Four female riders will convert Mark III INT 650 motorcycles into flat track trim and compete at multiple events
MILWAUKEE, Wis (January 28, 2020) — Royal Enfield North America announced today its BUILD TRAIN RACE program for 2020. Over the course of the next two months, four women, each with a unique background will customize Royal Enfield INT 650 motorcycles for flat track competition. The motorcycles will debut during Flat Out Friday on March 13 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where the women will compete in the all-new 749cc class aboard their custom flat track motorcycles. The women participating in the BUILD TRAIN RACE program are professional road racer Melissa Paris, Women’s Moto Exhibit creator Lanakila MacNaughton, DIY shop owner Andrea Lothrop, and amateur flat track racer Jillian Deschenes.
Lanakila MacNaughton. Photo courtesy of Royal Enfield North America.
Jilian Deschenes. Photo courtesy of Royal Enfield North America.
Andrea Lothrop. Photo courtesy of Royal Enfield North America.
“We are excited to bring together such a diverse group of female motorcycle enthusiasts for this program,” said Royal Enfield Americas President Rod Copes. “Each woman brings a different viewpoint and skill set to the program, which highlights the unifying power of motorcycles. The next few months will no doubt be a challenge for the participants as they build and train under tight deadlines to prepare their motorcycles and themselves for competition. We hope that this program will open the door for many more female motorcycle riders to push boundaries within our industry.”
Reaching broader audiences such as women and young people with programs such as BUILD Moto and BUILD TRAIN RACE showcases Royal Enfield’s continued focus on expanding motorcycling in North America.
Melissa Paris. Photo courtesy of Royal Enfield North America.
“I can’t wait to complete my build,” said Melissa Paris. “This will be a fun challenge as I love flat track racing, but have never been tasked with building my own motorcycle for competition. Racing alongside my fellow BUILD TRAIN RACE participants will be an awesome experience and I can’t wait to see what their motorcycles look like.”
A substitute rider will test Paris’ motorcycle at the first shakedown in Milwaukee due to a scheduling conflict with the Daytona 200. Paris will join the fellow BUILD TRAIN RACE teammates during a special exhibition race in conjunction with the Atlanta American Flat Track round on Saturday, March 28.
To stay up to date on the riders and their motorcycles, visit BUILDTRAINRACE.com or Royal Enfield NA on Facebook and Instagram.
About Royal Enfield
The oldest motorcycle company in continuous production in the world, Royal Enfield made its first motorcycle in 1901. A division of Eicher Motors Limited, Royal Enfield has created the mid-size motorcycle segment in India with its unique and distinctive modern classic motorcycles. With its manufacturing base in Chennai, India, Royal Enfield has been able to grow its production rapidly against a surge in demand for its motorcycles. Royal Enfield is a leading player in the global middleweight motorcycle market.
Royal Enfield North America (RENA) is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is developing a growing network of more than 90 dealers in North America, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. RENA currently offers the Bullet 500, Classic 500, Himalayan and the all new 650 Twins: INT 650 and Continental GT 650 motorcycles along with a range of genuine motorcycle accessories and apparel.
For more information on Royal Enfield North America, please visit www.RoyalEnfield.com/us/en/, www.Instagram.com/RoyalEnfield_NA, www.Facebook.com/RoyalEnfieldNorthAmerica.
Kawasaki Motors Australia Backs 2020 Australian Superbike Class
Motorcycling Australia are pleased to announce Kawasaki Motors Australia will again throw its full support behind the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) in 2020, as the title sponsor of the Kawasaki Superbike Championship class.
The 2020 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, kicks off tomorrow, with the Kawasaki Superbike class riders blowing out their Christmas cobwebs at the Official ASBK Test at Phillip Island, before the bikes roar into action for ASBK round 1 together with the FIM Superbike World Championship at the Island February 27.
Motorcycling Australia CEO, Peter Doyle, thanked Kawasaki Motors Australia for their continued support of ASBK.
“It is great to have Kawasaki Motors Australia renew their support for ASBK and the Superbike class, as they have been a significant supporter of the championship,” Mr Doyle said.
“The support of manufacturers like Kawasaki Motors Australia is vital for the success of any championship to make it stronger, and we are certainly excited for a sensational 2020 ASBK.
“Together, Motorcycling Australia, with Kawasaki Motors Australia sponsorship have grown the Kawasaki Superbike Class in recent years, and this year is expected to even be better with fierce on track battles in the chase for the 2020 Kawasaki Superbike title.”
Kawasaki Motors Australia, Marketing Manager, Gina Costello, commented on the 2020 ASBK season ahead:
“Kawasaki Motors Australia is very excited to sponsor ASBK and the Superbike class again for 2020,” she said.
“Kawasaki continues to be at the heart of Australian racing and enjoy watching the Kawasaki Superbike Class continue to grow; with the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR near the top of the competition again this year.”
All the action gets under way tomorrow at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit with Day 1 of the Official ASBK Test. Who will be quickest straight out of the box and who will take out the fastest times.
ASBK fans can track all the action of the ASBK Live Timing on ASBK.com.au and timing results at the Official Timing Partner of ASBK – Computime.com.au and also on ASBK Facebook page.
2020 ASBK Calendar
Official ASBK Test – Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC January 29-30
Round 1: WorldSBK – Phillip Island, VIC February 27-March 1
Round 2: Wakefield Park, NSW March 27-29
Round 3: The Bend, SA May 7-10
Round 4: Barbagallo Raceway, WA May 15-17
Official ASBK Test – Morgan Park, QLD July 28-29
Round 5: Morgan Park, QLD August 7-9
Round 6: Winton Motorsport Park, QLD September 11-13
Round 7: Phillip Island GP Circuit, VIC October 2-4
Head to www.asbk.com.au for more info about the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul. For the latest updates from the ASBK, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is delighted to announce that Maverick Viñales has signed for two further years with the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team.
Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 28th January 2020
It is with great pleasure that Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. confirm Maverick Viñales as one of the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP riders for the 2021 and 2022 season.
Viñales has shown great riding, motivation, and consistency so far in his three years of racing with the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team in the MotoGP World Championship. The successful partnership led to a third place in the overall standings in 2017, a fourth place in 2018, and another third place in 2019.
Further Yamaha highlights on the Spaniard‘s résumé are 6 wins and 19 podiums, including his Yamaha debut race and Yamaha‘s 500th GP win in Le Mans, both in 2017, as well as 9 poles in total out of 55 Grand Prix weekends aboard the YZR-M1.
These achievements on top of his undeniable talent and unshakable determination have Yamaha fully confident in their partnership with the 25-year-old. On 6 February they will start the first MotoGP Test of this year in Sepang, Malaysia, kicking off their 2020 campaign to clinch the premier class title.
LIN JARVIS
MANAGING DIRECTOR, YAMAHA MOTOR RACING
We brought Maverick into the Factory team in 2017, knowing he is a special talent. He is highly motivated and dedicates himself to being physically strong and is always ready to give his maximum and extract the best from his YZR-M1. In his first three seasons with us, he has given Yamaha 6 wins, 19 podiums, and 100% of his commitment. Now, as the YZR-M1 is improving race by race, we foresee a very bright future for him at Yamaha. Maverick‘s decision to sign with the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team for two further years so early shows the strength of our mutual appreciation and underlines the shared conviction that together we can challenge for the MotoGP World Championship Title.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
YAMAHA FACTORY RACING MOTOGP RIDER
I‘m extremely happy because I feel like I get to keep ’my own team‘. This will be the second year with my current crew, and after this I have two more years to look forward to. I‘m so excited! I think that if we keep working really hard we are heading the right way. For me, it was very important to make this announcement before the season started, because I‘m highly motivated and want to be able to fully concentrate on the 2020 season. I don‘t want to spend too much time thinking about the future. There were no reasons not to stay with Yamaha, because they feel like family. Yamaha is giving me a lot of support and, as I said, I have ’my own team‘, which is something I really need. We need to keep working and be very strong. Our main objective is, as always, to be World Champion and try to bring Yamaha the number one honour again. I will try my best. For sure, I will give everything I have to make our team proud too. I would like to say ’Thank you‘ to Yamaha for their faith in me. They are giving me a lot of confidence, and I really have trust in our partnership. I think we will both be growing very fast and we will keep pushing.
About Maverick Viñales:
Age: 25
Height: 1.71m
Weight: 64kg
Grands Prix Contested in Total: 158
Grand Prix Wins: 23
Grand Prix Podiums: 63
Grand Prix Pole Positions: 20
World Championship Titles: 1
MotoGP
2019 – 3rd, Race Wins 2
2018 – 4th, Race Wins 1
2017 – 3rd, Race Wins 3
2016 – 4th, Race Wins 1
2015 –12th, Race Wins 0
Moto2
2014 – 3rd, Race Wins 4
Moto3
2013 – 1st, Race Wins 3
2012 – 3rd, Race Wins 5
125cc
2011 – 3rd, Race Wins 4
Maverick Viñales Biography:
Viñales was born in Figueres, Spain, on January 12th, 1995. He began racing in minimotos at just three years of age before moving onto motocross. In 2002 his passion for speed brought him to circuit racing. He competed in the Catalonian 50cc Championship and followed it up with several successful seasons in the 70cc “metrakit” bikes.
Viñales got hold of the Catalonian 125cc Championship Title in 2007, he successfully defended his crown in 2008, and won the Mediterranean Trophy that same year. The following year he also competed at selected events in the German IDM 125GP Championship for RZT Racing aboard an Aprilia RS 125 R, achieving a best result of seventh. In 2009, he moved up to the CEV Buckler 125GP series, partnering with Miguel Oliveira in the Blusens-BQR team. Viñales secured the Rookie of the Year award, finishing as the runner-up to Alberto Moncayo in the championship standings by just four points and claiming four successive podiums during that season.
In 2010, Viñales and Oliveira joined different Blusens teams and battled it out for the CEV Buckler 125GP Championship Title. Despite winning two races to Oliveira‘s four, Viñales won the title by two points, thanks to finishing on the podium at all seven races of the season. The European Championship Title was also decided between the two riders, and again it was Viñales who came out on top.
The Spaniard moved to the 125cc World Championship for the 2011 season with the SuperMartxé VIP team. He impressed during pre-season testing at Valencia and finished ninth on his Grand Prix debut in Qatar. After retiring at Jerez due to a technical issue, Viñales finished fourth at Estoril, narrowly missing out on a podium to Johann Zarco in a photo finish, with a margin between the pair of just 0.002s. Two weeks later at Le Mans, Viñales took his first front-row grid start in third place and went on to seal his first victory by 0.048s at the age of 16 years, 123 days. This incredible performance made him the third-youngest rider to win a Grand Prix race, behind Scott Redding and Marco Melandri. Securing three further victories that same year, Viñales finished his first Grand Prix season in third place in the championship rankings and claimed the Rookie of the Year award.
The youngster went into the 2012 season as the title favourite in the newly formed Moto3 championship. He won five races on the Blusens Avintia FTR Honda early on in the season, but a lack in consistency, some misfortunes, and a dispute with his team resulted in a missed race in Malaysia, which allowed Cortese to win the title and Luis Salom to snatch second in the final standings, with Viñales taking third overall.
The next year, the young gun moved to Team Calvo alongside Ana Carrasco. He won his first two races back-to-back at the Spanish and French Grands Prix and kept his competitive form throughout the season, fighting at the front of the field. Viñales, Rins, and Salom went into the final round with a gap of five points across them all. The championship was decided in Valencia by a battle between Rins and Viñales. In the end, Viñales took the race victory and the Moto3 World Championship Title by a twelve-point margin.
The Moto3 World Champion then signed a Moto2 contract with Pons Racing, joining former title rival Salom. Viñales didn‘t have to wait long for his first intermediate class victory, which came at the Circuit of the Americas on 13 April, 2014. He ultimately finished the season in third place with four wins and nine podiums, earning himself another Rookie of the Year award.
In September 2014, it was announced that Viñales would move up to the premier class for the 2015 season, riding for the factory Suzuki team. Despite being a rookie and riding for a factory that was returning to MotoGP, he had a very good MotoGP season. Scoring points in 16 out of 18 races in a competitive field and under challenging circumstances, the young contender proved to be a notable rider. He finished the season in 12th place, winning again the Rookie of the Year award, thus completing his collection (125cc, Moto2, and MotoGP).
In 2016 Viñales shone anew. He finished third at the fifth round in France, achieving his first MotoGP podium, and it wasn‘t before long that he got to step onto the top of the rostrum. At the twelfth race, the British Grand Prix held at the Silverstone Circuit, he registered his first ever MotoGP win. He finished the season strong with two more third places in Japan and on Phillip Island, to secure fourth place in championship. His talent and strong mentality were undeniable and didn’t go unnoticed by Yamaha, who signed Viñales for the 2017 and 2018 season.
Viñales lived up to the hype. After a very strong debut on the YZR-M1 during the pre-season, the young Spaniard went on to win the first two races in Qatar and Argentina. He later followed up the achievement by securing Yamaha its 500th Grand Prix victory in Le Mans, after a sensational fight with team-mate Valentino Rossi. Despite the season being filled with grip issues, the Spaniard brought in solid points, scoring second places in Mugello and Silverstone and third places in Brno and Phillip Island, to ultimately conclude the season in third place.
After such a strong first year with Yamaha‘s Factory MotoGP Team, Viñales was hungry to show his talent again in 2018, but the season proved to be one of the most difficult in his premier class career. Nevertheless, the Spaniard kept his motivation high, scoring podiums at the rounds at COTA, Circuit TT-Assen, the Sachsenring, and Buriram. He returned to winning form in the race at Phillip Island, giving Yamaha its first victory since the round at Assen one year prior. He finished the season in fourth place overall, just five points behind his team-mate in third position.
2019 signalled a new start for Viñales. He changed his rider number from #25 to #12 and welcomed new Crew Chief Esteban García to his side of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP pit box (he had worked with him before in 2013, winning the Moto3 World Championship). After a difficult start to the season, the changes that were made began to bear fruit. Though taken out by fellow riders on three separate occasions in the first half of the season (in Argentina, France, and Catalunya), the Spaniard still visited the podium regularly in 2019. He scored a third place in Jerez and followed it up with a stunning win in Assen, a second place at Sachsenring, third places at Silverstone, Misano, and Buriram, and another epic win in Malaysia. Viñales‘ relentless determination earned him third in the overall championship standings and has him fully motivated to push 100% in 2020.
March 1 Deadline Approaching And Spots Are Going Quickly
COSTA MESA, CA (January 27, 2020) – The 2020 MotoAmerica Series is on the horizon and MotoAmerica wants to offer up a quick PSA to those who have purchased RV camping spots with us in the past. Spaces are going quickly, and we encourage you to reserve your spots now.
We appreciate your loyalty to MotoAmerica, and we want you to be able to keep the same reserved RV campsite that you enjoyed last year. Should you choose to maintain your spot, please purchase an RV ticket before March 1 to guarantee your reservation. If we do not hear from you by March 1, then your spot will be released and open for others to purchase.
RV Campsites are available at the following tracks on the 2020 MotoAmerica schedule: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Virginia International Raceway, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Pittsburgh International Race Complex, New Jersey Motorsports Park and Barber Motorsports Park.
For more information and to confirm your purchase, contact us through the ticketing number or by email to [email protected]. 2020 MotoAmerica Series
April 3-5 Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas
April 17-19 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia
May 1-3 Virginia International Raceway, Alton, Virginia
May 29-31 Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
June 26-28 The Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, Washington
July 10-12 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California
August 7-9 Pittsburgh International Race Complex, Wampum, Pennsylvania
August 21-23 Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, Indiana
September 11-13 New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, New Jersey
September 18-20 Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
2020 WERA SEASON KICKS OFF 2/2/2020 AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY WITH…….
The WERA West Sportsman series presented by Lucas Oil Products (#weralucas). For 2020 the series will see some support in the way of a purse and Championship bonus in the A Superbike and C Superbike classes. The purse will pay top three and then three random riders who finished and took the checker flag. There will also be a Championship purse that will be paid at the final round November 21-22 at Willow Springs. Grids for these two classes will be set via qualifying times from the second practice session prior to lunch break. These two races will also have two additional laps to sort things out.
A special thank you needs to go to Lucas Oil for returning as a sponsor for the series. If you have not tried Lucas Oil Products you need to – they work! The sponsors of the purse include: Fresh ‘n’ Lean, Calishine, DTC, Cha Cha Cha Motorsports and Capit Tire.
Racing for all the sprints starts at noon and camping is available. Come out and see the riders of WERA Motorcycle Roadracing take on Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA on 2/2/2020!
WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was founded in 1973 and remains the foremost place to develop talent in the sport of motorcycle road racing. The legacy of Pro riders on a National and World level is legendary. All events are run by WERA Motorcycle Roadracing with a co-sanction by the AMA and they go coast to coast offering entry-level racing with the WERA Sportsman Series as well as a Pro-Am Series with the WERA National Challenge Series. WERA Motorcycle Roadracing also offers vintage racing and limited endurance racing with track day partners N2. WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was voted the 2017 AMA Track Organizer of the Year.
For more information on WERA Motorcycle Roadracing please check out our web site at wera.com
The Montmelo circuit near Barcelona will join the WorldSBK calendar for 2020 and the locally based KRT official WorldSBK team had a chance to test there today, Monday 27 January.
As many of their rivals completed a two-day test at Portimao Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes rode their official Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR machines around the highly regarded MotoGP circuit of Montmelo.
A wet start led to a dry afternoon as the team started working through final aspects of machine set-up, and confirmation of components and ideas tried out during other winter tests. The KRT duo and the team’s technical staff left Montmelo with both valuable data and clearer ideas of the final plans for the opening round of the season in Australia next month.
Jonathan worked on balance and overall set-up on his Ninja ZX-10RR machine while Alex learned not just a new track layout but also more aspects of his Ninja ZX-10RR’s character to take into the first competitive round.
The final pre-season tests will take place at Phillip Island, the venue for the opening round in Australia, just a few days before the start of a whole new racing season. The team launch in Barcelona will take place on February 6, before the long flights down under will begin.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “It has been so nice to get this extra day after Jerez, because we got really decent weather, the track was dry and we managed to put in a lot of laps. We were able to back-to-back some items that we were not sure about with the weight balance of the bike in Jerez. In the end we tried something on the front suspension and did some practice starts. The big positive is that I really enjoyed the track and the bike works really well here. I think it sets us up in a good frame of mind now. I feel fast and consistent and this positive test has prepared us to go to Australia, where we will start the new season. Thanks to the team for pulling out all the stops to get us a proper test day here because I know it was not in the plan. Next is the team launch where we get to be all excited about our new colours and then move on.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “I want to say a big thank to KRT for working really hard to get us this extra test. Obviously I have not had too many chances to have dry laps this winter so I really appreciate this extra day at Montmelo. The track is fantastic. It is always exciting coming to a track for the first time. I am getting old now so there are not many tracks I have not ridden! I have really enjoyed it today and I probably learned more about the bike than in the other tests, so that is really positive for me going into Phillip Island. I really enjoyed working with the team and I cannot wait to start racing now.”
Pere Riba, Crew Chief for Jonathan Rea, stated: “Finally it was a very good test for us because Johnny has never raced here and to collect the first information about this track has been great. In another way I am happy because Johnny liked the track and enjoyed riding. I feel the lap time was quite good because we can always compare with MotoGP and I think we did quite well. We also understood the places where we can improve. We reached the target we had to collect information and we tested something in the engine that was important to confirm what we had in Jerez. It was positive and we are ready to move to Australia.”
Marcel Duinker, Crew Chief for Alex Lowes, stated: “We had a very nice test. We had a bit of rain last night but we had some dry conditions. We made only minor changes to the bike compared to the Jerez machine and straight away Alex was fast. There were two items remaining for the test and we confirmed them here. We finished very close to Johnny and also over distance Alex was fast. We used this test to the maximum, we are completely on target and ready for Phillip Island.”
The Puccetti Racing WorldSBK team was out in force at the Portimao tests from 26 to 27 January with new rider Xavi Fores understanding more and more about his 2020 Kawasaki machine as he returns to WorldSBK from BSB.
The WorldSSP Kawasaki Puccetti Racing duo of Lucas Mahias and Philipp Öttl continued their pre-season preparations with Mahias working on development and Öttl learning more about his machine and tyres in a whole new category for him.
Former-racer-turned-videographer Gray Pham, age 19, has produced a new, eight-part video documentary series focused on riders in the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing series called “American Racing.”
In Episode Six of the series Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha’s Garrett Gerloff and M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly try to impress “international eyes” during the combined MotoAmerica/World Superbike event at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2019.
An official video available on the brand channels presents the new Ducati Scrambler 1100 range, consisting of the two new models 1100 PRO and 1100 Sport PRO
Revamped graphics, new exhaust and seat trim, shorter rear fender and low plate holder characterise the two new versions of the Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO
Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport PRO is enriched with an even more sporting heritage thanks to the new, narrower and shorter handlebar with Café Racer-style mirrors and Öhlins suspensions
Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy) 27 January 2020 – Even more fun and high performance, featuring an original design, the new Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO and 1100 Sport PRO are the ideal choice for those who want to ride a motorcycle with a 1079 cm³ engine with generous torque right from the bottom of the rev range, a 15-litre steel tank that, combined with the comfortable seat with the new coating, ensure even the longest rides are enjoyed in comfort.
The fun is guaranteed on the new Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO and Sport PRO, thanks to their iconic style and sense of freedom, together with agility and safety. Created for those who love to ride motorcycles even outside the city, perhaps also with a passenger, these new models are a further declination of the bike that identifies the Ducati Scrambler “Land Of Joy”.
A Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport PRO. Photo courtesy of Ducati.
The Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO stands out for its new two-tone “Ocean Drive” colour scheme, combined with a steel Trellis frame and rear aluminium subframe, both black. The aluminium covers are also black. A new right-side dual tailpipe and low-slung plate holder ensure distinctive rear-end styling and, together with the new livery, give the bike a coiled, compact look. Another hallmark is the framed headlight; inspired by the protective adhesive tape used back in the ‘70s, a black metal “X” has been incorporated inside the headlight: a detail that makes the bike instantly identifiable, even with the lights off.
The Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport PRO is the beefiest version in the Scrambler family. It features all the styling details of the PRO, but also a unique equipment set with Öhlins suspension, low-slung handlebars and Café Racer rear-view mirrors . The 1100 Sport PRO also features a Matt Black colour scheme, complemented by side panels sporting a painted 1100 logo.
The Ducati Scramblers 1100 PRO are also at the forefront of electronics. They are equipped with Ducati Traction Control (DTC), regulated specifically for these models, and ABS Cornering, which ensure safety on every bend. The three standard Riding Modes (Active, Journey and City) help even less experienced riders to find the right balance in the use of electronic components by choosing their riding style.
Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO and Sport PRO will be available from the end of March 2020 (country specific).
American Garrett Gerloff (31) put in another impressive performance on his GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team, outpacing more experienced riders while learning the challenging Portuguese racetrack for the first time. Photo courtesy of Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Portimão Test – Day 2
Razgatlioglu unbeatable as frantic final day of Portimao testing closes
Heading to Phillip Island as the man to beat, Toprak Razgatlioglu pips Scott Redding whilst Loris Baz impresses to make for an unpredictable opening event…
The final day of 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship testing from Portimao has ended with a flurry of action taking place at the rollercoaster venue. Despite numerous incidents bringing out several red flags, nothing and nobody could stop Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM) from hitting the top of the standings in Portugal, with Yamaha’s new recruit the man to beat heading to Australia.
Beavering away frantically in the last testing day before jetting off to Phillip Island in Australia, it was PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM who featured prominently on the final day. Toprak Razgatlioglu was on top at lunch as he worked his way towards a better front end set up, whilst also adapting his style towards the 2020 R1 Yamaha. He set quick laps on both of his bikes to finishing top overall, whilst teammate Michael van der Mark was also right up at the sharp end too, placing fourth and looking to conserve tyre life more ahead of Phillip Island.
Scott Redding (45). Photo courtesy of Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
Having led the way on day one at Portimao, Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) placed at the front again, saving his pace until the final ten minutes to initially deny Loris Baz top spot, before being pipped himself by Turkish star Razgatlioglu. Redding focussed on tyre life and especially grip, with Portimao offering the perfect opportunity to do so ahead of the equally as fast Phillip Island, with the Brit second overall. Teammate Chaz Davies was outside of the top ten in the later afternoon, eventually ending in fifth after a late charge.
Chaz Davies (7). Photo courtesy of Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
At Jerez, he was quick but Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was a stand-out performer at Portimao, proving that the wet weather in the south of Spain was absolutely no fluke. The 26-year-old was right on the money in Portugal and continued his back-to-back testing with the 2019 and 2020 Yamahas. He was third at the end of testing, with fellow Independent Yamaha riders Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) and his teammate Garrett Gerloff impressing in ninth and tenth, respectively.
Loris Baz (76). Photo courtesy of Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
There were more positives for the HRC Team, who continued their work, keeping their cards close to their chest throughout Portuguese testing. Leon Haslam once again led the charge from the Japanese manufacturer, setting a faster lap time than he managed throughout racing action at Portimao to go sixth. Alvaro Bautista was less prominent and was down in 15th place ahead of the trip to Australia in a few weeks’ time.
Leon Haslam mounts his Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. Photo courtesy of Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
German manufacturer BMW were inside the top five at Portimao on the second day, with Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) enjoying plenty of positives at Portimao. Sykes was relentless and was continuing to focus on set-up, whilst Laverty enjoyed an incident-free day on day two. Sykes was seventh, whilst Laverty concluded his action in eighth.
Outside of the top ten, there were plenty of positives carried forward for Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) in 11th, whilst Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) was 12th. Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 13th ahead of Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance), whilst Sandro Cortese (Barni Racing Team) was 16th, having suffered a crash at Turn 7 this morning.
WorldSBK Portimão Test Day Two Unofficial Times:
1.) Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM) 1’40.804
2.) Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) +0.079
3.) Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.190
4.) Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM) +0.622
5.) Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) +0.795
6.) Leon Haslam (HRC Team) +0.851
WorldSSP: Cluzel beats Locatelli to top slot as Portuguese testing ends
The three-time World Supersport runner-up heads to Phillip Island as the man to beat, leading a raft of rookies ahead of the new season
Jules Cluzel (16). Photo courtesy of Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
It was a busy final day of testing at Portimao for the World Supersport riders and teams, as they looked to confirm their findings ahead of the first round of the season at Phillip Island, Australia. Going to ‘The Island’ as the man to beat is Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha), having romped clear at the head of the field from rookies Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) and Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing). Despite numerous red flags, there were plenty of talking points.
Cluzel ended 2019 strong and he looks like picking up from where he left off, blasting clear by nearly three tenths of a second as testing ended. Andrea Locatelli’s first experience of Portimao proved positive, with the former Moto2™ front runner in contention with Cluzel despite the sizeable gap by World Supersport standards. Making it three different nationalities in the leading three positions, South African Steven Odendaal continued to get used to Yamaha and WorldSSP equipment and was less than four tenths from the rampant Cluzel.
Leading the charge to the top three positions, Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the first non-Yamaha runner in fourth, taking his ZX-6RR to the fore as he continued to gel with the slick tyres. Fellow Frenchman Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) made it three French riders inside the top five, whilst Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) flew the German flag in sixth place, just under 1.5s from Cluzel at the front.
Japanese star Hikari Okubo (Dynavolt Honda) took the experience from his 2019 with Kawasaki to continue improving the CBR600RR, getting comfortable on the bike and declaring that the bike has the potential for wins in 2020. Can Öncü (Turkish Racing Team) made gains on day two to finish eighth, whilst Danny Webb (WRP Wepol Racing) was ninth as he continued his comeback to short circuit racing under the watchful eye of team manager, James Toseland. Jaimie van Sikkelerus (MPM Routz Racing Team) and Patrick Hobelsberger (Dynavolt Honda) were tenth and 11th respectively, both separated by less than two tenths of a second.
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK Team:
BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team continues its pre-season preparations with the BMW S 1000 RR in Spain and Portugal.
Four days of testing in Jerez de la Frontera and Portimão with Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty.
Extensive test programme with the BMW S 1000 RR.
Fitness training also forms part of pre-season preparations.
Jerez de la Frontera/Portimão. The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team has continued its preparations for the 2020 season of the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) with a double test. Last week, the team and its riders Tom Sykes (GBR) and Eugene Laverty (IRL) spent two days testing in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. This was followed on Sunday and Monday by a further two days of testing in Portimão (POR). The team used the tests to work through a comprehensive programme with the BMW S 1000 RR.
Both riders had two bikes at their disposal. This allowed Sykes, Laverty and their respective crews to evaluate more new components and many different set-up configurations, in order to establish the best possible basis set-up in time for the start of the season. While it rained repeatedly on both days in Spain, conditions were dry and sunny at times in Portugal.
The two riders used the time between the two tests in Jerez de la Frontera and Portimão for another important part of pre-season preparations: fitness training. Sykes and Laverty trained together at times. The final phase of preparations now begin at the team headquarters in Guisborough (GBR) and at BMW Motorrad Motorsport in Munich (GER). The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team heads to Philipp Island (AUS) for a further two days of testing on 24th and 25th February, before the new season of WorldSBK gets underway at the same venue from 28th February to 1st March.
Quotes after the tests at Jerez de la Frontera and Portimão.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “On the whole, we are happy with both tests, as we were able to work through an extensive programme with both riders. We travelled with some new parts for the RR, including new wheels, and we made also more steps forward in terms of electronic strategies and their detailed set-up both in Jerez and Portimão. Over the course of the four days, we were able to sort out some important issues on both sides of the garage, and to gain a lot of information and data. We now have an even clearer idea of what direction we need to head in on Phillip Island. We also have reinforced the team in the form of new members, and the double test was the perfect way to fully integrate them in our team. We will now continue to work hard, to ensure we are as well prepared as possible when we travel to Australia.”
Shaun Muir, Team Principal BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “It was very productive days in Spain and Portugal with a very successful finish at Portimão. Good weather greeted us here and that also allowed us to go through the items we could not do in Jerez due to rain. We’ve made big steps with the elcetronics with both riders benefitting from it. Eugene overall got a lot of confidence now going to Australia, Tom tried some settings he was not used to evaluate them and to to find an even better direction for him. Both riders and the team took the decision not to put any special development or qualifying tyres on, so the times that we have got have been on the normal race tyre. Overall, both riders are very satisfied with the work we have conducted, we gathered a lot of valuable data and have a good base to move into Australia. So it was a positive test and we can’t wait to go to Australia.”
Tom Sykes (66). Photo courtesy of BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK Team.
Tom Sykes: “I’m very happy with the two tests. Jerez obviously was very challenging from the weather front but we were able to utilise that and do some little fundamental things. It then was much more consistent here in Portugal and we were just able to do a lot of work with our BMW S 1000 RR. We just had to turn a bit of a blind eye to what was going on on track and focus on what we are doing. We worked really hard on different chassis set-ups, on the brakes, electronic strategies… and the list goes on. A big credit to the entire BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, the boys have worked really, really hard over these days. Now it’s time to go back home and get everything ready for Phillip Island and where we can focus more on performance.”
Eugene Laverty (50). Photo courtesy of BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK Team.
Eugene Laverty: “I am really delighted and optimistic. The November test was a bit of a tough one as I got a few surprises when I rode the RR for the first time. The work that the guys did is incredible. That’s the nice thing of being involved with a factory team again: the progress is so quick and these guys are so intelligent. I give my comments but in the end my comments are only backing up what they already know. These guys understand very well how to make the bike work. The focus in Spain had been power delivery and traction control and when we arrived at Portimão, we started to play around with the chassis setting. And the performance in the end was really good. So after these tests, I’m very happy, we’re in a good position.”
More, from a press release issued by Barni Racing Team:
Relay on the saddle Cortese-Camier, Leon jumped on the saddle one month after surgery
Portimao (POR), 27th January 2020. With the two days at the Autodromo International do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal, the second and last winter testing session come to an end. This was the last opportunity to be on track before the long journey to Australia for the start of the 2020 WorldSBK season, in February.
Due to a milder climate compared to the rain found in Jerez the team was able to work with greater intensity while the two days in Portugal were full of events in the box led by Marco Barnabò.
During the first day, Sandro Cortese continued the work he had begun at Jerez, also testing new components on the Ducati Panigale V4 R. The new features mainly concerned the Showa suspension, but also the electronics. At the end of his 35 laps, the German rider was eighth overall with 1’42.936 as best performance.
As planned in the second day it was the Leon Camier’s turn on the bike; the Brit backs on the saddle of his Ducati Panigale V4 R after the crash suffered in Aragon’s tests and the subsequent surgery on his shoulder last December. Camier made about twenty laps without pushing the limit. He had positive feedback from the injured shoulder ahead of Phillip Island, where two more days of testing are scheduled (24-25 February) before the official start of WorldSBK season the following weekend.
Marco Barnabo, Team Principal:
“First of all I want to thank Cortese who gave us good advices about the components we had to test. It was a shame we had to interrupt when he was getting familiar with our bike. I would really like to be able to keep working with him because he proved to be a great rider, but above all a very professional guy. On the other hand, it was a pleasure to have Leon back, he need to ride for miles on the Ducati. He demonstrated a great desire to jump on the bike and to test the reaction of his shoulder, I would say that the recovery is going faster than expected. Now we have a lot of work to do at home to get the bikes ready for Australia.”
Leon Camier (2). Photo courtesy of Barni Racing Team.
Leon Camier:
“It’s good to be back on the bike again, even though I suffered the lack of strength. I only did about twenty laps without pushing and without taking risks, but the feelings were positive. For me it was so important to be here in Portimao not only to check my physical condition but also to give the first advice about the electronics. For the Phillip Island’s test we found the right direction, but there is still work to do on the bike setup. My goal is to be 100% fit in Australia to make up the time we lost.”
Sandro Cortese (11). Photo courtesy of Barni Racing Team.
Sandro Cortese, #11
“Very big thanks to Marco and all crew that they give me the opportunity to join them for this four days of test. The mechanics, Marco, and all members of the team are very professional at high level. For me a dream turned into reality riding a Ducati and I felt immediately comfortable on the saddle.Two days in rain and two in the dry let me to understand a lot about the bike. We worked on the main setup and on the electronic and my lap time improved a lot during this two days. Of course my dream is to stay an entire year with Barni and Leon together if there is any chance of doing a two bike team. Let see what the future brings, meanwhile thanks again to the team.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Redding 2nd and Davies 5th with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati as Portimao testing closes
The second 2020 test session, held at the Autodromo Internacional Algarve in Portimao (Portugal), ended with an excellent result for Scott Redding and Chaz Davies who finished in 2nd and 5th position respectively.
It was an intense two days testing for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati riders who continued the set up work started last week at Jerez De La Frontera.
After finishing the first session on top, Scott Redding (199 laps completed in total) repeated himself on the second day of activity, recording very interesting lap-times especially on the race pace, before finishing with the second-fastest time overall (1’40.883) just 79 thousandths of a second off Razgatlioglu (Yamaha).
It has been two profitable days for Chaz Davies also, as the welsh rider collected important data for the first round of the 2020 WorldSBK season scheduled at the end of February in Australia.
After the 59 laps completed in Day-1, finished in 7th position and with the top speed of the day (318.6 km/h), the Welshman completed 73 laps in the second day pushing the time attack (1’41.599) to end in 5th position.
Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #45) 1’40.883 (2nd)
“It was a good day even though, to be honest, I couldn’t find the ideal pace. On a few occasions, I found traffic on the track and when I tried the new tyres, the four almost consecutive red flags didn’t allow me to lap consistently. The result of the test is still very positive, considering that this is a circuit where I only rode once in the past and it can’t be considered the most favourable for Ducati. All things considered, we have worked very well and I am satisfied”.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) 1’41.599 (5th)
“It’s been a busy couple of days. We were lucky because the weather helped us to carry on our work. We tried new solutions: some of them gave positive results, while on other aspects we will have to work further. The lap-times? We will return to Portugal in September and the track conditions will be completely different so the crono wasn’t our first target. In view of the first Grand Prix in Australia, I feel much more ahead of what I felt last year”.
More, from a press release issued by Honda Pro Racing:
Portimão testing draws to a close for Team HRC
Honda WorldSBK
27 Jan 2020
Following on from last week’s two-day testing sessions at Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), which were unfortunately seriously conditioned by wet weather, Team HRC moved to the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal and has completed two more days of testing, in more stable, albeit still cold conditions.
Together with their technicians, Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam worked non-stop across both Sunday and Monday in order to make headway with the pretty intense schedule and provide the engineers with as much information as possible so as to facilitate bike development work.
By the end of the sessions, Haslam had set a best time of 1’41.655, finishing 6th, Bautista a 1’43.559 which placed him 16th.
Team HRC will continue to work back at base in Japan in preparation for the opening round of the Superbike World Championship, taking place over the weekend of 28 February-1 March at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia.
The official team presentation will take place just prior to the opening round, on 21 February, in Tokyo.
Alvaro Bautista 19
These tests have been tough for us because in Jerez we could not test much due to the bad weather. So we had to concentrate all the work here in Portimao, basically trying to complete four days of work in just two days. That meant we were forced to spend more time inside the garage than on track and this of course is a bit frustrating when you just want to have everything ready, put in a new tyre and go for it. Anyway, this is the kind of job that has to be done with a new project. I think we now have a lot of data that can be useful in developing the bike and we’ll see how the next step goes in Australia. Those tests prior to the first round will be very important.
Leon Haslam 91
We’ve made some good steps today and have got through a lot of the things we had down to test. We didn’t perhaps make the step that others did with the soft qualifying tyre, but all in all the lap times aren’t too bad and I was pretty happy with the race tyres. We have a lot of work ahead of us of course and we’re not yet at the stage where we’re fine-tuning the bike, as we’re still testing fundamental components. I can’t wait to get to Phillip Island now, it’s one of my favourite circuits. The test there will be very important too, and then the aim for the race weekend is to try to be competitive right from the outset.
Redding blasts clear as Yamaha shine at unpredictable Portimao
The British rookie proved to be the one in control with Baz leading a pack of Yamahas behind, whilst Eugene Laverty put BMW on the map inside the top five
The first day of testing at Portugal has concluded for the teams and riders in the 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, with rain staying away and sunshine coming out to play. With a Yamaha 1-2-3 at lunch time, it would be Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) who dislodged the Japanese manufacturer, with Ducati heading Yamaha pairing Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM).
At the top of the pile was the ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati team, with Scott Redding setting quick lap times on both of his bikes. Redding had only been to Portimao once before and this time, he comes in search of rear grip. With long corners coupled with tight hairpins, the track provides the perfect opportunity for this testing. Putting in strong laps towards the end, Redding was on the pace. Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) confessed that he didn’t really learn much at Jerez and started from square one on Sunday in Portugal, improving incrementally throughout the day. Come the end, it was Redding on top of the pile whilst Davies climbed to seventh.
Coming into the closing stages of day one and it was Loris Baz who was shining brightly in second, having been top lunch too. The two-time WorldSBK race winner was eager to demonstrate his prowess on the Yamaha, as he and his Dutch Ten Kate Racing Yamaha squad prepare for their first full season together. Testing different parts on both the 2019 and 2020 Yamahas, Baz made plenty of strides. Other Independent riders accompanying Baz inside the top ten were Sandro Cortese (Barni Racing Team) in eighth and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) in tenth. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Goeleven) was one place behind, whilst Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) was one more behind that, having crashed at Turn 14 late on and bringing out the second red flag of the day.
The PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM were back out on track with the aim of finding a good balance with their bikes. Michael van der Mark was one of many riders who were at the top of the timesheets throughout the day, whilst confirming that winter testing starts here. With Australia in mind and the high degree of tyre degradation, the Dutchman’s aims are to get the bike smoother on tyres, and he was fourth at the chequered flag. Teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu was one place ahead of van der Mark and also worked on chassis balance, whilst valuing every lap he got aboard the Yamaha YZF R1. The Turkish rider came into Portimao having been second in Spain and was third after day one in Portugal.
Flying the BMW flag on day one at Portimao was Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with the Irishman going well at the circuit he took his most recent pole position at. Laverty had plenty to test and was looking at how well the engine was working, given the length of the straight at Portimao. However, the 2013 WorldSBK runner-up suffered an engine failure at Turn 3 at 13:30 local time, bringing out the red flag. Teammate Tom Sykes was working on electronics and also his chassis, aiming to improve his race set-up. At the end of the day, Laverty completed the top five whilst Tom Sykes sat pretty in sixth.
Featuring at the top of the timesheets at Jerez and once again a prominent force in Portugal, the HRC Team continued looking for their base set-up for the CBR1000RR-R. Leon Haslam was fifth at lunch time before continuing his day acquiring laps and therefore data, whilst Alvaro Bautista got to grips with the Portimao circuit aboard the all-new Honda. Come the close of business on Sunday, Haslam was placed in eighth and Bautista in 15th, with plenty more to come on day two for the Honda duo.
In 13th place after turning his first wheel of 2020, Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) enjoyed his Portimao experience aboard the ZX-10RR. Experimenting with a new swingarm and chassis, Fores will aim to consolidate his findings on day two. He was one place ahead of Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) whilst Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) was in 16th.
WorldSBK Portimão Test Day One Unofficial Times:
1.) Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) 1’41.179
2.) Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.573
3.) Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM) +0.702
4.) Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM) +0.878
WorldSSP: Cluzel reigns supreme as day one at Portimao closes for WorldSSP
Back in action and raring to go, WorldSSP fired up at the rollercoaster of Portimao with three manufacturers inside the top six
After an intriguing test at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, it was Portimao’s turn to play host to the FIM Supersport World Championship teams and riders, as they take part in two more days of frantic testing. The rollercoaster circuit in the Algarve saw three-time WorldSSP runner-up Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) on top of the pile, heading fellow countryman Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), whilst South African Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing) completed the top three.
Cluzel continued his pre-season with good pace in Portugal, with the Portimao circuit proving to be to his liking. Fellow countryman Lucas Mahias was also finding the Portimao track enjoyable, having taken a phenomenal victory in the World Supersport class back in 2018. It is the first time Mahias has been on a WorldSSP bike, with the Frenchman crashing dramatically during Free Practice for MotoE™ in Valencia. Working on suspension settings and refining small details, Mahias was busy on day one. Steven Odendaal was also right in contention, with the rookie taking his Dutch squad into the leading positions, whilst explaining that there was little difference between slick and road tyres.
Italian star Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) was fresh off the back of testing at Almeria and was eager to join the other teams on circuit. He continued his adaption to the World Supersport class and placed fourth come the end of day one. Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) was up in fifth, also looking to refine small details of his package. Hikari Okubo (Dynavolt Honda) enjoyed his first testing action of 2020 and was sixth, with three manufacturers inside the top six.
Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was back in action after extensive testing at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, taking to Portimao for the first time. The German rider was fractionally ahead of Jaimie van Sikkelerus (MPM Routz Racing Team), who set as many laps as possible ahead of his first full season on Yamaha machinery. Danny Webb (WRP Wepol Racing) was ninth on his WorldSSP debut, whilst Turkish rookie Can Öncü (Turkish Racing Team) was tenth and the last of the WorldSSP runners and riders.
Royal Enfield BUILD TRAIN RACE road race mentor Melissa Paris. Photo courtesy Royal Enfield North America.
Royal Enfield announces BUILD TRAIN RACE Program
Four female riders will convert Mark III INT 650 motorcycles into flat track trim and compete at multiple events
MILWAUKEE, Wis (January 28, 2020) — Royal Enfield North America announced today its BUILD TRAIN RACE program for 2020. Over the course of the next two months, four women, each with a unique background will customize Royal Enfield INT 650 motorcycles for flat track competition. The motorcycles will debut during Flat Out Friday on March 13 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where the women will compete in the all-new 749cc class aboard their custom flat track motorcycles. The women participating in the BUILD TRAIN RACE program are professional road racer Melissa Paris, Women’s Moto Exhibit creator Lanakila MacNaughton, DIY shop owner Andrea Lothrop, and amateur flat track racer Jillian Deschenes.
Lanakila MacNaughton. Photo courtesy of Royal Enfield North America.
Jilian Deschenes. Photo courtesy of Royal Enfield North America.
Andrea Lothrop. Photo courtesy of Royal Enfield North America.
“We are excited to bring together such a diverse group of female motorcycle enthusiasts for this program,” said Royal Enfield Americas President Rod Copes. “Each woman brings a different viewpoint and skill set to the program, which highlights the unifying power of motorcycles. The next few months will no doubt be a challenge for the participants as they build and train under tight deadlines to prepare their motorcycles and themselves for competition. We hope that this program will open the door for many more female motorcycle riders to push boundaries within our industry.”
Reaching broader audiences such as women and young people with programs such as BUILD Moto and BUILD TRAIN RACE showcases Royal Enfield’s continued focus on expanding motorcycling in North America.
Melissa Paris. Photo courtesy of Royal Enfield North America.
“I can’t wait to complete my build,” said Melissa Paris. “This will be a fun challenge as I love flat track racing, but have never been tasked with building my own motorcycle for competition. Racing alongside my fellow BUILD TRAIN RACE participants will be an awesome experience and I can’t wait to see what their motorcycles look like.”
A substitute rider will test Paris’ motorcycle at the first shakedown in Milwaukee due to a scheduling conflict with the Daytona 200. Paris will join the fellow BUILD TRAIN RACE teammates during a special exhibition race in conjunction with the Atlanta American Flat Track round on Saturday, March 28.
To stay up to date on the riders and their motorcycles, visit BUILDTRAINRACE.com or Royal Enfield NA on Facebook and Instagram.
About Royal Enfield
The oldest motorcycle company in continuous production in the world, Royal Enfield made its first motorcycle in 1901. A division of Eicher Motors Limited, Royal Enfield has created the mid-size motorcycle segment in India with its unique and distinctive modern classic motorcycles. With its manufacturing base in Chennai, India, Royal Enfield has been able to grow its production rapidly against a surge in demand for its motorcycles. Royal Enfield is a leading player in the global middleweight motorcycle market.
Royal Enfield North America (RENA) is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and is developing a growing network of more than 90 dealers in North America, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico. RENA currently offers the Bullet 500, Classic 500, Himalayan and the all new 650 Twins: INT 650 and Continental GT 650 motorcycles along with a range of genuine motorcycle accessories and apparel.
For more information on Royal Enfield North America, please visit www.RoyalEnfield.com/us/en/, www.Instagram.com/RoyalEnfield_NA, www.Facebook.com/RoyalEnfieldNorthAmerica.
The start of an Australia Superbike race during the 2019 season. Photo by Andrew Gosling/TBG Sport, courtesy of Motorcycling Australia.
Kawasaki Motors Australia Backs 2020 Australian Superbike Class
Motorcycling Australia are pleased to announce Kawasaki Motors Australia will again throw its full support behind the Australian Superbike Championship (ASBK) in 2020, as the title sponsor of the Kawasaki Superbike Championship class.
The 2020 mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul, kicks off tomorrow, with the Kawasaki Superbike class riders blowing out their Christmas cobwebs at the Official ASBK Test at Phillip Island, before the bikes roar into action for ASBK round 1 together with the FIM Superbike World Championship at the Island February 27.
Motorcycling Australia CEO, Peter Doyle, thanked Kawasaki Motors Australia for their continued support of ASBK.
“It is great to have Kawasaki Motors Australia renew their support for ASBK and the Superbike class, as they have been a significant supporter of the championship,” Mr Doyle said.
“The support of manufacturers like Kawasaki Motors Australia is vital for the success of any championship to make it stronger, and we are certainly excited for a sensational 2020 ASBK.
“Together, Motorcycling Australia, with Kawasaki Motors Australia sponsorship have grown the Kawasaki Superbike Class in recent years, and this year is expected to even be better with fierce on track battles in the chase for the 2020 Kawasaki Superbike title.”
Kawasaki Motors Australia, Marketing Manager, Gina Costello, commented on the 2020 ASBK season ahead:
“Kawasaki Motors Australia is very excited to sponsor ASBK and the Superbike class again for 2020,” she said.
“Kawasaki continues to be at the heart of Australian racing and enjoy watching the Kawasaki Superbike Class continue to grow; with the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR near the top of the competition again this year.”
All the action gets under way tomorrow at Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit with Day 1 of the Official ASBK Test. Who will be quickest straight out of the box and who will take out the fastest times.
ASBK fans can track all the action of the ASBK Live Timing on ASBK.com.au and timing results at the Official Timing Partner of ASBK – Computime.com.au and also on ASBK Facebook page.
2020 ASBK Calendar
Official ASBK Test – Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, VIC January 29-30
Round 1: WorldSBK – Phillip Island, VIC February 27-March 1
Round 2: Wakefield Park, NSW March 27-29
Round 3: The Bend, SA May 7-10
Round 4: Barbagallo Raceway, WA May 15-17
Official ASBK Test – Morgan Park, QLD July 28-29
Round 5: Morgan Park, QLD August 7-9
Round 6: Winton Motorsport Park, QLD September 11-13
Round 7: Phillip Island GP Circuit, VIC October 2-4
Head to www.asbk.com.au for more info about the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championship, presented by Motul. For the latest updates from the ASBK, follow us on Facebook and Instagram.
Maverick Vinales (12) at Motorland Aragon. Photo courtesy of Yamaha.
VIÑALES RENEWS CONTRACT WITH YAMAHA FOR 2021-2022
Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. is delighted to announce that Maverick Viñales has signed for two further years with the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team.
Gerno di Lesmo (Italy), 28th January 2020
It is with great pleasure that Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. confirm Maverick Viñales as one of the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP riders for the 2021 and 2022 season.
Viñales has shown great riding, motivation, and consistency so far in his three years of racing with the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team in the MotoGP World Championship. The successful partnership led to a third place in the overall standings in 2017, a fourth place in 2018, and another third place in 2019.
Further Yamaha highlights on the Spaniard‘s résumé are 6 wins and 19 podiums, including his Yamaha debut race and Yamaha‘s 500th GP win in Le Mans, both in 2017, as well as 9 poles in total out of 55 Grand Prix weekends aboard the YZR-M1.
These achievements on top of his undeniable talent and unshakable determination have Yamaha fully confident in their partnership with the 25-year-old. On 6 February they will start the first MotoGP Test of this year in Sepang, Malaysia, kicking off their 2020 campaign to clinch the premier class title.
LIN JARVIS
MANAGING DIRECTOR, YAMAHA MOTOR RACING
We brought Maverick into the Factory team in 2017, knowing he is a special talent. He is highly motivated and dedicates himself to being physically strong and is always ready to give his maximum and extract the best from his YZR-M1. In his first three seasons with us, he has given Yamaha 6 wins, 19 podiums, and 100% of his commitment. Now, as the YZR-M1 is improving race by race, we foresee a very bright future for him at Yamaha. Maverick‘s decision to sign with the Yamaha Factory Racing MotoGP Team for two further years so early shows the strength of our mutual appreciation and underlines the shared conviction that together we can challenge for the MotoGP World Championship Title.
MAVERICK VIÑALES
YAMAHA FACTORY RACING MOTOGP RIDER
I‘m extremely happy because I feel like I get to keep ’my own team‘. This will be the second year with my current crew, and after this I have two more years to look forward to. I‘m so excited! I think that if we keep working really hard we are heading the right way. For me, it was very important to make this announcement before the season started, because I‘m highly motivated and want to be able to fully concentrate on the 2020 season. I don‘t want to spend too much time thinking about the future. There were no reasons not to stay with Yamaha, because they feel like family. Yamaha is giving me a lot of support and, as I said, I have ’my own team‘, which is something I really need. We need to keep working and be very strong. Our main objective is, as always, to be World Champion and try to bring Yamaha the number one honour again. I will try my best. For sure, I will give everything I have to make our team proud too. I would like to say ’Thank you‘ to Yamaha for their faith in me. They are giving me a lot of confidence, and I really have trust in our partnership. I think we will both be growing very fast and we will keep pushing.
About Maverick Viñales:
Age: 25
Height: 1.71m
Weight: 64kg
Grands Prix Contested in Total: 158
Grand Prix Wins: 23
Grand Prix Podiums: 63
Grand Prix Pole Positions: 20
World Championship Titles: 1
MotoGP
2019 – 3rd, Race Wins 2
2018 – 4th, Race Wins 1
2017 – 3rd, Race Wins 3
2016 – 4th, Race Wins 1
2015 –12th, Race Wins 0
Moto2
2014 – 3rd, Race Wins 4
Moto3
2013 – 1st, Race Wins 3
2012 – 3rd, Race Wins 5
125cc
2011 – 3rd, Race Wins 4
Maverick Viñales Biography:
Viñales was born in Figueres, Spain, on January 12th, 1995. He began racing in minimotos at just three years of age before moving onto motocross. In 2002 his passion for speed brought him to circuit racing. He competed in the Catalonian 50cc Championship and followed it up with several successful seasons in the 70cc “metrakit” bikes.
Viñales got hold of the Catalonian 125cc Championship Title in 2007, he successfully defended his crown in 2008, and won the Mediterranean Trophy that same year. The following year he also competed at selected events in the German IDM 125GP Championship for RZT Racing aboard an Aprilia RS 125 R, achieving a best result of seventh. In 2009, he moved up to the CEV Buckler 125GP series, partnering with Miguel Oliveira in the Blusens-BQR team. Viñales secured the Rookie of the Year award, finishing as the runner-up to Alberto Moncayo in the championship standings by just four points and claiming four successive podiums during that season.
In 2010, Viñales and Oliveira joined different Blusens teams and battled it out for the CEV Buckler 125GP Championship Title. Despite winning two races to Oliveira‘s four, Viñales won the title by two points, thanks to finishing on the podium at all seven races of the season. The European Championship Title was also decided between the two riders, and again it was Viñales who came out on top.
The Spaniard moved to the 125cc World Championship for the 2011 season with the SuperMartxé VIP team. He impressed during pre-season testing at Valencia and finished ninth on his Grand Prix debut in Qatar. After retiring at Jerez due to a technical issue, Viñales finished fourth at Estoril, narrowly missing out on a podium to Johann Zarco in a photo finish, with a margin between the pair of just 0.002s. Two weeks later at Le Mans, Viñales took his first front-row grid start in third place and went on to seal his first victory by 0.048s at the age of 16 years, 123 days. This incredible performance made him the third-youngest rider to win a Grand Prix race, behind Scott Redding and Marco Melandri. Securing three further victories that same year, Viñales finished his first Grand Prix season in third place in the championship rankings and claimed the Rookie of the Year award.
The youngster went into the 2012 season as the title favourite in the newly formed Moto3 championship. He won five races on the Blusens Avintia FTR Honda early on in the season, but a lack in consistency, some misfortunes, and a dispute with his team resulted in a missed race in Malaysia, which allowed Cortese to win the title and Luis Salom to snatch second in the final standings, with Viñales taking third overall.
The next year, the young gun moved to Team Calvo alongside Ana Carrasco. He won his first two races back-to-back at the Spanish and French Grands Prix and kept his competitive form throughout the season, fighting at the front of the field. Viñales, Rins, and Salom went into the final round with a gap of five points across them all. The championship was decided in Valencia by a battle between Rins and Viñales. In the end, Viñales took the race victory and the Moto3 World Championship Title by a twelve-point margin.
The Moto3 World Champion then signed a Moto2 contract with Pons Racing, joining former title rival Salom. Viñales didn‘t have to wait long for his first intermediate class victory, which came at the Circuit of the Americas on 13 April, 2014. He ultimately finished the season in third place with four wins and nine podiums, earning himself another Rookie of the Year award.
In September 2014, it was announced that Viñales would move up to the premier class for the 2015 season, riding for the factory Suzuki team. Despite being a rookie and riding for a factory that was returning to MotoGP, he had a very good MotoGP season. Scoring points in 16 out of 18 races in a competitive field and under challenging circumstances, the young contender proved to be a notable rider. He finished the season in 12th place, winning again the Rookie of the Year award, thus completing his collection (125cc, Moto2, and MotoGP).
In 2016 Viñales shone anew. He finished third at the fifth round in France, achieving his first MotoGP podium, and it wasn‘t before long that he got to step onto the top of the rostrum. At the twelfth race, the British Grand Prix held at the Silverstone Circuit, he registered his first ever MotoGP win. He finished the season strong with two more third places in Japan and on Phillip Island, to secure fourth place in championship. His talent and strong mentality were undeniable and didn’t go unnoticed by Yamaha, who signed Viñales for the 2017 and 2018 season.
Viñales lived up to the hype. After a very strong debut on the YZR-M1 during the pre-season, the young Spaniard went on to win the first two races in Qatar and Argentina. He later followed up the achievement by securing Yamaha its 500th Grand Prix victory in Le Mans, after a sensational fight with team-mate Valentino Rossi. Despite the season being filled with grip issues, the Spaniard brought in solid points, scoring second places in Mugello and Silverstone and third places in Brno and Phillip Island, to ultimately conclude the season in third place.
After such a strong first year with Yamaha‘s Factory MotoGP Team, Viñales was hungry to show his talent again in 2018, but the season proved to be one of the most difficult in his premier class career. Nevertheless, the Spaniard kept his motivation high, scoring podiums at the rounds at COTA, Circuit TT-Assen, the Sachsenring, and Buriram. He returned to winning form in the race at Phillip Island, giving Yamaha its first victory since the round at Assen one year prior. He finished the season in fourth place overall, just five points behind his team-mate in third position.
2019 signalled a new start for Viñales. He changed his rider number from #25 to #12 and welcomed new Crew Chief Esteban García to his side of the Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP pit box (he had worked with him before in 2013, winning the Moto3 World Championship). After a difficult start to the season, the changes that were made began to bear fruit. Though taken out by fellow riders on three separate occasions in the first half of the season (in Argentina, France, and Catalunya), the Spaniard still visited the podium regularly in 2019. He scored a third place in Jerez and followed it up with a stunning win in Assen, a second place at Sachsenring, third places at Silverstone, Misano, and Buriram, and another epic win in Malaysia. Viñales‘ relentless determination earned him third in the overall championship standings and has him fully motivated to push 100% in 2020.
A camping spot at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta. Photo courtesy of MotoAmerica.
Act Now To Keep Your MotoAmerica RV Site
March 1 Deadline Approaching And Spots Are Going Quickly
COSTA MESA, CA (January 27, 2020) – The 2020 MotoAmerica Series is on the horizon and MotoAmerica wants to offer up a quick PSA to those who have purchased RV camping spots with us in the past. Spaces are going quickly, and we encourage you to reserve your spots now.
We appreciate your loyalty to MotoAmerica, and we want you to be able to keep the same reserved RV campsite that you enjoyed last year. Should you choose to maintain your spot, please purchase an RV ticket before March 1 to guarantee your reservation. If we do not hear from you by March 1, then your spot will be released and open for others to purchase.
RV Campsites are available at the following tracks on the 2020 MotoAmerica schedule: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Virginia International Raceway, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Pittsburgh International Race Complex, New Jersey Motorsports Park and Barber Motorsports Park.
For more information and to confirm your purchase, contact us through the ticketing number or by email to [email protected]. 2020 MotoAmerica Series
April 3-5 Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas
April 17-19 Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, Braselton, Georgia
May 1-3 Virginia International Raceway, Alton, Virginia
May 29-31 Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin
June 26-28 The Ridge Motorsports Park, Shelton, Washington
July 10-12 WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Monterey, California
August 7-9 Pittsburgh International Race Complex, Wampum, Pennsylvania
August 21-23 Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis, Indiana
September 11-13 New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, New Jersey
September 18-20 Barber Motorsports Park, Birmingham, Alabama
About MotoAmerica
MotoAmerica is the North American road racing series created in 2014 that is home to the AMA Superbike Championship. MotoAmerica is an affiliate of KRAVE Group LLC, a partnership that includes three-time 500cc World Champion, two-time AMA Superbike Champion, and AMA Hall of Famer Wayne Rainey, ex-racer and former manager of Team Roberts Chuck Aksland, motorsports marketing executive Terry Karges, and businessman Richard Varner. For more information on MotoAmerica, visit www.MotoAmerica.com. Also make sure to follow MotoAmerica on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
WERA racers Aaron Ascher (312), Nicholas Ciling (50), and Sahar Zvik (161) during a previous event at Auto Club Speedway. Photo by Caliphotography.com.
2020 WERA SEASON KICKS OFF 2/2/2020 AT AUTO CLUB SPEEDWAY WITH…….
The WERA West Sportsman series presented by Lucas Oil Products (#weralucas). For 2020 the series will see some support in the way of a purse and Championship bonus in the A Superbike and C Superbike classes. The purse will pay top three and then three random riders who finished and took the checker flag. There will also be a Championship purse that will be paid at the final round November 21-22 at Willow Springs. Grids for these two classes will be set via qualifying times from the second practice session prior to lunch break. These two races will also have two additional laps to sort things out.
A special thank you needs to go to Lucas Oil for returning as a sponsor for the series. If you have not tried Lucas Oil Products you need to – they work! The sponsors of the purse include: Fresh ‘n’ Lean, Calishine, DTC, Cha Cha Cha Motorsports and Capit Tire.
Racing for all the sprints starts at noon and camping is available. Come out and see the riders of WERA Motorcycle Roadracing take on Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA on 2/2/2020!
WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was founded in 1973 and remains the foremost place to develop talent in the sport of motorcycle road racing. The legacy of Pro riders on a National and World level is legendary. All events are run by WERA Motorcycle Roadracing with a co-sanction by the AMA and they go coast to coast offering entry-level racing with the WERA Sportsman Series as well as a Pro-Am Series with the WERA National Challenge Series. WERA Motorcycle Roadracing also offers vintage racing and limited endurance racing with track day partners N2. WERA Motorcycle Roadracing was voted the 2017 AMA Track Organizer of the Year.
For more information on WERA Motorcycle Roadracing please check out our web site at wera.com
Jonathan Rea testing Monday at Catalunya. Photo courtesy of Kawasaki.
Barcelona Test A Boost For KRT
The Montmelo circuit near Barcelona will join the WorldSBK calendar for 2020 and the locally based KRT official WorldSBK team had a chance to test there today, Monday 27 January.
As many of their rivals completed a two-day test at Portimao Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes rode their official Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR machines around the highly regarded MotoGP circuit of Montmelo.
A wet start led to a dry afternoon as the team started working through final aspects of machine set-up, and confirmation of components and ideas tried out during other winter tests. The KRT duo and the team’s technical staff left Montmelo with both valuable data and clearer ideas of the final plans for the opening round of the season in Australia next month.
Jonathan worked on balance and overall set-up on his Ninja ZX-10RR machine while Alex learned not just a new track layout but also more aspects of his Ninja ZX-10RR’s character to take into the first competitive round.
The final pre-season tests will take place at Phillip Island, the venue for the opening round in Australia, just a few days before the start of a whole new racing season. The team launch in Barcelona will take place on February 6, before the long flights down under will begin.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “It has been so nice to get this extra day after Jerez, because we got really decent weather, the track was dry and we managed to put in a lot of laps. We were able to back-to-back some items that we were not sure about with the weight balance of the bike in Jerez. In the end we tried something on the front suspension and did some practice starts. The big positive is that I really enjoyed the track and the bike works really well here. I think it sets us up in a good frame of mind now. I feel fast and consistent and this positive test has prepared us to go to Australia, where we will start the new season. Thanks to the team for pulling out all the stops to get us a proper test day here because I know it was not in the plan. Next is the team launch where we get to be all excited about our new colours and then move on.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “I want to say a big thank to KRT for working really hard to get us this extra test. Obviously I have not had too many chances to have dry laps this winter so I really appreciate this extra day at Montmelo. The track is fantastic. It is always exciting coming to a track for the first time. I am getting old now so there are not many tracks I have not ridden! I have really enjoyed it today and I probably learned more about the bike than in the other tests, so that is really positive for me going into Phillip Island. I really enjoyed working with the team and I cannot wait to start racing now.”
Pere Riba, Crew Chief for Jonathan Rea, stated: “Finally it was a very good test for us because Johnny has never raced here and to collect the first information about this track has been great. In another way I am happy because Johnny liked the track and enjoyed riding. I feel the lap time was quite good because we can always compare with MotoGP and I think we did quite well. We also understood the places where we can improve. We reached the target we had to collect information and we tested something in the engine that was important to confirm what we had in Jerez. It was positive and we are ready to move to Australia.”
Marcel Duinker, Crew Chief for Alex Lowes, stated: “We had a very nice test. We had a bit of rain last night but we had some dry conditions. We made only minor changes to the bike compared to the Jerez machine and straight away Alex was fast. There were two items remaining for the test and we confirmed them here. We finished very close to Johnny and also over distance Alex was fast. We used this test to the maximum, we are completely on target and ready for Phillip Island.”
The Puccetti Racing WorldSBK team was out in force at the Portimao tests from 26 to 27 January with new rider Xavi Fores understanding more and more about his 2020 Kawasaki machine as he returns to WorldSBK from BSB.
The WorldSSP Kawasaki Puccetti Racing duo of Lucas Mahias and Philipp Öttl continued their pre-season preparations with Mahias working on development and Öttl learning more about his machine and tyres in a whole new category for him.
Former-racer-turned-videographer Gray Pham, age 19, has produced a new, eight-part video documentary series focused on riders in the MotoAmerica AMA/FIM North American Road Racing series called “American Racing.”
In Episode Six of the series Monster Energy Yamalube Yamaha’s Garrett Gerloff and M4 ECSTAR Suzuki’s Sean Dylan Kelly try to impress “international eyes” during the combined MotoAmerica/World Superbike event at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in 2019.
A Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO (left) and a Scrambler 1100 Sport PRO (right). Photo courtesy of Ducati.
New Scrambler Ducati 1100: Just PROs
An official video available on the brand channels presents the new Ducati Scrambler 1100 range, consisting of the two new models 1100 PRO and 1100 Sport PRO
Revamped graphics, new exhaust and seat trim, shorter rear fender and low plate holder characterise the two new versions of the Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO
Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport PRO is enriched with an even more sporting heritage thanks to the new, narrower and shorter handlebar with Café Racer-style mirrors and Öhlins suspensions
Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy) 27 January 2020 – Even more fun and high performance, featuring an original design, the new Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO and 1100 Sport PRO are the ideal choice for those who want to ride a motorcycle with a 1079 cm³ engine with generous torque right from the bottom of the rev range, a 15-litre steel tank that, combined with the comfortable seat with the new coating, ensure even the longest rides are enjoyed in comfort.
The fun is guaranteed on the new Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO and Sport PRO, thanks to their iconic style and sense of freedom, together with agility and safety. Created for those who love to ride motorcycles even outside the city, perhaps also with a passenger, these new models are a further declination of the bike that identifies the Ducati Scrambler “Land Of Joy”.
A Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport PRO. Photo courtesy of Ducati.
The Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO stands out for its new two-tone “Ocean Drive” colour scheme, combined with a steel Trellis frame and rear aluminium subframe, both black. The aluminium covers are also black. A new right-side dual tailpipe and low-slung plate holder ensure distinctive rear-end styling and, together with the new livery, give the bike a coiled, compact look. Another hallmark is the framed headlight; inspired by the protective adhesive tape used back in the ‘70s, a black metal “X” has been incorporated inside the headlight: a detail that makes the bike instantly identifiable, even with the lights off.
The Ducati Scrambler 1100 Sport PRO is the beefiest version in the Scrambler family. It features all the styling details of the PRO, but also a unique equipment set with Öhlins suspension, low-slung handlebars and Café Racer rear-view mirrors . The 1100 Sport PRO also features a Matt Black colour scheme, complemented by side panels sporting a painted 1100 logo.
The Ducati Scramblers 1100 PRO are also at the forefront of electronics. They are equipped with Ducati Traction Control (DTC), regulated specifically for these models, and ABS Cornering, which ensure safety on every bend. The three standard Riding Modes (Active, Journey and City) help even less experienced riders to find the right balance in the use of electronic components by choosing their riding style.
Ducati Scrambler 1100 PRO and Sport PRO will be available from the end of March 2020 (country specific).
American Garrett Gerloff (31) put in another impressive performance on his GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team, outpacing more experienced riders while learning the challenging Portuguese racetrack for the first time. Photo courtesy of Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Portimão Test – Day 2
Razgatlioglu unbeatable as frantic final day of Portimao testing closes
Heading to Phillip Island as the man to beat, Toprak Razgatlioglu pips Scott Redding whilst Loris Baz impresses to make for an unpredictable opening event…
The final day of 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship testing from Portimao has ended with a flurry of action taking place at the rollercoaster venue. Despite numerous incidents bringing out several red flags, nothing and nobody could stop Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM) from hitting the top of the standings in Portugal, with Yamaha’s new recruit the man to beat heading to Australia.
Beavering away frantically in the last testing day before jetting off to Phillip Island in Australia, it was PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM who featured prominently on the final day. Toprak Razgatlioglu was on top at lunch as he worked his way towards a better front end set up, whilst also adapting his style towards the 2020 R1 Yamaha. He set quick laps on both of his bikes to finishing top overall, whilst teammate Michael van der Mark was also right up at the sharp end too, placing fourth and looking to conserve tyre life more ahead of Phillip Island.
Scott Redding (45). Photo courtesy of Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
Having led the way on day one at Portimao, Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) placed at the front again, saving his pace until the final ten minutes to initially deny Loris Baz top spot, before being pipped himself by Turkish star Razgatlioglu. Redding focussed on tyre life and especially grip, with Portimao offering the perfect opportunity to do so ahead of the equally as fast Phillip Island, with the Brit second overall. Teammate Chaz Davies was outside of the top ten in the later afternoon, eventually ending in fifth after a late charge.
Chaz Davies (7). Photo courtesy of Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
At Jerez, he was quick but Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was a stand-out performer at Portimao, proving that the wet weather in the south of Spain was absolutely no fluke. The 26-year-old was right on the money in Portugal and continued his back-to-back testing with the 2019 and 2020 Yamahas. He was third at the end of testing, with fellow Independent Yamaha riders Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) and his teammate Garrett Gerloff impressing in ninth and tenth, respectively.
Loris Baz (76). Photo courtesy of Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
There were more positives for the HRC Team, who continued their work, keeping their cards close to their chest throughout Portuguese testing. Leon Haslam once again led the charge from the Japanese manufacturer, setting a faster lap time than he managed throughout racing action at Portimao to go sixth. Alvaro Bautista was less prominent and was down in 15th place ahead of the trip to Australia in a few weeks’ time.
Leon Haslam mounts his Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP. Photo courtesy of Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
German manufacturer BMW were inside the top five at Portimao on the second day, with Tom Sykes (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) and Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) enjoying plenty of positives at Portimao. Sykes was relentless and was continuing to focus on set-up, whilst Laverty enjoyed an incident-free day on day two. Sykes was seventh, whilst Laverty concluded his action in eighth.
Outside of the top ten, there were plenty of positives carried forward for Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team GOELEVEN) in 11th, whilst Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) was 12th. Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was 13th ahead of Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance), whilst Sandro Cortese (Barni Racing Team) was 16th, having suffered a crash at Turn 7 this morning.
WorldSBK Portimão Test Day Two Unofficial Times:
1.) Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM) 1’40.804
2.) Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) +0.079
3.) Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.190
4.) Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM) +0.622
5.) Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) +0.795
6.) Leon Haslam (HRC Team) +0.851
WorldSSP: Cluzel beats Locatelli to top slot as Portuguese testing ends
The three-time World Supersport runner-up heads to Phillip Island as the man to beat, leading a raft of rookies ahead of the new season
Jules Cluzel (16). Photo courtesy of Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
It was a busy final day of testing at Portimao for the World Supersport riders and teams, as they looked to confirm their findings ahead of the first round of the season at Phillip Island, Australia. Going to ‘The Island’ as the man to beat is Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha), having romped clear at the head of the field from rookies Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) and Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing). Despite numerous red flags, there were plenty of talking points.
Cluzel ended 2019 strong and he looks like picking up from where he left off, blasting clear by nearly three tenths of a second as testing ended. Andrea Locatelli’s first experience of Portimao proved positive, with the former Moto2™ front runner in contention with Cluzel despite the sizeable gap by World Supersport standards. Making it three different nationalities in the leading three positions, South African Steven Odendaal continued to get used to Yamaha and WorldSSP equipment and was less than four tenths from the rampant Cluzel.
Leading the charge to the top three positions, Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was the first non-Yamaha runner in fourth, taking his ZX-6RR to the fore as he continued to gel with the slick tyres. Fellow Frenchman Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) made it three French riders inside the top five, whilst Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) flew the German flag in sixth place, just under 1.5s from Cluzel at the front.
Japanese star Hikari Okubo (Dynavolt Honda) took the experience from his 2019 with Kawasaki to continue improving the CBR600RR, getting comfortable on the bike and declaring that the bike has the potential for wins in 2020. Can Öncü (Turkish Racing Team) made gains on day two to finish eighth, whilst Danny Webb (WRP Wepol Racing) was ninth as he continued his comeback to short circuit racing under the watchful eye of team manager, James Toseland. Jaimie van Sikkelerus (MPM Routz Racing Team) and Patrick Hobelsberger (Dynavolt Honda) were tenth and 11th respectively, both separated by less than two tenths of a second.
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK Team:
BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team continues its pre-season preparations with the BMW S 1000 RR in Spain and Portugal.
Four days of testing in Jerez de la Frontera and Portimão with Tom Sykes and Eugene Laverty.
Extensive test programme with the BMW S 1000 RR.
Fitness training also forms part of pre-season preparations.
Jerez de la Frontera/Portimão. The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team has continued its preparations for the 2020 season of the FIM Superbike World Championship (WorldSBK) with a double test. Last week, the team and its riders Tom Sykes (GBR) and Eugene Laverty (IRL) spent two days testing in Jerez de la Frontera, Spain. This was followed on Sunday and Monday by a further two days of testing in Portimão (POR). The team used the tests to work through a comprehensive programme with the BMW S 1000 RR.
Both riders had two bikes at their disposal. This allowed Sykes, Laverty and their respective crews to evaluate more new components and many different set-up configurations, in order to establish the best possible basis set-up in time for the start of the season. While it rained repeatedly on both days in Spain, conditions were dry and sunny at times in Portugal.
The two riders used the time between the two tests in Jerez de la Frontera and Portimão for another important part of pre-season preparations: fitness training. Sykes and Laverty trained together at times. The final phase of preparations now begin at the team headquarters in Guisborough (GBR) and at BMW Motorrad Motorsport in Munich (GER). The BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team heads to Philipp Island (AUS) for a further two days of testing on 24th and 25th February, before the new season of WorldSBK gets underway at the same venue from 28th February to 1st March.
Quotes after the tests at Jerez de la Frontera and Portimão.
Marc Bongers, BMW Motorrad Motorsport Director: “On the whole, we are happy with both tests, as we were able to work through an extensive programme with both riders. We travelled with some new parts for the RR, including new wheels, and we made also more steps forward in terms of electronic strategies and their detailed set-up both in Jerez and Portimão. Over the course of the four days, we were able to sort out some important issues on both sides of the garage, and to gain a lot of information and data. We now have an even clearer idea of what direction we need to head in on Phillip Island. We also have reinforced the team in the form of new members, and the double test was the perfect way to fully integrate them in our team. We will now continue to work hard, to ensure we are as well prepared as possible when we travel to Australia.”
Shaun Muir, Team Principal BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team: “It was very productive days in Spain and Portugal with a very successful finish at Portimão. Good weather greeted us here and that also allowed us to go through the items we could not do in Jerez due to rain. We’ve made big steps with the elcetronics with both riders benefitting from it. Eugene overall got a lot of confidence now going to Australia, Tom tried some settings he was not used to evaluate them and to to find an even better direction for him. Both riders and the team took the decision not to put any special development or qualifying tyres on, so the times that we have got have been on the normal race tyre. Overall, both riders are very satisfied with the work we have conducted, we gathered a lot of valuable data and have a good base to move into Australia. So it was a positive test and we can’t wait to go to Australia.”
Tom Sykes (66). Photo courtesy of BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK Team.
Tom Sykes: “I’m very happy with the two tests. Jerez obviously was very challenging from the weather front but we were able to utilise that and do some little fundamental things. It then was much more consistent here in Portugal and we were just able to do a lot of work with our BMW S 1000 RR. We just had to turn a bit of a blind eye to what was going on on track and focus on what we are doing. We worked really hard on different chassis set-ups, on the brakes, electronic strategies… and the list goes on. A big credit to the entire BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team, the boys have worked really, really hard over these days. Now it’s time to go back home and get everything ready for Phillip Island and where we can focus more on performance.”
Eugene Laverty (50). Photo courtesy of BMW Motorrad Motorsport WorldSBK Team.
Eugene Laverty: “I am really delighted and optimistic. The November test was a bit of a tough one as I got a few surprises when I rode the RR for the first time. The work that the guys did is incredible. That’s the nice thing of being involved with a factory team again: the progress is so quick and these guys are so intelligent. I give my comments but in the end my comments are only backing up what they already know. These guys understand very well how to make the bike work. The focus in Spain had been power delivery and traction control and when we arrived at Portimão, we started to play around with the chassis setting. And the performance in the end was really good. So after these tests, I’m very happy, we’re in a good position.”
More, from a press release issued by Barni Racing Team:
Relay on the saddle Cortese-Camier, Leon jumped on the saddle one month after surgery
Portimao (POR), 27th January 2020. With the two days at the Autodromo International do Algarve in Portimao, Portugal, the second and last winter testing session come to an end. This was the last opportunity to be on track before the long journey to Australia for the start of the 2020 WorldSBK season, in February.
Due to a milder climate compared to the rain found in Jerez the team was able to work with greater intensity while the two days in Portugal were full of events in the box led by Marco Barnabò.
During the first day, Sandro Cortese continued the work he had begun at Jerez, also testing new components on the Ducati Panigale V4 R. The new features mainly concerned the Showa suspension, but also the electronics. At the end of his 35 laps, the German rider was eighth overall with 1’42.936 as best performance.
As planned in the second day it was the Leon Camier’s turn on the bike; the Brit backs on the saddle of his Ducati Panigale V4 R after the crash suffered in Aragon’s tests and the subsequent surgery on his shoulder last December. Camier made about twenty laps without pushing the limit. He had positive feedback from the injured shoulder ahead of Phillip Island, where two more days of testing are scheduled (24-25 February) before the official start of WorldSBK season the following weekend.
Marco Barnabo, Team Principal:
“First of all I want to thank Cortese who gave us good advices about the components we had to test. It was a shame we had to interrupt when he was getting familiar with our bike. I would really like to be able to keep working with him because he proved to be a great rider, but above all a very professional guy. On the other hand, it was a pleasure to have Leon back, he need to ride for miles on the Ducati. He demonstrated a great desire to jump on the bike and to test the reaction of his shoulder, I would say that the recovery is going faster than expected. Now we have a lot of work to do at home to get the bikes ready for Australia.”
Leon Camier (2). Photo courtesy of Barni Racing Team.
Leon Camier:
“It’s good to be back on the bike again, even though I suffered the lack of strength. I only did about twenty laps without pushing and without taking risks, but the feelings were positive. For me it was so important to be here in Portimao not only to check my physical condition but also to give the first advice about the electronics. For the Phillip Island’s test we found the right direction, but there is still work to do on the bike setup. My goal is to be 100% fit in Australia to make up the time we lost.”
Sandro Cortese (11). Photo courtesy of Barni Racing Team.
Sandro Cortese, #11
“Very big thanks to Marco and all crew that they give me the opportunity to join them for this four days of test. The mechanics, Marco, and all members of the team are very professional at high level. For me a dream turned into reality riding a Ducati and I felt immediately comfortable on the saddle.Two days in rain and two in the dry let me to understand a lot about the bike. We worked on the main setup and on the electronic and my lap time improved a lot during this two days. Of course my dream is to stay an entire year with Barni and Leon together if there is any chance of doing a two bike team. Let see what the future brings, meanwhile thanks again to the team.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Redding 2nd and Davies 5th with the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati as Portimao testing closes
The second 2020 test session, held at the Autodromo Internacional Algarve in Portimao (Portugal), ended with an excellent result for Scott Redding and Chaz Davies who finished in 2nd and 5th position respectively.
It was an intense two days testing for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati riders who continued the set up work started last week at Jerez De La Frontera.
After finishing the first session on top, Scott Redding (199 laps completed in total) repeated himself on the second day of activity, recording very interesting lap-times especially on the race pace, before finishing with the second-fastest time overall (1’40.883) just 79 thousandths of a second off Razgatlioglu (Yamaha).
It has been two profitable days for Chaz Davies also, as the welsh rider collected important data for the first round of the 2020 WorldSBK season scheduled at the end of February in Australia.
After the 59 laps completed in Day-1, finished in 7th position and with the top speed of the day (318.6 km/h), the Welshman completed 73 laps in the second day pushing the time attack (1’41.599) to end in 5th position.
Scott Redding (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #45) 1’40.883 (2nd)
“It was a good day even though, to be honest, I couldn’t find the ideal pace. On a few occasions, I found traffic on the track and when I tried the new tyres, the four almost consecutive red flags didn’t allow me to lap consistently. The result of the test is still very positive, considering that this is a circuit where I only rode once in the past and it can’t be considered the most favourable for Ducati. All things considered, we have worked very well and I am satisfied”.
Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #7) 1’41.599 (5th)
“It’s been a busy couple of days. We were lucky because the weather helped us to carry on our work. We tried new solutions: some of them gave positive results, while on other aspects we will have to work further. The lap-times? We will return to Portugal in September and the track conditions will be completely different so the crono wasn’t our first target. In view of the first Grand Prix in Australia, I feel much more ahead of what I felt last year”.
More, from a press release issued by Honda Pro Racing:
Portimão testing draws to a close for Team HRC
Honda WorldSBK
27 Jan 2020
Following on from last week’s two-day testing sessions at Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), which were unfortunately seriously conditioned by wet weather, Team HRC moved to the Algarve International Circuit in Portugal and has completed two more days of testing, in more stable, albeit still cold conditions.
Together with their technicians, Alvaro Bautista and Leon Haslam worked non-stop across both Sunday and Monday in order to make headway with the pretty intense schedule and provide the engineers with as much information as possible so as to facilitate bike development work.
By the end of the sessions, Haslam had set a best time of 1’41.655, finishing 6th, Bautista a 1’43.559 which placed him 16th.
Team HRC will continue to work back at base in Japan in preparation for the opening round of the Superbike World Championship, taking place over the weekend of 28 February-1 March at the Phillip Island circuit in Australia.
The official team presentation will take place just prior to the opening round, on 21 February, in Tokyo.
Alvaro Bautista 19
These tests have been tough for us because in Jerez we could not test much due to the bad weather. So we had to concentrate all the work here in Portimao, basically trying to complete four days of work in just two days. That meant we were forced to spend more time inside the garage than on track and this of course is a bit frustrating when you just want to have everything ready, put in a new tyre and go for it. Anyway, this is the kind of job that has to be done with a new project. I think we now have a lot of data that can be useful in developing the bike and we’ll see how the next step goes in Australia. Those tests prior to the first round will be very important.
Leon Haslam 91
We’ve made some good steps today and have got through a lot of the things we had down to test. We didn’t perhaps make the step that others did with the soft qualifying tyre, but all in all the lap times aren’t too bad and I was pretty happy with the race tyres. We have a lot of work ahead of us of course and we’re not yet at the stage where we’re fine-tuning the bike, as we’re still testing fundamental components. I can’t wait to get to Phillip Island now, it’s one of my favourite circuits. The test there will be very important too, and then the aim for the race weekend is to try to be competitive right from the outset.
Scott Redding (45) at speed in Portugal. Photo courtesy of Dorna WorldSBK Press Office.
Portimão Test – Day 1
Redding blasts clear as Yamaha shine at unpredictable Portimao
The British rookie proved to be the one in control with Baz leading a pack of Yamahas behind, whilst Eugene Laverty put BMW on the map inside the top five
The first day of testing at Portugal has concluded for the teams and riders in the 2020 MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship, with rain staying away and sunshine coming out to play. With a Yamaha 1-2-3 at lunch time, it would be Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) who dislodged the Japanese manufacturer, with Ducati heading Yamaha pairing Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) and Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM).
At the top of the pile was the ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati team, with Scott Redding setting quick lap times on both of his bikes. Redding had only been to Portimao once before and this time, he comes in search of rear grip. With long corners coupled with tight hairpins, the track provides the perfect opportunity for this testing. Putting in strong laps towards the end, Redding was on the pace. Chaz Davies (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) confessed that he didn’t really learn much at Jerez and started from square one on Sunday in Portugal, improving incrementally throughout the day. Come the end, it was Redding on top of the pile whilst Davies climbed to seventh.
Coming into the closing stages of day one and it was Loris Baz who was shining brightly in second, having been top lunch too. The two-time WorldSBK race winner was eager to demonstrate his prowess on the Yamaha, as he and his Dutch Ten Kate Racing Yamaha squad prepare for their first full season together. Testing different parts on both the 2019 and 2020 Yamahas, Baz made plenty of strides. Other Independent riders accompanying Baz inside the top ten were Sandro Cortese (Barni Racing Team) in eighth and Garrett Gerloff (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) in tenth. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Team Goeleven) was one place behind, whilst Leandro Mercado (Motocorsa Racing) was one more behind that, having crashed at Turn 14 late on and bringing out the second red flag of the day.
The PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM were back out on track with the aim of finding a good balance with their bikes. Michael van der Mark was one of many riders who were at the top of the timesheets throughout the day, whilst confirming that winter testing starts here. With Australia in mind and the high degree of tyre degradation, the Dutchman’s aims are to get the bike smoother on tyres, and he was fourth at the chequered flag. Teammate Toprak Razgatlioglu was one place ahead of van der Mark and also worked on chassis balance, whilst valuing every lap he got aboard the Yamaha YZF R1. The Turkish rider came into Portimao having been second in Spain and was third after day one in Portugal.
Flying the BMW flag on day one at Portimao was Eugene Laverty (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with the Irishman going well at the circuit he took his most recent pole position at. Laverty had plenty to test and was looking at how well the engine was working, given the length of the straight at Portimao. However, the 2013 WorldSBK runner-up suffered an engine failure at Turn 3 at 13:30 local time, bringing out the red flag. Teammate Tom Sykes was working on electronics and also his chassis, aiming to improve his race set-up. At the end of the day, Laverty completed the top five whilst Tom Sykes sat pretty in sixth.
Featuring at the top of the timesheets at Jerez and once again a prominent force in Portugal, the HRC Team continued looking for their base set-up for the CBR1000RR-R. Leon Haslam was fifth at lunch time before continuing his day acquiring laps and therefore data, whilst Alvaro Bautista got to grips with the Portimao circuit aboard the all-new Honda. Come the close of business on Sunday, Haslam was placed in eighth and Bautista in 15th, with plenty more to come on day two for the Honda duo.
In 13th place after turning his first wheel of 2020, Xavi Fores (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) enjoyed his Portimao experience aboard the ZX-10RR. Experimenting with a new swingarm and chassis, Fores will aim to consolidate his findings on day two. He was one place ahead of Federico Caricasulo (GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Junior Team) whilst Sylvain Barrier (Brixx Performance) was in 16th.
WorldSBK Portimão Test Day One Unofficial Times:
1.) Scott Redding (ARUBA.IT Racing – Ducati) 1’41.179
2.) Loris Baz (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) +0.573
3.) Toprak Razgatlioglu (PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM) +0.702
4.) Michael van der Mark (PATA YAMAHA WORLDSBK OFFICIAL TEAM) +0.878
WorldSSP: Cluzel reigns supreme as day one at Portimao closes for WorldSSP
Back in action and raring to go, WorldSSP fired up at the rollercoaster of Portimao with three manufacturers inside the top six
After an intriguing test at the Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto, it was Portimao’s turn to play host to the FIM Supersport World Championship teams and riders, as they take part in two more days of frantic testing. The rollercoaster circuit in the Algarve saw three-time WorldSSP runner-up Jules Cluzel (GMT94 Yamaha) on top of the pile, heading fellow countryman Lucas Mahias (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing), whilst South African Steven Odendaal (EAB Ten Kate Racing) completed the top three.
Cluzel continued his pre-season with good pace in Portugal, with the Portimao circuit proving to be to his liking. Fellow countryman Lucas Mahias was also finding the Portimao track enjoyable, having taken a phenomenal victory in the World Supersport class back in 2018. It is the first time Mahias has been on a WorldSSP bike, with the Frenchman crashing dramatically during Free Practice for MotoE™ in Valencia. Working on suspension settings and refining small details, Mahias was busy on day one. Steven Odendaal was also right in contention, with the rookie taking his Dutch squad into the leading positions, whilst explaining that there was little difference between slick and road tyres.
Italian star Andrea Locatelli (BARDAHL Evan Bros. WorldSSP Team) was fresh off the back of testing at Almeria and was eager to join the other teams on circuit. He continued his adaption to the World Supersport class and placed fourth come the end of day one. Corentin Perolari (GMT94 Yamaha) was up in fifth, also looking to refine small details of his package. Hikari Okubo (Dynavolt Honda) enjoyed his first testing action of 2020 and was sixth, with three manufacturers inside the top six.
Philipp Oettl (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) was back in action after extensive testing at the Ricardo Tormo Circuit in Valencia, taking to Portimao for the first time. The German rider was fractionally ahead of Jaimie van Sikkelerus (MPM Routz Racing Team), who set as many laps as possible ahead of his first full season on Yamaha machinery. Danny Webb (WRP Wepol Racing) was ninth on his WorldSSP debut, whilst Turkish rookie Can Öncü (Turkish Racing Team) was tenth and the last of the WorldSSP runners and riders.
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