Dutch MotoGP™ debrief with Shinji Aoki
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Bridgestone slick compounds available: Front: Extra-soft, Soft & Medium; Rear: Soft, Medium & Hard (Asymmetric)
Bridgestone wet tyre compounds available: Soft (Main), Main (Alternative)
Last weekend’s Dutch TT at Assen was affected by variable weather conditions that resulted in the race being a flag-to-flag affair at which Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez won ahead of Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso and Dani Pedrosa on the other Repsol Honda RC213V.
Fine conditions on the opening day of practice gave way to increasingly poor weather that culminated in a downpour of rain during the lead up to Saturday’s race. All except two of the twenty-three starters at the Dutch TT, Broc Parkes and Yonny Hernandez who started on slicks, started on soft compound wet tyres, but by the time a third of the twenty-six lap race had been run, all entrants had changed to their second bikes fitted with slick tyres.
Q&A with Shinji Aoki – Manager, Bridgestone Motorcycle Tyre Development Department
Conditions for the start of the race last Saturday at Assen were wet but the track dried very quickly. Are you satisfied with how both the slick and wet tyres performed?
“The kind of mixed conditions that we experienced for the race are really challenging for the riders. Grip levels can change from corner to corner, so the riders need tyres that get up to temperature quickly and have very high grip levels. The fact that we had almost no incidents during the race and the riders managed to show quick pace on a drying track that still had some patches of water was very positive for us. The wide working temperature range of our slick and wet tyres was one of the key factors that allowed the riders to push in the tricky conditions with confidence.”
During Free Practice 3 when the track was only slightly wet, some riders left their box on wet tyres only to return to the pits after not even completing a single lap. Can you explain what is happening here?
“Some riders like to ‘scrub’ a set of wet tyres by doing a lap on them in case they need to be used later in a race situation. The purpose of scrubbing is not to remove some kind of coating on the tyre as some people believe; rather it is purely a mental exercise for some riders as perhaps they feel more confident pushing on a set of wet tyres that aren’t brand new. Even when there is no possibility of rain on race day, some riders will still scrub a set of wet tyres during the morning Warm Up session in case there is unexpected rain before the race. Technically speaking, a scrubbed wet tyre has no advantage in terms of grip compared to a new tyre as our wet tyres offer maximum grip at the very beginning of their life.”
No Factory Honda or Yamaha riders tried the hard rear slick over the race weekend at Assen. Was this due to the weather conditions or some other factor?
“The weather conditions on the Thursday at Assen were well suited for the hard specification rear slick, but as it was the first day of practice, the Factory Honda and Yamaha riders preferred to use the medium rear slick to assess grip levels and find a base bike setup. This is quite a normal procedure. Some of the riders planned to evaluate the hard rear slick during practice on Friday, but the weather was much cooler and we had intermittent rain and in these conditions, the medium compound rear slick was the better choice. In any case, the difference between the medium and hard specification rear slicks provided for Assen are quite close, so if track temperatures for the race were towards the forty degree range, some riders would have selected this option.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
NIGON PODIUMS AT NURBURGRING IDM
Erwan Nigon raced to a podium position with third place overall at the weekend’s fourth round of the German IDM Superbike championship at Nürburgring.
The Frenchman, who was drafted into the HPC Power Suzuki Racing Team to ride injured Vincent Philippe’s GSX-R1000, scored third and fourth places as frequent rain showers plagued both Superbike and Supersport races.
After claiming third place in Sunday’s opening race, Nigon said: “I am told there hasn’t been a Suzuki on the podium in the Superbike class for quite some time so I’m delighted with this result.” The second race got underway in dry conditions, but the rain soon returned and the race red-flagged. On the restart, Nigon began the resumed action lying runner-up but on combined time was classified fourth.
Suzuki’s Supersport 600 riders had mixed fortunes: Vittorio Iannuzzo rode a lonely race to take fourth position in race one, but slid-off in the second. The Italian HPC Power Suzuki Team rider said: “I definitely had ambitions for the second race but it seems I was over the limit.”
Team Suzuki Stoneline-Mayer’s Tatu Lauslehto looked excellent in Saturday´s qualifying and started the race from the front row, but rain eventually prevented a good result for the Finn. He said: “We couldn’t gather experience regarding our rain set-up beforehand. The settings were not ideal and I had to be content finishing sixth.”
Sarah Heide (Team Suzuki Laux ADAC Sachsen) finished both of her races; the 26-year-old scoring 10th and seventh positions as Christian Stange (HPC Power Suzuki Team) finished fifth and eighth.
The next round of the IDM Superbike series is held in Schleiz on July 20th.
Result Superbike race 1: 1. Damian Cudlin (Kawasaki), 2. Xavi Forés (Ducati), 3. Erwan Nigon (Suzuki), 4. Markus Reiterberger (BMW), 5. Michael Ranseder (Honda), 6. Danny de Boer (Honda), 7. Stefan Nebel (BMW), 8. Marco Nekvasil (BMW), 9. Lucy Glöckner (BMW), 10. Marc Neumann (BMW).
Result Superbike race 2: 1. Max Neukirchner (Ducati), 2. Markus Reiterberger (BMW), 3. Xavi Forés (Ducati), 4. Erwan Nigon (Suzuki), 5. Danny de Boer (Honda), 6. Stefan Nebel (BMW), 7. Lucy Glöckner (BMW), 8. Marc Moser (Ducati), 9. Dominik Vincon (BMW), 10. Marc Neumann (BMW).
Superbike Championship Standings (after 6 of 16 races): 1. Xavi Forés 177 Points, 2. Max Neukirchner 146, 3. Markus Reiterberger 137, 4. Stefan Nebel 73, 5. Bastien Makels 70, 6. Damian Cudlin 67, 7. Danny de Boer 64, 8. Erwan Nigon (Suzuki GSX-R1000) 59, 9. Matej Smrz 58, 10. Michael Ranseder 54.
Result Supersport race 1: 1. Roman Stamm (Kawasaki), 2. Marvin Fritz (Yamaha), 3. Stefan Kerschbaumer (Yamaha), 4. Vittorio Iannuzzo (Suzuki), 5. Christian Stange (Suzuki), 6. Tatu Lauslehto (Suzuki), 7. Jasha Huber (Kawasaki), 8. Kostiantyn Pisarev (Yamaha), 9. Christian von Gunten (Kawasaki), 10. Sarah Heide (Suzuki).
Result Supersport race 2: 1. Roman Stamm (Kawasaki), 2. Stefan Kerschbaumer (Yamaha), 3. Marvin Fritz (Yamaha), 4. Pepijn Bijsterbosch (Yamaha), 5. Kostiantyn Pisarev (Yamaha), 6. Christian von Gunten (Kawasaki), 7. Sarah Heide (Suzuki), 8. Christian Stange (Suzuki), 9. Jasha Huber (Kawasaki), 10. Michael Ghilardi (Yamaha).
Supersport Championship Standings (after 6 of 16 races): 1. Marvin Fritz 176 Points, 2. Roman Stamm 171, 3. Stefan Kerschbaumer 119, 4. Tatu Lauslehto (Suzuki GSX-R600) 97, 5. Vittorio Iannuzzo (Suzuki GSX-R600) 72, 6. Pepijn Bijsterbosch 61. 9. Christian Stange (Suzuki GSX-R600) 59, 10. Sarah Heide (Suzuki GSX-R600) 51.
More, from a press release issued by SMT Racing:
Seventh place for Backlund and SMT Racing at Knockhill
Filip Backlund and the SMT Racing Kawasaki team’s challenge for the 2014 Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship took a slight knock on Sunday with the Swedish rider finishing in seventh place at the Knockhill circuit in Scotland, venue for the fourth round of the series.
The weekend got off to a steady start when the 24-year old took tenth place in the opening qualifying session on Friday and he was confident of moving forward in Saturday’s second session but all hopes of that disappeared when rain fell meaning that no-one was able to go any faster than their time set the previous day.
Conditions were a lot more favourable for Sunday’s 24-lap race and a good start from the fourth row would be crucial with the tight 1.2-mile circuit renowned for being difficult to overtake. A slightly sluggish getaway though left Filip back in twelfth at the completion of the opening lap and with a lot of work to do. In the style we’ve been accustomed to though, he dug deep and as soon as the fourth lap he was inside the top ten. Lapping quicker than what he had done in qualifying, Filip moved up to sixth at half race distance and here he remained right up until the very last lap when Daniel Johnson relegated him to seventh.
The nine points gained moved him onto a total of 46 and saw him maintain his fourth place in the Championship although Danny Buchan’s third win of the year moved him on to 95 points and has allowed him to open up a healthy lead at the top of the table.
Filip Backlund: “Everyone’s going really quick this year and improving all the time but I just couldn’t manage to get into the 49s bracket this weekend which is where I needed to be. I can run a good, consistent pace in the races but need to find those 2-3 tenths which will allow me to challenge for the podium places. This weekend I couldn’t do that and although I scored some solid points, we don’t go racing for solid points, we go to win races. The bike is working well but you’re always working hard to move forward and improve and that applies to me also so there’s more to come from the entire combination.”
“We definitely missed out with the second qualifying session being hit by rain, as it meant I lost valuable set-up time and something in the region of 30-35 laps although, of course, it was the same for everyone. It was only the fourth race of the season though so we’ve still got two thirds of the races left and a lot can happen over the next few rounds. I really like the Brands Hatch circuit and we have some good data so I’m confident we can make a return to the podium there.”
Alec Tague, Crew Chief: “Losing the second qualifying session due to the rain definitely made a difference this weekend whilst not testing here earlier in the season also affected us and maybe we could have ironed out a few set-up issues had that not been the case. Filip’s amount of mileage around Knockhill is minimal compared to the other riders but we’ve learnt a lot so there are positives to take out of the weekend. The first lap made Filip’s job hard but we’ve scored some solid points again and he rode maturely, staying out of trouble, and we’re only a third of the way through the season so there’s plenty of racing to go. We’ve got some good tracks coming up and the nine points this weekend could prove invaluable come the season’s end.”
The series now visits Brands Hatch for the second time this year, with the fifth round of the series taking place at the Kent circuit on July 18-20.
Pirelli National Superstock 1000cc Championship – 24 laps
1 Danny Buchan (Kawasaki)
2 Lee Jackson (BMW)
3 David Johnson (Kawasaki)
4 Jason O’Halloran (Honda)
5 Dominic Usher (Kawasaki)
6 Daniel Johnson (Kawasaki)
7 Filip Backlund (SMT Racing Kawasaki)
Championship standings (after four rounds)
1 Buchan 95pts
2 O’Halloran 66
3 Jackson 50
4 Backlund 46
5 Kennaugh 38
6 Johnson 38
More, from a press release issued by Motonation:
THE JOY OF SIDI ON THE TRACK IN ASSEN
Great victory for Anthony West in Moto2. Andrea Dovizioso on the podium in MotoGP.
Maser (TV)- Sidi had an exciting weekend on the Assen circuit in Holland. In the MotoGP race, where Spain’s Marc Marquez scored his eighth consecutive victory, Andrea Dovizioso gave Sidi the satisfaction of making it onto the podium again this season, after the third place in the GP of the Americas. The Italian pilot riding for Ducati went higher this time, capturing an excellent second place right behind the phenomenal Marquez and ahead of Dani Pedrosa, who was third. It was a grueling race with the riders starting off with bikes tuned for rain, only to have to stop after 4-5 laps to change motorbikes and use slick tires. In this mix Dovizioso, as always wearing his Sidi Vortice boots, proved to be up to the situation, fighting with guts and determination.
If Dovi’s podium served as a confirmation, the real surprise instead was the remarkable victory by Anthony West in the Moto2 race. In fact the Australian rider born in 1981 returned to success in Assen, where he had already won in the 250cc class way back in 2003. This victory was won with great determination, taking advantage of his exceptional ability to ride a motorbike on wet surfaces. West, who has always been one of the most outstanding and appreciated riders in the Sidi stables, put Spain’s Maverik Vinales and Finn Mika Kallio in their respective places as he crossed the finish line out front. Anthony West was also wearing his Sidi Vortice boots as he stepped up to the top of the podium, thus making them the number one boot for speed and track, even in the most extreme weather conditions like the ones encountered in Assen.
More, from a press release issued by Team WD-40:
A stunning weekend for Team WD40 in Scotland
Mackenzie scores first Podium as Burrell hits Superbike top 10
The 4th round of the MCE British Superbike championship held at Knockhill in Scotland was always going to be a huge affair for Team WD40 with 2 Scottish riders and Stauff UK having a major presence in the offshore industry. All 3 Team WD40 riders had tested at the Track before the event, although only on Niall Mackenzie track days they had gained a good feel for the place.
SBK:- building on our results at Snetterton all of free practice was used looking for the perfect race pace as we had already found our qualifying set-up. The MCE British Superbike qualifying has a 3 group structure, Q1 all riders , Q2 the top 18 from Q1 and Q3 the Top 10 from Q2. In Q1 Barry and his crew of Crusty, Dan, Tom and Ra Ra showed their potential with Baz able to post a series of quick times easily settling into Q2 – Again Barry shone with times as high as 6th place, as the chequered flag came out we were sat in 9th but fast laps by Smrz and Rutter after the flag pushed us out by under a tenth of a second to finish 11th on the grid and Great effort by all.
Race 1. Unfortunately Barry did not make a good start and left himself work to do over the next 30 laps, but he was up to the task ahead. Pushing forward Barry was up to 10th on lap 9 and 8th on lap 18 and fought to the very end to close on the leaders. 8th was a fantastic result showing our true potential and securing 8th place on the grid for Race 2.
Race 2. As most of you would have seen on live TV lasted less than a lap for Barry as he was taken out at the hairpin by a rash move from James Westmoreland sending both riders crashing out, such a shame ! See link to on board footage below
Barry Burrell “I have really enjoyed this weekend the guy’s, Geoff, Dan, Tom and Rich have done a brilliant job with the ‘Team WD40’ ZX10 making it easy for me to produce consistent top ten times. Race 1 was great I had made a little mistake at the start dropping back but quickly found my rhythm and really start to enjoy the fight pushing forward. I got into 8th on lap 18 with the factory Suzuki of John Hopkins hot on my heels and we set off after 7th, I was really happy to easily hold off John and close 7th and bring home our first top 10 of the Season. Race 2 was just plain stupid to be taken out on the first lap James came to apologise but big Geoff sorted that out ? – I just can’t wait for the next round at Brands Hatch where I had my best ever result a couple of years ago in 4th ”
STK 600:- Having visited the track the week before with Barry and taylor, Tarran was in great form for his family’s home event. Throughout Practice and Qualifying he was never out of the top 4. In final qualifying as the rain started to fall Taz made a supreme effort to secure a front row slot his first of the season for Team WD40.
Tarran made the most of his home advantage at the start of the Pirelli Superstock 600 race in front of a huge sun kissed Scottish crowd holding on to 3rd place in the thick of a battle with the leading group. Forcing his way through to 2nd on lap for he set off after the leader Yamaha’s Andy Reid. Cheered on by the thousands lining the track side and breaking the lap record Taz managed to level with Andy coming out of the last corner but did not have just enough to win but secured his first STK 600 poduim
Tarran Mackenzie said “I am so HAPPY to get second and my first podium for Team WD40 at my home circuit in front of this fantastic crowd, I could hear them at times cheering me on, I really thought I could win but just did not have enough today. I have to thank me Team for a fantastic bike the ZX6 has worked mega all weekend. I would also like to thank all the sponsors both the teams and my personal for making it all possible and I can’t wait for Brands Hatch ! “
STK 1000:- Ben Young must think the world is against him as nothing has quite gone his way, a small electrical problem in Q1 and then it rained in Q2 he again started towards the back of the grid. This time a more relaxed and determined Benny came to the grid, making a great start he never stopped pushing forward to again match the times set last year by Tommy he just missed out on being towards the points a brilliant effort on the day
Ben Young said “My family and Girlfriend were over from Canada and I really wanted to do well here at what used to be my home track, things did not go my way with a couple of little problems with the bike and then when it was all sorted for last qualifying it rained. I have to thank the team for being right behind me all the way and giving me a great bike for the race. I want everything to go right at Brands so we can have fun and race for results ”
NEW WEB Site :- We are extremely pleased to introduce our new website www.grmotosport.co.uk designed and developed by Sheffield based Direct Computers
(01142960035) Ben and Joshua Nailor along with their team have done a great job which you will see develop as the season progresses
Brent Gladwin Team WD-40’s manager, said: “ What a weekend is what I said after Snetterton this weekend has just been brilliant. Travelling to Scotland for the races at Knockhill is quite a job for the majority of the BSB paddock, it is 6 hours each way for us from Sheffield. This year we were really looking forward to it for obvious reasons in Taz and Benny Scottish origins. We have continued our efforts in development of all the racing program where my boys are doing a great job. Tarran came here with one thing in mind to overturn what happened to him last year and WOW what a way to do it with our first STK 600 podium. Barry and the Superbike crew had a fantastic weekend showing our potential and getting into the top 10 and Ben did a great job in the race too. We have a new web site thanks to Direct Computers so everything continues on the up roll on Brands Hatch ”.
Please take the time to follow us :- www.teamwd40.com Twitter @GRMotoSport, – Facebook GRMotosport – Instagram TeamWD40
Team Partners
Stauff UK, Cargolink Express, L&A Reinforcements, Tim Hortons, Scott Build, Lexelle, Amtech, Optimum Fleet Management, F&G Commercials, 3 Squared, Signsxtra
Technical Partners
Dymag Wheels, Kawasaki, Scorpion Red Power, R&G, Dynojet UK, Swinton Motorcycles, PPG Paint, Goodridge, Pipercross, Robby Moto, NG Brake Discs,
Solo Motorcycle products, Super B, STIHL, 3 Squared, Ohlins
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport:
FSBK rider Brunet-Lugardon back on top in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy – Kiyonari claims first victory for BMW in the BSB.
52 participants now registered for the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy – FSBK riders move back to the top of the standings.
Munich, 2nd July 2014. The interest in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy remains unbowed, and the field is ever increasing: 52 BMW Motorrad privateers from all over the world have now signed up to this innovative racing project. The battle at the top remains exciting. So far, five different riders from four different championships had been leaders of the ranking. This week, Cyril Brunet-Lugardon (FR) has regained the overall lead – although only just. BMW Motorrad riders were also in top form in their respective championships, claiming victories and podiums in a diverse range of classes.
BMW Motorrad Race Trophy: Two FSBK riders level on points at the top, while the chasing pack lies in wait.
There was an exciting battle at the top of the overall standings in the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy last weekend, particularly between the BMW Motorrad privateers in the French Superbike Championship (FSBK) and the International German Motorcycle Championship (SUPERBIKE*IDM). They all claimed wins and podiums in their respective racing series, adding a good haul of Race Trophy points to their accounts. The riders from France currently have their noses ahead in the Race Trophy standings, in which they occupy the top three positions. However, their closest rivals are lurking within striking distance, as the FSBK is far further into its season than the other championships. The French series has already completed four of its six rounds, while many other championships have not yet reached the halfway point in their seasons. As such, the BMW Motorrad privateers from other racing series will have plenty opportunity to catch up over the coming weeks and months.
At the very top, Cyril Brunet-Lugardon (FR) has regained a very narrow lead. He currently has 143.00 points to his name in the Race Trophy, putting him level on points with the new man in second place, Emilien Jaillet (FR). When level on points, the number of race wins determines the overall leader, and Brunet-Lugardon currently has one win more to his name than Jaillet. The new third-placed rider is Laurent Aymonin (FR) with 127.00 points. All three BMW Motorrad privateers line up in the European Bikes class in the French Superbike Championship, in which the fourth round of the season was held in Magny-Cours (FR) last weekend. The BMW S 1000 RR was the dominant machine. In race one, BMW Motorrad riders occupied the top five places: Jaillet won ahead of Brunet-Lugardon, with Andy Rey (FR) completing the podium in third place. In the second race, victory went to Aymonin. Brunet-Lugardon was once again runner-up, with Jaillet third.
The best-placed riders in the SUPERBIKE*IDM are currently fourth to sixth in the Race Trophy standings. They, with the support of the BMW Motorrad Motorsport experts, were in action at the Nürburgring (DE) last weekend, where the fourth of this season’s nine rounds took place. Marco Nekvasil (AT/Interwetten Racing by Fritze Tuning) claimed another victory in the Superstock class, winning the first of two races. However, he failed to finish race two. Last week’s leader in the Race Trophy now finds himself down in fourth place. Lucy Glöckner (DE/Wilbers BMW Racing) won the second race, having previously finished runner-up in race one. These results propelled her from eighth to fifth in the Race Trophy. Marc Neumann (DE) and Dominik Vincon (DE) also finished on the podium at the Nürburgring: Neumann was third in race one, Vincon was third in race two. The man currently sixth overall in the Race Trophy standings is Markus Reiterberger (DE/Van Zon Remeha BMW), who lines up in the fiercely-competitive Superbike class in the SUPERBIKE*IDM. He was fourth in the first race at the Nürburgring, before coming home second to claim another podium in race two.
This weekend sees the BMW Motorrad privateers in the Spanish Superbike Championship (CEV) and the Canadian Superbike Championship (CSBK) launch their next attack on the top of the Race Trophy standings.
British Superbike Championship in Knockhill.
Ryuichi Kiyonari (JP) proved emphatically that he has lost none of his talent in the British Superbike Championship (BSB) in Knockhill (GB). He first claimed pole position on the BMW S 1000 RR, fielded by Buildbase BMW Motorrad with the support of BMW Motorrad Motorsport. The Japanese then secured the historic first victory of BMW in the BSB in race one. In the second race he was once again in contention right up to the finish line, but was narrowly beaten by Shane Byrne (GB): Kiyonari was runner-up, just 0.176 seconds back. Buildbase BMW Motorrad also claimed another podium in the Superstock race: Lee Jackson (GB) came home second.
FIM Sidecar World Championship in Assen.
Assen (NL) hosted the latest round of the Sidecar World Championship (SWC). One of the highlights of the race was an all-BMW duel. Uwe Gürck/Manfred Wechselberger (both DE) and Petri Makkula/Harri Asumaniemi (both FI) were embroiled in a thrilling duel on their BMW machines throughout almost the entire distance. They made contact on the final lap, causing both to spin. Gürck/Wechselberger were able to continue the race and crossed the finish line in fourth place. In doing so, Gürck picked up more important points for the BMW Motorrad Race Trophy. “Team Makkula” were less fortunate and had to retire.
Japanese Road Race Championship in Sugo.
The Japanese Road Race Championship (MFJ) held its fourth round of the season in Sugo (JP). This time it featured a BMW Motorrad privateer: Kohji Teramoto (JP) ended the race in tenth place on his RR.
2014 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy – Current Standings.
Status: 2nd July 2014
Pos.Name (Nat.)SeriesPoints
1Cyril Brunet-Lugardon (FR)FSBK143,00
2Emilien Jaillet (FR)FSBK143,00
3Laurent Aymonin (FR)FSBK127,00
4Marco Nekvasil (AT)IDM122,75
5Lucy Glöckner (DE)IDM116,25
6Markus Reiterberger (DE)IDM106,75
7Lance Isaacs (ZA)SAM102,75
8Michel Amalric (FR)FSBK100,00
9Alessandro Polita (IT)CIV91,25
10Bastien Mackels (BE)IDM, EWC91,00
11Luca Conforti (IT)CIV82,50
12Andy Rey (FRFSBK82,00
13Ivan Silva Alberola (ES)CEV74,40
14Matthieu Lussiana (FR)BRSBK69,50
15Leon Bovee (NL)IDM67,50
16. Jordan Szoke (CA/CSBK/64,50), 17. Dominik Vincon (DE/IDM/60,75), 18. Federico D‘Annunzio (IT/WSTK/60,00), 19. Marc Neumann (DE/IDM/58,50), 20. Janine Davies (ZA/SAM/58,05), 21. Stefan Nebel (DE/IDM/54,75), 22. Daniel Rivas Fernandez (ES/CEV/54,40), 23. Uwe Gürck (DE/SWC/51,12), 24. Denni Schiavoni (IT/CIV/50,00), 25. Florian Drouin (FR/FSBK/48,00), 26. Jean Foray (FR/FSBK/45,00), 27. Björn Stuppi (DE/EWC/42,35), 27. Hayato Takada (JP/MFJ/42,35), 29. Florian Brunet-Lugardon (FR/FSBK/41,00), 30. Jörg Steinhausen (DE/SWC/40,80), 31. Thomas Hainthaler (DE/IDM/40,50), 32. Mark Albrecht (DE/IDM/36,75), 33. Daisaku Sakai (JP/MFJ/30,00), 34. Kohji Teramoto (JP/MFJ/26,60). 35. Sergiy Grygorovych (UA/IDM/25,50), 36. Robert Muresan (RO/WSTK/22,00), 37. Lucas Barros (BR/BRSBK/21,00), 38. Camille Hedelin (FR/FSBK/18,00), 39. Tim Robinson (CA/CSBK/17,50), 40. Luciano Ribodino (AR/BRSBK/16,50), 41. Alessio Velini (IT/CIV/15,00), 42. Lucas Teodoro (BR/BRSBK/9,00), 43. Imre Toth (HU/WSBK/6,50), 44. David Datzer (DE/IDM/6,00), 45. Rémi Boitel (FR/FSBK/6,00), 46. Shinya Takeishi (JP/MFJ/6,00), 47. Martjin Polinder (DK/IDM/3,00), 48. Peter Sebestyen (HU/WSBK/3,00), 49. Filip Altendorfer (DE/EWC/0,00), 49. Florian Bauer (DE/EWC/0,00), 49. Rico Löwe (DE/EWC/0,00), 49. Didier Grams (DE/Macau Grand Prix/0,00)
It is still possible to register for the 2014 BMW Motorrad Race Trophy on the website www.bmw-motorrad.de/motorsport. The deadline for registrations for the current season is not until 2nd November 2014, entry is free. Regardless of when the registrations are received, each participant will receive points for all the race events he/she has competed in since the start of the scoring period on 15th February 2014. So the ranking can also continuously change as new participants are added.
More, from a press release issued by KTM:
RED BULL KTM RIDERS LEAVE ASSEN EMPTY HANDED
Red Bull KTM Ajo factory riders Jack Miller and Karel Hanika came away from the Moto3 Dutch TT at Assen on Saturday empty-handed after a drama-filled race that saw many riders exit the track. It was the eighth round of the moto3 World Championship.
The race was won by Alex Marquez, with Alex Rins and Miguel Oliveira taking the minor podium places. Nicolo Antonelli was the top KTM finisher in fifth place after a real dogfight in the closing laps for fourth place.
Miller started the race on pole, his fourth of the season. He got away well and was an impressive first going into the first corner but in lap two he hit a bump on the still partly slick track and ended in the gravel. The Australian was far from the first rider to crash on the track that was still wet in patches during the warm up session earlier in the morning.
Amazingly and despite his misfortune, Miller still hung onto the championship points lead after a series of dramatic incidents involving his rival and fellow KTM rider Romano Fenati. Before Saturday’s race, Miller had a seven-point lead over the Italian.
Fenati left the track and plowed into the gravel during a spate of incidents in lap 2 and rejoined the race at the back of the field just before Miller crashed and retired. ?
Fenati then began picking off riders as he made a bid to recover the situation. He worked his way back into the points to theoretically claim the championship lead only to crash again in lap 14. He again rejoined the race and eventually went on to finish in an unrewarded eighteenth place. The win by Marquez has bumped him up the order and he is now level with Fenati. They both trail Miller by seven points.
Miller, clearly disappointed with the outcome of the race said he had pushed really hard at the start and had been able to pen up a small gap. “I broke a little earlier than usual on the first corner of the second lap and I hit a small bump and I was unable to save the crash. That was unfortunate because I was really enjoying the whole weekend at this track. We had worked hard and had a good setup. Now we have to focus on Germany. Fortunately we are still at the top of the standings, but we have to do well at Sachsenring.”
The race was also dramatic for Red Bull Ajo’s Karel Hanika, theoretically the only rider in the field who had won before on the Assen circuit. The Czech teenager, the team’s rookies had won here while contesting the Red Bull MotoGP Rookies Cup. He was well positioned in the third row of the grid and rode out 17 of the 22 laps as a potential podium contender, positioned between third and sixth place. He then crashed during the tightly fought bid between no less than five riders all bidding for eventual fourth.
Hanika said that despite the crash he was still happy to have been up with the front riders and have been fighting for a potential podium place. “Some riders were going pretty crazy in the chasing pack, so it was a real battle. I made a mistake on one of the laps and that’s why I crashed,” Hanika said. The Czech rider said he had learnt a lot and was hopeful of a possible podium place in the next few rounds.
Hanika’s riding also attracted praise from Red Bull KTM Ajo team boss Aki Ajo: “Although Karel [Hanika] crashed, I’m very happy for him. He has really found his level and was up into the positions where he should be –and where he will be in the future. Today he fought very well and we saw where he can be in the next races. He can do very well.”?
Both Miller and Hanika are Red Bull-sponsored athletes and ride the KTM RC250 GP machine
The ninth round of the championship is the GP of Germany on the Sachsenring on July 13.
More at www.motogp.com
Moto GP of The Netherlands – Assen Circuit – Round 8
Moto3 Results
1, Alex Marquez, ESP, Honda, 38:07.648
2, Alex Rins, ESP, Honda, 38:10.608
3, Miguel Oliveira, POR, Mahindra, 38:11.292
4, Alexis Masbou, FRA, Honda, 38:23.998
5, Niccolo Antonelli, ITA, KTM, 38:24.114
6, Efren Vasquez, ESP, Honda, 38:24.135
7, Isaac Viñales, ESP, KTM, 38:24.179
8, Danny Kent, GBR, Husqvarna, 38:24.207
9, Brad Binder, RSA, Mahindra, 38:24.291
10, John McPhee, GBR, Honda, 38:24.334
Other KTM
11, Jakub Kornfeil, CZE, KTM, 38:30.880
18, Romano Fenati, ITA, KTM, 38:36.986
19, Eric Granado, BRA, KTM, 38:40.233
25, Livio Loi, BEL, KTM, 39:00.007
29, Hafiq Azmi, MAL, KTM, 38:15.759
DNF, Karel Hanika, CZE, KTM, 30:25.546
DNF, Jack Miller, AUS, KTM, 1:49.082
DNF, Enea Bastianini, ITA, KTM
DNS, Francesco Bagnaia, ITA, KTM
Moto3 Standings after Round 8
1, Miller, 117
2, Fenati, 110
3, Marquez, 110
4, Rins, 107
5, Vazquez, 102
6, Viñales, 82
7, Masbou, 63
8, Oliveira, 53
9, Bastianini, 45
10, Kornfeil, 43
Other KTM
11, Bagnaia, 42
16, Antonelli, 18
17, Loi, 17
19, Hanika, 16
Moto3 Manufacturers Standings after Round 8
1, KTM, 181
2, Honda, 162
3, Mahindra, 62
More, from a press release issued by Husqvarna:
HUSQVARNA FACTORY RIDER DANNY KENT FINISHES SOLID EIGHT AT MOTO3 DUTCH TT IN ASSEN
Husqvarna factory rider Danny Kent had his strongest race so far this season at the Moto3 Dutch TT in Assen on Saturday in Rd. 8 of the Moto3 World Championship to finish eighth.
The race however did not end happily for Husqvarna supported Niklas Ajo who exited in the fifth lap after a massive high-side spoiled his aspirations for a best-ever finish.
Both riders showed the promise of delivering strong performances in the Dutch race. Ajo, of Finland started on the front row of the grid for the first time in his career, but he had crashed during the warm-up session earlier in the morning on the still partly wet surface. The circuit had seen a deluge of rain on Friday afternoon and it was clear that race conditions were going to be tricky.
Ajo got away well at the start and ran with the lead group before his untimely exit. Kent started from eleventh place on the grid but by the time Ajo went out, he was amongst a tight group of six riders fighting it out for eventual fourth place, all within one second of each other. Kent was sitting in fourth place through laps 17-21 but lost out in the hard fought scramble in the final seconds of the race and had to settle for eventual eighth. The result was still a confidence booster for the British rider.
Danny Kent: “Undoubtedly we have taken a step forward. All weekend we worked better, both me, when I put in a lot of laps by myself, and with the team as we showed in the race. I’m a little disappointed because I think I had enough pace to go with Oliveira and try to catch the two at the front, but every time I took the lead of the group, other riders overtook me on the straights and then were slower on the corners. That allowed the leaders to escape and I couldn’t fight for the podium. The Husqvarna worked really well but in this class it is very easy to take advantage of a slipstream to gain positions on the straights. Overall I’m pretty happy and we have to continue like this.”
Team boss Aki Ajo said Kent had put in a good week and showed more concentration in the lead-up to Saturday’s race. “Also in the race he showed really good potential and a good speed. He was fighting a lot. He was just maybe a little bit unlucky in the last lap so it was a really positive race for Danny,” Ajo said.
He added that the last few races had also been really positive for Niklas and confirmed that he had made a big step. “Yesterday was a great time practice for him but today was not his day, He already had problems in the warm-up and in the race he didn’t get the feeling with the rear tire. He tried to push while in the big group and finally he crashed.”
The next round of the championship is the GP of Germany on the Sachsenring on July 13.
More at www.motogp.com
Moto GP of The Netherlands – Assen Circuit – Round 8
Moto3 Results
1, Alex Marquez, ESP, Honda, 38:07.648
2, Alex Rins, ESP, Honda, 38:10.608
3, Miguel Oliveira, POR, Mahindra, 38:11.292
4, Alexis Masbou, FRA, Honda, 38:23.998
5, Niccolo Antonelli, ITA, KTM, 38:24.114
..
8, Danny Kent, GBR, Husqvarna, 38:24.207
DNF Niklas Ajo, FIN, Husqvarna
More, from a press release issued by Birchall Brothers Racing:
BIRCHALL BROTHERS MAKE WELCOME RETURN
Following their crash at the Isle of Man TT races just a few weeks ago Mansfield sidecar racers Ben and Tom Birchall made a welcome return to the FIM world Sidecar Championship at the weekend when they rode to a second place finish at Assen where the race was featured as a support event to the Motogp Championship round at the weekend.
Still recovering from the serious hand injury sustained in the accident on the Isle of Man Ben did just enough in qualifying to gain a respectable grid position, saving his energy for the race. The Mitchells of Mansfield supported team recorded four or more laps and set a fast time which was sufficient to start the race from the front row of the grid in second place.
Race day threw up some challenges as just prior to the start of the race there was a rain storm. But the track was drying quickly and the riders opted to go out in damp conditions on slick tyres in the hope the rain would stay away.
Ben said: “The conditions being damp at the start were a little difficult for me as it put a lot of strain on my injured hand; but as the track dried we were able to get up to our normal speed.”
The Birchall boys got the hole shot into the first turn and held the lead for the first couple of laps before being overhauled by Reeves/Cluze. But the leaders did not pull away and Ben was able to remain in touch circulating about three seconds adrift. As the race unfolded the track dried out and Ben was able to push a bit harder setting the fastest lap of the race (1m 42.599s) in his efforts to catch the leaders. But it was a little too late and the Birchall brothers crossed the finish line in second place the gap being just 2.35s.
Ben said: “We were pleased to set the fastest lap but also very pleased it was the final lap. We brought the gap down to just over two seconds but I was so relieved to have finished as it was a long, hard race for me in the circumstances. I need to thank Mike Hayton for his fantastic efforts in putting my hand back together which enabled me to actually race today. To think where we were three weeks ago it’s an amazing effort by the consultant to get me relatively fit. Also to the Hyperbaric chamber in Nottingham and Phoenix Physio and Laser clinic for the work they did leading up to the Assen race. My team have been amazing, everyone has dug in to help so I could rest up and my main sponsor Andy Mitchell even drove the transporter to Assen which was such a help as I couldn’t drive that far. To finish the race on the podium with MotoGP was amazing.”
The second place earned Ben and Tom 20 championship points and puts them back up to second in the overall rider standings. The next round is at Sachsenring in Germany on July 13 and is once again a support race to the MotoGP championship.
More, from a press release issued by Ducati North America:
Ducati Wins Middleweight Division and Takes Two Open Division Podium Positions at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
Ducati riders achieved the Middleweight Division victory and four of the five top motorcycle times of the day at the 92nd running of the historic Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. This year’s introduction of new rules and new motorcycle racing divisions, including the “Motorcycle Middleweight Division” and “Motorcycle Open Division,” brought with it a field of strong competitors challenging for top times.
The introduction of the “Motorcycle Open Division” – which allowed fully faired liter bikes to compete in the same class as the defending champion Multistrada 1200 – made it the most competitive motorcycle class and the one in which the top five times of the day were posted. Lambert Fabrice, who competed on a Ducati 1098R, brought home the second fastest time of the day at 10:04.401, while Don Canet and Micky Dymond followed in close succession with lap times of 10:10.101 and 10:11.319 respectively aboard Ducati Multistrada 1200s. Bruno Langlois finished in the fifth slot with a time of 10:14.480 on a Ducati 1199 Panigale.
The newly formed “Motorcycle Middleweight Division,” comprised mostly of fully faired middleweight sport bikes was ultimately won by Frenchman Eric Piscione, who dominated the division aboard a Ducati Streetfighter 848 with a time of 10:46.159.
Since it’s inception in 1916, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb has emerged as one of motorsport’s most spirited and formidable races, as riders face a 4,720 foot elevation change on grades averaging seven percent – all in times hovering around 10 minutes. The 156 turns leading to the summit challenged the field of veterans and rookies alike, though Ducati riders proved themselves once again at the “Race to the Clouds.”
More, from a press release issued by VETMotorsports:
7/2/2014 Upper Arlington, Ohio.
VETMotorsports crew members helped Team Spider Grips / Ducati claim two top-5 finishing positions this past Sunday during the 92nd running of the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. The veteran participants were Ohio-based injured combat Marines referred to VETMotorsports through the United States Marine Corps Wounded Warrior Regiment. The Marines and their Ducati teammates worked 18-hour days and through extreme conditions to assist riders Don Canet and Micky Dymond, who claimed 3rd and 4th positions respectively. VETMotorsports mission throughout the event was to honor and engage disabled combat veterans through active participation in motor sports.
“This past week at Pikes Peak was amazing,” stated VETMotorsports Executive Director and Founder Peter Cline. “The whole team, from our Marine veterans to the AF1 Racing crew, rose to the occasion. It truly is an honor to have VETMotorsports on the podium with Ducati at one of the world’s most challenging motor sports events. As always, VETMotorsports is grateful for the opportunities presented to our injured combat veterans. By embedding veterans into positive environment, VETMotorsports is attempting to provide direction and empowerment.”
To learn about or donate to VETMotorsports please visit them on the web at www.vetmotorsports.org or follow them on Facebook at www.vetmotorsports.org Twitter @VETMotorsports or Pinterest www.vetmotorsports.org