KOPP SECURES A FIGHTING TOP-FIVE AT THE BLACK HILLS HALF-MILE
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – Black Hills Half-Mile
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Round 11 of the 2022 American Flat Track Championship was a mixed bag of results for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team, who fought hard to get through Saturday’s Black Hills Half-Mile in Rapid City, South Dakota. AFT Singles championship points leader, Kody Kopp, made a strong fifth-place comeback in the Main Event after a challenging start to the day; while teammate Max Whale salvaged seventh after battling track conditions throughout the evening.
It was an uncharacteristic start to the day for Kopp, who found himself a little off-pace early on with an eighth-place qualifying position in the class. Lining up alongside his teammate Whale in Semi 2, Kopp powered his KTM 450 SX-F to a top-five start. Racing in the fifth-place battle for the majority of laps, Kopp made a mistake that nearly resulted in a crash and he ultimately dropped back to a seventh-place finish. With a last-row start-position in the Main Event, Kopp had his work cut out for him off the start but he swiftly made his way up to 11th by the end of lap one. Putting on a charge through the second half of the race, Kopp dove into top-five contention late in the race and he was able to make a pass stick on the final lap to secure a fighting top-five at the half-mile.
Kody Kopp (12) at the Black Hills Half-Mile. Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Kody Kopp: “They say you win championships on your worst days and I feel like we made the best out of what possibly could have been a terrible finish. We didn’t qualify the best and I just wasn’t gelling with the track. I got fired up because I had a back row start for the Main Event – I think I had grid pick 14 or 15 – and I went to work and passed 10 guys to end up P5. It’s our worst finish of the year but given the circumstances, I’m pretty happy with a fifth-place finish and we live to fight another day and only lost a few points.”
Whale, the second-place qualifier, had a strong start to the day after coming away from his first victory of the season last weekend in Peoria. The Aussie had a great jump off the line in Semi 2 and he claimed the early race lead aboard his KTM 450 SX-F. Holding strong out front for the first four laps, Whale ended up getting passed midway through and he maintained a solid pace to finish second. After grabbing the Main Event holeshot, things were looking strong for Whale as he led the way on the opening lap. However, he lost his momentum early in the race, dropping back to eighth midway through, and it took him several laps to get back into a groove. Late in the race, Whale made a push to overtake seventh and that’s where he ultimately finished for the night.
Max Whale (18) at the Black Hills Half-Mile. Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Max Whale: “I started the day off really well with second overall in practice and second in my semi, so we definitely had some speed early on. I had a battle for the lead and felt really good leading half of it. For the Main Event, we did a few changes and it definitely wasn’t the right way to go. The track went away from us and we didn’t think it was going to go the way it did – it got super slick – and I just really struggled. I started in the front row and faded back to seventh. It was super hard for me because I haven’t faded like that in a long time, but I really want to thank the whole team for everything they do.”
Next Race: Castle Rock TT – Castle Rock, Washington – August 13, 2022
Round 11 Results – Black Hills Half-Mile AFT Singles Main Event
Provisional dates for pre-season testing ahead of the 2023 season can now be announced.
Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia will first host the Shakedown Test, which is for MotoGP™ factory test riders and class rookies only, from the 5th to the 7th of February.
Sepang will then host the first, three-day MotoGP™ test from the 10th to the 12th of February.
The Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, as the venue for the season opener, will host the final, two-day test for the MotoGP™ class on the 11th and 12th of March.
Shakedown Test: 5th – 7th February
Sepang Test: 10th – 12th February
Portimão Test: 11th – 12th March
The pre-season Moto2™ and Moto3™ test will also take place at Portimão.
Moto2™ and Moto3™ Test: 17th – 19th March
Set up takes place on the two days preceding the MotoGP™ tests and the shakedown, and on the day before the Moto2™ and Moto3™ test.
Following medical checks carried out today at the Dexeus Hospital in Barcelona, Aleix Espargaró has been diagnosed with a heel fracture in his right foot. The Spanish rider, the victim of a frightening high-side during the last free practice session at Silverstone, then stoically took to the track for both qualifying and Sunday’s race.
The injury does not require surgical treatment, and Aleix has been prescribed seven days of absolute rest during which he will have to use crutches in order not to strain his injured foot. The aim is to arrive at the next race weekend (19-21 August, Austria) in the best physical condition.
THE RED FLAG FUND SUPPORTS LOCAL MOTORCYCLE ROAD RACERS WITH AUCTION AT BLACKHAWK FARMS RACEWAY IN SOUTH BELOIT, ILLINOIS
Antioch, IL, August 8, 2022 – The Red Flag Fund, Inc announces its fundraising auction and dinner on Saturday, September 17 at Blackhawk Farms Raceway, in South Beloit, Illinois. The auction will be held over a CCS Twin Sprint Race weekend with approximately 150 motorcycle racers and family in attendance along with racing fans. Hundreds of items will be auctioned off to support injured road racers. The Red Flag Fund is happy to have Gordon Lunde, founder of the Wegman Benefit Fund, as a partner in the execution of this year’s auction. This event will help close out the Blackhawk Farms Raceway motorcycle race season. All proceeds from the auction and dinner go directly to the Red Flag Fund.
The Red Flag Fund is a national non-profit 501(c)3 organization established in 2006 as a
successor to the Wegman Benefit Fund that was started by Gordon Lunde in 1986. The Red Flag Fund supports injured motorcycle road racers with financial and medical hardships. The focus of the Red Flag Fund is safety, partnership and to build a sense of community among racers, race officials and racing families.
For ways to help and find out more about this event, visit www.redflagfund.org
More, from a press release issued by British Talent Cup:
Garness hammers home his advantage in Race 2
The number 57 impresses once again to pull clear, with Stephenson and McCabe back on the rostrum on Sunday
Sunday, 07 August 2022
After domination in Race 1, Johnny Garness (MLav VisionTrack Academy) did it again on Sunday for another impressive victory. In a class of his own all weekend, the number 57 was over six seconds clear at the chequered flag in Race 2. The same two riders joined him on the podium too, with Rhys Stephenson (Rockey Racing) impressing for another rostrum finish and likewise Harley McCabe (MLav VisionTrack Academy) as they took second and third, respectively.
Garness got the holeshot once again, with Stephenson slotting into second and McCabe into third – as it would turn out, also where each would finish. Initially though they were glued together, and Stephenson was able to take the lead for the latter part of the lap – before Garness swept round the outside to lead over the line for the next.
As the laps ticked down, the gap then only grew. Once into clear air and settled in the lead, Garness was able to pull away and eventually crossed the line 6.618 seconds clear, taking a huge 84-point lead in the standings.
Behind him, the Stephenson vs McCabe duel raged on. The two were glued together until the penultimate lap as the number 23 was then able to just pull away, with McCabe forced to settle for third but both having an incredibly impressive Sunday.
It was a close trio fighting for fourth too, with Sullivan Mounsey (Wilson Racing/J&S Racing) vs Carter Brown (MLav VisionTrack Academy) vs Harrison Dessoy (Microlise Cresswell Racing/Eastern Garage Racing). Mounsey crashed out, however, and Brown was able to pull into some clear air in fourth as Dessoy completed the top five.
Next up Clayton Edmunds (MJL Racing) took another good finish at the head of a close group, beating Lucas Brown (SP125/Amphibian Scaffolding), Harrison Crosby (Banks Racing), Julian Correa (Microlise Cresswell Racing) and Matthew Ruisbroek (Microlise Cresswell Racing), the latter duo split by just hundredths over the line.
That’s a wrap on Race 2 at the British GP, with 84 points now in Garness’ favour at the top as the paddock heads to Thurxton for a quick turnaround. Can his rivals hit back next weekend?
Julian Correa (40) in action at Silverstone. Photo by Michael Hallam, courtesy Michael Correa.
Iker Lecuona (33) at speed on the Team HRC Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP during the Suzuka 8-Hours race. Photo by Kohei Hirota.
More, from a press release issued by FIM EWC:
HRC TAKES WIN, SERT FIRST OF SEASON CONTENDERS IN EWC SUZUKA 8 HOURS
August 7th, 2022|2022
Whilst there might have been drama and heartbreak behind, it was a dominant win for #33 Team HRC in 43rd Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours with the line-up of Tetsuta Nagashima, Takumi Takahashi and Iker Lecuona taking the chequered flag by over a lap in the third round of the FIM Endurance World Championship.
There has been late drama and a safety car in the final hour of the race after the leading season-contender #7 YART – Yamaha Official Team YZF-M1 got caught up with the #74 Akeno Speed – Yamaha Superstock bike at T13 such that rider Marvin Fritz had to dig the Yamaha out of the air barriers to get it back to the pits.
The late issue for the #7 gifted the championship leading #1 Yoshimura SERT Motul with the two-rider line-up of Gregg Black and Kazuki Watanabe taking maximum series points and third on the overall podium.
Ahead of the Yoshimura SERT bike on the all-Bridgestone shod podium was the #10 Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H ZX-10R of Jonathan Rea, Alex Lowes and Leon Haslam, with a T12 slow lowside for Rea in the fourth hour seeming the only real cause for concern over the 8 hours.
After another late visit to the pits for a Stop and Go penalty for the #7 with Karel Hanika on board, the YART bike still came second of the full season runners – and seventh overall – with Niccolò Canepa the third of the rider line-up.
Next across the line of the full season contenders, the #5 FCC TSR CBR1000RR-R Fireblade with Josh Hook and Mike Di Meglio in action had fought back up the order after its earlier brake master cylinder change to finish in tenth overall.
The #88 Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA was the next of the permanent entries, with Zaqhwan Zaidi, Garry Slim and Helmi Azuman bringing their CBR1000RR-R home eleventh overall.
In fifteenth overall, the full-time #11 Webike SRC Kawasaki France entry was further down the order than they’d have liked, with an early visit to the pits after a drop at Degner 2 from Randy de Puniet and a later lack of fuel in the tank the primary culprits delaying their charge.
Finally, of the permanent entries, for the #37 BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM it was heartbreak at halftime as the M1000RR ridden by Markus Reiterberger, Illya Mykhalchyk and Jérémy Guarnoni was pushed back to the pits by Mykhalchyk for terminal diagnosis by the squad with the bike unable to retain its engine coolant.
More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:
Team HRC Wins By More Than a Lap Giving Honda Its First Win in Eight Years, 28th Total
On Lap 165, Team HRC’s Lecuona changes with Takahashi. #10 Kawasaki also changes its rider to Jonathan Rea. After 170 laps, Takahashi leads, Canepa (Yamaha) is second, and Rea (Kawasaki) is third.
At this stage, seven Honda teams are in the top twelve. Hamahara (Honda Dream RT SAKURAI HONDA) is sixth, Kunimine (TOHO Racing) is seventh, Azman (Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA) ninth, Yuki Takahashi (Team ATJ with JAPAN POST) tenth, Hook (F.C.C. TSR Honda France) 11th, and Tajiri (GOSHI Racing) is 12th.
In the closing stages, teams change riders for the final stint. Kiyonari takes over from Kunimine for TOHO Racing, Zaidi from Azman for Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA. Honda team begin to pit. As the seven hour mark passed, Fritz (Yamaha) crashed at the spoon curve, bringing out the safety car as multiple riders were involved. The race order changes to Takahashi, Rea and Watanabe (Suzuki). At 7 hours 19 minutes, the safety car leaves the track. Team HRC’s Takahashi pits on Lap 196, and after 41.776 s, Nagashima is back on the track for the final stint.
While Haslam (Kawasaki) laps in the 2 min 12 s range, and Watanabe (Suzuki), third, in the 2 min 13 s range, Nagashima sets himself apart by lapping at 2 min 8 s as the sun sets.
Nagashima had a clear track until the end, crossing the finish line to an ecstatic grand stand. The win marks Honda first victory since 2014, and its first victory as a factory team since 2008. Team HRC set lap records in Qualifying and Top 10 Qualifying to take pole position. Takahashi, Nagashima and Lecuona all lapped at impressive pace throughout the race, lapping all other teams, demonstrating the return of a strong Honda.
Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H was second overall, and YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL (Suzuki) was third. For Honda, TOHO Racing was fifth, Honda Dream RT SAKURAI HONDA sixth, Team ATJ with JAPAN POST eighth, F.C.C. TSR Honda France tenth, Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA 11th, and GOSHI Racing 12th.
Although 35th and below were not counted as completing the race, #17 Astemo Honda Dream SI Racing was 37th, and #73 SDG Honda Racing was 43rd.
Tetsuta Nagashima 33
Team HRC
I’m simply happy! I’m glad to have had the opportunity to be involved in developing the CBR1000RR-RSP in 2021 and 2022, realize its potential, and show the world. Honda’s engineers have tested the bike over and over, and were rewarded by our Suzuka 8 Hours victory. I am grateful to be a part of the development, and grew with each test we did. I believe we demonstrated a strong Honda at the first Suzuka 8 Hours in three years.
Takumi Takahashi 33
Team HRC
I’ve always been unhappy with the 2019 Suzuka 8 Hours, so I’m glad we won today. I’m relieved that I managed to play my part, as Nagashima developed the bike, and I had to become accustomed to it and bring out its potential, otherwise I would hold him back. This was the first Suzuka 8 Hours for Iker [Lecuona], and he did a great job. The HRC team gave us solid support including pit work. I am grateful to everyone involved. This is my fourth Suzuka 8 Hours victory, and if I get another chance, I will aim for the record of five victories held by Toru Ukawa.
Iker Lecuona 33
Team HRC
I am really, really, really happy to win my first Suzuka 8 Hours. It felt amazing when Nagashima was met by the checkered flag. Everything has gone well since the Suzuka tests, the bike developed by Honda and Nagashima was superb, and I think I managed to bring out the performance of the bike. I was worried when the safety car entered the track that I would lose the gap our other two riders had built up, but we got through fine. I am grateful to the best team and my teammates. If I have the opportunity next year, I’d like to be back at Suzuka.
Teppei Nagoe 73
SDG Honda Racing
I am sincerely grateful for the team that brought us back to the track. It is very emotional for me, but through the Suzuka 8 Hours, I have once again felt how wonderful motorsports is, and how hard it is to be on the podium. I felt that for next year, I need to grow more with the experiences I gained here, and become a rider who can lead his team.
Naomichi Uramoto 73
SDG Honda Racing
The accident happened just when I thought we could keep up with the top riders, so I am very disappointed. All our riders were in good condition and well prepared. You really do not know what will happen at the Suzuka 8 Hours. But, I am happy that I was given the opportunity to race in the Suzuka 8 Hours. I am grateful to Nagoe, Enokido, and the team for their support, and everyone who cheered for us. Ikuhiro Enokido 73
SDG Honda Racing
I made the team’s job harder during practice, so I am very, very grateful for Nagoe , Uramoto and the whole team for this Suzuka 8 Hours. Our results are disappointing, but I have gained a really good experience in racing my first Suzuka 8 Hours. I will turn my disappointment into motivation, and race my next race.
More, from a press release issued by HRC:
Team HRC wins Suzuka 8H by more than a lap, giving Honda its first win in eight years, 28th total
Team HRC (Tetsuta Nagashima / Takumi Takahashi / Iker Lecuona) won the 2022 Suzuka 8 Hours, marking Honda’s 28th Suzuka 8 Hours victory and the first since 2014.
Team HRC returned to the Suzuka 8 Hours as Honda’s factory team in 2018 after a decade-long absence. The team was second in 2018, and third in 2019.
Team HRC set the fastest lap time in Friday’s timed qualifying sessions, proceeding easily into Saturday’s Top 10 Trial, which was changed to a conventional Top 10 qualifying session at the last minute. Tetsuta Nagashima set the fastest lap time of 2 min 4.934 s to secure pole position for the team.
Takumi Takahashi was Team HRC’s starting rider, and despite losing the lead at the start, regained the top spot on Lap 10. From that point onwards, Tetsuta Nagashima and Iker Lecuona rode solid stints to maintain a comfortable gap with the closest competitor. At 7:32pm, after 214 laps, Team HRC crossed the finish line to win from pole position.
This win marks Takumi Takahashi’s fourth Suzuka 8 Hours win, and a first for Tetsuta Nagashima and Iker Lecuona.
Team HRC set lap records in Qualifying and Top 10 Qualifying to take pole position. Takahashi, Nagashima and Lecuona all lapped at impressive pace throughout the race, lapping all other teams, demonstrating the return of a strong Honda.
Tetsuta Nagashima 33
I’m simply happy! I’m glad to have had the opportunity to be involved in developing the CBR1000RR-RSP in 2021 and 2022, realize its potential, and show the world. Honda’s engineers have tested the bike over and over, and were rewarded by our Suzuka 8 Hours victory. I am grateful to be a part of the development, and grew with each test we did. I believe we demonstrated a strong Honda at the first Suzuka 8 Hours in three years.
Takumi Takahashi 33
I’ve always been unhappy with the 2019 Suzuka 8 Hours, so I’m glad we won today. I’m relieved that I managed to play my part, as Nagashima developed the bike, and I had to become accustomed to it and bring out its potential, otherwise I would hold him back. This was the first Suzuka 8 Hours for Iker [Lecuona], and he did a great job. The HRC team gave us solid support including pit work. I am grateful to everyone involved. This is my fourth Suzuka 8 Hours victory, and if I get another chance, I will aim for the record of five victories held by Toru Ukawa.
Iker Lecuona 33
I am really, really, really happy to win my first Suzuka 8 Hours. It felt amazing when Nagashima was met by the checkered flag. Everything has gone well since the Suzuka tests, the bike developed by Honda and Nagashima was superb, and I think I managed to bring out the performance of the bike. I was worried when the safety car entered the track that I would lose the gap our other two riders had built up, but we got through fine. I am grateful to the best team and my teammates. If I have the opportunity next year, I’d like to be back at Suzuka.
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
KRT Strong Second In Suzuka 8 Hours Race
The KRT entry of Jonathan Rea, Alex Lowes and Leon Haslam finished second in the Suzuka 8 Hours EWC race on Sunday 7 August, after completing 213 laps of the 5.821km ‘figure eight’ circuit.
WorldSBK KRT riders Rea and Lowes, plus regular BSB rider Haslam, put in an epic effort on their Number 10 Ninja ZX-10RR but finished one lap behind eventual winners HRC Honda.
Having qualified second fastest KRT led the race on lap nine, and from lap 29 to 30 during a gruelling race of attrition.
An unfortunately timed appearance by one of the pace cars split KRT from the leading team at one stage of the race. Later, a small crash from Rea, while trying to pass two slower riders in his effort to trim the leaders’ margin, lost some more seconds that proved to be impossible to make up again before race end.
All three riders put in a strong ‘shift’ behind the handlebars of the Number 10 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR, with even Lowes (who is still trying to shake off the effects of a recent illness) riding two sessions to Rea and Haslam’s three apiece.
The final on-track stint was put in by Haslam, but with an entire lap to make up in the closing stages of the race it was an impossible task for any rider.
Kawasaki Plaza Racing Team, with riders Ryosuke Iwato, Yuta Okaya and Naoki Kiyosue, placed 13th overall and won the Superstock category that runs alongside the full EWC spec machines. The team led the Superstock race-within-a-race on four separate occasions, but once they had regained the lead on lap 31 it was retained all the way to the end. They set 205 laps in all.
After two years with no Suzuka 8 Hours on the calendar the enthusiastic crowd witnessed three different manufacturers on the final EWC podium.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “It has been a really enjoyable week here in Suzuka with my team. All the team staff, plus my team-mates Leon and Alex, meant that the atmosphere has been incredible. We have worked really well together, everybody from back room staff, strategy people, caterers, nutritionists, doctors – every single person in the team worked so hard with a busy schedule to get here. It is not easy to have two goals in a single season – the WorldSBK championship and also the Suzuka 8 Hours. We had huge competition here, and did our best. I feel we just came up short but we can be proud, and really proud of my team-mates and everyone else for their hard work. It is a little bit bitter sweet coming second best but I think we can fly home knowing we gave it our best shot. There were a few mistakes in the race, a few issues, but that is Endurance racing and we can stand on that podium and be proud of our efforts. Thanks to Kawasaki and all of our sponsors for making this happen and no doubt we will be back again to try and go one better.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “It was a tough race but it has been a tough ten days for me, coming from the Most WorldSBK round, where I did not feel at my best. In the race I did the best I could. I am a little bit disappointed because I feel I probably could have done a little bit better but we were not fast enough today. Second was about the best we could do. I want to say a big thanks to the whole Kawasaki Racing Team. They have had a tough schedule, including the tests we have done here, and it is a big challenge to take on such a big event as the Suzuka 8 Hours. A massive thank you to all of them for the hard work and big respect to Leon and Johnny my team-mates, who have done a great job all week. It has been a pleasure to be here with them. Thank you very much guys. I hope we can come back in the future and do one better.”
Leon Haslam, stated: “The Suzuka 8 Hours is always a pleasure to come to. The team this year was absolutely fantastic. The effort from every single person – both my team-mates Johnny and Alex – was great. I think we maximised what we did and we can go home proud. For sure we wanted to win and there are a few areas we want to obviously try to improve on to do that. But for this 8 Hours we all gave our maximum; the atmosphere was great, the team was fantastic so big thanks to everyone. I am happy to stand on the podium again at the Suzuka 8 Hours.”
Guim Roda, KRT Team Manager, stated: “It has been a very good experience here at Suzuka. Thanks to KMC for trusting in the KRT WorldSBK project to manage the 8 Hours race. We did it with big support and big help from all the KMC engineers, and we took hundreds of notes where we need to improve. Only when you stay in the action can you really learn perfection. Honda did very well, and we have to congratulate them. The second Pace Car appearance threw away the show in this 8 Hours, because for just few seconds we could not pass them to stay in the same slot as Honda. We missed nearly 40 seconds there and then it was impossible to recover the time to Honda given the level they rode at. Jonathan’s fall while trying to put pressure on them, when passing two slow riders, finally made us lose all our possibilities. Alex, in fairness, was not in his best shape after his illness. Leon made a great job and added his speed and experience. Massive thanks to all the KRT and KMC guys; they made an incredible job. And special thanks to Mr. Nishiyama, KMC Senior Engineer responsible for the WorldSBK project, who made massive efforts. Let’s see if we have second chance in the future.”
The #11 Ninja ZX-10RR of Webike SRC Kawasaki France with riders Randy de Puniet, Etienne Masson and Florian Marino finished 15th overall, in a tough race with 34 finishers from 45 starters.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
YART Yamaha Battle to Seventh at Suzuka 8 Hours
The Yamalube YART Yamaha Official EWC Team fought back valiantly to cross the line in seventh after a late crash denied them a podium at the 43rd edition of the Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, Round 3 of the FIM Endurance World Championship.
The YART Yamaha team of Karel Hanika, Niccolò Canepa, and Marvin Fritz lined up on the grid in third for the legendary endurance race after a superb qualifying performance that saw all three riders lap in the 2:05s on Saturday. The predicted thunderstorms stayed away on Sunday, with temperatures rising to 32 degrees Celsius in Japan as the teams assembled for the traditional Le Mans running start. The YART team had been fast since the first day of testing, but the extra heat and humidity on Sunday brought an element of uncertainty, with track temperatures soaring to the highest they had been all week.
YART were not only spearheading Yamaha’s attack in Suzuka against the other factory teams but were also looking to close the 27-point gap on their rivals in the EWC standings. Unfortunately, when the flag dropped, Canepa had an issue getting the YART Yamaha R1 started and found himself down in 25th position on the opening lap. Immediately, the 34-year-old Italian set about making up places and his pace meant he had made his way up to 17th by the time they deployed the safety car on lap three after a crash.
When the race resumed, Canepa scythed through the pack to mount a sensational fightback and was up to third by the time he handed the bike over to his teammate Fritz. The 29-year-old continued the excellent work, lapping metronomically and staying in touch with the two factory teams before passing the baton to Hanika. The Czech rider upped the pace even more, setting the team’s fastest lap of the race, a 2:07.781, as he began hunting down the leaders.
As the hours went by, all three riders maintained a relentless pace and consistently lapped in the 2:08s around the 5.821km Suzuka Circuit. By hour five, they were up to second and battling with the factory Kawasaki (KRT) team, plus they had opened up a gap of over one and a half minutes over the team in fourth. YART had the better pace, but KRT were averaging three laps more per stint. The two teams kept swapping places each time they pitted, and it seemed like it would all come down to the wire to decide the final two spots on the podium. During their seventh pit stop, as Canepa handed the bike back to Fritz, a minor issue with the rear tyre saw them lose just over 30 seconds, but a quick repair by the team meant they re-joined in third, and although they had lost touch with KRT, they managed to retain a 14-second gap to the team in fourth.
Then, with an hour to go, disaster struck, as Fritz crashed after making contact while overtaking another bike at Turn 13. The German rider heroically dug the bike out from the air fence and brought it back to the pits despite significant damage to the #7 R1. Miraculously, the YART team repaired the bike in under nine minutes to send Hanika back out on track in seventh, five laps down on the leaders with 40 minutes to go.
The 26-year-old got his head down and managed to make up one place before bad luck struck again as he was forced to complete a ride-through penalty as a consequence of the earlier crash. Visibly frustrated at the decision but remaining focused, Hanika battled to the end to secure a heroic seventh place overall and second amongst the full-time EWC teams after completing 209 laps.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on their first Suzuka podium, the team showcased their pace once more and managed to secure three championship points for qualifying in third, plus another 14 for their seventh-place finish. This sees them remain third in the overall standings with 93 points, 34 points behind the leaders. The Yamalube YART Yamaha Official EWC Team returns to action at the final round of the season, the Bol d’Or on the 16th-18th of September, with everything still to play for with a possible 96.5 points up for grabs due to the fact EWC rules mean that any points scored in the last race are multiplied by 1.5.
Karel Hanika – P7 (209 laps) Yamalube YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
“Obviously, I am disappointed. We did not put a foot wrong for seven hours, were by far the fastest EWC team, and were even involved in a battle for second with the KRT Team. The team did an amazing job. During the race, we struggled a bit with the front tyre in the hotter conditions, but I felt good on the bike, and our pace was excellent. We did the maximum that was possible for today. I feel sorry for Marvin, as he rode brilliantly, and these things can happen in endurance racing, but we will be back to Suzuka next year, and now we are focused on the Bol d’Or in September.”
Marvin Fritz – P7 (209 laps) Yamalube YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
“I don’t really have much to say right now. I want to say sorry to the whole team and everyone from Yamaha. The podium was in touching distance, but with less than an hour to go, I went to overtake a back marker and crashed. I was not even pushing that hard at the time; I was just focusing on my rhythm. I went to make the pass up the inside at Turn 13 as he left a gap, but then he moved back across the track, and we were both on the same racing line. We made contact and went down. The bike was damaged a lot, but the team did amazingly to repair the bike in under ten minutes. I am just sorry for the team, as we worked hard all week, and everyone deserved the podium. We were fast in every session, and it hurts to finish like this. I know our time will come, and we are already looking forward to the Bol d’Or.”
Niccolò Canepa – P7 (209 laps) Yamalube YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
“Honestly, I am a bit lost for words. We finished in seventh, but that wasn’t the result we wanted or deserved. After the issue at the start, I had to fight back from 25th place on the opening lap and recovered to third by the time my first stint was over, which was amazing. Our pace was excellent, and the YART Yamaha R1 felt really good. Everybody did an awesome job, and we were just unlucky. Our dream has always been to finish on the podium at Suzuka, and we were so close, but these things happen in endurance racing. We will come back even stronger next year, but first, we turn our attention to the Bol d’Or to ensure we finish the season in the best way possible.”
Mandy Kainz Yamalube YART Yamaha Official EWC Team – Team Manager
“It is hard to put into words the feelings I have right now. Obviously, I am disappointed, but I am also very proud of the whole team. We do not have as many resources compared to our factory rivals, but we were right up there at the front all week. We were fast from the first day of testing and were the only team to have all three riders in the 2:05s during qualifying. During the race, the guys rode superbly, they were so consistent, and it looked like we would achieve our dream of recording our first ever podium at Suzuka. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, but this is endurance racing. I want to thank the whole team for their efforts this week; they have been incredible. We will be back again next year, but first, we are determined to finish the season as strongly as possible at the Bol d’Or.”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team:
Technical retirement: Strong performance of BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team at Suzuka 8 Hours goes unrewarded.
Markus Reiterberger, Ilya Mikhalchik and Jérémy Guarnoni do battle for a strong result in the third round of the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship in Japan.
A technical failure forces the team to retire halfway through the race for safety reasons.
Season finale at Le Castellet in mid-September.
Suzuka. BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team impressed with a strong performance in their first appearance at the famous Suzuka 8 Hours (JPN)but went unrewarded. In the first half of the race, Markus Reiterberger (GER), Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR) and Jérémy Guarnoni (FRA) on the #37 BMW M 1000 RR did battle for a very good result but after nearly four hours, a technical failure forced the team to retire from the race for safety reasons. Suzuka was the third event of the season in the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC).
Up until the retirement, the race week at Suzuka had been going well for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. Team manager Werner Daemen’s crew, who were contesting the iconic race for the first time, held their ground as the only works team of a European manufacturer in the strong field of numerous Japanese teams. In the combined results of Friday’s qualifying sessions the team finished in sixth place to secure one of the coveted spots in the top ten qualifying on Saturday. During this session, in which the first ten positions on the grid were awarded, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team focussed on preparing for the race and qualified in ninth place on the starting grid.
As in the previous days, high temperatures and high humidity made the race a physical challenge for riders and teams but starting rider Mikhalchik, Reiterberger and Guarnoni delivered a flawless performance. The team’s efforts in the pit stops were also flawless, and the strategy was a good one that allowed the team to set themselves the goal of a top five or six finish, which would have been a very good result for a European team at Suzuka. After nearly four hours however, Mikhalchik initially rolled to the side of the track before he could push the bike a bit and then ride back to the pits. Due to an engine failure in the cooling circuit area, the team had to retire from the race.
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team is now focussing on the season finale of the 2022 FIM EWC, the 24-hour race Bol d’Or at Le Castellet (FRA) from 15th to 18th September.
Quotes after of the Suzuka 8 Hours. Werner Daemen, Team Manager BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: “It is difficult to express just how disappointed I am. The entire team, especially the riders, did a very good job. It has not been easy for us here because we had never been here and had never tested here before. We made it into the top ten qualifying and performed very well in difficult conditions over all these days. In the race, we had a very good start. Ilya moved up into fifth straight away and he, Markus and Jérémy were running well over the first hours. But then we encountered this technical failure and I hope that we can find the cause very soon together with BMW so that this will not happen again.”
Markus Reiterberger: “We started well into the race. Ilya had a great start I was able to continue with a good stint. We have always been within the top five and top eight so we set ourselves the goal to finish between the first five to seven places. This would have been realistic, we could have got a strong result. It was a pity to then have the technical issue. The team and us riders have worked so hard for this race and have to travel home now with empty hands. That was really frustrating. Thanks to the team for the great commitment and efforts.”
Ilya Mikhalchik: “Of course it is pretty frustrating to end the race this way. We have been in a quite good position and it was possible to finish with a really strong result. But then we had the technical issue. It is like it is, and for sure it is good to have gathered some more data and we again have made steps on the bike for the next races. We will fight again. In general, it was good to see the progress on the bike over the weekend, without not having any tests here before. Also the Dunlop tyres worked well and we have always been in the top ten and rode lap times like the guys on other tyres. This gives us confidence. We will now leave the disappointment behind us and focus on the next one.”
Jérémy Guarnoni: “I am really disappointed with this result. We did a very good job over the entire week with a big effort from the team and riders and I think we really did everything perfectly during the weekend. During the race we then had a technical issue that is not under control of the team. We hope that this problem can be solved for the next races and that we can fight at the 24 hours at the Bol d’Or. I think we can fight for the win there. So a big thank you to the team, to all mechanics, team management and riders, because we did a great weekend here.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL ON SUZUKA PODIUM
Yoshimura SERT Motul: Suzuki GSX-R1000R – 3rd.
The Yoshimura Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Motul pulled off a remarkable feat at the Suzuka 8-Hours by finishing third, despite having only two riders and starting from 22nd on the grid. This accomplishment enabled the team to consolidate its position as FIM Endurance World Championship leader.
The reigning world championship team started from 22nd position on the grid after a very difficult qualifying session, however, the entire team had high hopes for the race. At the drop of the flag, Gregg Black made the most of his experience by making an exceptional start, immediately moving up 15 places.
A crash at the beginning of the race called for the intervention of the safety car for seven laps. When the race resumed, the Suzuki GSX-R1000R, continued to climb in the standings and the team momentarily took the lead in the provisional rankings.
When Kazuki Watanabe took over from Black, the team was in a solid fourth place. Drawing on his knowledge of the Suzuka circuit, the Japanese rider maintained a very fast pace and kept the team towards the front.
The Suzuki GSX-R1000R with Bridgestone tyres was superbly prepared for the 8-hour event, and the support crew performed super-fast pit stops throughout the race. Although they were missing their third teammate in the physically demanding race, Black and Watanabe maintained their speed and control and were in third place at the halfway point. Despite suffocating heat and fatigue, the two riders remained focused.
With just one hour to go, the team was in a strong fourth and perfectly positioned to take advantage of a mistake made by its main championship rival. A superb performance rewarded Yoshimura SERT Motul with third place on the finish line of the 2022 EWC Suzuka 8-Hours.
The Suzuki GSX-R1000R-mounted S-Pulse Dream Racing team of Hideyuki Ogata, Atsumi Cocoro and Takuya Tsuda also rode brilliantly to finish fourth overall in the race.
Yoshimura SERT Motul has consolidated its position as leader of the FIM EWC championship. It will start the Bol d’Or, final round of the 2022 season scheduled for the 17th and 18th of September, at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, with a tally of 127 championship points and a lead of 23 points over its main rival.
Damien Saulnier – Team Manager:
“It was a complicated week and a crazy race. Finishing in third position is not a victory, but it felt like it. I am really proud of the whole technical team and the riders who did a great job in really difficult conditions. With only two riders, it was not possible to compete with the leaders of the race, but we had to ensure a good score. The contract was fulfilled.”
Yohei Kato – Team Director:
“This podium is like a victory for us. We started 22nd and finished third, it’s incredible. This result is even better than what we expected. On top of that we have increased our lead in the championship. After Gregg’s great start, we stayed calm and followed our roadmap to avoid making any mistakes. I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Gregg Black:
“What an incredible race with a result that was a bit unexpected given the conditions. I came here as a team leader. I finally took part in the practice and the race. We were originally aiming for victory, but the withdrawal of Xavier and Sylvain forced us to change our plans. The goal was to save as many points as possible. From the beginning of the race, it went well for us. The two leading machines had a very high pace, but these teams are not competing for the championship. Their goals are different from ours. It is always difficult to fight against them on a regular basis but we defended ourselves well. We also took advantage of a race in the last hour. This third place is a very good result because the race was physical, and it was complicated to stay focused until the end. The team and the bike were perfect here. In endurance racing, you have to believe in yourself and not give up. That’s what we did and the result proves that.”
Kazuki Watanabe:
“As we were only two riders, we knew it would be very hard. But Gregg and the team did a very good job, I’m extremely satisfied with this podium. It’s incredible starting from so far back. It’s also very positive for the championship because we take big points. Thanks to everyone who supported us.”
Maxwell does everything possible to claw back points deficit at Morgan Park
Wayne Maxwell has taken the maximum 51 points – two race victories plus the extra point for pole position- as he undertakes a desperate push to take his fourth championship in the back half of season 2022 of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championships presented by Motul.
Starting as underdog to championship leader Mike Jones who has turned many laps at the 3.0km Morgan Park venue – one he counts as his “home circuit”- Maxwell used every ounce of his talent, cunning and race craft to practically will himself to the top the podium, thereby reducing his pre round 40 point deficit to Jones by 11.
With two rounds and five races remaining in season 2022, we are set for a thrilling run to the championship finish line.
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Race Two
Levi Russo was missing from the grid following a crash in the warmup, giving the leaders an easier task, and it was Hudson Thompson who made the most of the opportunity from the start. It wasn’t long before a leading pack broke away, establishing a little over a second between Marcus Hamod in fifth and Ryan Larkin in sixth by the end of lap one.
As they crossed the line for the first of six laps, it was already evident that this race would be hard fought, as Harrison Watts made the move on Thompson to lead by 0.047, with less than half a second separating first from fifth.
Larkin and Alexander Codey did their best in sixth and seventh to catch the leading group, but without the tow it was very difficult work.
Cameron Rende found a way past Watts through Dunlop corner with Hamod now up to third, but it was short lived as Watts had a game plan and took the lead once more just after the line.
Three laps down the leading pack of five was three seconds ahead of the next riders, with plenty of jostling for position throughout each lap. Crossing the line to start lap four – the gap to fifth was under a third of a second.
Watts was still looking strong, taking the bulk of the time in the lead, even if it’s never more than a few corners at a time as this group was not afraid to put the moves on each other on a near-constant basis…
Starting lap five, Bodie Paige with the bright red helmet decided the time was right and took the lead down the straight, continuing to hold on for the entire lap and even over the line – holding off Watts in the tow.
Rende managed to claw his way back in to take the lead once more from Paige, setting up the move on the exit of Michelin corner to hold on through Suzuki corner and into the Yamaha chicane. But right on the back of Rende coming out of the last corner was Paige, who tucked in with a perfectly timed tow to take the win by just 0.011, barely the width of a tyre.
Rende held on to second place with Watts right behind rounding out the podium.
Michelin Supersport Race One
Pole sitter John Lytras gave up one spot after the start to Ty Lynch who was able to jump away. The alliteration friendly pair of Lynch and Lytras were away to a small, but important lead.
Lap three, Lytras found his way past Lynch and within a few corners, the white R6 was a few bike lengths off the front.
Meanwhile Tom Bramich has worked his way to the back of Jake Farnsworth who was in third place.
Suddenly, Lytras was seen stopped trackside frantically trying to restart his bike and… reboot it. “It looks like the bike turned itself off” noted commentator Steve Martin. It was a painful sight as the championship leader worked frantically to get his machine going again, as his rivals zipped past.
Just like that, Ty Lynch found himself in the lead and – at that point – very close to Lytras in the championship points. With Lytras down in 13th- but with his ears pinned back, every rider he passed meant a few points ahead in the championship. Finishing thirteenth meant that Lynch was just one point behind. An extraordinary situation.
And then it happened again. Lytras again stationary trackside with the bike showing a blue screen of nightmares. Any hope of some extra consolation points went away and suddenly Lynch found himself a few seconds up the road. The machine eventually restarted, but he was 13th and three laps down on 12th.
Meanwhile Bromich and Farnsworth were locked in a riveting arm wrestle for second. Bromich finally worked his way past and was able to get a small but decisive gap.
The last laps were by comparison quiet at that front, but Mitch Kuhne, Tom Drane and Luca Durning were fighting it out for fifth place and traded places several times before finishing in that order.
With another race to come, the first act had everything…
Lytras on the race one dramas:
“I actually lost all throttle, when it first stuffed up, I went into turn one and the bike went straight to idle so I had no throttle which is fly-by-wire, it just kept doing it throughout the race.”
Dunlop Supersport 300 Race Two
There are no gentleman’s agreements in Supersport 300. It’s all “I’m gonna get mine” and listing the lead changes is a fruitless exercise.
But we can say that it was Taiyo Aksu who led them away, but variously Jonathan Nahlous, Glenn Nelson and others appeared to lead, but the important fact was that nine riders got away to a five second lead from another group comprising seven more riders.
The leading group of Aksu, Nahlous, Liam Waters, Cameron Swain, Jonathan Nikolis, Cameron Dunker, Glenn Nelson and Hayden Nelson raced hard and fair and the slightest gap was an open invite to be passed. That’s fine, you just have to wait a few corners and repay the favour.
With two to go Aksu was late on the brakes into turn one to take the lead. It really felt like he meant business and was clearly prepping for the run to the line. Championship leader Dunker was down in fifth and while a part of the lead group, he did not appear able to press a claim for race leadership.
Last lap and Aksu led them over the line. Nahlous was inside and into the lead at turn one, Swain lurked and showed the leaders a wheel here and there, but Aksu held second place and had eyes only for leader Nahlous.
Bunching up through the final turns, it was impossible to work out who would take the minor placings- Aksu had just enough to hang on for first place, but it was Waters in second, Swain up for third, Nahlous would be disappointed to be shuffled from first down to fourth and Dunker in fifth.
At the start of the weekend, Aksu was the only rider seemingly capable of genuinely chasing Dunker for the title, and yet another Aksu win with Dunker in fifth started to make the complicated maths to take the championship lead a reality.
Alpinestars Superbike Race One
Lachlan Epis jumped away from downtown to take the lead off the line and he and Wayne Maxwell headed away. Late in the lap, Maxwell put in a pretty brutal pass and Epis went off track, rejoining in 13th and taking away any opportunity the BMW Alliance squad had for a much-needed podium finish.
Classic Maxwell. Head down, bum up and setting sail for the finish line- on lap two. With Cru Halliday now in second place and Mike Jones in third, it was the stuff of nightmares for the Yamaha Factory squad. Halliday had made it clear at the Friday presser that he wasn’t just going to give up a spot for Jones as “I need to get wins.”
But on lap six, Jones finally got past his teammate and set off for the now 2.4 seconds-ahead Wayne Maxwell.
At this point it was Maxwell, Jones, Halliday, Troy Herfoss and Bryan Staring rounding out the top five.
Herfoss saw the opportunity when Halliday had a rear wheel step out and overtook the R1 to move up to third. He too was now off in pursuit of Maxwell.
At half distance, the pressure valve blew with Cru Halliday sliding off at turn six. Jones was a lonely second, while Maxwell was a lonely but-happy first, but the gap was down to 1.7 from 2.4 seconds. Maxwell’s cunning plan to create pressure on Jones by getting out to a good lead was being brought undone as Jones played the reverse card and put the pressure back on the 2021 champion.
Lap 10- the lead was down to 1.6 seconds. Pearson had overtaken teammate Staring for fourth in his first outing aboard the DesmoSport Ducati. And while we were busy typing that, Maxwell’s lead fell to 1.4 seconds.
By lucky lap 13, it was under a second. Jones was now able to start lining-up the K-Tech Ducati Panigale and think about where he wanted to pass. “the number one machine is in trouble” said Steve Martin and while he is the expert, it was now obvious to all. As if we didn’t need anything else to add to the tension; the back markers came into play.
A 0.6 second gap on lap 14. Jones could now surely feel the heat from the Ducati exhausts and the blue R1 was now in contact with the gap now just two tenths. The time doesn’t matter. They are together as we headed into the final lap.
Tension? Yeah… all of it. Maxwell had to use everything he had in his skill bag and 20 years of top-level racing experience to just get a tiny, but vital gap. At the bottom of the circuit, he’s too good, and as they go through the last chicane, the Ducati can pretty much take it from there and he crossed the line first.
Jones was home for second with Herfoss third to round out a podium of past winners at Morgan Park.
Broc Pearson brought home his Ducati in a startling and better-than-expected fourth place, ahead of teammate Staring in fifth, Glenn Allerton in sixth, a valiant ride from Epis, working his way into seventh, Arthur Sissis in eighth, in ninth Jed Metcher and Max Stauffer rounded out the top ten.
Yamaha Finance R3 Cup Race Two
Cameron Dunker was swallowed off the line down to fourth by turn one while Liam Waters had a great start into first.
Aksu down one spot to sixth was the one to watch on the back of three wins this weekend already.
The field was tight as they settled into the race, after one lap there was barely a gap of half a second.
Glenn Nelson took advantage of the slipstream onto the main straight to take second place with sights set on Waters ahead.
The next lap, Glenn Nelson made the move on Waters at the back end of the lap, but lost the spot again on the straight – Waters and Cameron Swain both coming through.
On lap three, Aksu made his way through, up to third and looking strong. By the final chicane, Aksu was right on the back of Swain and cruised by on the main straight to take the lead – setting back of back-to-back fastest laps in the process.
Swain wasn’t done, taking the position back from Aksu but it didn’t last – only a few corners later Swain crashed out of the lead while trying to battle with Aksu. Swain was okay but that was his race done.
Into lap five and Aksu looked to build on the lead, now out to 0.35 and holding out now comfortably from Waters on the straight.
As the leading pack settled in for a few laps, there was a great little scrap happening from ninth down to 13th with Henry Snell holding out the pack, separated by less than a second.
Waters, not to be outdone, got the head down and reeled Aksu in, taking the lead on lap seven, holding off a charge from Aksu at turn one on the start of the final lap.
Marianos Nikolis has worked his way up into a potential podium, fighting with Dunker with the Nelson duo in fifth and sixth.
Heading into the final chicane Waters set himself up with a clean exit to hold on and win by 0.143, while Aksu had to defend a fiery Nikolis, who very nearly pipped second on the line.
In the midfield, a trio of Jack Favelle, Snell and Jonathan Nahlous hit the line three-wide separated by just 0.051 with Favelle taking a hard fought ninth.
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Race Three
Levi Russo made the grid this time out and with a solid start held the lead into turn one.
In the usual OJC fashion the lead group exchange the lead numerous times throughout the first lap and by the end of lap one it was Harrison Watts leading Bodie Paige with Hudson Thompson and Russo in third and fourth.
From second place on lap two, Thompson made a mistake at the entry to Suzuki corner ending his race early, losing the front under brakes into the right hander.
A bit of a gap emerged as the leading group reacted to the collapse of Thompson, but by the start of lap four it was all back to the usual tight racing with Paige leading the way.
Marcus Hamod and Paige battled throughout lap four exchanging the lead, with Cameron Rende, Watts and Russo keeping them honest.
In the midfield, a second group was tucked closely together led by Hunter Corner with another five bikes, all within half a second of each other.
Into the final lap, Rende takes the lead, but we’ve seen time and time again that it means almost nothing if you can’t find a good half-second gap before the tow kicks in onto the main straight.
A mistake by Hamod, drifting out onto the grass, gave Watts a great little gap coming into the Yamaha chicane. The gap was about 0.25 but it wasn’t enough and Watts was completely swamped heading across the line.
The timing board showed Rende the winner by 0.73 over Watts and Paige in third 0.05 behind Watts, and it took a video review to confirm the result. Hamod did well to hold onto fourth after his excursion on the grass, holding out Russo in fifth.
The second pack came across the line eight seconds adrift of the leaders, with Ryan Larkin taking sixth from Sam Drane, and only 0.577 splitting sixth from tenth.
Michelin Supersport Race Two
The mood on the grid of race two of today’s supersport race was tense. After his 13th placed, three-laps-down race one, John Lytras and his team were understandably nervous after his nightmare race one where his bike cut out twice, costing him any chance of victory.
It was Ty Lynch who jumped away and led the field into turn one, with a rejuvenated and focused Lytras in pursuit. The leading pair would do exactly that, and after a few laps they would get out to a multi-second lead, with Tom Bramich in third, but losing contact.
Jake Farnsworth crashed out in turn one, while fourth through seventh diced for position. This group of Rhys Belling, Tom Drane, Luca Durning and Scott Nicholson would stay in contact with each other until the race-end.
Lytras meanwhile had moved past Lynch and by lap eight, he was out to a 1.7 second lead, with a 14 second gap back to third placed Bramich.
At lap 12, Lytras just needed to stay upright, and for the bike to stay happy. There were no signs of the electrical gremlins that had plagued him in race one. With a near-five-second lap, he was inevitable.
Lynch had served up everything he had, but Lytras sought and received some redemption for his issues in race one and crossed the line some 6.2 seconds back to Lynch with Bramich third and then the Drane (4th) led bunch finished together with Nicholson (5th), Belling (6th), Durning (7th) and Troy Guenther (8th).
Dunlop Supersport 300 Race Three
The final race of the weekend for the Supersport 300 crew was always going to be tense. Championship leader Cameron Dunker was blessed because despite his results not being quite where he needed them to be, his main rivals were either absent or not at the front either.
Taiyo Aksu was the standout rider of the weekend, but starting the weekend fifth in the championship meant that the challenge to get to the top of the standings was rather large
So at the jump it was Aksu again leading from Liam Waters and Glenn Nelson. On this occasion the leading group consisted of ten riders, and they would stay close for the duration of the 10-lap journey.
Variously, Marianos Nikolis and Waters lead the race, with Aksu unhappily in third, trying everything to stay in contact and work his way back to the lead. Cameron Swain sat happily in fourth, content to let the leading trio trade the lead- and fairing paint- while he waited to pounce.
Aksu found himself back in the lead by lap six and managed the impossible- a small gap to the pursuing pack. The pack called for a brief ceasefire, realising that their common enemy was off the front.
Jonathan Nahlous was able to catch and pass Aksu for 2-3 corners, before Aksu would once again take the lead. Nahlous and Aksu swapped the lead several times before Swain tired of the Nahlous/Aksu show back in fourth and took the race lead on lap nine.
The final lap board came out, and Nahlous took the lead into turn one. Swain passed him back, while Aksu worked back up to second. With the corners running out, Swain led from Aksu and Nahlous.
Aksu took the lead with a few corners to go and tried to sneak to the line. Swain had the perfect sit and like a pro cycling sprinter, pulled out of the slipstream to take his first win in Supersport 300 by 3/100th of a second.
Alpinestars Superbike Race Two
It was Mike Jones with the holeshot in race two with Maxwell tucking in behind. Bryan Staring was into third, with Lachlan Epis (4th) and Cru Halliday (5th).
It was apparent even after lap one that Jones was looking to pop off the front to avoid any shenanigans with second placed on track and second in the championship Wayne Maxwell.
But Maxwell was having none of that, pushing back into the slipstream and immediately looking to pounce. While the Ducati has the horses, as the late Ken Wootton said of a younger Jones “he has the biggest brake rotors in the paddock” and there was no out braking the R1 into turn one.
After three laps, there was plenty of tension but little passing as the riders seemingly settled in. Troy Herfoss moved up into fourth, while Staring made contact with the leading duo and the two Ducatis started to stalk the lone blue Yamaha.
Herfoss set off after the leaders and thanks to relentless fast laps, by lap five it was a four-man race with Jones, Maxwell, Staring and Herfoss within a second of each other.
Further down, Broc Pearson was leading Epis, Halliday, Arthur Sissis and Glenn Allerton as they tried to work their way to the leading quartet.
In the space of three corners, Herfoss worked his way from fourth into second place “like carving up backmarkers” according to commentator Steve Martin.
While we were collectively distracted by Herfoss, Maxwell had taken the lead into turn one after a solid draft and late braking move.
Staring fell away slightly, while teammate Pearson began to catch the leaders. Gary Crilly from Pirelli was interviewed and noted that Herfoss was the only rider in the leading group who had gone with the softer tyre option. As that was happening, Herfoss took the lead.
But by lap 11, Jones had taken the lead from Herfoss while Maxwell was shuffled back to third. Pearson was now the fastest man on circuit and Jones was trying to pull away from the hungry Herfoss and Maxwell.
Pundits began to speculate on Herfoss’ tyre life while Jones just pushed out to a near one second lead on lap 12. Pearson was now on the back of Staring and the decision by DesmoSport to offer the rookie Superbike rider a seat mid-season began to look like a very clever move.
Into the last laps and it was Jones, but now he had Maxwell back with him at just 0.3 behind. Pearson passed Herfoss as Staring did the same- confusing many and the two Ducati teammates began sizing each other up for the final podium spot. The soft tyre option for Herfoss was now starting to go away from him and he dropped seconds a lap to the leaders.
Into the final lap, with Maxwell, just 0.1 behind at various points. Further back, the Ducatis diced and then in an incredible turn around, Maxwell found a way through the #46 Yamaha and Jones immediately had a huge moment that nearly ended off track. It was an unbelievable finish.
Maxwell takes the maximum 51 points, Jones continues to lead, Pearson has arrived and there’s just two rounds to go…
Yamaha Finance R3 Cup Race Three
A lightning start from Liam Waters could only be bettered by the one and only Taiyo Aksu who continued to show his weekend form, moving from fifth to second and right on the tail of Waters.
At the start of lap three, Aksu made the move on Waters to take the lead, but nothing is a given here and there were seven bikes behind all in the mix.
The final race of the weekend had given these riders countless laps to figure out the right race plan and setting up the chicane exit onto the main straight looked a crucial element of any good race.
By lap five, Cameron Swain was looking to pull the trigger, taking the lead well before the main straight, only to hand it straight back to Aksu and Waters.
The movement within the leading pack of eight was constant and countless while seven seconds up the road was essentially the other half of the field with Cooper Rowntree at the head of ninth to 15th split by less than a second.
Into lap seven it was Hayden Nelson looking to make the big moves, up into second as they headed to the line, with Swain falling to seventh.
Waters lead the final lap with Aksu and Marianos Nikolis close behind.
Aksu went for a move on Waters but couldn’t hold on to it, and it looked like that could be a good thing heading into the chicane- the tow awaited.
But Waters managed a clean-as-you-like exit out of the final corner and somehow managed to hold off the attack from Aksu, staying just ahead by 0.047 to take the race and overall weekend win.
Nikolis held on for a well fought third place ahead of Cameron Dunker with less than a second back to eighth.
Maxwell
To come away with 51 points at probably my worst track on the calendar… I’ve surprised myself. The boys in the team worked really hard to give us a package that worked. We had really good consistency and pace. In the first race I suffered a little bit physically but in the second race I was a lot stronger and able to fight it out right to the end with Mike.
It’s a very narrow window with that bike with the balance with the weight from front to rear, so that’s what we really work on recently and that’s what’s given me the confidence to win races.
Well Mike has to continue to finish second and he’ll get home but there’s a lot of racing to be had and there’s a lot of guys that are getting pretty keen… Bryan’s super strong at Phillip Island… so anything’s possible it is racing. We haven’t had a wet race yet, we’re probably due for one of those and we’ll just see how it goes.
Jones
I obviously wanted to win the races, I said that yesterday… to get beaten it’s not a great feeling, you come here, your goal is to win, and when you don’t achieve that then obviously you’re disappointed.
The flip side of that, I have to be happy because I’m still leading the Championship, if you look at the performance from the weekend, I feel like I gave my best at all times, and was actually really quite strong, just Wayne was able to pip me there and have enough right at the very end. Compared to the rest of the field, we’re still very strong and I feel great on the Yamaha.
My understanding is that we are intending to go and do it (MotoGP round of superbikes at Phillip Island) and we still are. It should give us a bit of a chance to get some more setup time on that particular circuit ahead of our actual ASBK Championship round later there in November.
Bryan Staring
All in all a reasonable weekend. It only really came together in race two – that was the first time I felt like I could let my wings out a little bit. I’m happy to end up third, but after race one and after qualifying, third overall for the weekend is pretty good even if we had hoped to be slightly better than that… Unfortunately lost a bit of gap to Wayne for second in the Championship, but as he just said, there’s plenty of races to come.
I was kinda just at the back of that group for most of it, and mostly just dying to hang in there. I wasn’t a huge part of the action in the fight for the actual battle… I still rode a good race, the last part of it I didn’t quite have the speed that the other guys had to bring it home but it was a good result in third.
Ty Lynch
The main aim is to finish every race, like he still finished the first race but that’s a big hit in the points for him. It’s a long season.
It’s been one of our strong points this year, just getting of the line is half your race really, got a good jump and then I just tried to run with Lytras the whole race. Got about eight laps in and I just ran out of tyre and ran out of steam and that was it.
Phillip Island and The Bend for me is a strong point for me and we’ve done a lot of testing at The Bend over the last four or five months. It will be interesting to see how he performs there, he’s actually turned it up this part of the season – he struggled a little bit at the start and he’s really starting to come on strong.
Bagnaia holds off Viñales to become eighth different Silverstone winner in a row
Just 0.426 decides the victory, with Miller completing the podium as Quartararo takes P8
Francesco Bagnaia (63) celebrates winning the British Grand Prix. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 07 August 2022
For two Championship titans at the Monster Energy British Grand Prix, eight was the key number. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) held off Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) by just under half a second to become the eighth different winner at Silverstone in eight events, and Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was only able to take P8 despite emerging from his Long Lap penalty within the fight for the podium.
For Bagnaia that’s a 17 point gain in the standings, and with Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) completing the podium it was a good day for the Borgo Panigale factory all round – with a Ducati now having been on the podium 18 races in a row too, the longest streak ever.
Off the line, polesitter Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) got the holeshot as he headed Quartararo early on, with the factory Ducati duo of Miller and Bagnaia taking up third and fourth respectively. Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins was fifth on his Suzuki before he overtook Bagnaia on Lap 3 at The Loop, but both moved up on Lap 4 when Quartararo – who was sanctioned for his run-in with Aleix Espargaro at Assen – took his Long Lap Penalty at the last possible opportunity.
‘El Diablo’ was still second as he entered the penalty loop and resumed in fifth, behind Zarco, Miller, Rins, and Bagnaia. By then, Viñales was sixth and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) seventh, as a bruised Aleix Espargaro struggled to keep pace after his huge FP4 highside.
Zarco seemingly had a great shot at finally clinching a maiden MotoGP™ race win, but disaster struck when he folded the front and crashed at Vale on Lap 5. Miller then inherited the lead and while Rins went underneath the Australian at The Loop later that same lap, the Spaniard could not get the move done. He tried another pass at Vale on Lap 6 and was successful that time, putting the #42 GSX-RR at the head of the field.
Miller ceded second position to teammate Bagnaia exactly a lap later again at Vale, by which time Martin had charged up to fourth after blazing past Quartararo as they ran up the Hangar Straight moments earlier. The Spaniard went down the inside of Miller at Copse at the start of Lap 8 but ran wide on exit and had to get back into file behind the Ducati Lenovo Team rider. Viñales, though, was now well on the move, into the top five asmhe overtook Quartararo on the Hangar Straight on Lap 9.
Up ahead, Rins continued to lead but looked increasingly like the cork in the bottle. Bagnaia then struck to get past on Lap 12 at Stowe and Miller made it a factory Ducati one-two when he got underneath Rins at Village on Lap 14. Meanwhile, Viñales and Martin had been chopping and changing in the battle for fourth position until the former completed a decisive move on Lap 16 at Village. He wasted no time dealing with Rins, however, overtaking the Suzuki for third place exactly a lap later.
Village was proving a popular location for ‘Top Gun’, who passed Miller for second there on Lap 18, at which point he faced a 0.6-second deficit to Bagnaia. On Lap 19, he made yet another attempt at an overtake at Village, but this time could not make the move stick. Still, just 0.3 seconds separated first and second at the start of the 20th and final lap. Could Viñales win on a third different bike?
Not quite. The number 12 was wide through Stowe and Vale, ensuring Bagnaia just had the breathing space he needed to clinch the win – 0.426 clear over the line. Miller completed the podium, homing in on Viñales but not quite able to make it either.
The battle for fourth position raged all the way until the end. Martin was back into fourth when he overtook Rins on Lap 17, but then another threat emerged in the form of Enea Bastianini. The Gresini Racing rider qualified eighth and, despite losing a winglet in first-corner contact with Martin, was tucked in just behind him on Lap 19 after leapfrogging Rins. And the ‘Beast’ got it done, stealing the position from ‘The Martinator’ – his rival for the factory team seat in 2023 – on the final lap at Brooklands.
Martin therefore finished fifth and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) came from Row 5 on the grid to claim sixth at the chequered flag, while Rins faded to seventh in the end.
Behind them came the top two in the World Championship, Quartararo and Espargaro, who found themselves in direct combat for eighth on the final lap. Espargaro outbraked Quartararo at Brooklands and while he could not pull up in time to complete the pass, ninth was still a heroic effort for the Aprilia rider who feared he might not even be able to race after his practice highside. Losing just a point to Quartararo was probably his wildest dream on Saturday evening.
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) rounded out the top 10 in another impressive ride, with the rest of the points finishers being Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™). Joining Zarco as a retirement was Suzuki’s Joan Mir, who crashed out of eighth on Lap 15 at Stowe.
In the Championship standings, Quartararo is now 22 points up on Aleix Espargaro, but Bagnaia has closed to 49 points off top spot, and he’s third overall and top Ducati… guess where we head to next?
Ducati turf: the Styrian hills and the Red Bull Ring in Austria. Catch the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich from August 19-21!
MotoGP™ PODIUM
1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 40’10.260
3 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.614
Francesco Bagnaia: “It wasn’t easy, because for the whole weekend, we were in trouble with the rear grip. The biggest step was this morning, using the hard rear. I tried the hard rear and I found a better feeling, but I was still missing something that we found for the race. I have to say thanks to my team, who have done an incredible job today. I put this win as my best one; I think this is the best win I have ever had because it wasn’t easy. It’s never easy, but today we were suffering more. I want to say thanks also to my trainer Carlo, to Vale, and to Casey, because we are writing messages these days. Vale is the one that has helped me the most in terms of support, so thank you all. It’s incredible, I’m very happy.”
Fernandez fights off Lopez to take the points lead at Silverstone
Kalex vs Boscoscuro, experience vs rookie creates a true stunner in the intermediate class – with Dixon completing the podium on home turf
Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) vs Alonso Lopez (CAG Speed Up) proved a Moto2™ battle for the ages at the Monster Energy British Grand Prix. It came down to the final lap as Fernandez snatched victory from Lopez’s grasp in a spectacular encounter, while home hero Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspar Team) claimed a dream podium at Silverstone.
Fernandez now leads the standings as the top three reversed order on Sunday.
Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) grabbed the holeshot from the middle of the front row but Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) was the rider to lead over the line at the end of Lap 1. However, Lopez took the lead at the beginning of Lap 2 after making fantastic progress from 8th.
World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) didn’t get the start he would have wanted from the second row and was outside the top six. Taking his Long Lap penalty, Vietti had to produce a front-end save on the exit as the Italian came out in P11, over four seconds down on the race lead.
A top four of Lopez, Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40), Ogura and Fernandez then broke clear, with Dixon chasing them in fifth a second away. After a couple of laps, Dixon bridged the gap to Fernandez’s rear wheel and the lead group became a quintet, with sixth place Albert Arenas (GASGAS Aspar Team) under a second away from his teammate.
With nine to go, Lopez’s lead was up to 0.8s. That was up to a second by the end of the lap as Fernandez moved up to P2 ahead of Canet, as Arenas then crashed at Turn 4. Thankfully, Arenas and his stricken bike were avoided by the oncoming traffic. With seven to go, both Canet and Ogura had a scare heading into Turn 13 and half a lap later, Dixon was past the pair of them.
Fernandez set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 13 and was hunting down Lopez. With four to go, the gap was nothing as Dixon, Ogura and Canet battled away for the final podium spot behind them. It was as you were with two laps to go, but it was getting feisty. Canet and Dixon exchanged P3, Ogura made slight contact with Canet’s rear wheel and it was as close as it gets between Lopez and Fernandez at the front, too.
Lopez was defending like a lion and it was all coming down to Brooklands – the final part of the lap. And it was right there, Turn 16, where Fernandez pounced. Late on the brakes, up the inside, Lopez tried to protect his lead but his compatriot forced his way through. Lopez tried to bite back but the last-ditch move handed Fernandez a second straight win, and one that sees him take a 13-point lead in the Championship after winning by just 0.070.
Lopez’s debut Moto2™ World Championship podium was sensational and coming out on top in the battle for the final podium spot was home hero Dixon, who finished just 0.6s away from victory in the end.
Ogura’s P4 ahead of Canet could be two vital points come the end of the season, as Vietti rescues a P6 after his Long Lap penalty. Roberts slipped to P7 after showing great pace in Free Practice and qualifying, the American finishing ahead of Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40), Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2™) and Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team).
Fernandez now sits as the outright Moto2™ title leader heading to Austria, with Ogura and Vietti 13 and 15 points back respectively… will it change again in Styria? we’ll find out in two weeks!
2 Alonso Lopez (CAG Speed Up) – Boscoscuro – +0.070
3 Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspar Team) – Kalex – +0.592
Augusto Fernandez: “It was not easy, it was not an easy race. The conditions changed a little bit with these temperatures, and we had to read the race lap-by-lap, and also the pace. But I managed to catch Alonso, who was doing an awesome race – congrats to him and his team – in the final laps. We had an awesome fight for the win and I’m super-happy to get this win.”
Foggia flies back onto the top step as GASGAS duo both crash out
Bad luck hits the top two in the Championship as the Leopard rider picks his way through the drama to victory
After a dramatic few laps of Silverstone there has been a serious shift in the lightweight class standings, with Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) emerging victorious from the drama as both Championship leader Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) and closest challenger and teammate Izan Guevara crashed, separately, through no fault of their own. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) likewise capitalised and stormed through from outside the top 20 on the grid to take second, with Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) completing the podium for his first rostrum finish of 2022 – extending his streak as the only rider to score in every race so far.
The opening lap was fast and frantic as several riders took turns in leading. Guevara, Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI), polesitter Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) and Öncü started strong and briefly led, but it was Guevara who pounced at Turn 1 on Lap 2 to reclaim P1.
Home hero John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) made great early progress to get up to P4 from 10th on the grid, with 8th on the grid Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) also powering up to the front of the freight train. Meanwhile, World Championship leader Garcia was battling away in the lower ends of the top 10.
It was a proper barnstormer. You could throw a blanket over the top 20 riders and the lead was changing lap after lap. Foggia, with eight to go, boasted the biggest lead we’d seen all race – 0.6s over the line, with teammate Suzuki acting as the stopping block in second place. David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) was back up into the top five after taking his Long Lap penalty too, as Guevara and McPhee found themselves down in 10th and 11th, and Garcia 8th.
With four laps to go, it was still anyone’s race to win. Garcia was P6, crucially ahead of teammate and title rival Guevara who had lost out down to P9, but less than two seconds still split the top 16. With three laps to go, Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) led for the first time and tried ti pull clear, but he was immediately swallowed up down the Hangar Straight.
Then came the drama. Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) tagged the rear of Garcia at Turn 13 and both riders crashed out, with Sasaki stretchered away and taken to the medical centre, the Japanese rider conscious, and Garcia back on his bike but unable to continue.
Heading onto the final lap, Öncü was the leader followed by Muñoz and Ortola, with Guevara 7th. Masia then took the lead, and then lost it to Foggia, and then more drama unravelled as Guevara was taken out by Ortola at Stowe. After the latter clipped Öncü, Suzuki highsided on the exit to crash out too.
Foggia, the man third in the title race, emerged leading from Masia, Muñoz and Öncü, and round the final section Foggia was able to keep his head down and stay out of trouble, with Muñoz crashing on his own and losing out.
On the run to the line, Foggia was able to hold on for a crucial victory and gain 25 points as Masia beat Öncü by 0.045s to finish in P2, with the Turkish rider claiming third and that first podium of the season.
After that drama, the huge group fight for the podium saw Kaito Toba (CIP – Green Power) made amazing late progress to move up and take fourth, ahead of Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) completing the top five in his best result yet. Moreira made his way back through to sixth, with McPhee getting shuffled back late on to finish seventh. Front row starter Yamanaka finished eighth ahead of Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team), with Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) just beating teammate Xavier Artigas to the final place in the top ten.
After that dramatic showdown the field now heads for the Austrian hills as the Red Bull Ring hosts Round 13, with the Championship even closer!
Moto3™ PODIUM
1 Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) – Honda – 37’30.120
2 Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – KTM – +0.252
3 Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) – KTM – +0.297
Dennis Foggia: “I feel good, coming back to the podium with a win is incredible, it was our target, in the last races we were a bit unlucky but now I’m focused for the second half of the season. I never won at this track, last year I was third and on the last lap I gave my best, like Jorge Lorenzo por fuera! It was incredible, I’d like to thank my team, family and friends.”
Red Bull KTM factory riders Kody Kopp (12) and Max Whale (18) at the Black Hills Half-Mile. Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
KOPP SECURES A FIGHTING TOP-FIVE AT THE BLACK HILLS HALF-MILE
Red Bull KTM Factory Racing – Black Hills Half-Mile
RAPID CITY, S.D. – Round 11 of the 2022 American Flat Track Championship was a mixed bag of results for the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing team, who fought hard to get through Saturday’s Black Hills Half-Mile in Rapid City, South Dakota. AFT Singles championship points leader, Kody Kopp, made a strong fifth-place comeback in the Main Event after a challenging start to the day; while teammate Max Whale salvaged seventh after battling track conditions throughout the evening.
It was an uncharacteristic start to the day for Kopp, who found himself a little off-pace early on with an eighth-place qualifying position in the class. Lining up alongside his teammate Whale in Semi 2, Kopp powered his KTM 450 SX-F to a top-five start. Racing in the fifth-place battle for the majority of laps, Kopp made a mistake that nearly resulted in a crash and he ultimately dropped back to a seventh-place finish. With a last-row start-position in the Main Event, Kopp had his work cut out for him off the start but he swiftly made his way up to 11th by the end of lap one. Putting on a charge through the second half of the race, Kopp dove into top-five contention late in the race and he was able to make a pass stick on the final lap to secure a fighting top-five at the half-mile.
Kody Kopp (12) at the Black Hills Half-Mile. Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Kody Kopp: “They say you win championships on your worst days and I feel like we made the best out of what possibly could have been a terrible finish. We didn’t qualify the best and I just wasn’t gelling with the track. I got fired up because I had a back row start for the Main Event – I think I had grid pick 14 or 15 – and I went to work and passed 10 guys to end up P5. It’s our worst finish of the year but given the circumstances, I’m pretty happy with a fifth-place finish and we live to fight another day and only lost a few points.”
Whale, the second-place qualifier, had a strong start to the day after coming away from his first victory of the season last weekend in Peoria. The Aussie had a great jump off the line in Semi 2 and he claimed the early race lead aboard his KTM 450 SX-F. Holding strong out front for the first four laps, Whale ended up getting passed midway through and he maintained a solid pace to finish second. After grabbing the Main Event holeshot, things were looking strong for Whale as he led the way on the opening lap. However, he lost his momentum early in the race, dropping back to eighth midway through, and it took him several laps to get back into a groove. Late in the race, Whale made a push to overtake seventh and that’s where he ultimately finished for the night.
Max Whale (18) at the Black Hills Half-Mile. Photo courtesy KTM Factory Racing.
Max Whale: “I started the day off really well with second overall in practice and second in my semi, so we definitely had some speed early on. I had a battle for the lead and felt really good leading half of it. For the Main Event, we did a few changes and it definitely wasn’t the right way to go. The track went away from us and we didn’t think it was going to go the way it did – it got super slick – and I just really struggled. I started in the front row and faded back to seventh. It was super hard for me because I haven’t faded like that in a long time, but I really want to thank the whole team for everything they do.”
Next Race: Castle Rock TT – Castle Rock, Washington – August 13, 2022
Round 11 Results – Black Hills Half-Mile AFT Singles Main Event
Sepang International Circuit. Photo courtesy of Michelin.
2023 pre-season test dates announced
Monday, 08 August 2022
Provisional dates for pre-season testing ahead of the 2023 season can now be announced.
Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia will first host the Shakedown Test, which is for MotoGP™ factory test riders and class rookies only, from the 5th to the 7th of February.
Sepang will then host the first, three-day MotoGP™ test from the 10th to the 12th of February.
The Autodromo Internacional do Algarve, as the venue for the season opener, will host the final, two-day test for the MotoGP™ class on the 11th and 12th of March.
Shakedown Test: 5th – 7th February
Sepang Test: 10th – 12th February
Portimão Test: 11th – 12th March
The pre-season Moto2™ and Moto3™ test will also take place at Portimão.
Moto2™ and Moto3™ Test: 17th – 19th March
Set up takes place on the two days preceding the MotoGP™ tests and the shakedown, and on the day before the Moto2™ and Moto3™ test.
Aleix Espargaro walking with the assistance of corner marshals after crashing Saturday at Silverstone. Photo courtesy Aprilia.
UPDATE ON ALEIX ESPARGARÓ
Following medical checks carried out today at the Dexeus Hospital in Barcelona, Aleix Espargaró has been diagnosed with a heel fracture in his right foot. The Spanish rider, the victim of a frightening high-side during the last free practice session at Silverstone, then stoically took to the track for both qualifying and Sunday’s race.
The injury does not require surgical treatment, and Aleix has been prescribed seven days of absolute rest during which he will have to use crutches in order not to strain his injured foot. The aim is to arrive at the next race weekend (19-21 August, Austria) in the best physical condition.
Drew Jankord (2) leads Tom Girard during a CCS race at Blackhawk Farms Raceway in 2019. Photo by Jessica Johnk, courtesy of ASRA/CCS.
THE RED FLAG FUND SUPPORTS LOCAL MOTORCYCLE ROAD RACERS WITH AUCTION AT BLACKHAWK FARMS RACEWAY IN SOUTH BELOIT, ILLINOIS
Antioch, IL, August 8, 2022 – The Red Flag Fund, Inc announces its fundraising auction and dinner on Saturday, September 17 at Blackhawk Farms Raceway, in South Beloit, Illinois. The auction will be held over a CCS Twin Sprint Race weekend with approximately 150 motorcycle racers and family in attendance along with racing fans. Hundreds of items will be auctioned off to support injured road racers. The Red Flag Fund is happy to have Gordon Lunde, founder of the Wegman Benefit Fund, as a partner in the execution of this year’s auction. This event will help close out the Blackhawk Farms Raceway motorcycle race season. All proceeds from the auction and dinner go directly to the Red Flag Fund.
The Red Flag Fund is a national non-profit 501(c)3 organization established in 2006 as a
successor to the Wegman Benefit Fund that was started by Gordon Lunde in 1986. The Red Flag Fund supports injured motorcycle road racers with financial and medical hardships. The focus of the Red Flag Fund is safety, partnership and to build a sense of community among racers, race officials and racing families.
For ways to help and find out more about this event, visit www.redflagfund.org
More, from a press release issued by British Talent Cup:
Garness hammers home his advantage in Race 2
The number 57 impresses once again to pull clear, with Stephenson and McCabe back on the rostrum on Sunday
Sunday, 07 August 2022
After domination in Race 1, Johnny Garness (MLav VisionTrack Academy) did it again on Sunday for another impressive victory. In a class of his own all weekend, the number 57 was over six seconds clear at the chequered flag in Race 2. The same two riders joined him on the podium too, with Rhys Stephenson (Rockey Racing) impressing for another rostrum finish and likewise Harley McCabe (MLav VisionTrack Academy) as they took second and third, respectively.
Garness got the holeshot once again, with Stephenson slotting into second and McCabe into third – as it would turn out, also where each would finish. Initially though they were glued together, and Stephenson was able to take the lead for the latter part of the lap – before Garness swept round the outside to lead over the line for the next.
As the laps ticked down, the gap then only grew. Once into clear air and settled in the lead, Garness was able to pull away and eventually crossed the line 6.618 seconds clear, taking a huge 84-point lead in the standings.
Behind him, the Stephenson vs McCabe duel raged on. The two were glued together until the penultimate lap as the number 23 was then able to just pull away, with McCabe forced to settle for third but both having an incredibly impressive Sunday.
It was a close trio fighting for fourth too, with Sullivan Mounsey (Wilson Racing/J&S Racing) vs Carter Brown (MLav VisionTrack Academy) vs Harrison Dessoy (Microlise Cresswell Racing/Eastern Garage Racing). Mounsey crashed out, however, and Brown was able to pull into some clear air in fourth as Dessoy completed the top five.
Next up Clayton Edmunds (MJL Racing) took another good finish at the head of a close group, beating Lucas Brown (SP125/Amphibian Scaffolding), Harrison Crosby (Banks Racing), Julian Correa (Microlise Cresswell Racing) and Matthew Ruisbroek (Microlise Cresswell Racing), the latter duo split by just hundredths over the line.
That’s a wrap on Race 2 at the British GP, with 84 points now in Garness’ favour at the top as the paddock heads to Thurxton for a quick turnaround. Can his rivals hit back next weekend?
Julian Correa (40) in action at Silverstone. Photo by Michael Hallam, courtesy Michael Correa.
The start of the 43rd Suzuka 8-Hours race with F.C.C. TSR Honda France (5) leading Team HRC (33) and Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H (10) into Turn One. Photo by Kohei Hirota.
Iker Lecuona (33) at speed on the Team HRC Honda CBR1000RR-R Fireblade SP during the Suzuka 8-Hours race. Photo by Kohei Hirota.
More, from a press release issued by FIM EWC:
HRC TAKES WIN, SERT FIRST OF SEASON CONTENDERS IN EWC SUZUKA 8 HOURS
August 7th, 2022|2022
Whilst there might have been drama and heartbreak behind, it was a dominant win for #33 Team HRC in 43rd Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours with the line-up of Tetsuta Nagashima, Takumi Takahashi and Iker Lecuona taking the chequered flag by over a lap in the third round of the FIM Endurance World Championship.
There has been late drama and a safety car in the final hour of the race after the leading season-contender #7 YART – Yamaha Official Team YZF-M1 got caught up with the #74 Akeno Speed – Yamaha Superstock bike at T13 such that rider Marvin Fritz had to dig the Yamaha out of the air barriers to get it back to the pits.
The late issue for the #7 gifted the championship leading #1 Yoshimura SERT Motul with the two-rider line-up of Gregg Black and Kazuki Watanabe taking maximum series points and third on the overall podium.
Ahead of the Yoshimura SERT bike on the all-Bridgestone shod podium was the #10 Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H ZX-10R of Jonathan Rea, Alex Lowes and Leon Haslam, with a T12 slow lowside for Rea in the fourth hour seeming the only real cause for concern over the 8 hours.
After another late visit to the pits for a Stop and Go penalty for the #7 with Karel Hanika on board, the YART bike still came second of the full season runners – and seventh overall – with Niccolò Canepa the third of the rider line-up.
Next across the line of the full season contenders, the #5 FCC TSR CBR1000RR-R Fireblade with Josh Hook and Mike Di Meglio in action had fought back up the order after its earlier brake master cylinder change to finish in tenth overall.
The #88 Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA was the next of the permanent entries, with Zaqhwan Zaidi, Garry Slim and Helmi Azuman bringing their CBR1000RR-R home eleventh overall.
In fifteenth overall, the full-time #11 Webike SRC Kawasaki France entry was further down the order than they’d have liked, with an early visit to the pits after a drop at Degner 2 from Randy de Puniet and a later lack of fuel in the tank the primary culprits delaying their charge.
Finally, of the permanent entries, for the #37 BMW MOTORRAD WORLD ENDURANCE TEAM it was heartbreak at halftime as the M1000RR ridden by Markus Reiterberger, Illya Mykhalchyk and Jérémy Guarnoni was pushed back to the pits by Mykhalchyk for terminal diagnosis by the squad with the bike unable to retain its engine coolant.
More, from a press release issued by Honda Racing:
Team HRC Wins By More Than a Lap Giving Honda Its First Win in Eight Years, 28th Total
On Lap 165, Team HRC’s Lecuona changes with Takahashi. #10 Kawasaki also changes its rider to Jonathan Rea. After 170 laps, Takahashi leads, Canepa (Yamaha) is second, and Rea (Kawasaki) is third.
At this stage, seven Honda teams are in the top twelve. Hamahara (Honda Dream RT SAKURAI HONDA) is sixth, Kunimine (TOHO Racing) is seventh, Azman (Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA) ninth, Yuki Takahashi (Team ATJ with JAPAN POST) tenth, Hook (F.C.C. TSR Honda France) 11th, and Tajiri (GOSHI Racing) is 12th.
In the closing stages, teams change riders for the final stint. Kiyonari takes over from Kunimine for TOHO Racing, Zaidi from Azman for Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA. Honda team begin to pit. As the seven hour mark passed, Fritz (Yamaha) crashed at the spoon curve, bringing out the safety car as multiple riders were involved. The race order changes to Takahashi, Rea and Watanabe (Suzuki). At 7 hours 19 minutes, the safety car leaves the track. Team HRC’s Takahashi pits on Lap 196, and after 41.776 s, Nagashima is back on the track for the final stint.
While Haslam (Kawasaki) laps in the 2 min 12 s range, and Watanabe (Suzuki), third, in the 2 min 13 s range, Nagashima sets himself apart by lapping at 2 min 8 s as the sun sets.
Nagashima had a clear track until the end, crossing the finish line to an ecstatic grand stand. The win marks Honda first victory since 2014, and its first victory as a factory team since 2008. Team HRC set lap records in Qualifying and Top 10 Qualifying to take pole position. Takahashi, Nagashima and Lecuona all lapped at impressive pace throughout the race, lapping all other teams, demonstrating the return of a strong Honda.
Kawasaki Racing Team Suzuka 8H was second overall, and YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL (Suzuki) was third. For Honda, TOHO Racing was fifth, Honda Dream RT SAKURAI HONDA sixth, Team ATJ with JAPAN POST eighth, F.C.C. TSR Honda France tenth, Honda Asia-Dream Racing with SHOWA 11th, and GOSHI Racing 12th.
Although 35th and below were not counted as completing the race, #17 Astemo Honda Dream SI Racing was 37th, and #73 SDG Honda Racing was 43rd.
Tetsuta Nagashima 33
Team HRC
I’m simply happy! I’m glad to have had the opportunity to be involved in developing the CBR1000RR-RSP in 2021 and 2022, realize its potential, and show the world. Honda’s engineers have tested the bike over and over, and were rewarded by our Suzuka 8 Hours victory. I am grateful to be a part of the development, and grew with each test we did. I believe we demonstrated a strong Honda at the first Suzuka 8 Hours in three years.
Takumi Takahashi 33
Team HRC
I’ve always been unhappy with the 2019 Suzuka 8 Hours, so I’m glad we won today. I’m relieved that I managed to play my part, as Nagashima developed the bike, and I had to become accustomed to it and bring out its potential, otherwise I would hold him back. This was the first Suzuka 8 Hours for Iker [Lecuona], and he did a great job. The HRC team gave us solid support including pit work. I am grateful to everyone involved. This is my fourth Suzuka 8 Hours victory, and if I get another chance, I will aim for the record of five victories held by Toru Ukawa.
Iker Lecuona 33
Team HRC
I am really, really, really happy to win my first Suzuka 8 Hours. It felt amazing when Nagashima was met by the checkered flag. Everything has gone well since the Suzuka tests, the bike developed by Honda and Nagashima was superb, and I think I managed to bring out the performance of the bike. I was worried when the safety car entered the track that I would lose the gap our other two riders had built up, but we got through fine. I am grateful to the best team and my teammates. If I have the opportunity next year, I’d like to be back at Suzuka.
Teppei Nagoe 73
SDG Honda Racing
I am sincerely grateful for the team that brought us back to the track. It is very emotional for me, but through the Suzuka 8 Hours, I have once again felt how wonderful motorsports is, and how hard it is to be on the podium. I felt that for next year, I need to grow more with the experiences I gained here, and become a rider who can lead his team.
Naomichi Uramoto 73
SDG Honda Racing
The accident happened just when I thought we could keep up with the top riders, so I am very disappointed. All our riders were in good condition and well prepared. You really do not know what will happen at the Suzuka 8 Hours. But, I am happy that I was given the opportunity to race in the Suzuka 8 Hours. I am grateful to Nagoe, Enokido, and the team for their support, and everyone who cheered for us. Ikuhiro Enokido 73
SDG Honda Racing
I made the team’s job harder during practice, so I am very, very grateful for Nagoe , Uramoto and the whole team for this Suzuka 8 Hours. Our results are disappointing, but I have gained a really good experience in racing my first Suzuka 8 Hours. I will turn my disappointment into motivation, and race my next race.
More, from a press release issued by HRC:
Team HRC wins Suzuka 8H by more than a lap, giving Honda its first win in eight years, 28th total
Team HRC (Tetsuta Nagashima / Takumi Takahashi / Iker Lecuona) won the 2022 Suzuka 8 Hours, marking Honda’s 28th Suzuka 8 Hours victory and the first since 2014.
Team HRC returned to the Suzuka 8 Hours as Honda’s factory team in 2018 after a decade-long absence. The team was second in 2018, and third in 2019.
Team HRC set the fastest lap time in Friday’s timed qualifying sessions, proceeding easily into Saturday’s Top 10 Trial, which was changed to a conventional Top 10 qualifying session at the last minute. Tetsuta Nagashima set the fastest lap time of 2 min 4.934 s to secure pole position for the team.
Takumi Takahashi was Team HRC’s starting rider, and despite losing the lead at the start, regained the top spot on Lap 10. From that point onwards, Tetsuta Nagashima and Iker Lecuona rode solid stints to maintain a comfortable gap with the closest competitor. At 7:32pm, after 214 laps, Team HRC crossed the finish line to win from pole position.
This win marks Takumi Takahashi’s fourth Suzuka 8 Hours win, and a first for Tetsuta Nagashima and Iker Lecuona.
Team HRC set lap records in Qualifying and Top 10 Qualifying to take pole position. Takahashi, Nagashima and Lecuona all lapped at impressive pace throughout the race, lapping all other teams, demonstrating the return of a strong Honda.
Tetsuta Nagashima 33
I’m simply happy! I’m glad to have had the opportunity to be involved in developing the CBR1000RR-RSP in 2021 and 2022, realize its potential, and show the world. Honda’s engineers have tested the bike over and over, and were rewarded by our Suzuka 8 Hours victory. I am grateful to be a part of the development, and grew with each test we did. I believe we demonstrated a strong Honda at the first Suzuka 8 Hours in three years.
Takumi Takahashi 33
I’ve always been unhappy with the 2019 Suzuka 8 Hours, so I’m glad we won today. I’m relieved that I managed to play my part, as Nagashima developed the bike, and I had to become accustomed to it and bring out its potential, otherwise I would hold him back. This was the first Suzuka 8 Hours for Iker [Lecuona], and he did a great job. The HRC team gave us solid support including pit work. I am grateful to everyone involved. This is my fourth Suzuka 8 Hours victory, and if I get another chance, I will aim for the record of five victories held by Toru Ukawa.
Iker Lecuona 33
I am really, really, really happy to win my first Suzuka 8 Hours. It felt amazing when Nagashima was met by the checkered flag. Everything has gone well since the Suzuka tests, the bike developed by Honda and Nagashima was superb, and I think I managed to bring out the performance of the bike. I was worried when the safety car entered the track that I would lose the gap our other two riders had built up, but we got through fine. I am grateful to the best team and my teammates. If I have the opportunity next year, I’d like to be back at Suzuka.
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
KRT Strong Second In Suzuka 8 Hours Race
The KRT entry of Jonathan Rea, Alex Lowes and Leon Haslam finished second in the Suzuka 8 Hours EWC race on Sunday 7 August, after completing 213 laps of the 5.821km ‘figure eight’ circuit.
WorldSBK KRT riders Rea and Lowes, plus regular BSB rider Haslam, put in an epic effort on their Number 10 Ninja ZX-10RR but finished one lap behind eventual winners HRC Honda.
Having qualified second fastest KRT led the race on lap nine, and from lap 29 to 30 during a gruelling race of attrition.
An unfortunately timed appearance by one of the pace cars split KRT from the leading team at one stage of the race. Later, a small crash from Rea, while trying to pass two slower riders in his effort to trim the leaders’ margin, lost some more seconds that proved to be impossible to make up again before race end.
All three riders put in a strong ‘shift’ behind the handlebars of the Number 10 Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10RR, with even Lowes (who is still trying to shake off the effects of a recent illness) riding two sessions to Rea and Haslam’s three apiece.
The final on-track stint was put in by Haslam, but with an entire lap to make up in the closing stages of the race it was an impossible task for any rider.
Kawasaki Plaza Racing Team, with riders Ryosuke Iwato, Yuta Okaya and Naoki Kiyosue, placed 13th overall and won the Superstock category that runs alongside the full EWC spec machines. The team led the Superstock race-within-a-race on four separate occasions, but once they had regained the lead on lap 31 it was retained all the way to the end. They set 205 laps in all.
After two years with no Suzuka 8 Hours on the calendar the enthusiastic crowd witnessed three different manufacturers on the final EWC podium.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “It has been a really enjoyable week here in Suzuka with my team. All the team staff, plus my team-mates Leon and Alex, meant that the atmosphere has been incredible. We have worked really well together, everybody from back room staff, strategy people, caterers, nutritionists, doctors – every single person in the team worked so hard with a busy schedule to get here. It is not easy to have two goals in a single season – the WorldSBK championship and also the Suzuka 8 Hours. We had huge competition here, and did our best. I feel we just came up short but we can be proud, and really proud of my team-mates and everyone else for their hard work. It is a little bit bitter sweet coming second best but I think we can fly home knowing we gave it our best shot. There were a few mistakes in the race, a few issues, but that is Endurance racing and we can stand on that podium and be proud of our efforts. Thanks to Kawasaki and all of our sponsors for making this happen and no doubt we will be back again to try and go one better.”
Alex Lowes, stated: “It was a tough race but it has been a tough ten days for me, coming from the Most WorldSBK round, where I did not feel at my best. In the race I did the best I could. I am a little bit disappointed because I feel I probably could have done a little bit better but we were not fast enough today. Second was about the best we could do. I want to say a big thanks to the whole Kawasaki Racing Team. They have had a tough schedule, including the tests we have done here, and it is a big challenge to take on such a big event as the Suzuka 8 Hours. A massive thank you to all of them for the hard work and big respect to Leon and Johnny my team-mates, who have done a great job all week. It has been a pleasure to be here with them. Thank you very much guys. I hope we can come back in the future and do one better.”
Leon Haslam, stated: “The Suzuka 8 Hours is always a pleasure to come to. The team this year was absolutely fantastic. The effort from every single person – both my team-mates Johnny and Alex – was great. I think we maximised what we did and we can go home proud. For sure we wanted to win and there are a few areas we want to obviously try to improve on to do that. But for this 8 Hours we all gave our maximum; the atmosphere was great, the team was fantastic so big thanks to everyone. I am happy to stand on the podium again at the Suzuka 8 Hours.”
Guim Roda, KRT Team Manager, stated: “It has been a very good experience here at Suzuka. Thanks to KMC for trusting in the KRT WorldSBK project to manage the 8 Hours race. We did it with big support and big help from all the KMC engineers, and we took hundreds of notes where we need to improve. Only when you stay in the action can you really learn perfection. Honda did very well, and we have to congratulate them. The second Pace Car appearance threw away the show in this 8 Hours, because for just few seconds we could not pass them to stay in the same slot as Honda. We missed nearly 40 seconds there and then it was impossible to recover the time to Honda given the level they rode at. Jonathan’s fall while trying to put pressure on them, when passing two slow riders, finally made us lose all our possibilities. Alex, in fairness, was not in his best shape after his illness. Leon made a great job and added his speed and experience. Massive thanks to all the KRT and KMC guys; they made an incredible job. And special thanks to Mr. Nishiyama, KMC Senior Engineer responsible for the WorldSBK project, who made massive efforts. Let’s see if we have second chance in the future.”
The #11 Ninja ZX-10RR of Webike SRC Kawasaki France with riders Randy de Puniet, Etienne Masson and Florian Marino finished 15th overall, in a tough race with 34 finishers from 45 starters.
More, from a press release issued by Yamaha:
YART Yamaha Battle to Seventh at Suzuka 8 Hours
The Yamalube YART Yamaha Official EWC Team fought back valiantly to cross the line in seventh after a late crash denied them a podium at the 43rd edition of the Coca-Cola Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Race, Round 3 of the FIM Endurance World Championship.
The YART Yamaha team of Karel Hanika, Niccolò Canepa, and Marvin Fritz lined up on the grid in third for the legendary endurance race after a superb qualifying performance that saw all three riders lap in the 2:05s on Saturday. The predicted thunderstorms stayed away on Sunday, with temperatures rising to 32 degrees Celsius in Japan as the teams assembled for the traditional Le Mans running start. The YART team had been fast since the first day of testing, but the extra heat and humidity on Sunday brought an element of uncertainty, with track temperatures soaring to the highest they had been all week.
YART were not only spearheading Yamaha’s attack in Suzuka against the other factory teams but were also looking to close the 27-point gap on their rivals in the EWC standings. Unfortunately, when the flag dropped, Canepa had an issue getting the YART Yamaha R1 started and found himself down in 25th position on the opening lap. Immediately, the 34-year-old Italian set about making up places and his pace meant he had made his way up to 17th by the time they deployed the safety car on lap three after a crash.
When the race resumed, Canepa scythed through the pack to mount a sensational fightback and was up to third by the time he handed the bike over to his teammate Fritz. The 29-year-old continued the excellent work, lapping metronomically and staying in touch with the two factory teams before passing the baton to Hanika. The Czech rider upped the pace even more, setting the team’s fastest lap of the race, a 2:07.781, as he began hunting down the leaders.
As the hours went by, all three riders maintained a relentless pace and consistently lapped in the 2:08s around the 5.821km Suzuka Circuit. By hour five, they were up to second and battling with the factory Kawasaki (KRT) team, plus they had opened up a gap of over one and a half minutes over the team in fourth. YART had the better pace, but KRT were averaging three laps more per stint. The two teams kept swapping places each time they pitted, and it seemed like it would all come down to the wire to decide the final two spots on the podium. During their seventh pit stop, as Canepa handed the bike back to Fritz, a minor issue with the rear tyre saw them lose just over 30 seconds, but a quick repair by the team meant they re-joined in third, and although they had lost touch with KRT, they managed to retain a 14-second gap to the team in fourth.
Then, with an hour to go, disaster struck, as Fritz crashed after making contact while overtaking another bike at Turn 13. The German rider heroically dug the bike out from the air fence and brought it back to the pits despite significant damage to the #7 R1. Miraculously, the YART team repaired the bike in under nine minutes to send Hanika back out on track in seventh, five laps down on the leaders with 40 minutes to go.
The 26-year-old got his head down and managed to make up one place before bad luck struck again as he was forced to complete a ride-through penalty as a consequence of the earlier crash. Visibly frustrated at the decision but remaining focused, Hanika battled to the end to secure a heroic seventh place overall and second amongst the full-time EWC teams after completing 209 laps.
Despite the disappointment of missing out on their first Suzuka podium, the team showcased their pace once more and managed to secure three championship points for qualifying in third, plus another 14 for their seventh-place finish. This sees them remain third in the overall standings with 93 points, 34 points behind the leaders. The Yamalube YART Yamaha Official EWC Team returns to action at the final round of the season, the Bol d’Or on the 16th-18th of September, with everything still to play for with a possible 96.5 points up for grabs due to the fact EWC rules mean that any points scored in the last race are multiplied by 1.5.
Karel Hanika – P7 (209 laps) Yamalube YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
“Obviously, I am disappointed. We did not put a foot wrong for seven hours, were by far the fastest EWC team, and were even involved in a battle for second with the KRT Team. The team did an amazing job. During the race, we struggled a bit with the front tyre in the hotter conditions, but I felt good on the bike, and our pace was excellent. We did the maximum that was possible for today. I feel sorry for Marvin, as he rode brilliantly, and these things can happen in endurance racing, but we will be back to Suzuka next year, and now we are focused on the Bol d’Or in September.”
Marvin Fritz – P7 (209 laps) Yamalube YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
“I don’t really have much to say right now. I want to say sorry to the whole team and everyone from Yamaha. The podium was in touching distance, but with less than an hour to go, I went to overtake a back marker and crashed. I was not even pushing that hard at the time; I was just focusing on my rhythm. I went to make the pass up the inside at Turn 13 as he left a gap, but then he moved back across the track, and we were both on the same racing line. We made contact and went down. The bike was damaged a lot, but the team did amazingly to repair the bike in under ten minutes. I am just sorry for the team, as we worked hard all week, and everyone deserved the podium. We were fast in every session, and it hurts to finish like this. I know our time will come, and we are already looking forward to the Bol d’Or.”
Niccolò Canepa – P7 (209 laps) Yamalube YART Yamaha Official EWC Team
“Honestly, I am a bit lost for words. We finished in seventh, but that wasn’t the result we wanted or deserved. After the issue at the start, I had to fight back from 25th place on the opening lap and recovered to third by the time my first stint was over, which was amazing. Our pace was excellent, and the YART Yamaha R1 felt really good. Everybody did an awesome job, and we were just unlucky. Our dream has always been to finish on the podium at Suzuka, and we were so close, but these things happen in endurance racing. We will come back even stronger next year, but first, we turn our attention to the Bol d’Or to ensure we finish the season in the best way possible.”
Mandy Kainz Yamalube YART Yamaha Official EWC Team – Team Manager
“It is hard to put into words the feelings I have right now. Obviously, I am disappointed, but I am also very proud of the whole team. We do not have as many resources compared to our factory rivals, but we were right up there at the front all week. We were fast from the first day of testing and were the only team to have all three riders in the 2:05s during qualifying. During the race, the guys rode superbly, they were so consistent, and it looked like we would achieve our dream of recording our first ever podium at Suzuka. Unfortunately, it was not meant to be, but this is endurance racing. I want to thank the whole team for their efforts this week; they have been incredible. We will be back again next year, but first, we are determined to finish the season as strongly as possible at the Bol d’Or.”
More, from a press release issued by BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team:
Technical retirement: Strong performance of BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team at Suzuka 8 Hours goes unrewarded.
Markus Reiterberger, Ilya Mikhalchik and Jérémy Guarnoni do battle for a strong result in the third round of the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship in Japan.
A technical failure forces the team to retire halfway through the race for safety reasons.
Season finale at Le Castellet in mid-September.
Suzuka. BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team impressed with a strong performance in their first appearance at the famous Suzuka 8 Hours (JPN)but went unrewarded. In the first half of the race, Markus Reiterberger (GER), Ilya Mikhalchik (UKR) and Jérémy Guarnoni (FRA) on the #37 BMW M 1000 RR did battle for a very good result but after nearly four hours, a technical failure forced the team to retire from the race for safety reasons. Suzuka was the third event of the season in the 2022 FIM Endurance World Championship (FIM EWC).
Up until the retirement, the race week at Suzuka had been going well for the BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team. Team manager Werner Daemen’s crew, who were contesting the iconic race for the first time, held their ground as the only works team of a European manufacturer in the strong field of numerous Japanese teams. In the combined results of Friday’s qualifying sessions the team finished in sixth place to secure one of the coveted spots in the top ten qualifying on Saturday. During this session, in which the first ten positions on the grid were awarded, BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team focussed on preparing for the race and qualified in ninth place on the starting grid.
As in the previous days, high temperatures and high humidity made the race a physical challenge for riders and teams but starting rider Mikhalchik, Reiterberger and Guarnoni delivered a flawless performance. The team’s efforts in the pit stops were also flawless, and the strategy was a good one that allowed the team to set themselves the goal of a top five or six finish, which would have been a very good result for a European team at Suzuka. After nearly four hours however, Mikhalchik initially rolled to the side of the track before he could push the bike a bit and then ride back to the pits. Due to an engine failure in the cooling circuit area, the team had to retire from the race.
BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team is now focussing on the season finale of the 2022 FIM EWC, the 24-hour race Bol d’Or at Le Castellet (FRA) from 15th to 18th September.
Quotes after of the Suzuka 8 Hours. Werner Daemen, Team Manager BMW Motorrad World Endurance Team: “It is difficult to express just how disappointed I am. The entire team, especially the riders, did a very good job. It has not been easy for us here because we had never been here and had never tested here before. We made it into the top ten qualifying and performed very well in difficult conditions over all these days. In the race, we had a very good start. Ilya moved up into fifth straight away and he, Markus and Jérémy were running well over the first hours. But then we encountered this technical failure and I hope that we can find the cause very soon together with BMW so that this will not happen again.”
Markus Reiterberger: “We started well into the race. Ilya had a great start I was able to continue with a good stint. We have always been within the top five and top eight so we set ourselves the goal to finish between the first five to seven places. This would have been realistic, we could have got a strong result. It was a pity to then have the technical issue. The team and us riders have worked so hard for this race and have to travel home now with empty hands. That was really frustrating. Thanks to the team for the great commitment and efforts.”
Ilya Mikhalchik: “Of course it is pretty frustrating to end the race this way. We have been in a quite good position and it was possible to finish with a really strong result. But then we had the technical issue. It is like it is, and for sure it is good to have gathered some more data and we again have made steps on the bike for the next races. We will fight again. In general, it was good to see the progress on the bike over the weekend, without not having any tests here before. Also the Dunlop tyres worked well and we have always been in the top ten and rode lap times like the guys on other tyres. This gives us confidence. We will now leave the disappointment behind us and focus on the next one.”
Jérémy Guarnoni: “I am really disappointed with this result. We did a very good job over the entire week with a big effort from the team and riders and I think we really did everything perfectly during the weekend. During the race we then had a technical issue that is not under control of the team. We hope that this problem can be solved for the next races and that we can fight at the 24 hours at the Bol d’Or. I think we can fight for the win there. So a big thank you to the team, to all mechanics, team management and riders, because we did a great weekend here.”
More, from a press release issued by Team Suzuki Press Office:
YOSHIMURA SERT MOTUL ON SUZUKA PODIUM
Yoshimura SERT Motul: Suzuki GSX-R1000R – 3rd.
The Yoshimura Suzuki Endurance Racing Team Motul pulled off a remarkable feat at the Suzuka 8-Hours by finishing third, despite having only two riders and starting from 22nd on the grid. This accomplishment enabled the team to consolidate its position as FIM Endurance World Championship leader.
The reigning world championship team started from 22nd position on the grid after a very difficult qualifying session, however, the entire team had high hopes for the race. At the drop of the flag, Gregg Black made the most of his experience by making an exceptional start, immediately moving up 15 places.
A crash at the beginning of the race called for the intervention of the safety car for seven laps. When the race resumed, the Suzuki GSX-R1000R, continued to climb in the standings and the team momentarily took the lead in the provisional rankings.
When Kazuki Watanabe took over from Black, the team was in a solid fourth place. Drawing on his knowledge of the Suzuka circuit, the Japanese rider maintained a very fast pace and kept the team towards the front.
The Suzuki GSX-R1000R with Bridgestone tyres was superbly prepared for the 8-hour event, and the support crew performed super-fast pit stops throughout the race. Although they were missing their third teammate in the physically demanding race, Black and Watanabe maintained their speed and control and were in third place at the halfway point. Despite suffocating heat and fatigue, the two riders remained focused.
With just one hour to go, the team was in a strong fourth and perfectly positioned to take advantage of a mistake made by its main championship rival. A superb performance rewarded Yoshimura SERT Motul with third place on the finish line of the 2022 EWC Suzuka 8-Hours.
The Suzuki GSX-R1000R-mounted S-Pulse Dream Racing team of Hideyuki Ogata, Atsumi Cocoro and Takuya Tsuda also rode brilliantly to finish fourth overall in the race.
Yoshimura SERT Motul has consolidated its position as leader of the FIM EWC championship. It will start the Bol d’Or, final round of the 2022 season scheduled for the 17th and 18th of September, at the Paul Ricard circuit in France, with a tally of 127 championship points and a lead of 23 points over its main rival.
Damien Saulnier – Team Manager:
“It was a complicated week and a crazy race. Finishing in third position is not a victory, but it felt like it. I am really proud of the whole technical team and the riders who did a great job in really difficult conditions. With only two riders, it was not possible to compete with the leaders of the race, but we had to ensure a good score. The contract was fulfilled.”
Yohei Kato – Team Director:
“This podium is like a victory for us. We started 22nd and finished third, it’s incredible. This result is even better than what we expected. On top of that we have increased our lead in the championship. After Gregg’s great start, we stayed calm and followed our roadmap to avoid making any mistakes. I couldn’t have asked for more.”
Gregg Black:
“What an incredible race with a result that was a bit unexpected given the conditions. I came here as a team leader. I finally took part in the practice and the race. We were originally aiming for victory, but the withdrawal of Xavier and Sylvain forced us to change our plans. The goal was to save as many points as possible. From the beginning of the race, it went well for us. The two leading machines had a very high pace, but these teams are not competing for the championship. Their goals are different from ours. It is always difficult to fight against them on a regular basis but we defended ourselves well. We also took advantage of a race in the last hour. This third place is a very good result because the race was physical, and it was complicated to stay focused until the end. The team and the bike were perfect here. In endurance racing, you have to believe in yourself and not give up. That’s what we did and the result proves that.”
Kazuki Watanabe:
“As we were only two riders, we knew it would be very hard. But Gregg and the team did a very good job, I’m extremely satisfied with this podium. It’s incredible starting from so far back. It’s also very positive for the championship because we take big points. Thanks to everyone who supported us.”
Wayne Maxwell (1) leads Bryan Staring (67) at Morgan Park. Photo by Karl Phillipson/Optikal, courtesy ASBK.
Maxwell does everything possible to claw back points deficit at Morgan Park
Wayne Maxwell has taken the maximum 51 points – two race victories plus the extra point for pole position- as he undertakes a desperate push to take his fourth championship in the back half of season 2022 of the mi-bike Motorcycle Insurance Australian Superbike Championships presented by Motul.
Starting as underdog to championship leader Mike Jones who has turned many laps at the 3.0km Morgan Park venue – one he counts as his “home circuit”- Maxwell used every ounce of his talent, cunning and race craft to practically will himself to the top the podium, thereby reducing his pre round 40 point deficit to Jones by 11.
With two rounds and five races remaining in season 2022, we are set for a thrilling run to the championship finish line.
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Race Two
Levi Russo was missing from the grid following a crash in the warmup, giving the leaders an easier task, and it was Hudson Thompson who made the most of the opportunity from the start. It wasn’t long before a leading pack broke away, establishing a little over a second between Marcus Hamod in fifth and Ryan Larkin in sixth by the end of lap one.
As they crossed the line for the first of six laps, it was already evident that this race would be hard fought, as Harrison Watts made the move on Thompson to lead by 0.047, with less than half a second separating first from fifth.
Larkin and Alexander Codey did their best in sixth and seventh to catch the leading group, but without the tow it was very difficult work.
Cameron Rende found a way past Watts through Dunlop corner with Hamod now up to third, but it was short lived as Watts had a game plan and took the lead once more just after the line.
Three laps down the leading pack of five was three seconds ahead of the next riders, with plenty of jostling for position throughout each lap. Crossing the line to start lap four – the gap to fifth was under a third of a second.
Watts was still looking strong, taking the bulk of the time in the lead, even if it’s never more than a few corners at a time as this group was not afraid to put the moves on each other on a near-constant basis…
Starting lap five, Bodie Paige with the bright red helmet decided the time was right and took the lead down the straight, continuing to hold on for the entire lap and even over the line – holding off Watts in the tow.
Rende managed to claw his way back in to take the lead once more from Paige, setting up the move on the exit of Michelin corner to hold on through Suzuki corner and into the Yamaha chicane. But right on the back of Rende coming out of the last corner was Paige, who tucked in with a perfectly timed tow to take the win by just 0.011, barely the width of a tyre.
Rende held on to second place with Watts right behind rounding out the podium.
Michelin Supersport Race One
Pole sitter John Lytras gave up one spot after the start to Ty Lynch who was able to jump away. The alliteration friendly pair of Lynch and Lytras were away to a small, but important lead.
Lap three, Lytras found his way past Lynch and within a few corners, the white R6 was a few bike lengths off the front.
Meanwhile Tom Bramich has worked his way to the back of Jake Farnsworth who was in third place.
Suddenly, Lytras was seen stopped trackside frantically trying to restart his bike and… reboot it. “It looks like the bike turned itself off” noted commentator Steve Martin. It was a painful sight as the championship leader worked frantically to get his machine going again, as his rivals zipped past.
Just like that, Ty Lynch found himself in the lead and – at that point – very close to Lytras in the championship points. With Lytras down in 13th- but with his ears pinned back, every rider he passed meant a few points ahead in the championship. Finishing thirteenth meant that Lynch was just one point behind. An extraordinary situation.
And then it happened again. Lytras again stationary trackside with the bike showing a blue screen of nightmares. Any hope of some extra consolation points went away and suddenly Lynch found himself a few seconds up the road. The machine eventually restarted, but he was 13th and three laps down on 12th.
Meanwhile Bromich and Farnsworth were locked in a riveting arm wrestle for second. Bromich finally worked his way past and was able to get a small but decisive gap.
The last laps were by comparison quiet at that front, but Mitch Kuhne, Tom Drane and Luca Durning were fighting it out for fifth place and traded places several times before finishing in that order.
With another race to come, the first act had everything…
Lytras on the race one dramas:
“I actually lost all throttle, when it first stuffed up, I went into turn one and the bike went straight to idle so I had no throttle which is fly-by-wire, it just kept doing it throughout the race.”
Dunlop Supersport 300 Race Two
There are no gentleman’s agreements in Supersport 300. It’s all “I’m gonna get mine” and listing the lead changes is a fruitless exercise.
But we can say that it was Taiyo Aksu who led them away, but variously Jonathan Nahlous, Glenn Nelson and others appeared to lead, but the important fact was that nine riders got away to a five second lead from another group comprising seven more riders.
The leading group of Aksu, Nahlous, Liam Waters, Cameron Swain, Jonathan Nikolis, Cameron Dunker, Glenn Nelson and Hayden Nelson raced hard and fair and the slightest gap was an open invite to be passed. That’s fine, you just have to wait a few corners and repay the favour.
With two to go Aksu was late on the brakes into turn one to take the lead. It really felt like he meant business and was clearly prepping for the run to the line. Championship leader Dunker was down in fifth and while a part of the lead group, he did not appear able to press a claim for race leadership.
Last lap and Aksu led them over the line. Nahlous was inside and into the lead at turn one, Swain lurked and showed the leaders a wheel here and there, but Aksu held second place and had eyes only for leader Nahlous.
Bunching up through the final turns, it was impossible to work out who would take the minor placings- Aksu had just enough to hang on for first place, but it was Waters in second, Swain up for third, Nahlous would be disappointed to be shuffled from first down to fourth and Dunker in fifth.
At the start of the weekend, Aksu was the only rider seemingly capable of genuinely chasing Dunker for the title, and yet another Aksu win with Dunker in fifth started to make the complicated maths to take the championship lead a reality.
Alpinestars Superbike Race One
Lachlan Epis jumped away from downtown to take the lead off the line and he and Wayne Maxwell headed away. Late in the lap, Maxwell put in a pretty brutal pass and Epis went off track, rejoining in 13th and taking away any opportunity the BMW Alliance squad had for a much-needed podium finish.
Classic Maxwell. Head down, bum up and setting sail for the finish line- on lap two. With Cru Halliday now in second place and Mike Jones in third, it was the stuff of nightmares for the Yamaha Factory squad. Halliday had made it clear at the Friday presser that he wasn’t just going to give up a spot for Jones as “I need to get wins.”
But on lap six, Jones finally got past his teammate and set off for the now 2.4 seconds-ahead Wayne Maxwell.
At this point it was Maxwell, Jones, Halliday, Troy Herfoss and Bryan Staring rounding out the top five.
Herfoss saw the opportunity when Halliday had a rear wheel step out and overtook the R1 to move up to third. He too was now off in pursuit of Maxwell.
At half distance, the pressure valve blew with Cru Halliday sliding off at turn six. Jones was a lonely second, while Maxwell was a lonely but-happy first, but the gap was down to 1.7 from 2.4 seconds. Maxwell’s cunning plan to create pressure on Jones by getting out to a good lead was being brought undone as Jones played the reverse card and put the pressure back on the 2021 champion.
Lap 10- the lead was down to 1.6 seconds. Pearson had overtaken teammate Staring for fourth in his first outing aboard the DesmoSport Ducati. And while we were busy typing that, Maxwell’s lead fell to 1.4 seconds.
By lucky lap 13, it was under a second. Jones was now able to start lining-up the K-Tech Ducati Panigale and think about where he wanted to pass. “the number one machine is in trouble” said Steve Martin and while he is the expert, it was now obvious to all. As if we didn’t need anything else to add to the tension; the back markers came into play.
A 0.6 second gap on lap 14. Jones could now surely feel the heat from the Ducati exhausts and the blue R1 was now in contact with the gap now just two tenths. The time doesn’t matter. They are together as we headed into the final lap.
Tension? Yeah… all of it. Maxwell had to use everything he had in his skill bag and 20 years of top-level racing experience to just get a tiny, but vital gap. At the bottom of the circuit, he’s too good, and as they go through the last chicane, the Ducati can pretty much take it from there and he crossed the line first.
Jones was home for second with Herfoss third to round out a podium of past winners at Morgan Park.
Broc Pearson brought home his Ducati in a startling and better-than-expected fourth place, ahead of teammate Staring in fifth, Glenn Allerton in sixth, a valiant ride from Epis, working his way into seventh, Arthur Sissis in eighth, in ninth Jed Metcher and Max Stauffer rounded out the top ten.
Yamaha Finance R3 Cup Race Two
Cameron Dunker was swallowed off the line down to fourth by turn one while Liam Waters had a great start into first.
Aksu down one spot to sixth was the one to watch on the back of three wins this weekend already.
The field was tight as they settled into the race, after one lap there was barely a gap of half a second.
Glenn Nelson took advantage of the slipstream onto the main straight to take second place with sights set on Waters ahead.
The next lap, Glenn Nelson made the move on Waters at the back end of the lap, but lost the spot again on the straight – Waters and Cameron Swain both coming through.
On lap three, Aksu made his way through, up to third and looking strong. By the final chicane, Aksu was right on the back of Swain and cruised by on the main straight to take the lead – setting back of back-to-back fastest laps in the process.
Swain wasn’t done, taking the position back from Aksu but it didn’t last – only a few corners later Swain crashed out of the lead while trying to battle with Aksu. Swain was okay but that was his race done.
Into lap five and Aksu looked to build on the lead, now out to 0.35 and holding out now comfortably from Waters on the straight.
As the leading pack settled in for a few laps, there was a great little scrap happening from ninth down to 13th with Henry Snell holding out the pack, separated by less than a second.
Waters, not to be outdone, got the head down and reeled Aksu in, taking the lead on lap seven, holding off a charge from Aksu at turn one on the start of the final lap.
Marianos Nikolis has worked his way up into a potential podium, fighting with Dunker with the Nelson duo in fifth and sixth.
Heading into the final chicane Waters set himself up with a clean exit to hold on and win by 0.143, while Aksu had to defend a fiery Nikolis, who very nearly pipped second on the line.
In the midfield, a trio of Jack Favelle, Snell and Jonathan Nahlous hit the line three-wide separated by just 0.051 with Favelle taking a hard fought ninth.
bLU cRU Oceania Junior Cup Race Three
Levi Russo made the grid this time out and with a solid start held the lead into turn one.
In the usual OJC fashion the lead group exchange the lead numerous times throughout the first lap and by the end of lap one it was Harrison Watts leading Bodie Paige with Hudson Thompson and Russo in third and fourth.
From second place on lap two, Thompson made a mistake at the entry to Suzuki corner ending his race early, losing the front under brakes into the right hander.
A bit of a gap emerged as the leading group reacted to the collapse of Thompson, but by the start of lap four it was all back to the usual tight racing with Paige leading the way.
Marcus Hamod and Paige battled throughout lap four exchanging the lead, with Cameron Rende, Watts and Russo keeping them honest.
In the midfield, a second group was tucked closely together led by Hunter Corner with another five bikes, all within half a second of each other.
Into the final lap, Rende takes the lead, but we’ve seen time and time again that it means almost nothing if you can’t find a good half-second gap before the tow kicks in onto the main straight.
A mistake by Hamod, drifting out onto the grass, gave Watts a great little gap coming into the Yamaha chicane. The gap was about 0.25 but it wasn’t enough and Watts was completely swamped heading across the line.
The timing board showed Rende the winner by 0.73 over Watts and Paige in third 0.05 behind Watts, and it took a video review to confirm the result. Hamod did well to hold onto fourth after his excursion on the grass, holding out Russo in fifth.
The second pack came across the line eight seconds adrift of the leaders, with Ryan Larkin taking sixth from Sam Drane, and only 0.577 splitting sixth from tenth.
Michelin Supersport Race Two
The mood on the grid of race two of today’s supersport race was tense. After his 13th placed, three-laps-down race one, John Lytras and his team were understandably nervous after his nightmare race one where his bike cut out twice, costing him any chance of victory.
It was Ty Lynch who jumped away and led the field into turn one, with a rejuvenated and focused Lytras in pursuit. The leading pair would do exactly that, and after a few laps they would get out to a multi-second lead, with Tom Bramich in third, but losing contact.
Jake Farnsworth crashed out in turn one, while fourth through seventh diced for position. This group of Rhys Belling, Tom Drane, Luca Durning and Scott Nicholson would stay in contact with each other until the race-end.
Lytras meanwhile had moved past Lynch and by lap eight, he was out to a 1.7 second lead, with a 14 second gap back to third placed Bramich.
At lap 12, Lytras just needed to stay upright, and for the bike to stay happy. There were no signs of the electrical gremlins that had plagued him in race one. With a near-five-second lap, he was inevitable.
Lynch had served up everything he had, but Lytras sought and received some redemption for his issues in race one and crossed the line some 6.2 seconds back to Lynch with Bramich third and then the Drane (4th) led bunch finished together with Nicholson (5th), Belling (6th), Durning (7th) and Troy Guenther (8th).
Dunlop Supersport 300 Race Three
The final race of the weekend for the Supersport 300 crew was always going to be tense. Championship leader Cameron Dunker was blessed because despite his results not being quite where he needed them to be, his main rivals were either absent or not at the front either.
Taiyo Aksu was the standout rider of the weekend, but starting the weekend fifth in the championship meant that the challenge to get to the top of the standings was rather large
So at the jump it was Aksu again leading from Liam Waters and Glenn Nelson. On this occasion the leading group consisted of ten riders, and they would stay close for the duration of the 10-lap journey.
Variously, Marianos Nikolis and Waters lead the race, with Aksu unhappily in third, trying everything to stay in contact and work his way back to the lead. Cameron Swain sat happily in fourth, content to let the leading trio trade the lead- and fairing paint- while he waited to pounce.
Aksu found himself back in the lead by lap six and managed the impossible- a small gap to the pursuing pack. The pack called for a brief ceasefire, realising that their common enemy was off the front.
Jonathan Nahlous was able to catch and pass Aksu for 2-3 corners, before Aksu would once again take the lead. Nahlous and Aksu swapped the lead several times before Swain tired of the Nahlous/Aksu show back in fourth and took the race lead on lap nine.
The final lap board came out, and Nahlous took the lead into turn one. Swain passed him back, while Aksu worked back up to second. With the corners running out, Swain led from Aksu and Nahlous.
Aksu took the lead with a few corners to go and tried to sneak to the line. Swain had the perfect sit and like a pro cycling sprinter, pulled out of the slipstream to take his first win in Supersport 300 by 3/100th of a second.
Alpinestars Superbike Race Two
It was Mike Jones with the holeshot in race two with Maxwell tucking in behind. Bryan Staring was into third, with Lachlan Epis (4th) and Cru Halliday (5th).
It was apparent even after lap one that Jones was looking to pop off the front to avoid any shenanigans with second placed on track and second in the championship Wayne Maxwell.
But Maxwell was having none of that, pushing back into the slipstream and immediately looking to pounce. While the Ducati has the horses, as the late Ken Wootton said of a younger Jones “he has the biggest brake rotors in the paddock” and there was no out braking the R1 into turn one.
After three laps, there was plenty of tension but little passing as the riders seemingly settled in. Troy Herfoss moved up into fourth, while Staring made contact with the leading duo and the two Ducatis started to stalk the lone blue Yamaha.
Herfoss set off after the leaders and thanks to relentless fast laps, by lap five it was a four-man race with Jones, Maxwell, Staring and Herfoss within a second of each other.
Further down, Broc Pearson was leading Epis, Halliday, Arthur Sissis and Glenn Allerton as they tried to work their way to the leading quartet.
In the space of three corners, Herfoss worked his way from fourth into second place “like carving up backmarkers” according to commentator Steve Martin.
While we were collectively distracted by Herfoss, Maxwell had taken the lead into turn one after a solid draft and late braking move.
Staring fell away slightly, while teammate Pearson began to catch the leaders. Gary Crilly from Pirelli was interviewed and noted that Herfoss was the only rider in the leading group who had gone with the softer tyre option. As that was happening, Herfoss took the lead.
But by lap 11, Jones had taken the lead from Herfoss while Maxwell was shuffled back to third. Pearson was now the fastest man on circuit and Jones was trying to pull away from the hungry Herfoss and Maxwell.
Pundits began to speculate on Herfoss’ tyre life while Jones just pushed out to a near one second lead on lap 12. Pearson was now on the back of Staring and the decision by DesmoSport to offer the rookie Superbike rider a seat mid-season began to look like a very clever move.
Into the last laps and it was Jones, but now he had Maxwell back with him at just 0.3 behind. Pearson passed Herfoss as Staring did the same- confusing many and the two Ducati teammates began sizing each other up for the final podium spot. The soft tyre option for Herfoss was now starting to go away from him and he dropped seconds a lap to the leaders.
Into the final lap, with Maxwell, just 0.1 behind at various points. Further back, the Ducatis diced and then in an incredible turn around, Maxwell found a way through the #46 Yamaha and Jones immediately had a huge moment that nearly ended off track. It was an unbelievable finish.
Maxwell takes the maximum 51 points, Jones continues to lead, Pearson has arrived and there’s just two rounds to go…
Yamaha Finance R3 Cup Race Three
A lightning start from Liam Waters could only be bettered by the one and only Taiyo Aksu who continued to show his weekend form, moving from fifth to second and right on the tail of Waters.
At the start of lap three, Aksu made the move on Waters to take the lead, but nothing is a given here and there were seven bikes behind all in the mix.
The final race of the weekend had given these riders countless laps to figure out the right race plan and setting up the chicane exit onto the main straight looked a crucial element of any good race.
By lap five, Cameron Swain was looking to pull the trigger, taking the lead well before the main straight, only to hand it straight back to Aksu and Waters.
The movement within the leading pack of eight was constant and countless while seven seconds up the road was essentially the other half of the field with Cooper Rowntree at the head of ninth to 15th split by less than a second.
Into lap seven it was Hayden Nelson looking to make the big moves, up into second as they headed to the line, with Swain falling to seventh.
Waters lead the final lap with Aksu and Marianos Nikolis close behind.
Aksu went for a move on Waters but couldn’t hold on to it, and it looked like that could be a good thing heading into the chicane- the tow awaited.
But Waters managed a clean-as-you-like exit out of the final corner and somehow managed to hold off the attack from Aksu, staying just ahead by 0.047 to take the race and overall weekend win.
Nikolis held on for a well fought third place ahead of Cameron Dunker with less than a second back to eighth.
Maxwell
To come away with 51 points at probably my worst track on the calendar… I’ve surprised myself. The boys in the team worked really hard to give us a package that worked. We had really good consistency and pace. In the first race I suffered a little bit physically but in the second race I was a lot stronger and able to fight it out right to the end with Mike.
It’s a very narrow window with that bike with the balance with the weight from front to rear, so that’s what we really work on recently and that’s what’s given me the confidence to win races.
Well Mike has to continue to finish second and he’ll get home but there’s a lot of racing to be had and there’s a lot of guys that are getting pretty keen… Bryan’s super strong at Phillip Island… so anything’s possible it is racing. We haven’t had a wet race yet, we’re probably due for one of those and we’ll just see how it goes.
Jones
I obviously wanted to win the races, I said that yesterday… to get beaten it’s not a great feeling, you come here, your goal is to win, and when you don’t achieve that then obviously you’re disappointed.
The flip side of that, I have to be happy because I’m still leading the Championship, if you look at the performance from the weekend, I feel like I gave my best at all times, and was actually really quite strong, just Wayne was able to pip me there and have enough right at the very end. Compared to the rest of the field, we’re still very strong and I feel great on the Yamaha.
My understanding is that we are intending to go and do it (MotoGP round of superbikes at Phillip Island) and we still are. It should give us a bit of a chance to get some more setup time on that particular circuit ahead of our actual ASBK Championship round later there in November.
Bryan Staring
All in all a reasonable weekend. It only really came together in race two – that was the first time I felt like I could let my wings out a little bit. I’m happy to end up third, but after race one and after qualifying, third overall for the weekend is pretty good even if we had hoped to be slightly better than that… Unfortunately lost a bit of gap to Wayne for second in the Championship, but as he just said, there’s plenty of races to come.
I was kinda just at the back of that group for most of it, and mostly just dying to hang in there. I wasn’t a huge part of the action in the fight for the actual battle… I still rode a good race, the last part of it I didn’t quite have the speed that the other guys had to bring it home but it was a good result in third.
Ty Lynch
The main aim is to finish every race, like he still finished the first race but that’s a big hit in the points for him. It’s a long season.
It’s been one of our strong points this year, just getting of the line is half your race really, got a good jump and then I just tried to run with Lytras the whole race. Got about eight laps in and I just ran out of tyre and ran out of steam and that was it.
Phillip Island and The Bend for me is a strong point for me and we’ve done a lot of testing at The Bend over the last four or five months. It will be interesting to see how he performs there, he’s actually turned it up this part of the season – he struggled a little bit at the start and he’s really starting to come on strong.
Bagnaia holds off Viñales to become eighth different Silverstone winner in a row
Just 0.426 decides the victory, with Miller completing the podium as Quartararo takes P8
Francesco Bagnaia (63) celebrates winning the British Grand Prix. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 07 August 2022
For two Championship titans at the Monster Energy British Grand Prix, eight was the key number. Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) held off Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) by just under half a second to become the eighth different winner at Silverstone in eight events, and Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP) was only able to take P8 despite emerging from his Long Lap penalty within the fight for the podium.
For Bagnaia that’s a 17 point gain in the standings, and with Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) completing the podium it was a good day for the Borgo Panigale factory all round – with a Ducati now having been on the podium 18 races in a row too, the longest streak ever.
Off the line, polesitter Johann Zarco (Prima Pramac Racing) got the holeshot as he headed Quartararo early on, with the factory Ducati duo of Miller and Bagnaia taking up third and fourth respectively. Team Suzuki Ecstar’s Alex Rins was fifth on his Suzuki before he overtook Bagnaia on Lap 3 at The Loop, but both moved up on Lap 4 when Quartararo – who was sanctioned for his run-in with Aleix Espargaro at Assen – took his Long Lap Penalty at the last possible opportunity.
‘El Diablo’ was still second as he entered the penalty loop and resumed in fifth, behind Zarco, Miller, Rins, and Bagnaia. By then, Viñales was sixth and Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) seventh, as a bruised Aleix Espargaro struggled to keep pace after his huge FP4 highside.
Zarco seemingly had a great shot at finally clinching a maiden MotoGP™ race win, but disaster struck when he folded the front and crashed at Vale on Lap 5. Miller then inherited the lead and while Rins went underneath the Australian at The Loop later that same lap, the Spaniard could not get the move done. He tried another pass at Vale on Lap 6 and was successful that time, putting the #42 GSX-RR at the head of the field.
Miller ceded second position to teammate Bagnaia exactly a lap later again at Vale, by which time Martin had charged up to fourth after blazing past Quartararo as they ran up the Hangar Straight moments earlier. The Spaniard went down the inside of Miller at Copse at the start of Lap 8 but ran wide on exit and had to get back into file behind the Ducati Lenovo Team rider. Viñales, though, was now well on the move, into the top five asmhe overtook Quartararo on the Hangar Straight on Lap 9.
Up ahead, Rins continued to lead but looked increasingly like the cork in the bottle. Bagnaia then struck to get past on Lap 12 at Stowe and Miller made it a factory Ducati one-two when he got underneath Rins at Village on Lap 14. Meanwhile, Viñales and Martin had been chopping and changing in the battle for fourth position until the former completed a decisive move on Lap 16 at Village. He wasted no time dealing with Rins, however, overtaking the Suzuki for third place exactly a lap later.
Village was proving a popular location for ‘Top Gun’, who passed Miller for second there on Lap 18, at which point he faced a 0.6-second deficit to Bagnaia. On Lap 19, he made yet another attempt at an overtake at Village, but this time could not make the move stick. Still, just 0.3 seconds separated first and second at the start of the 20th and final lap. Could Viñales win on a third different bike?
Not quite. The number 12 was wide through Stowe and Vale, ensuring Bagnaia just had the breathing space he needed to clinch the win – 0.426 clear over the line. Miller completed the podium, homing in on Viñales but not quite able to make it either.
The battle for fourth position raged all the way until the end. Martin was back into fourth when he overtook Rins on Lap 17, but then another threat emerged in the form of Enea Bastianini. The Gresini Racing rider qualified eighth and, despite losing a winglet in first-corner contact with Martin, was tucked in just behind him on Lap 19 after leapfrogging Rins. And the ‘Beast’ got it done, stealing the position from ‘The Martinator’ – his rival for the factory team seat in 2023 – on the final lap at Brooklands.
Martin therefore finished fifth and Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) came from Row 5 on the grid to claim sixth at the chequered flag, while Rins faded to seventh in the end.
Behind them came the top two in the World Championship, Quartararo and Espargaro, who found themselves in direct combat for eighth on the final lap. Espargaro outbraked Quartararo at Brooklands and while he could not pull up in time to complete the pass, ninth was still a heroic effort for the Aprilia rider who feared he might not even be able to race after his practice highside. Losing just a point to Quartararo was probably his wildest dream on Saturday evening.
Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) rounded out the top 10 in another impressive ride, with the rest of the points finishers being Brad Binder (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing), Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team), Takaaki Nakagami (LCR Honda Idemitsu), Pol Espargaro (Repsol Honda Team) and Franco Morbidelli (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™). Joining Zarco as a retirement was Suzuki’s Joan Mir, who crashed out of eighth on Lap 15 at Stowe.
In the Championship standings, Quartararo is now 22 points up on Aleix Espargaro, but Bagnaia has closed to 49 points off top spot, and he’s third overall and top Ducati… guess where we head to next?
Ducati turf: the Styrian hills and the Red Bull Ring in Austria. Catch the CryptoDATA Motorrad Grand Prix von Österreich from August 19-21!
MotoGP™ PODIUM
1 Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 40’10.260
3 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – +0.614
Francesco Bagnaia: “It wasn’t easy, because for the whole weekend, we were in trouble with the rear grip. The biggest step was this morning, using the hard rear. I tried the hard rear and I found a better feeling, but I was still missing something that we found for the race. I have to say thanks to my team, who have done an incredible job today. I put this win as my best one; I think this is the best win I have ever had because it wasn’t easy. It’s never easy, but today we were suffering more. I want to say thanks also to my trainer Carlo, to Vale, and to Casey, because we are writing messages these days. Vale is the one that has helped me the most in terms of support, so thank you all. It’s incredible, I’m very happy.”
Fernandez fights off Lopez to take the points lead at Silverstone
Kalex vs Boscoscuro, experience vs rookie creates a true stunner in the intermediate class – with Dixon completing the podium on home turf
Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) vs Alonso Lopez (CAG Speed Up) proved a Moto2™ battle for the ages at the Monster Energy British Grand Prix. It came down to the final lap as Fernandez snatched victory from Lopez’s grasp in a spectacular encounter, while home hero Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspar Team) claimed a dream podium at Silverstone.
Fernandez now leads the standings as the top three reversed order on Sunday.
Joe Roberts (Italtrans Racing Team) grabbed the holeshot from the middle of the front row but Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) was the rider to lead over the line at the end of Lap 1. However, Lopez took the lead at the beginning of Lap 2 after making fantastic progress from 8th.
World Championship leader Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) didn’t get the start he would have wanted from the second row and was outside the top six. Taking his Long Lap penalty, Vietti had to produce a front-end save on the exit as the Italian came out in P11, over four seconds down on the race lead.
A top four of Lopez, Aron Canet (Flexbox HP40), Ogura and Fernandez then broke clear, with Dixon chasing them in fifth a second away. After a couple of laps, Dixon bridged the gap to Fernandez’s rear wheel and the lead group became a quintet, with sixth place Albert Arenas (GASGAS Aspar Team) under a second away from his teammate.
With nine to go, Lopez’s lead was up to 0.8s. That was up to a second by the end of the lap as Fernandez moved up to P2 ahead of Canet, as Arenas then crashed at Turn 4. Thankfully, Arenas and his stricken bike were avoided by the oncoming traffic. With seven to go, both Canet and Ogura had a scare heading into Turn 13 and half a lap later, Dixon was past the pair of them.
Fernandez set the fastest lap of the race on Lap 13 and was hunting down Lopez. With four to go, the gap was nothing as Dixon, Ogura and Canet battled away for the final podium spot behind them. It was as you were with two laps to go, but it was getting feisty. Canet and Dixon exchanged P3, Ogura made slight contact with Canet’s rear wheel and it was as close as it gets between Lopez and Fernandez at the front, too.
Lopez was defending like a lion and it was all coming down to Brooklands – the final part of the lap. And it was right there, Turn 16, where Fernandez pounced. Late on the brakes, up the inside, Lopez tried to protect his lead but his compatriot forced his way through. Lopez tried to bite back but the last-ditch move handed Fernandez a second straight win, and one that sees him take a 13-point lead in the Championship after winning by just 0.070.
Lopez’s debut Moto2™ World Championship podium was sensational and coming out on top in the battle for the final podium spot was home hero Dixon, who finished just 0.6s away from victory in the end.
Ogura’s P4 ahead of Canet could be two vital points come the end of the season, as Vietti rescues a P6 after his Long Lap penalty. Roberts slipped to P7 after showing great pace in Free Practice and qualifying, the American finishing ahead of Jorge Navarro (Flexbox HP40), Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2™) and Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team).
Fernandez now sits as the outright Moto2™ title leader heading to Austria, with Ogura and Vietti 13 and 15 points back respectively… will it change again in Styria? we’ll find out in two weeks!
2 Alonso Lopez (CAG Speed Up) – Boscoscuro – +0.070
3 Jake Dixon (GASGAS Aspar Team) – Kalex – +0.592
Augusto Fernandez: “It was not easy, it was not an easy race. The conditions changed a little bit with these temperatures, and we had to read the race lap-by-lap, and also the pace. But I managed to catch Alonso, who was doing an awesome race – congrats to him and his team – in the final laps. We had an awesome fight for the win and I’m super-happy to get this win.”
Foggia flies back onto the top step as GASGAS duo both crash out
Bad luck hits the top two in the Championship as the Leopard rider picks his way through the drama to victory
After a dramatic few laps of Silverstone there has been a serious shift in the lightweight class standings, with Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) emerging victorious from the drama as both Championship leader Sergio Garcia (Gaviota GASGAS Aspar Team) and closest challenger and teammate Izan Guevara crashed, separately, through no fault of their own. Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) likewise capitalised and stormed through from outside the top 20 on the grid to take second, with Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech 3) completing the podium for his first rostrum finish of 2022 – extending his streak as the only rider to score in every race so far.
The opening lap was fast and frantic as several riders took turns in leading. Guevara, Ryusei Yamanaka (MT Helmets – MSI), polesitter Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) and Öncü started strong and briefly led, but it was Guevara who pounced at Turn 1 on Lap 2 to reclaim P1.
Home hero John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) made great early progress to get up to P4 from 10th on the grid, with 8th on the grid Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) also powering up to the front of the freight train. Meanwhile, World Championship leader Garcia was battling away in the lower ends of the top 10.
It was a proper barnstormer. You could throw a blanket over the top 20 riders and the lead was changing lap after lap. Foggia, with eight to go, boasted the biggest lead we’d seen all race – 0.6s over the line, with teammate Suzuki acting as the stopping block in second place. David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports) was back up into the top five after taking his Long Lap penalty too, as Guevara and McPhee found themselves down in 10th and 11th, and Garcia 8th.
With four laps to go, it was still anyone’s race to win. Garcia was P6, crucially ahead of teammate and title rival Guevara who had lost out down to P9, but less than two seconds still split the top 16. With three laps to go, Ivan Ortola (Angeluss MTA Team) led for the first time and tried ti pull clear, but he was immediately swallowed up down the Hangar Straight.
Then came the drama. Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) tagged the rear of Garcia at Turn 13 and both riders crashed out, with Sasaki stretchered away and taken to the medical centre, the Japanese rider conscious, and Garcia back on his bike but unable to continue.
Heading onto the final lap, Öncü was the leader followed by Muñoz and Ortola, with Guevara 7th. Masia then took the lead, and then lost it to Foggia, and then more drama unravelled as Guevara was taken out by Ortola at Stowe. After the latter clipped Öncü, Suzuki highsided on the exit to crash out too.
Foggia, the man third in the title race, emerged leading from Masia, Muñoz and Öncü, and round the final section Foggia was able to keep his head down and stay out of trouble, with Muñoz crashing on his own and losing out.
On the run to the line, Foggia was able to hold on for a crucial victory and gain 25 points as Masia beat Öncü by 0.045s to finish in P2, with the Turkish rider claiming third and that first podium of the season.
After that drama, the huge group fight for the podium saw Kaito Toba (CIP – Green Power) made amazing late progress to move up and take fourth, ahead of Stefano Nepa (Angeluss MTA Team) completing the top five in his best result yet. Moreira made his way back through to sixth, with McPhee getting shuffled back late on to finish seventh. Front row starter Yamanaka finished eighth ahead of Andrea Migno (Rivacold Snipers Team), with Carlos Tatay (CFMoto Racing PrüstelGP) just beating teammate Xavier Artigas to the final place in the top ten.
After that dramatic showdown the field now heads for the Austrian hills as the Red Bull Ring hosts Round 13, with the Championship even closer!
Moto3™ PODIUM
1 Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) – Honda – 37’30.120
2 Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) – KTM – +0.252
3 Deniz Öncü (Red Bull KTM Tech3) – KTM – +0.297
Dennis Foggia: “I feel good, coming back to the podium with a win is incredible, it was our target, in the last races we were a bit unlucky but now I’m focused for the second half of the season. I never won at this track, last year I was third and on the last lap I gave my best, like Jorge Lorenzo por fuera! It was incredible, I’d like to thank my team, family and friends.”
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