Showing posts with label Racing. Show all posts
New Engine for Valentino Rossi on Silverstone Race
in Racing
Valentino Rossi will get new engine on Silverstone race, June 17th. Rossi and Ducati should be do some test todat at Estoril circuit, but it was canceled due to heavry rain. If they did test, they will try new parts and different engine. Ducati told that the new engine will be smoother in acceleration.
Ducati did some modification of the engine. Rossi told, "Yesterday, we spoke deeply with Filippo, did some small modify that for us is important if we understand we go the right way but I've to use the current engine until Barcelona. The next engines are for Silverstone because we have to wait for the rule. Also, if we understand this is the way, then for Silverstone it is possible to make more modify to the engine."
Rossi also declare that the performance on race along the competition are depends on circuit chracteristic. "For me it depends track-by-track if we can go a bit faster, a bit better but for now we have to fix some problem for try to make better position. The problem are quite clear. Yesterday I spoke with Filippo (Preziosi, Ducati Corse boss) and today I lose a lot in the centre of the track because it is very difficult for us to put the horsepower down like the other guys so for this reason we will try something different." said Rossi
Ducati 1199 Panigale Nets First Superstock Cup Win
in Racing
Barni Racing‘s Lorenzo Savadori led for nine of 11 laps on his way to earning the first every Superstock 1000 Cup victory for the 2012 Ducati 1199 Panigale.
Racing in mixed weather conditions at Italy’s Monza circuit, Savadori took the lead on Lap 3 from his teammate Eddi La Marra.
Savadori would hold that lead until the end, crossing the finish 1.651 seconds ahead of BWG Kawasaki‘s Christoffer Bergman and 1.884 seconds ahead of La Marra.
The win also moved Savadori into first overall in the championship standings with 53 points. BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet’s Sylvain Barrier led the championship race going into Monza with 50 points but the S1000RR rider struggled in the race, crashing out on Lap 9.
La Marra sits just two points behind Barrier for third in the championship, putting a pair of Panigales into the title mix. As for the premier World Superbike class, we’ll have to wait until 2013 before we see the debut of the 1199.
Source : http://blog.motorcycle.com
Hopkins breaks his foot at a miserable Monza
in Racing
Hopkins had a huge high-side after only a couple of laps and it was immediately evident that he was in some discomfort from the crash. Hopkins was taken straight for an X-ray where it revealed he had suffered a fracture of his foot as well as some torn muscles in his left hip. The incident involving Hopkins, as well as some other crashes, and the bad weather that has plagued Monza all weekend, left the organisers with no option but to cancel race one and hope that conditions improved for the second race later in the day.
Race two did finally get underway after a short delay, with Leon Camier as Crescent FIXI Suzuki’s only representative on the grid. The race began under menacing Monza skies and they didn’t disappoint as rain caused the race to be red-flagged and stopped at half distance. Kawasaki’s Tom Sykes was clear at the front of the pack so was awarded half points for his efforts - due to the shortened race – with Camier bringing his Yoshimura powered GSX-R home safely in 15th to score half-of-a-point.
Crescent FIXI Suzuki now heads straight to Donington Park in England for the European round of the WSBK championship - to be held at the Leicestershire circuit next weekend. The team will make a decision on the fitness of Hopkins once the severity of his injury has been assessed and will then make an announcement over his ability to take part or whether a substitute rider will be drafted in for the race.
John Hopkins:
“That was not a good weekend. I got pretty banged up in the first race crash and damaged my left hip and broke a bone in my right foot. I don’t know what happened because the bike suddenly let go without any warning. It’s a big shame because I had been really looking forward to this weekend and continuing my improvement. Today’s conditions were treacherous and all the changes of weather didn’t help at all. There was no way we could ride on the wets, so the right decisions were made.”
Leon Camier:
“Today was embarrassing because I was running around with people I knew I could beat. I could catch them on the brakes, but once we exited the turns, they left me for dead. We all knew that there might be problems today if it was wet or partially wet, because in practice and qualifying the rain tyres destroyed themselves after about five or six laps, so there was no way that they would’ve lasted a race distance. We all hoped for dry conditions, but they never happened. The organisers were aware of the problems with the wet tyres and both their decisions today were the right ones.”
Jack Valentine - Team Manager:
“It’s difficult to make complete sense of a day like today, but thankfully it doesn’t happen very often. If the track was soaking wet and it was raining, the wet tyres wouldn’t have lasted long enough - maybe just five or six laps. The cancellation of race one and the stoppage of race two were the correct choices, though obviously the crowds weren’t very happy. Hopkins made a fantastic start in the first race, but was forced to take avoiding action when Melandri got all crossed up just in front of him. He dropped to 10th but got back in the groove before crashing out. Leon rode really grittily in both races I’m happy he kept both wheels on the ground and managed to finish. We’ve lost valuable track time this weekend and that’s frustrating, especially as we’ve definitely improved our set-up in conditions like these.”
Monza - Superbike - Race 1:
Cancelled
Monza - Superbike - Race 2:
1. Tom Sykes (Kawasaki) 14'08.800: 2. Leon Haslam (BMW) 14'18.509: 3. Eugene Laverty (Aprilia) 14'18.919: 4. Marco Melandri (BMW) 14'19.094: 5. Max Biaggi (Aprilia) 14'19.327: 15. Leon Camier (CRESCENT FIXI SUZUKI) 14'33.610:
World Championship Classification:
1. Biaggi 97.5: 2. Carlos Checa (Ducati) 95.5: 3. Sykes 91.5: 4. Melandri 72.5: 5. Jonathon Rea (Honda) 70: 17. LEON CAMIER (CRESCENT FIXI SUZUKI) 14.5: 21. JOHN HOPKINS (CRESCENT FIXI SUZUKI) 8:
Source: Crescent Motorcycle
Pirelli Celebrate 25 Years Of SBK At Monza With Silver Stripe Tyres
in Racing
In 2012 the World Superbike Championship, first held in 1988, celebrates its 25th anniversary and Pirelli, present in this prestigious competition from its inception and sole supplier since 2004, has decided to honour this important event by creating an exclusive version of the Superpole tyre the riders will use at Monza on 5 May, to decide the starting order for the races on Sunday 6 May.
The Diablo Superbike tyre with the ‘supersoft’ Superpole compound, in this exclusive “Silver Stripes” version, has six silver coloured stripes on the tread, the colour traditionally associated with 25 year anniversaries, and a label on the side which depicts the Italian flag and commemorative logo designed by Infront to celebrate the World Superbike Championship’s quarter of a century milestone.
“All of our knowledge begins with experience, just as knowing means remembering, and so we remember when we at Pirelli got back into world motorcycle competitions: this was after years of minor activity and the historical Grand Prix races with Gilera, Guzzi, etc. had been forgotten ” said Giorgio Barbier, Pirelli Moto Racing Director and part of the Superbike project from its start at the end of the 1980′s, “…after the first slicks evolved in the early eighties on a National and European level, diving into the new World Superbike adventure in 1988 was a choice of passion and courage. We chose team Rumi, outgoing World champion and its rising star, American rider Fred Merkel. A hard year, full of excitement, disappointments and successes: a championship which was won in the last round in New Zealand against Mertens who would later go on to become a Pirelli rider. Since then, the Pirelli sports identity in the motorcycle world has once again been a culture of constant undertaking and commitment.”
The long partnership with World Superbike has allowed Pirelli to develop a series of products which have been exemplified for 10 years in the Diablo range and which are continuously updated thanks to the factory derivatives platform. The experience gained there guides many current choices: Motocross, Enduro, as well as Rally and finally a return to F1 send a clear signal of what Pirelli’s commitment is in the Motorsport world.
“This” adds Barbier, “is certainly a very important milestone, not only for Infront Motor Sports and the World Superbike Championship, but for the entire two wheeled sport competition world. In spite of the economic crisis during the 1990′s and in recent years, the World Championship continued to grow consistently both in terms of visibility and prestige, carving out a major role for itself in international motorcycling. The Flammini brothers’ project showed itself from the very beginning to be a winner, attracting important riders that would go on to become legends. Pirelli believed in this project from the beginning, and from 2004 they were chosen as sole official supplier for all four classes of World Superbike, adding their contribution to the excitement that these races provide fans every weekend. We are therefore pleased to be able to celebrate this event together with Infront and all the others involved and we are confident that the World Superbike Championship will continue to grow in the years to come”.
For further evidence of the important role Pirelli has in increasing the quality of the show provided for the World Superbike Championship fans, one needs only to think that, since the beginning of Pirelli’s involvement as sole tyre supplier, the championship title has been decided an amazing three times in the last round of the season (in 2004, 2007 and 2009) and five times during the penultimate weekend. While in the open championship (pre-2004) only three manufacturers managed to earn the title in more than 16 years, in 8 years of single tyre seasons, 5 of the 8 motorcycle manufacturers participating (including Petronas) earned at least one title: Ducati, Suzuki, Honda, Yamaha and Aprilia. Thanks to the continuous improvements in tyre performance, from the first season the average race times have decreased year after year, determining an average reduction in race time of -0.3 second each year.
About 30 Pirelli patents stem from the WSBK experience, patents that have to do with various aspects of tyre technology and which effect the increase of the contact area (EPT), tread design, compounds and processes. Many of the latest products introduced on the market, such as the Diablo Supercorsa SP, Diablo Rosso Corsa and the Diablo Rosso II, contain elements which are drawn from these technologies in order to provide more advanced products to the consumer for use in daily riding, whether on or off the track.
Source : http://www.stayontheblack.com
Lorenzo: the problem was Stoner
in Racing
The big loser during these two rounds on the Iberian peninsula was Jorge Lorenzo. The Yamaha rider managed to limit the damage with a pair of second place finishes, but he had very different plans for two of his best circuits on the calendar. Last season he gained 34 points in these two races, while this year he lost 10. That said, it could have been worse: "It was a nightmare weekend, but luckily this afternoon went a little better - Lorenzo said after the race - It's a shame I burned up the clutch on the start, because this cost me some time in the first few laps. Thankfully the problem resolved itself."
Jorge was also gracious in accepting defeat: "The real problem today was Casey. It was also a hard race physically, but I was able to close him down. The only place to pass was at the chicane, but it would have been too risky. I preferred the secure result." The Spaniard used the softer compound rear tire for the race. "The hard would have been more consistent, but I preferred the soft because it warmed up faster. On the front I used the new compound from Bridgestone, as that gave me the best feeling with the M1. Hopefully we can improve the bike further tomorrow during the test."
Source: http://www.gpone.com
Video: Tom Sykes at 339.5 km/h (210 mph) at Monza
In this afternoon’s final World Superbike free practice at Monza, Tom Sykes when through the speed traps (in Max Biaggi’s draft) on board his Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R recording 339.5 km/h (210 mph)!
This new record beats the previous one of 334.8 km/h shared by Max Biaggi on his Aprilia RSV4 in 2010 and Michel Fabrizio on his BMW S1000RR, who recorded the same speed during yesterday QP1.
Source : http://www.twowheelsblog.com
Rossi: the GP12 must be short and long
in Racing
At Estoril he has to start from the finish. More precisely, from the last lap of the Jerez GP, a 1'41”047 which was Valentino Rossi's best time of the race. The basis will be Nicky Hayden's setup, which makes the bike "longer and lower, as opposed to my setup which was shorter and taller; to put it simply," Rossi explained. He then added, "Technically we are starting with the Jerez race setup, trying to adapt it to my riding style, and hoping to make the most of Friday and Saturday practice. We are hoping for good weather, but we won't change our work plan even if it's wet."
The idea situation would be to combine Nicky's early race pace at Jerez, with Valentino's late race pace. "That would be really great - the Doctor continued - a good race would be assured. Nicky and I have demonstrated that the bike has potential, but now we must get the most from it." The tires are another crucial factor which Ducati must get right: "We get our tires up to temperature quickly, but then they also wear out quickly. That said, I haven't had many problems with the front tire. At Jerez I used the harder compound, and it held out for the race distance. Nicky chose the softer compound, he pushed harder in the opening laps and then had issues later on."
As to why the number 46 decided to "copy" the setup of the number 69, Rossi's explanation was quite clear: "His setup is better suited to what's needed to be fast on the Duati, and his performance clearly shows that. His setup helped me find the speed on corner entry that I was missing. That was my biggest problem. Now we can work from this basis to solve our other problems."
And the Ducati engineers will also be working back at the headquarters, preparing the latest updates to the GP12. "I spoke a lot with Preziosi after the first race in Qatar, and I want to improve things quickly. That's why I don't mind running two consecutive races, and then having a test. We are getting into the busy part of the season, and since we started out poorly, it's helpful to have an immediate chance to turn things around."
Estoril: 10 year anniversary for Lorenzo
in Racing
44 – On the first day of practice at Estoril it will be exactly 44 years ago to the day that Salvador Canellas won the 125cc race at the Spanish GP in 1968 at Montjuich Park in Barcelona – this was the first GP win by a Spanish rider and the first victory in the 125cc class for Bultaco.
28 years – Cal Crutchlow set the fastest lap of the MotoGP race at Jerez. This is the first time in 28 years that a British rider has set the fastest lap in a premier-class Grand Prix – since Barry Sheene riding a Suzuki at the South African GP at Kyalami, which was the opening race of the 1984 season.
25 – Jorge Lorenzo celebrates his 25th birthday on the first day of practice at the Portuguese Grand Prix.
28 years – Cal Crutchlow set the fastest lap of the MotoGP race at Jerez. This is the first time in 28 years that a British rider has set the fastest lap in a premier-class Grand Prix – since Barry Sheene riding a Suzuki at the South African GP at Kyalami, which was the opening race of the 1984 season.
25 – Jorge Lorenzo celebrates his 25th birthday on the first day of practice at the Portuguese Grand Prix.
14 – The Portuguese Grand Prix has been held on fourteen previous occasions. The first two were actually held in Spain - in 1987 at Jarama and in 1988 at Jerez. Following an eleven year break the Portuguese Grand Prix returned in 2000 to the Estoril circuit, where it has been held every year since.
10 – The qualifying day at Estoril will be the tenth anniversary of Jorge Lorenzo making his GP debut in the 125cc race at the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez in 2002, just one day after celebrating his 15th birthday.
7 - Miguel Oliveira’s 7th place finish in the 125cc race last year is the best ever result at the Portuguese Grand Prix by a home rider.
5 - Valentino Rossi is the rider with most victories at Estoril, having won the premier-class race on five occasions. The next most successful are Toni Elias, Jorge Lorenzo and Alvaro Bautista who have all had three wins at Estoril.
5 - Honda and Yamaha have each had five four-stroke MotoGP victories at the Estoril circuit.
10 – The qualifying day at Estoril will be the tenth anniversary of Jorge Lorenzo making his GP debut in the 125cc race at the Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez in 2002, just one day after celebrating his 15th birthday.
7 - Miguel Oliveira’s 7th place finish in the 125cc race last year is the best ever result at the Portuguese Grand Prix by a home rider.
5 - Valentino Rossi is the rider with most victories at Estoril, having won the premier-class race on five occasions. The next most successful are Toni Elias, Jorge Lorenzo and Alvaro Bautista who have all had three wins at Estoril.
5 - Honda and Yamaha have each had five four-stroke MotoGP victories at the Estoril circuit.
4 - Estoril is one of just four circuits on this year’s calendar where Ducati have not had a MotoGP win. The others are Indianapolis, Le Mans and Silverstone.
2.465 seconds – The time covering the top four finishers in the MotoGP race at Jerez. This is the closest top four in the MotoGP class since the opening race of 2010 at Qatar when 1.876 seconds separated the winner Valentino Rossi from fourth place finisher Nicky Hayden.
1 – Following his first ever MotoGP victory at Jerez, Estoril is now the only current circuit where Casey Stoner has not had a victory in the MotoGP class.
0.002 seconds - Toni Elias’ MotoGP victory in 2006 came after he had qualified down in eleventh place on the grid. His winning margin of 0.002 seconds equalled the closest ever recorded finish in the premier-class since the introduction of electronic timing which was also the margin of victory for Alex Criville over Mick Doohan at Brno in 1996.
2.465 seconds – The time covering the top four finishers in the MotoGP race at Jerez. This is the closest top four in the MotoGP class since the opening race of 2010 at Qatar when 1.876 seconds separated the winner Valentino Rossi from fourth place finisher Nicky Hayden.
1 – Following his first ever MotoGP victory at Jerez, Estoril is now the only current circuit where Casey Stoner has not had a victory in the MotoGP class.
0.002 seconds - Toni Elias’ MotoGP victory in 2006 came after he had qualified down in eleventh place on the grid. His winning margin of 0.002 seconds equalled the closest ever recorded finish in the premier-class since the introduction of electronic timing which was also the margin of victory for Alex Criville over Mick Doohan at Brno in 1996.
Dani Pedrosa: 100th Podium is Amazing
in Racing
Dani Pedrosa finsihed 3rd on the Estoril GP and it was the 100th podium for him. He told that the race was really tough from the beginning. After a big shake in the opening lap, Pedrosa can't reduce the gap to Lorenzo and Stoner.
“It was a really tough race from the beginning. The pace was very, very high from the first lap to the final one. Casey rode a good race, unbelievably strong. I had a big shake in the first braking area, Casey and Jorge overtook me and I lost 1.5 seconds on the first lap." said Pedrosa.
Pedrosa continue, "During the race I had some issues in the middle of the corner, I was not fast with corner speed. Each lap I tried to get a little better, to try and modify my riding style, the mapping and my braking points. I tried everything. I managed to match their lap times, but I couldn’t close the gap. Three races on the podium is very good overall, but in three races we missed something, so let’s try it again in the next one.
Speaking about the 100th podium, "To reach my 100th podium is amazing and shows how fast the time goes. I’m very happy for that and I want to thank all my teams and sponsors during this time and especially Honda because I’ve been with them for my whole career".
Supersport 600, Monza: video highlights
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Here is a nice one-minute long video with no commentary of the the most significant moments of the fourth round of the Supersport World Championship, which took place in Monza this last weekend and saw the first victory in this class for Frenchman Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda). The 23 year old from Montlucon clinched his maiden win after a fierce battle against 21 year old Englishman Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda), the pole man in Monza, who saw Cluzel winning by only 312 thousandths of a second.
Third place on the podium for reigning champion Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini), who was able to win a hard-fought duel against Hongary’s Imre Toth (Racing Team Toth Honda) to score the points that earned him the lead of table. However, on Saturday, Toth managed to set the new speed record for the Supersport class when, on dry tarmac, he recorded an unprecedented 295,1 km/h (183.4 mph). If the video is not enough for you, you can also check our massive photo gallery dedicated to the Supersport weekend in Monza. See race result, standing and thumbnails of our photogalleru after the jump.
Monza - FIM Supersport World Championship - Race
1. Jules Cluzel (PTR Honda) Honda CBR600RR 33′08.897
2. Sam Lowes (Bogdanka PTR Honda) Honda CBR600RR 33′09.209
3. Kenan Sofuoglu (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini) Kawasaki ZX-6R 33′26.266
4. Imre Toth (Racing Team Toth) Honda CBR600RR 33′30.425
5. Stefano Cruciani (Puccetti Racing Kawasaki Itali) Kawasaki ZX-6R 33′38.366
6. Alex Baldolini (Power Team by Suriano) Triumph Daytona 675 33′41.111
7. Massimo Roccoli (Bike Service - WTR TEN 10) Yamaha YZF R6 33′52.474
8. Andrea Antonelli (Team Lorini) Honda CBR600RR 33′52.846
9. Vittorio Iannuzzo (Power Team by Suriano) Triumph Daytona 675 33′56.352
10. Raffaele De Rosa (Team Lorini) Honda CBR600RR 33′56.723
11. Jed Metcher (Rivamoto Junior Team) Yamaha YZF R6 33′59.777
12. Fabien Foret (Kawasaki Intermoto Step) Kawasaki ZX-6R 34′09.578
13. Luca Marconi (VFT Racing) Yamaha YZF R6 34′10.036
14. Kieran Clarke (Bogdanka Honda PTR) Honda CBR600RR 34′14.057
15. Martin Jessopp (Riders PTR Honda) Honda CBR600RR 34′14.105
16. Roberto Tamburini (Team Lorini) Honda CBR600RR 34′19.350
17. Mirko Giansanti (Puccetti Racing Kawasaki Itali) Kawasaki ZX-6R 34′25.653
18. Joshua Day (Team GOELEVEN) Kawasaki ZX-6R 34′30.167
19. Giovanni Altomonte (KUJA Racing) Honda CBR600RR 34′36.921
20. Roberto Anastasia (KUJA Racing) Honda CBR600RR 34′37.300
21. Fabio Menghi (VFT Racing) Yamaha YZF R6 34′57.134
22. Dino Lombardi (Team PATA by Martini) Yamaha YZF R6 35′07.933
23. Valentine Debise (SMS Racing) Honda CBR600RR 35′09.880
24. Thomas Caiani (KUJA Racing) Honda CBR600RR 33′22.758
25. Yves Polzer (Team MRC Austria) Yamaha YZF R6 34′49.215
26. Eduard Blokhin (Rivamoto) Yamaha YZF R6 35′15.260
RT. Romain Lanusse (Kawasaki Intermoto Step) Kawasaki ZX-6R 32′55.003
RT. Broc Parkes (Ten Kate Racing Products) Honda CBR600RR 29′04.589
RT. Cristiano Erbacci (Bike Service - WTR TEN 10) Yamaha YZF R6 17′24.411
RT. Ilario Dionisi (PRORACE) Honda CBR600RR 13′38.327
RT. Vladimir Leonov (Yakhnich Motorsport) Yamaha YZF R6 10′42.941
RT. Mathew Scholtz (Bogdanka PTR Honda) Honda CBR600RR 10′44.146
RT. Balazs Nemeth (Racing Team Toth) Honda CBR600RR 10′46.950
RT. Sheridan Morais (Kawasaki DeltaFin Lorenzini) Kawasaki ZX-6R 6′32.305
RT. Ronan Quarmby (PTR Honda) Honda CBR600RR 2′09.510
2012 Classifiche Piloti - FIM Supersport World Championship
1 Kenan Sofuoglu - Kawasaki 61
2 Sam Lowes - Honda 51
3 Fabien Foret - Kawasaki 49
4 Jules Cluzel - Honda 48
5 Alex Baldolini - Triumph 34
6 Broc Parkes - Honda 29
7 Vladimir Leonov - Yamaha 26
8 Lorenzo Lanzi - Honda 25
Ronan Quarmby - Honda 25
Vittorio Iannuzzo - Triumph 25
Andrea Antonelli - Honda 25
9 Roberto Tamburini - Honda 20
10 Sheridan Morais - Kawasaki 17
11 Massimo Roccoli - Yamaha 16
12 Imre Toth - Honda 13
13 Stefano Cruciani - Kawasaki 11
Jed Metcher - Yamaha 11
14 Luca Marconi - Yamaha 10
15 Balazs Nemeth - Honda 9
16 Twan Van Poppel - Yamaha 8
Romain Lanusse - Kawasaki 8
Joshua Day - Kawasaki 8
17 Raffaele De Rosa - Honda 6
Stuart Voskamp - Suzuki 6
Lukas Pesek - Honda 6
18 Thomas Caiani - Honda 4
19 Patrick Jacobsen - Honda 3
20 Kieran Clarke - Honda 2
Mathew Scholtz - Honda 2
21 Martin Jessopp - Honda 1
Fabio Menghi - Yamaha 1
Source : http://www.twowheelsblog.com
Pirelli hits out at World Superbike riders for not using intermediate tires
in Racing
In our Saturday’s WSBKs Superpole post we already mentioned that Pirelli’s Giorgio Barbier was called out regarding the condition of the rain tires that after a couple of laps on the patchy surface were destroyed, with the Italian manager responding that he had recommended that the riders use intermediate tires that are there for that purpose, but very few riders heeded his suggestion as they don’t like that tire, and in today’s post on race 1 we told you that Pirelli had spent the entire night cutting the softer race tires to allow the riders another option if the conditions were again dry-wet, now the tire manufacturer has hit back with their own press release after the Monza debacle.
We’ve also posted Pirelli’s Monza promo video and what their tires would have gone through if the weather had cooperated.
“The weekend at Monza was most certainly conditioned from Saturday by weather conditions which were extremely unstable, with nice weather, suddenly alternating with rain and at times even with hail.
“As for Superbike, first and foremost I would like to make an important note on Saturday’s Superpole: Pirelli consistently recommended that the teams and riders use the intermediate tyres which were available to them.
“This advice, however, was completely ignored since all of the riders used rain tyres. Clearly the reason for this was the fact that the track was completely dry in places, while in others it was wet due to the trees along the track which kept the asphalt from drying.
“The rain tyres run well at 50 per cent-60 per cent, but on the two consecutive straight stretches, which were completely dry, they obviously reached temperatures well above 200 degrees. This caused a meltdown of the compound in the centre. I would also like to reassure everyone on this point that Pirelli tyres have a particular structure with a steel belt, and therefore it is absolutely impossible for them to explode.
“That said, on Sunday the riders in the Superstock classes raced as scheduled, in conditions which were even worse than those during the Superbike races, using the rain tyres on the front and the intermediate or race tyres on the rear. In Supersport, as further proof that the Pirelli rain tyres can most definitely sustain an entire race without any problems, the riders raced and finished on rain tyres.
“So it was a shame that, although the Superbike riders had two intermediate solutions available to them for the rear, they expected only to use the racing slicks. Once the race began, in any case, it was clear that even in those conditions a good race could be run.”
Source : http://www.twowheelsblog.com
Stoner Strategy: Stay in Front of Lorenzo and Pedrosa
in Racing
Casey Stoner lead the championship after wins Estoril GP last Sunday. For Stoner, it was very fantastic. “In the end it was another fantastic weekend for us. This morning we were more confident but also a little concerned because yesterday afternoon when we had a very similar setting to what we had in FP3 the bike was a bit worse in the warm conditions. In warm-up we didn’t have a big problem with chatter, but in the race, in warmer conditions, we struggled a lot more." said Stoner.
This Australian rider told that his strategy on the race is to stay in front of Lorenzo and Pedrosa. After Lorenzo try to reduce the gap, Stoner try to keep his pace and not make mistakes, and it works.
He told, "This was very difficult to ride with. In the first part of the race I was confident and attacking the track, but I almost lost the front twice due to the chatter. From this point I backed off a little, tried to stay smooth and just wanted to stay in front of Jorge and Dani, but Jorge was coming strong. I had to try and keep my pace and not make too many mistakes, so I was changing the mapping to try and reduce the chatter problem. Towards the end of the race I began to understand how to ride around it, this made things smoother and I found some more pace and was able to bring it home for a great race win.”
Colin Edwards to miss Le Mans GP
in Racing
According to Spanish website Motocuatro.com Colin Edwards will miss the upcoming French MotoGP race at Le Mans (May 18-20).
Edwards sustained a right collarbone fracture during qualifying at Estoril when he was accidently wiped out by Randy de Puniet’s sliding ART machine. The American is currently at the Dexeus Clinic in Barcellona waiting to undergo surgery later this evening, however after taking a look at his scans his Spanish physicians have recommended that he spend two or three weeks resting after his operation as he’s already suffered numerous injuries in that area. Whether the American heeds his doctors orders or cuts short his recovery period will be another matter, as the French circuit is historically one of his best.
The NGM Forward rider was present in his garage yesterday and watched all three races at Estoril from the sidelines and he tweeted, “One more question: (pain meds induced) Are all motoGP races as boring as that one today? Moto2 & 3 kicked ass!!!”
Our answer is yes and we couldn’t agree more.
Photo source | twitter.com@texastornardo5
Source : http://www.twowheelsblog.com
Photos: One Crashed 2012 Brammo Empulse RR
in Racing
Retaining the same basic shape as last year’s bike, the 2012 Brammo Empulse RR is still a looker, due mainly to its very “Iconic” livery scheme. Keeping things an Oregonian affair, the addition of Portland-based Icon as a sponsor to the Brammo racing effort bodes well for the team, and brings more validity to the budding electric motorcycle racing scene. It’s just a shame the color scheme lasted all of a few hours for Team Icon Brammo at Sears Point Raceway this weekend.
Crashing in yesterday’s first TTXGP practice session, Steve Atlas was diagnosed with six fractured vertebrae. With a thrashed bike, the Brammo squad managed to cobble together the race bike again, and thanks to its busy black & white design, one could barely see the black gaffer tape and white electrical tape that was keeping things together. Now with 130 hp at the rear wheel, as well as 35 lbs less poundage on its bulk, the revised Empulse RR clearly has a problem with people named Steve, as the electric motorcycle once again bucked a rider off, also again in Turn 7 at Sears Point.
Highsiding Steve Rapp during Saturday’s qualifying session, it is not clear what caused the rear wheel of the Empulse RR to spool up, as Rapp said he was still straight up and down with the bike when he went airborn. With fluid dripping from the bike afterwards, and Rapp stopping a lap earlier or two earlier because of the bike cutting out, the Brammo team is surely still pouring over the data as we type. That effort will do little to change the fact that Rapp has likely broken his hand from the incident, and will be out of racing the rest of the weekend, much to the chagrin to the Attack Performance AMA Superbike team, which Rapp took to a sixth place finish that same day in Superbike Race 1.
As you can see from the photos after the jump, the damage does not look too extensive to the bike — though, our assessment is only skin deep. Two riders, two highsides, one corner…no bueno. Surely not the result the Ashland-based crew wanted before it launches the street-bike version of the Brammo Empulse on Tuesday next week, it’s not clear if Brammo will try and race tomorrow, or if they even can race sans a healthy rider who lapped during Saturday’s qualifying.
Source : http://www.asphaltandrubber.com
Valentino Rossi: Estoril went a bit better
in Racing
Good progress from Valentino Rossi was appear on Estoril. Start from 9th position, Rossi took 7th on the finish line. Rossi admit that this race is a little better. He said, “It went a bit better this time, in the sense that we started from a better base on Friday and we managed to prepare for today over the course of the weekend. I was able to approach the race knowing what to expect from the bike, and I therefore managed to push harder and get a little closer to the limit."
Rossi continue, "The first laps were decent. I moved up a couple of positions and then I maintained a consistent pace, doing times that we expected to do. We can say that we took advantage of our current potential, and now we’ll have to work to make another step forward. We must improve on corner exits and on acceleration because right now we’re not able to be as effective as the others due to the fact that we can’t get all of the power to the ground."
Like Hayden said, Rossi also will test Ducati again on Estoril today. "We have a test tomorrow, and we’ll start working. Anyway, today I even managed to have some fun.” said Rossi.
MotoGP Test Post Estoril Race Cancelled Due to Rain
in Racing
As scheduled before, today should be a test held on Estoril circuit. Due to heavy rain, the test was canceled. Teams should be test new parts and bike setup, including Ducati team where scheduled to try new engine.
Update from Ducati team, the Ducati Team’s next test with Valentino Rossi and Nicky Hayden, the first of three to be held at Mugello, will take place May 22-24, after the Le Mans Grand Prix.
Icon to Sponsor Brammo’s 2012 TTXGP Race Team
in Racing
Riding apparel company Icon has signed on to be title sponsor for Brammo‘s factory TTXGP electric racing team for its upcoming North American title defence.
Team Icon Brammo will compete in the four-round TTXGP North American series with reigning champion Steve Atlas riding the Brammo Empulse RR race bike.
“Icon is a company that loves to see others striving to be different and the TTXGP is just that,” says Kurt Walter, Icon brand manager. “We felt that Brammo Racing had the whole package, with a great company, staff and rider, which made for an easy decision to sponsor their efforts.”
Brammo also revealed the Icon-inspired livery for the Empulse RR. Atlass will wear Icon gear including a brand new helmet model which will be added to Icon’s 2012 fall collection as well as a custom racing suit derived from Icon’s Overlord line.
“Not only is Icon’s involvement important for Brammo, it’s also important for the sport of electric motorcycle racing,” said Brian Wismann, manager for Team Icon Brammo. “Here is a brand that is known for being innovative and different, stepping up to support an entirely new genre in the motorcycle world – electrics. Last year was a huge milestone with Steve bringing home our first TTXGP championship and we’re excited to have the opportunity to defend that championship with a great partner in Icon Motosports.
With the bike’s distinctive design, you’ll be hard pressed to miss Team Icon Brammo on the track this year.”
The 2012 TTXGP North American Championship kicks off this weekend, May 4-6 at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Other stops include June 23-24 at Portland International Raceway in Portland, Ore., Aug. 31 to Sept. 2 at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah, and July 28-29 at Laguna Seca in Monterrey, Calif., alongside the FIM’s e-Power series as part of the U.S. Grand Prix weekend.
TTXGP will also host its world championship final at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla, on Oct. 19-21, with the top teams from TTXGP’s North American, European and Australian teams competing against each other.
Source : http://blog.motorcycle.com
Lorenzo Retains Unbroken Podium Record at Estoril
in Racing
Yamaha Factory Racing rider Jorge Lorenzo continued his unbroken podium record at Estoril today. Starting from fourth on the grid he was quickly into second at the first corner and held the position to the line after a determined effort to stay with race leader Casey Stoner. The Mallorcan's legendary consistent lap pace meant Stoner was never more than one second ahead until the final lap and at times just 0.2 seconds in front. Lap three of the race saw Lorenzo deliver a new fastest lap record for Estoril of 1'36.909. He now heads to Le Mans in two weeks time just one point adrift of the Championship lead.
Team mate Ben Spies started well from fifth, slotting into fourth in the first corner before running wide and dropping back several places. The Texan made a couple of mistakes and dropped to ninth where he battled Stephan Bradl for eighth, eventually passing the German to take the position at the line. Spies will arrive in Le Mans in 11th position with 18 points.
Wilco Zeelenberg - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Manager
“A fantastic result after a very tough race weekend. Both Jorge and the bike got on very harmoniously in the race and he was able to push. We are only one point behind Casey and we’re consistently finishing on the podium which is important. We’ll test tomorrow to see what developments we can use to improve and see what happens in Le Mans in two weeks time.”
Massimo Meregalli - Yamaha Factory Racing Team Director
“Ben had some difficulties during the race, he made a few mistakes, I think the first one put a lot of pressure on him so he was trying to push harder and was unable to. The most important thing is he got back his feeling and was quite satisfied with the set up which gives us good confidence for the coming races. Tomorrow we will test some new items, let’s hope they give us some good results. Jorge did a really great job and pushed really hard. He never gave Casey room to breathe and he couldn’t do more than that. This is the right attitude to get the title.”
Yamaha Racing Press Release
Ben Spies: I Made Four or Five Big Mistake During the Race
in Racing
Ben Spies admit that he made some mistake during the race and it cost time and places. Spies told that he don't enjoy Estoril, and this is the first time in last 3 years that he can reach the finish line.
Spies said, “Very mixed emotions today, this is actually the first time in three years that I’ve finished a race here. As I told the team, I made four or five big mistakes during the race, they cost me time and places. It was a rough race but I’m continuing to build my confidence, I don’t enjoy Estoril so I’m happy to have finished.
He continue, Now we go to Le Mans which is a great event with an amazing crowd but another track I don’t love so much! I’m happy with the bike and it’s performance so we’ll continue to build my confidence and improve the results.”
Tom Sykes wins truncated Race 2 at Monza
in Racing
This weekend’s World Superbike round at Monza will probably go down in history and it won’t be for the 25th anniversary of the series, but rather to the capricious weather and the tires.
After race 1 was finally cancelled for safety reasons, race 2 was further delayed as the Italian circuit presented itself once again dry with several wet patches and the rider again were unhappy with the conditions and unsure whether to race with the tires that Pirelli had specifically brought for this round.
The organizers mediated the situation, have decided that the race was dry, but shortened it to 16 laps, but leaving the final decision to race to the riders after they completed two warm-up laps. Once they returned to the grid Marco Melandri, Max Biaggi and Carlos Checa halted the start again, unsatisfied with the conditions of the Ascari and Parabolica while other riders stated that they could race, if they were careful.
Infront’s Paolo Ciabatti was to say the least upset (as were the booing fans) and proceeded to do a head count of who wanted to race and who didn’t, and with the yays outwaying the nays, another warm-up lap was decided telling those who were contrary that the race take place, could withdraw. At the end everyone lined up on the grid, minus pole sitter Sylvain Guintoli and Michel Fabrizio, who both suffered technical issues on their Ducati’s and David Salom who suffered a broken shoulder during his race 1 crash and John Hopkins who has a suspected foot injury.
Tom Sykes immediately took the lead and ran away leaving the BMW and Aprilia factory riders to dice it out until the 8th lap when the race was red flagged due to rain. The Kawasaki rider who had had a nine second margin over the rest of the field was awarded the victory and half points, 12.5 instead of 25. Leon Haslam took the second spot on the podium with Eugene Laverty in third, making it almost an entire British podium, even if Laverty is from North Ireland.
WSBK Monza Race 2 results:
01- Tom Sykes – Kawasaki Racing Team – Kawasaki ZX-10R – 8 laps in 14’08.800
02- Leon Haslam – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000RR – + 9.709
03- Eugene Laverty – Aprilia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 10.119
04- Marco Melandri – BMW Motorrad Motorsport – BMW S1000RR – + 10.294
05- Max Biaggi – Aprilia Racing Team – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 10.527
06- Jonathan Rea – Honda World Superbike Team – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 10.638
07- Carlos Checa – Althea Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 10.899
08- Davide Giugliano – Althea Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 12.195
09- Jakub Smrz – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 13.199
10- Ayrton Badovini – BMW Motorrad Italia GoldBet – BMW S1000RR – + 19.372
11- Hiroshi Aoyama – Honda World Superbike Team – Honda CBR 1000RR – + 24.551
12- Chaz Davies – ParkinGO MTC Racing – Aprilia RSV4 Factory – + 24.655
13- Maxime Berger – Team Effenbert Liberty Racing – Ducati 1198 – + 24.662
14- Lorenzo Zanetti – PATA Racing Team – Ducati 1198 – + 24.668
15- Leon Camier – Crescent FIXI Suzuki – Suzuki GSX-R 1000 – + 24.810
16- Leandro Mercado – Team Pedercini – Kawasaki ZX-10R – + 24.935
17- Niccolò Canepa – Red Devils Roma – Ducati 1198 – + 25.278
Source : http://www.twowheelsblog.com
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