start this race, here at Imola. The start of this race, has been delayed. Davide Giugliano signals to his team, "should I leave the engine running, or shut it off?" Jordi Torres ditches his BMW on the grid, momentarily. Whoops. Apologies. Alex De Angelis, drops his motorcycle. It's embarrassing for the two teams. Last year, 13 riders finished this race (in race two). It is indeed game over for Dominic Schmitter, and for Peter Sebestyen. They won't make the actual start of this race at Imola.
All this action was thought to be in Aqua Minerale, but it isn't. It's at the Variante Alta. With all this ruckus on the grid, some riders, have to make a quick pit stop, for the restroom. When you have to, you have to. Start's delayed. Go for it. It looks like Peter Sebestyen is being taken via ambulance, to the hospital, for a checkup and hopefully he has no serious injuries. In replay, we see Dominic Schmitter flew off his bike, slamming the ground. Then, Sebestyen runs over Dominic Schmitter and Sebestyen, tumbles through the grass, possibly being clipped by his own motorcycle! Ouch!
Race control decides to delay the start of this one, folks. You might as well go to the refrigerator and find something to snack on, or, a cold beverage of your choice, while we sort this mess out. May I suggest, leftover pizza. So many riders are now out of commission for this race. Sylvain Barrier isn't here, as he's recovering from a crash suffered at Motorland Aragon in Spain last time out. Lucas Mahias was hurt this weekend, and so was Sylvain Guintoli of course, as mentioned at the top of this race report. Peter Sebestyen and Dominic Schmitter, will be recuperating during this one, too. So, we have quite a few riders out of action for WSBK race one at Imola.
We have more drama, as Davide Giugliano, motions to his crew, asking, "should I shut off the engine?" ...And, more drama! Jordi Torres ditches the Althea BMW on the starting grid. Whoops. That's Alex De Angelis, on the Aprilia. He was probably a tad flustered. It's got to be embarrassing for Team Toth and Grillini. It can happen. Game over for Sebestyen and Dominic Schmitter. Poor Peter Sebestyen, who went flying over the top of his motorcycle, and was hit by it, coming out of Aqua Minerale.
Riders down the order, could finish in the top ten. We are going to shorten this race, by one lap. It will be 18 laps instead of 19 tours around Imola. Davide Giugliano has to show he can challenge Chaz Davies on race terms. He's got to be ready to take the fight to his Ducati team mate. This will change some tire strategies, slightly. We will use the quick start procedure for this one. 18 laps scheduled. Three minutes from now, we will restart. This is the second straight year a red flag has affected WSBK at Imola. Last year, David Salom crashed at Rivazza, and Jonathan Rea won the race.
Sylvain Guintoli wrecked in Rivazza, and poor Yamaha, as Riccardo Russo and Florian Marino for Yamaha Superstock, and now, Sylvain Guintoli, is hurt. One minute, to the warmup lap. Psych yourself up to race again. It's tough to do. Sylvain Guintoli had a fractured ankle and a concussion. Best wishes to Sylvain Guintoli. We are off on the second warm up lap. It is exciting, for the fans, to get involved and meet the riders in the paddock. Don't cross over the line at the Variante Bassa, because if you cut the corner, you will be penalized and have to wait five seconds, before you can properly rejoin the speedway.
Green flag at the back. We should race, now. We see gaps in the grid where Peter Sebestyen and Dominic Schmitter, should have been. Now, w are indeed ready to race, World Superbike style, at Imola! Red lights out! Go! Jonathan Rea is a rocket off the start, and is splitting the two Ducati's headed for Tambarello. Chaz Davies leads on the Ducati. But, Davide Giugliano on the sister Ducati is swallowed up by both Kawasaki Racing Team riders. It's an early battle between Honda and BMW. Michael van der Mark, vs. Markus Reiterberger. Into Tosa, Giugliano wants by Rea, as we watch Jordi Torres move to sixth on the Althea BMW.
Torres runs right behind Lorenzo Savadori at this point. Nicky Hayden runs in front of Leon Camier. They fly through Piratella corner. If he's held up by Tom Sykes, Davide Giugliano will get impatient. Sykes was disrupted on Friday, with rear brake problems. Chaz Davies wants to open a gap and pull away from Sykes, and his team mate. Leon Camier moves to seventh on the MV Agusta. No riders jumped the start. Phew! That's a relief. Chaz Davies is a half a second quicker than Jonathan Rea on lap one, running a 1:47.2. Lorenzo Savadori stays fifth, where he started. But, he is gaining on the trio of second, third, and fourth, including Rea, Sykes, and Giugliano.
Jordi Torres is sixth as the riders run through Variante Alta. We look at a battle behind Jordi Torres. He leads the scrap for the back half of the top ten, also featuring Camier, Hayden, Michael van der Mark, and Reiterberger. Eleven through to fifteen, it is Alex Lowes, Xavi Fores, Matteo Baiocco, Alex De Angelis, and, Josh Brookes. Rea is 7/10ths of a second behind Davies, and piling on the pressure. Davies sets fastest lap so far at 1:46.716. Tom Sykes has had all sorts of trouble this weekend, as documented. So, he is surely playing catch up right now. Everyone else is in damage limitation mode, as Chaz Davies says, "see ya!" to his competition.
Davies has now run two consecutive laps at 1:46.7. Leon Camier on the MV Agusta gave the marque it's best ever WSBK finish at Assen, last time out. He is having a good run in race one at Imola, so far. Camier closes on Torres, and Torres, on Savadori. It's Aprilia vs. BMW vs. MV Agusta. Nicky Hayden's Honda is also coming, and fast. Look out, Leon Camier. "The Kentucky Kid", will soon be on your tail. Hayden's team mate Michael van der Mark isn't far behind either. Josh Brookes has also made a pass on Alex De Angelis. The two Milwaukee BMW's of Josh Brookes and Karel Abraham, run 14th and 16th.
Tom Sykes is falling into a hole, in points, behind team mate Jonathan Rea, like he did last year at this time. He is 58 points behind, while in 2015, he had a 67 point gap to make up. That's a big mountain to climb, this early in the season. Rea tries closing on Davies as we work lap six of 18. We are a third of the way through this race. Halfway on lap nine, is just three laps from now. Savadori, Torres, and Camier, are now running right together. Nicky Hayden, soldiers on, in eighth, but is losing ground to the three aforementioned riders. Leon Camier takes a wide, sweeping line, making a big mistake, out of Tosa corner.
There's a big drop between Piratella and Aqua Minerale. If you walk the track without any action, you can hear animals all around, as you are in the middle of a park. A steep climb to Variante Alta, and a big drop again, to Rivazza. There is a church off to the right of that corner. There are houses, and a restaurant, right outside the track. At Imola, you can watch the races, from your house, if you like. Lorenzo Savadori looks the wrong way, and, zoom! Jordi Torres, passes him, like he was tied to a fence post. So does Leon Camier. A double whammy for Savadori. These boys are just about to lap Poland's Pawel Szkopek, who we also saw race last time out, in Holland.
Jonathan Rea is closing the gap to Chaz Davies. Rea is very close to putting in a new lap record. Davies and Rea are three seconds clear of Tom Sykes. Giugliano is languishing in fourth as the poplar seeds fly. Only one Italian rider has won in WSBK at Imola. Michele Fabrizio did so, in 2009. As we approach halfway, some battles are simmering all over the track. We watch Nicky Hayden chasing down Lorenzo Savadori. Davide Giugliano must know that Jordi Torres and Leon Camier, are both catching him. Oh boy. Jonathan Rea has had an off course excursion, at turn seven. This can't be good.
Into Tosa, he runs wide, onto the grass. Tom Sykes is going to be right behind his Kawasaki team mate. Meanwhile, Chaz Davies whistles off into the distance, with four seconds in hand. He says mille grazie to his competition. Davies had been putting pressure on Rea, and running wide into Tosa, he's lost 3.7 seconds. Sykes is trying to catch Rea as they run through Rivazza. Lorenzo Savadori is passed by Michael van der Mark. Game over for Saeed al-Sulaiti on the Pedercini Kawasaki. Now, we have the Honda team mates battling each other. Markus Reiterberger on the Althea BMW passes Xavi Fores on the Barni Racing Ducati.
Matteo Baiocco is also catching up with this group. He is riding the #151 VFT Racing Ducati. We hope to see Fabio Menghi (the regular rider for that team), back in action, at the next Italian race of the season, at Misano Adriatico, a bit later on. Now it is Yamaha vs. BMW as Markus Reiterberger looks to pass Alex Lowes. Reiterberger passes the Yamaha into Rivazza. But... it's all for naught as he runs way wide, into the gravel trap! Stay in the saddle, Markus! He's sprayed gravel dust all over his Pirelli tires. It's easy to overshoot the Rivazza chicanes. Seven laps remain in race one, but, don't go away. Immediately after this, we follow on to the Sunday race.
Hayden and van der Mark on the Honda's head another group of riders, with Alex Lowes pushing hard to make up ground. Lorenzo Savadori, meanwhile, has fallen down the order quite a bit. Jordi Torres, meanwhile, has passed Davide Giugliano. Leon Camier on the MV Agusta is now gaining on Giugliano. Leon Camier is coming, and fast. He wants to get MV Agusta to the sharp end of this championship. We've got rumors already flying for 2017. Will Tom Sykes continue with Kawasaki? Giugliano has to show more to keep his ride. Alex Lowes was rumored to be moving to Tech3 Yamaha in MotoGP, and also, Marco Melandri might move to Yamaha in WSBK.
We've seen the same thing in MotoGP. More racing from their end, coming up here on 2 Wheelin' too. Stay tuned, folks. Leon Camier passes Davide Giugliano under braking. Lap 14 of 18. Five laps left, with Chaz Davies in a large lead. Davies leads by 5.5 seconds. Rea slides through Tambarello. Rea hits the metal curb into Variante Bassa. The metal curbs are for motorcycle racing, and not used for car races. Chaz Davies has checked out. He's topped every session so far, and on the 90th anniversary of Ducati, he could win from pole at Imola. The Tifosi will go crazy. Jonathan Rea is suffering from a major lack of rear grip.
Rea struggles and Tom Sykes is the more comfortable Kawasaki rider. Tosa and Variante Alta will be good passing places. From seventh through twelfth, we've got a dandy of a battle going on, featuring Nicky Hayden and Michael van der Mark on the factory Honda's. Lorenzo Savadori on the Aprilia is next, followed by Alex Lowes on the Yamaha, and also, Xavi Fores and Matteo Baiocco. Will Tom Sykes pass Jonathan Rea in the last three laps of race one? Sykes may have to force the issue. The two factory Kawasaki's approach the lapped motorcycle, of Pawel Szkopek, on the Team Toth Yamaha. These boys are going to catch Szkopek into Tosa. It should be interesting.
Szkopek does the wise thing, and does not challenge, moving aside, for the leaders to pass. Nicky Hayden and company, are still battling, all the way down to 12th with Matteo Baiocco back there. Matteo Baiocco has caught this bunch, and is right behind Xavi Fores. We have Hayden, van der Mark, Savadori, Lowes, Fores, and Baiocco, all racing together. Oh boy. Leon Camier has been off the road. This allows Davide Giugliano to pass. van der Mark has passed Nicky Hayden, and now, these boys are going to catch Leon Camier and eat him alive.
Well, maybe not. Camier now looks to have the MV Agusta back on the button. Tom Sykes has to take advantage of Jonathan Rea riding defensively. Rea has to defend for one more lap. Michael van der Mark passes Nicky Hayden, and might make an impression on Leon Camier. It's the last lap, and it looks like Chaz Davies is going to win this race, for Ducati, at home. Alex Lowes passes Xavi Fores. Jonathan Rea is ahead of his team mate going from Tosa to Piratella. No matter what happens in Sunday's race two, Jonathan Rea will maintain his points lead. Sykes tries to make a move into Variante Alta, but isn't close enough.
Chaz Davies is going to win. Chaz Davies wins race one at Imola! The Tifosi go nuts! Rea beats Sykes. Fourth for Jordi Torres and his best finish, as well as BMW's best result, so far this season. Giugliano fifth, Camier sixth, van der Mark, seventh. Savadori comes home eighth, followed by Hayden and Fores, the top ten.
World Superbike Race 1: #7 Chaz Davies GBR. Ducati 1199 Panigale R
Davide Giugliano is 19.9 seconds, behind Davies, at the finish. Sunday's race two, is on deck. Davies has his third 2016 win, and the twelfth of his career. Josh Brookes finishes 14th on the Milwaukee BMW. Alex De Angelis, picks up a point. Ducati are definitely improving. Davies had a bad race at Assen, with a second, and a fifth. Jonathan Rea is very consistent with his points finishes. Tom Sykes can be satisfied with this result, as the air horns honk, to salute the riders. We send best wishes to Sylvain Guintoli, recovering in the hospital, here in Imola.
The Ducatisti (as opposed to the Tifosi for Ferrari), are loving this! Race two, coming your way, next. Chaz Davies has a good relationship with his chief mechanic, Alberto Colombo, just as it is for Per Arriba, Jonathan Rea's Kawasaki chief mechanic.
Following a dominant Davies performance on Saturday, will Chaz Davies and Ducati, do another double? We've had something like nine double race winners at Enzo E Dino Ferrari, since 2001. The most famous WSBK battle at this palace of speed, was in 2002 between now legendary riders, Troy Bayliss and Colin Edwards. Weather conditions show an air temperature of 16 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit), and track temperature at 21 degrees Celsius (69 degrees Fahrenheit). Jonathan Rea will have a comfortable championship lead headed to the next race.
Racing in Italy, is not just about great food (pizza, pasta, gelato ice cream), but, it's about passion, with names like Ferrari, Maserati, Ducati, MV Agusta, and Aprilia. Ducati has been trying to replace green, with red, as the color of World Superbike 2016. Can Kawasaki come back in race two at Imola, and paint the town green? We'll see. The Ducatisti sure hope not. We had an all British podium in the Saturday race. So, British riders, have scored 502 podium finishes in WSBK history. MV Agusta has already had to withdraw a couple allocated engines. You get seven for the season, and they had to use an eighth motor, last year. They've withdrawn their second and fourth motors from the allocation.
The MV Agusta has to be the fourth best bike on the grid, behind the Kawasaki, the Ducati, and the Honda. The only thing lacking in the MV Agusta 1000 F4 is top end power. Xavi Fores had a fire on his bike in free practice on Friday, going into Piratella corner. Let us hope we don't get rain. Five minutes before pit lane closes, and the bikes are headed for the grid, for the sighting lap and the warmup lap. Alex Lowes is pleased with the progress for Pata Yamaha. Will Yamaha have to replace Sylvain Guintoli with another rider for the next race in Malaysia at the Sepang circuit?
Rumors continue to fly that Tom Sykes' relationship with Jonathan Rea and Kawasaki, is souring. He wants to work in a better environment where the team can be more accommodating to him. Does this mean he may sign for Ducati in the future? Chaz Davies has shown his strength over the rest of the field. Has Kawasaki found a solution after Saturday? Will Davide Giugliano run better? Again, more tumors. Alex Lowes could race for Tech3 Yamaha in MotoGP. Marco Melandri has been linked to a deal with PATA Yamaha in World Superbike. Former WSBK champion, (in 2003), Neil Hodgson (who manages Alex Lowes), claims his moving to Tech3 is complete rubbish.
Once again, Lorenzo Savadori starts fifth on the grid on the Aprilia. This (along with the same position and the same result in race one yesterday), is Aprilia's best qualifying effort of the 2016 season to date. Savadori won in Superstock 1000 here last year, en route to the class title. That is a race, you will read about here on 2 Wheelin', later in the week. Stay tuned. Jordi Torres is ready to race, and he had his maiden WSBK podium here, in race two, for Aprilia, last year. But, the BMW needs to gain more speed. Josh Brookes is still struggling on the Milwaukee BMW. Giugliano has his 24th front row start. That puts him level with Akira Yanagawa and Eugene Laverty.
MotoGP racer Jack Miller, is here, as a guest or a fan, this weekend, and has caught up with Nicky Hayden, to have a chat, before the race. Markus Reiterberger starts eighth. The Honda riders have struggled this weekend. Matteo Baiocco rolls off tenth. Xavi Fores starts 12th to match the number on his motorcycle. In 13th, Alex Lowes. After his horrid crash, Sylvain Guintoli, was indeed injured. He should recover, before the next race. Details, at the close of this race. Sylvain Guintoli has been very solid this year so far.
Alex De Angelis is 16th. He had to have surgery on his right bicep in Faenza, Italy. Dominic Schmitter will race after that horrid incident in race one. He had back pain. Peter Sebestyen will not race in race two. Loris Baz from MotoGP is here. He had a good career in WSBK starting 61 career races, earning two wins, and 14 podiums. Baz used to be Tom Sykes' Kawasaki team mate. Peter Sebestyen hurt his left foot in yesterday's crash. It's been stitched up. But he is not fit to start this second race and will have to watch. Roman Ramos also crashed earlier in the weekend. So, sadly, "Mr. Consistency", as he is known, won't race at Imola.
Ramos' replacement is Italian Gianluca Vizziello, for Go11 Kawasaki, as we look at Pawel Szkopek, starting 18th on one of the Team Toth Yamaha's. Vizziello did not qualify for Saturday. But, he will race today, after being in the 107% limit in qualifying. Josh Hook is 19th. If we get a race of high attrition, there could be some points scored. 13 riders finished race two at Imola last year. Saeed Al Sulaiti is 20th. The aforementioned Gianluca Vizziello is 21st. Vizziello has run in the FIM Endurance World Championship this year. He made his WSBK debut though, way back in 2005. The engines are fired. We have a Ducati 1-2 in the team's home round at Imola.
Can Giugliano finish closer to Davies, this time? Can Davies do the double? Before yesterday, Davies had never led a lap at Imola, and it was a lights to flag win. What will Sunday hold in store? Stand by, for action, coming up in minutes. Jonathan Rea has done the double, twice here at Imola over the past two years. He did it for Honda in 2014 and Kawasaki in 2015. Ducati has won on their home track, the most. They have 14 wins while Honda has seven, and Kawasaki, four. The whole field ran with different Pirelli tire combinations in the Saturday race. More uniformity in tires, is present, for Sunday.
At post time, the air temperature is 16 degrees Celsius (60 degrees Fahrenheit), the track temp is 22 degrees Celsius (71 degrees Fahrenheit). Both Ducati's run on the harder front and rear tires. We are ready to bring the action, in race two. Can Davies make it nine doubles since 2001 here at Imola? We're about to find out, together. Go! Race two is on! Davies has the advantage, and Jonathan Rea gets a good start as Davide Giugliano fires his way to the front! Davies in the middle, Giugliano on the outside as we come to Tambarello for the first time. Rea splits the two Ducati's. Sykes is dropping down the order, and Luca Savadori on the Aprilia is coming up to the sharp end, too.
Davide Giugliano is now fifth as the riders enter the Villeneuve chicane. Nicky Hayden has also made his way into the top six. Alex Lowes is also moving up. We should have a 19 lap race for race two. Tom Sykes is now pushing Jonathan Rea already. Leon Camier goes inside Nicky Hayden coming through Rivazza. Matteo Baiocco is trying to make a move on Alex De Angelis. Josh Brookes has gone off the road as he was fighting with Alex De Angelis. Vizziello has also made a good start, to be right behind Josh Brookes.
Michael van der Mark has Jordi Torres all over him. Torres wanted to make a move through Aqua Minerale. He couldn't do it. Tom Sykes is doing his best, to get by Jonathan Rea as well. Rea has the speed. But the line through the corner, makes it harder to pass. Davies leads as Sykes is right behind Rea. Davide Giugliano is much faster and is gaining on the Aprilia with Savadori in the seat. Michael van der Mark once again, has his hands full, with Jordi Torres. Karel Abraham and Gianluca Vizziello are now down at the back of this field. Karel Abraham has crashed out of this race. Bad luck for the Milwaukee BMW rider.
Josh Hook has also crashed, and so has Gianluca Vizziello. Poor old Josh Hook, has had a bad season so far. Sykes tries to keep Rea at bay, but Davies is getting away. He is motoring and is really going for it. Xavi Fores has passed Matteo Baiocco, and Jonathan Rea cannot slow down through the Variante Bassa as Davies rockets away. Giugliano, Lowes, Reiterberger, Camier, Hayden, Torres, van der Mark, Fores, Baiocco, De Angelis, and Brookes, complete the top fifteen. Down the order, we have synchronized crashing.
Vizziello and Brookes both crash at the same time out of Rivazza. Synchronized crashing, here at Imola and Pawel Szkopek also nearly got collected. We saw a lot of gravel thrown down during the World Supersport race, a race you will hear about, later on, perhaps, tomorrow. So, stay tuned for that as it's equally as wild when the 600cc bikes and riders come out to play. Poor old Gianluca Vizziello had very little time to get acclimated to the circuit. So, no wonder he didn't start this race off on the right foot. Davies starts pulling away from the two Kawasaki riders, who have had several issues this weekend.
Alex Lowes is surely catching Lorenzo Savadori, and Davide Giugliano. Reiterberger is sliding the rear tire and Leon Camier is gaining. Reiterberger's BMW team mate Jordi Torres has also had great pace. Through the Variante Bassa, the riders complete another lap. Jonathan Rea is fastest of all in terms of top speed at 286 kilometers per hour (178 miles an hour). Savadori, Giugliano, and Lowes, are in their own battle, and then, so are Reiterberger, Hayden, Camier, and Torres. Giugliano flicks the Ducati through Aqua Minerale. It is hard to retrieve crashed bikes here at Imola, because unlike more modern circuits, there isn't a service road around the perimeter of the speedway.
This is an old school track. There's no question. Giugliano slices by Savadori. Giugliano defends. The Aprilia RSV is even quicker than the Kawasaki ZX10R. Davies sets fastest lap so far at 1:47.240. Rea and Sykes are still battling. Jonathan Rea has a HUGE wiggle, and almost ditches the bike, surely! He was jolly lucky to stay in the saddle that time! Save of the century. His motorcycle, turned into a bucking bronco! It is now a fight for second between the two green Kawasaki's. Chaz Davies, has once again said, "cheery bye, chaps. I'm outta here!" Davies is on a Sunday cruise, once again.
Some major passing has been going on. Leon Camier passes Markus Reiterberger for seventh, and Nicky Hayden gets by Jordi Torres, for ninth. The two BMW riders are surely having to earn their money on this Sunday. Jonathan Rea is still dirt tracking it through Piratella where he had a major moment in Friday practice. We are just 1/3rd through this race and Jonathan Rea already has handling issues with his Kawasaki. Rea has had a major struggle to make the 2016 Kawasaki work the way he wants it to. Will Tom Sykes make a move? Davies has a huge lead, of 3.5 seconds over Jonathan Rea.
Matteo Baiocco has had an off course excursion at Tambarello, and rejoined, but is 15th. He's lost a place to Alex De Angelis as Alex Lowes tries to make a move on Lorenzo Savadori. Davies is now only 3.2 seconds ahead. He has dropped into the 1:48 bracket. Matteo Baiocco has pulled the VFT Racing Ducati into the lane. He's out. He is still subbing for the injured Fabio Menghi. Alex Lowes passes Lorenzo Savadori into the Variante Alta, as Nicky Hayden is the meat in a BMW sandwich. Savadori loses another place, giving way to Leon Camier, and he now finds himself in seventh place. Into Rivazza, Torres wants to dive inside Hayden.
He is setting up, for a pass. Michael van der Mark on the sister factory Honda has fallen four seconds behind these blokes who continue to duke it out from position. We are at the halfway mark, now. Honda has not had the pace we've expected, during this race. No sign of rain now, but there have been dark clouds around all day. Jordi Torres is a very patient person, but, he knows he needs to pass Hayden, ASAP. Torres runs wide. Nicky Hayden slides down the 20 meter hill, which is about 60 feet. Pawel Szkopek has made it into the points as Chaz Davies continues to lead. The gap is down to three seconds between Rea and Davies. We have a mano e mano fight between Rea and Davies.
Has Jonathan Rea had another off track incident at Tosa? Davies is up by 5.3 seconds. Rea can't get the motorcycle slowed down into the Variante Alta. With seven laps remaining, Sykes has to take advantage of this. But, catching is one thing, and passing, is something, completely different. Pawel Szkopek has lost two spots, and is under investigation, by the stewards. Has he cut a chicane someplace? Szkopek is running behind Dominic Schmitter. Saeed al Sulaiti is also back there. Jordi Torres and Nicky Hayden have both passed Markus Reiterberger. Rea just have not found the balance of his motorcycle.
Matteo Baiocco moves out of Chaz Davies' way. Six laps left. Sykes' last lap is quicker than Jonathan Rea, just factoring in the two factory Kawasaki riders. 1:47.550 for Sykes, vs. 1:47.796 for Rea. Reiterberger loses a spot to his team mate, and Jordi Torres wants by Lorenzo Savadori. Leon Camier is slicing through the pack and has passed Alex Lowes for fifth. The MV Agusta is really improving as a motorcycle at this point. With five laps left, it may truly be game over for Matteo Baiocco who has pulled into pit lane. Pawel Szkopek faces a ride through penalty, and so, he'll come through the longest pit lane on the WSBK calendar. He will have to cruise through the lane at 60 kilometers an hour (37 miles an hour).
Davies leads with four and a half laps left, leading by 5.5 seconds. Tom Sykes is putting personal best sector times in all the time, but can't catch Rea. Davide Giugliano remains fifth. Torres is catching Savadori. Torres might catch them. We'll see. He is not close enough to Savadori into Aqua Minerale. Szkopek will take his ride through penalty. Torres said the BMW does not work on a full fuel load or with new tires. It is better in the second stage. Josh Brookes is fighting through the field, running a lonely 13th place. Brookes is learning how to ride the bike. In British Superbike, where he comes from racing, there are no electronic aids allowed on the motorcycle. That's what he is used to. So, it is hard, to manipulate the traction control, that is seen here in WSBK.
Again, Davies is cruising, and he'll take ten points out of Jonathan Rea's points lead headed to the next race. Two laps left. Jonathan Rea has yet to finish off the podium this season. Davide Giugliano will finish in the top four. Now, it is the last lap. Giugliano had a problem in race one on Saturday. But, today, on Sunday, it's a better result. It is the last lap, and it's been a cakewalk for Chaz Davies. Two fast laps, and he'll take two wins here, too. Jonathan Rea will maintain second spot as Saeed Al Sulaiti runs wide. Ducati wins race two, and does the double! The Ducatisi will go nuts!
Poor old Lorenzo Savadori has finished 11th. He had a really bad last lap, losing ten seconds. He stopped on the front straight. Davies dominates at Imola!
World Superbike Race 2: #7 Chaz Davies GBR. Ducati 1199 Panigale R
Chaz Davies, has done the double. We have had nine doubles here at Imola since 2001. Ducati has won four races this year. The team welcomes their man home, and is ecstatic! The next race happened at the Sepang Circuit, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for World Superbike. Coverage, will come, soon. Stay tuned.
Monday, May 16, 2016
My Most Memorable Race: Randy Mamola, American Grand Prix Star
An interview, with American FIM 500cc Grand Prix rider, Randy Mamola.
http://www.motoamerica.com/my-most-memorable-race-randy-mamola-american-grand-prix-star
http://www.motoamerica.com/my-most-memorable-race-randy-mamola-american-grand-prix-star
Sunday, May 15, 2016
MotoAmerica Round 4: Virginia International Raceway
Here's the latest breaking news, and the race reports, from the fourth round of MotoAmerica at Virginia International Raceway in Danville, Virginia.
Back On Track: Toni Elias Fast in Friday Practice at VIR
http://www.motoamerica.com/back-on-track-toni-elias-fast-in-friday-practice-at-vir
M4 Loxy Suzuki's Caroline Olsen Explains Why She Isn't Riding at VIR
http://www.motoamerica.com/m4-loxy-suzukis-caroline-olsen-not-riding-this-weekend-at-vir
Video: Garrett Gerloff Happy To Be Riding His Motorcycle at VIR
http://www.motoamerica.com/video-garrett-gerloff-is-happy-to-be-riding-his-motorcycle-at-vir
A feature about former rider, Jake Zemke, 2008 AMA Formula Xtreme Champion.
Video: Jake Zemke, From National Champion, To Rider Management
http://www.motoamerica.com/video-jake-zemke-from-national-champion-to-rider-management
Beaubier Earns Superbike Pole Position at VIR
http://www.motoamerica.com/beaubier-earns-superbike-pole-position-at-vir
Five Questions: Jake Lewis, M4 Suzuki Superstock 1000 Racer
http://www.motoamerica.com/five-questions-jake-lewis-m4-suzuki-superstock-1000-racer
Video: Josh Day Hand Injury VIR Update
http://www.motoamerica.com/video-josh-day-hand-injury-vir-update
Video: VIR Saturday Supersport Race One Highlights
http://www.motoamerica.com/video-vir-saturday-supersport-race-one-highlights
Interview: Garrett Gerloff, VIR Supersport Race One Winner
http://www.motoamerica.com/interview-garrett-gerloff-vir-supersport-race-one-winner
Hayes, Beaubier Split VIR MotoAmerica Superbike Wins
http://www.motoamerica.com/hayes-beaubier-split-vir-superbike-wins
Next up for MotoAmerica, is another legendary circuit. Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, plays host to the Honda Superbike Showdown of Wisconsin, the first weekend in June. So, it will take place in three weeks.
Back On Track: Toni Elias Fast in Friday Practice at VIR
http://www.motoamerica.com/back-on-track-toni-elias-fast-in-friday-practice-at-vir
M4 Loxy Suzuki's Caroline Olsen Explains Why She Isn't Riding at VIR
http://www.motoamerica.com/m4-loxy-suzukis-caroline-olsen-not-riding-this-weekend-at-vir
Video: Garrett Gerloff Happy To Be Riding His Motorcycle at VIR
http://www.motoamerica.com/video-garrett-gerloff-is-happy-to-be-riding-his-motorcycle-at-vir
A feature about former rider, Jake Zemke, 2008 AMA Formula Xtreme Champion.
Video: Jake Zemke, From National Champion, To Rider Management
http://www.motoamerica.com/video-jake-zemke-from-national-champion-to-rider-management
Beaubier Earns Superbike Pole Position at VIR
http://www.motoamerica.com/beaubier-earns-superbike-pole-position-at-vir
Five Questions: Jake Lewis, M4 Suzuki Superstock 1000 Racer
http://www.motoamerica.com/five-questions-jake-lewis-m4-suzuki-superstock-1000-racer
Video: Josh Day Hand Injury VIR Update
http://www.motoamerica.com/video-josh-day-hand-injury-vir-update
Video: VIR Saturday Supersport Race One Highlights
http://www.motoamerica.com/video-vir-saturday-supersport-race-one-highlights
Interview: Garrett Gerloff, VIR Supersport Race One Winner
http://www.motoamerica.com/interview-garrett-gerloff-vir-supersport-race-one-winner
Hayes, Beaubier Split VIR MotoAmerica Superbike Wins
http://www.motoamerica.com/hayes-beaubier-split-vir-superbike-wins
Next up for MotoAmerica, is another legendary circuit. Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, plays host to the Honda Superbike Showdown of Wisconsin, the first weekend in June. So, it will take place in three weeks.
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