Testing, testing: MotoE™ ready to hit the track at Jerez!
The FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship gets ready to kick off a new era with the first test of 2023
Friday, 03 March 2023
New year, new bike, new MotoE™! It’s an exciting time for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship in 2023 as the electric competition gains World Championship status, welcomes a new manufacturer and the calendar expands. Eight rounds in seven countries sees MotoE™ join the MotoGP™ paddock from Le Mans to Misano, aka every MotoGP™ stop in Europe between May and early September. That’s 16 races, eight rounds and a whole lotta electric action. But before all that, it’s time to hit the track for testing and get ship shape to battle it out.
WHERE AND WHEN
The venue for the grid’s very first taste of their new Ducati machinery is the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, with action taking place over three days: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the 6th, 7th and 8th of March. There will be four sessions of track action throughout the day, each 15 minutes long:
FP1 10:00 – 10:15
FP2 12:15 – 12:30
FP3 14:30 – 14:45
FP4 16:45 – 17:00
WHO
The grid has a few new names this season, and every team will now have two bikes as Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™ and Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse expand, making it nine teams and 18 riders.
Two-time Cup winner Jordi Torres, now at Openbank Aspar Team, leads the list of returners, and first ever Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) is also back for more. Consistent contender Eric Granado will be back at LCR E-Team and Mattia Casadei, a key protagonist in 2022, remains at Pons Racing 40. There’s also Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing), who fought for the Cup in 2021, returning after a year in Moto2™.
The rookie ranks are arguably headlined by 2014 Moto2™ World Champion Tito Rabat as he returns to the Grand Prix paddock to take on MotoE™ with Pramac. Randy Krummenacher is another to watch as he joins Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™, adding another class to his CV of 125cc, Moto2™, WorldSSP and WorldSBK.
A NEW ERA
It’s not just rookies who’ll be adapting to the machinery in 2023 – it’s everyone! Ducati is now the single manufacturer for MotoE™ with the stunning new V21L, and the race is on to see who will get the most out of the machine the quickest. It will certainly be an interesting one to compare the progress of those with previous electric experience to that of the newcomers, but as ever the machinery is the same for all riders so we can expect the close competition to continue in MotoE™.
In addition, Jerez, whilst hosting the first test, is a venue the competition won’t be returning to for a race weekend, so teams and riders will need to make sure they use their time well to learn some transferable information, as well as the initial legwork of getting to grips with whole new machinery.
There are six days of pre-season testing for the class of 2023, with three at Jerez and then another three days planned for early April at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Who will get up to speed first? we’ll start to find out next week, so make sure to check out motogp.com for coverage of the test, and there’s live timing available from the track by heading over to the Circuito de Jerez service.
Find below a reminder of the 2023 schedule for each round, as well as the 2023 Entry List – and keep reading for more MotoE™ novelties this season!
Dominic Doyle Joins Team Iso For 2023 REV’IT! Twins Cup Championship
Woodstock, GA – March 3, 2023 – Team Iso has signed South African rider Dominic Doyle to race in the 2023 REV’IT! Twins Cup Championship aboard a Giaccmoto LLC-prepped Yamaha YZF-R7. The announcement was made by Nobi Iso, owner of Team Iso.
This will be Doyle’s second year in MotoAmerica Twins Cup. He competed aboard a Yamaha YZF-R7 in 2022, finishing 10th in the final standings and scoring two podiums and four top-five finishes on the season. Doyle began his MotoAmerica road racing career in 2017 and was a top competitor in the Junior Cup Championship. He also raced in the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship before moving to Twins Cup this past year.
“We’re delighted to have Dominic racing for us in Twins Cup this season,” Iso said. “He showed great potential last year in his first season aboard the Yamaha R7, and we’re confident that his skills, along with the support of Yamaha and our technical partner Chuck Giacchetto of Giaccmoto, will bring success to Dom and Team Iso.”
Team Iso’s Dominic Doyle. Photo courtesy Team Iso.
Doyle said, “I am really excited to be riding for Team Iso with support from Giaccmoto and Yamaha Motor Corporation. I can’t thank them all enough for this great opportunity. I’m ready to get this season started at Daytona.”
Look for Team Iso and rider Dominic Doyle in action next week, March 9 through 11, at Daytona International Speedway as they compete in two REV’IT! Twins Cup feature races on the famed high banks of the “World Center of Racing.”
Along with Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., and Giaccmoto LLC, Team Iso is supported by Bitubo Italy, Attack Performance, Vesrah, Galespeed, aRacer USA, Superbike Unlimited, Core Moto USA, SE Composites, RK Excel America, Suter Racing Products, Spears Enterprises, Yoshimura R&D of America, 5zero4 Designs, and Arai Helmet, Inc.
Ducati 1-2 on Friday as Rinaldi leads Bautista and Razgatlioglu, Rea 4th
Setting a best time of 1’32.468s, Michael Ruben Rinaldi topped Friday’s timesheets, finishing ahead of teammate Alvaro Bautista.
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P1 | Michael Ruben Rinaldi | Aruba.it Racing Team | 1’32.468s
“Today has been a positive day despite the crash after a few laps in FP1. I immediately felt good on the bike. It’s a strange track here because every session and every lap, the surface changes. There are not many motorcycle races here so there’s no rubber on the asphalt and outside the racing line is dirty, so you can’t make a mistake. From FP1 to FP2, we improved a lot the times and the feeling with the bike changed. I’m happy to be first but the conditions changed quickly, and I think it doesn’t really matter if we are first today. Tomorrow, we will come back to the track and maybe it’s a different story. We need to be calm, humble and try to do our best job.
For sure, it has been a positive Friday, but you cannot think Toprak or Jonny will not be there. They will be there for sure. During the winter tests, I think our team did a great job and our base is solid. The track changed a lot from FP1 to FP2 and tomorrow will be different. Maybe with more grip, we don’t know whether our bike is working better or not.”
Alvaro Bautista (1). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Alvaro Bautista finished 0.029s behind his teammate in Friday’s running.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (right) in his garage. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Toprak Razgatlioglu took third place with a best time of 1’32.625s, 0.157s behind Rinaldi.
Jonathan Rea (65). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Jonathan Rea was fourth 0.735s off Rinaldi’s fastest time.
Michael van der Mark (60). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Michael van der Mark was the lead BMW rider in fifth.
WorldSBK Friday Report
The opening day of MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action in Indonesia has come to an end and the order has left us all intrigued going into Saturday. Despite Ducati never having won at the circuit before, their pace from Australia has been carried to the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit, as Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ended the day on top and led a factory Ducati 1-2, with teammate Alvaro Bautista second. It was a dry first day of action and with humidity high, although rain is forecast for parts of the weekend.
It was a strong start for Ducati and particularly Michael Ruben Rinaldi, who, having topped FP1 despite a Turn 10 crash, repeated the achievement in FP2 although this time, without a tumble. Rinaldi continued his strong showing from Phillip Island and with a Friday clean-sweep and a Ducati 1-2 but in reverse order to Australia, the Bologna bullets may be the ones to beat. Reigning World Champion Bautista set strong lap times throughout the course of the session, despite suffering a Turn 1 crash. After a brief stint in the box, Bautista went back out on track and improved his time, although not enough to overthrow his teammate.
Doing a 16-lap run but returning to the box and stating that he was struggling to turn into the left-hand corners, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) went for a time attack in the closing stages of the session and placed third. Back in the mix after a Sunday to forget in Australia, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) kept his powder dry on day one, opting not to go out in FP1 until the final 17 minutes as the track cleaned up and rubbered in. Rea was in the mix throughout the session and was right behind the Ducatis for most of it, on his way to P4 overall.
It was a late burst up the order for Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with the Dutchman just less than three quarters of a second away from Rinaldi’s top time. The #60 was only 0.010s behind Rea directly ahead of him in fourth, as he showcased the BMW M 1000 RR’s potential at Mandalika, a circuit where it’s been on the podium – back in 2021 in the wet with van der Mark.
WorldSBK action resumes on Saturday with FP3 from 08:30 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole at 10:40 and Race 1 at 13:30.
Read the full report from Friday on worldsbk.com
WorldSBK Combined Results after FP2
1. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’32.468s
2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.030s
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.157s
4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.735s
5. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.745s
Bulega quickest on the opening day of the Motul Indonesian Round
Nicolo Bulega topped both Free Practice session as he set his fastest time in FP2, improving by more than 3s his morning time.
P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team | 1’36.705s
“I started this morning in a good way. I felt good with the bike … not 100% like in Australia but the feeling is not so bad. We need to improve the bike for tomorrow as we’re struggling a bit more compared to Australia because of the high temperature. We need to improve the braking because when I’m braking, I can feel the rear sliding too much. I think today, the track was difficult because there was a lot of sand on the asphalt, but the track conditions were much better in FP2. I think tomorrow the track conditions will be much better, and it will also be our second day here so everyone will be faster, but I will try to do my best as always.”
Can Oncu (61). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Can Oncu concluded Friday in second place just 0.024s off Bulega.
Niki Tuuli (66). Photo courtesy Dorna.
0.046s behind Bulega is Niki Tuuli in third place, it’s his first-time racing at Mandalika with Triumph.
WorldSSP Friday Report
The times tumbled during the FIM Supersport World Championship as Free Practice 2 concluded during the Motul Indonesian Round at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit as riders found several seconds between FP1 and FP2. All riders improved their time in the second session with Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) fastest in the combined classification with the top four riders separated by less than a tenth.
Bulega’s best time of the day was a 1’36.705s to end Friday on top as he looks to continue his winning run in WorldSSP having won the first two races of 2023. He was 0.024s clear of Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in second place after he posted a 1’36.729s. Finnish rider Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph), a race winner here in 2022 when with MV Agusta, was third and only 0.046s. German rookie Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) took fourth spot with a gap of only 0.079s to Bulega, while Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was fifth at the end of the day’s running despite a Turn 16 crash with just over 10 minutes in FP2 to go in the session. It meant that five of the six manufacturers competing in 2023 were represented in the top five.
Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) had been competing for top spot but dropped down the order to sixth place, and only 0.173s down on Bulega, while Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) was seventh. Caricasulo was 0.266s down on Bulega’s time and had his FP2 disrupted in the final seven minutes after a Turn 2 crash.
WorldSSP action resumes on Saturday with the Tissot Superpole from 09:55 (Local Time), followed Race 1 at 12:00.
Read the full report from Friday on worldsbk.com
WorldSSP Combined Results after FP2
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’36.705s
6. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +0.173s
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC Honda:
Vierge focuses on race pace at Mandalika, Lecuona bounces back after a crash in FP1
Team HRC is on track at the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia for round two of the 2023 Superbike World Championship, which comes just a week after the season-opener in Australia.
The action got underway at 10am local time (CET+7) with the first free practice session. Xavi Vierge made excellent progress throughout the course of the 45-minute practice, working systematically on the setup of his CBR1000RR-R together with his team. His fastest time, a 1’34.838, came in the final minutes and was enough to see him place a very strong fifth. Lecuona meanwhile had a less than fortunate start, crashing at turn 16 in the opening stages, which meant that he subsequently lost the rest of FP1.
Despite the hotter conditions (air temp. 33°C, track temp. 52°C), lap times were quicker across the Superbike field in the afternoon’s second practice. Having already set a very fast time in FP1 and demonstrating a consistently fast pace, Vierge was nevertheless able to shave off another second, setting a 1’33.793 that saw him move up to eleventh in the day’s combined standings. Lecuona worked to build confidence at a track he has little to no experience of, having been forced to sit out last year’s event due to injury. A best of 1’34.452 for Iker, set in the final stages, meant a seventeenth-place finish in Friday’s aggregate results.
Xavi Vierge (97). Photo courtesy Team HRC Honda.
Xavi Vierge 97
P11
“I’m happy with how today has gone, not least because I’ve got back that good feeling with my bike. We worked really well today and focused mainly on race pace, trying to find the speed that we were lacking to some extent in Australia. I think we did that and have done a good job today. Our pace is quite strong and the changes we made to the bike throughout the day’s sessions gave me the confidence to be able to push and improve. I want to say a big thank you to the team as they have worked really hard, just as they did in Australia, to solve the issue we had, and this meant that our confidence levels were better right from the start of this morning’s first practice. It’s a real pleasure to be back here at Mandalika, and the track conditions are better than they were last year, which is good, so we will keep working to improve our lap times and get ready for tomorrow’s Superpole and first race.”
Iker Lecuona (7). Photo courtesy Team HRC Honda.
Iker Lecuona 7
P17
“Soon into FP1, I had a highside through turn 16, similar to my crash of last year but fortunately I wasn’t seriously injured this time, just a few aches and pains. This knocked my confidence to be honest, as we had started quite calmly and I didn’t expect a crash during my first exit, and so I then used FP2 to try to get back into the right mental space to be able to ride. A big thanks to the team for all their hard work in repairing the bike in time for the second session, and to Leon (Camier) and Kuwata san and everyone in the team who supported me and didn’t put any pressure on me and tried to give me good energy. In FP2 we did our best to work methodically and take things step by step, focusing on improving our feeling and we did that a bit, but a lack of grip at the rear meant I actually went down again through turn 10. So not an easy start to the weekend and a tough moment for me mentally speaking, particularly considering what happened here last year. I’m also a little depleted physically after suffering with some gastrointestinal problems over the last couple of days. Anyway, now we need to check the data and understand what happened and what can we do to move forward tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Super Friday in Indonesia with Rinaldi first in both FP1 and FP2. Bautista second in the overall. Bulega also on top in WorldSSP
Free practices for the Indonesian Round, the second leg of the 2023 WorldSBK season, ended in the best possible way for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team thanks to Michael Rinaldi and Alvaro Bautista who finished P1 and P2 respectively in the combined standings.
Michael Rinaldi was immediately at ease at the Mandalika circuit and despite a crash without consequences, he closed FP1 in first place. In the afternoon the track conditions improved considerably and the Italian rider lowered his time by more than two seconds, confirming himself as the fastest rider on track.
After finishing third in the morning session, Alvaro Bautista found more confidence in the afternoon. The Spanish rider also made a small mistake which forced him to return to the pits, but in the final stages of FP2 he pushed hard, finishing 29 thousandths behind his team-mate.
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Ducati.
P1 – Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21) 1’32.448
“It was definitely a positive day. Right from this morning the feeling was very good even if I crashed after just two laps. Thanks to the team’s work, though, I was able to get right back on track without losing feeling with the bike. This is a particular track: despite the very good asphalt, the lack of rubber is evident and off the line, it’s easy to end up on the dirt making a mistake. Therefore, it’s important to be very careful, especially in the first few laps. Very satisfying sessions, I repeat, but concentration must stay high”.
“It wasn’t an easy Friday, also because the track wasn’t in ideal condition in FP1. In the afternoon we worked on the set-up mainly to try and solve the problems we experienced last November. I must say that the work done with the team paid off and I am satisfied with that. I regret having made a mistake that caused the crash. We still have to figure out which tyre to use tomorrow in Race 1. We will decide after tomorrow’s FP3”.
Nicolo Bulega (11). Photo courtesy Ducati.
WorldSSP
Extremely good Friday for Nicolò Bulega, who finished first in both FP1 and FP2.
P1 – Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #11) 1’36.705
“We finished on top in both sessions but the feeling was very different from what we had in Australia. It’s clear that the asphalt conditions were difficult for everyone, especially in FP1 when we were the first to get on track. Anyway, I am satisfied because the feeling with the bike wasn’t bad at all. Tomorrow we’ll definitely find a better circuit and try to improve further.
More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team:
WorldSBK – The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team tackle challenging Mandalika
The 2023 Superbike World Championship continues this weekend at the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia, where the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team is in action with riders Hafizh Syahrin and Eric Granado.
The technicians and riders were keen to hit the ground running in the first free practices, which ran in hot and humid conditions today. Granado spent FP1 doing his best to learn what is another challenging new track for him. The Brazilian worked hard with his technicians and progressed little by little, setting a time of 1’39.518 to place twenty-first. A 1’37.087 for Syahrin saw him finish this first session in seventeenth position.
Back on track in the early afternoon, Malaysian rider Syahrin made a big step in the initial stages of FP2, setting a 1’36.031 which ultimately proved to be his fastest lap of the day. Thanks to this time, Hafizh positioned nineteenth in the combined standings. Granado also picked up his performance with respect to the morning’s session, lowering his time by more than three seconds (1’36.373) to conclude day 1 in twenty-second position overall.
Hafizh Syahrin (35). Photo courtesy PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team.
Hafizh Syahrin P19
“Today’s sessions didn’t go too badly. I felt that we had the speed, but when we put in a fresh tyre in FP2 it didn’t really lead to a big improvement. I was able to be more consistent with respect to FP1 but not faster, losing speed mid-turn. There’s no room for mistakes through the corners here as the lines are very narrow, so we need to improve the bike in terms of turning so that we don’t lose out in this area. I think if we can take another step tomorrow, we can get closer to our rivals and challenge in qualifying.”
Eric Granado (51). Photo courtesy PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team.
Eric Granado P22
“It’s been a positive day. It’s my first time here at Mandalika and so it’s been interesting to learn the track. At first, there was very little grip and we all struggled to find the right line, particularly riders like me who don’t know the layout! If you run off line, you lose a lot of time and risk crashing. So I took things easy during the first practice and then picked up the pace in the afternoon, improving by more than three seconds. I’m happy with day one and will continue to work tomorrow during FP3 and the Superpole to understand the track properly and ready the bike in preparation for the races.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Complex Start To Round Two
The Mandalika International Street Circuit is the host venue for the second round of the FIM Superbike World Championship and after the first day of action KRT riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes sit fourth and seventh fastest respectively.
The track surface at the 4.3km long Mandalika circuit proved to be very dirty and ‘green’, due to lack of use and the circuits location so close to the seaside on the Island of Lombok.
It took some time for the grip levels to increase on the narrow racing line during Free Practice One, meaning Rea left it until the later stages of the first 45-minute track session to venture out and start the important work of finding an optimum race set-up.
Jonathan eventually finished up fourth fastest from all 22 riders, but he and his technical crew now have to find the best possible chassis set-up to make sure that his race tyres, particularly the fronts, can offer up competitive grip across full race distance.
Lowes also found the circuit conditions difficult to work with, especially as the grip levels changed as the day went on. Alex experienced some chatter during the afternoon session, but at times took the chance to stay out on track on a used tyre to try and find set-up improvements when he faces real race conditions.
The weekend action continues on Saturday 4 March with FP3, Tissot-Superpole qualifying and then the first full 22-lap race, which takes place at 13.30 local time in Lombok. Sunday 5 March will feature the always intense Superpole Race and then a second and final full distance Race Two.
Jonathan Rea (65). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “The track has no rubber down and is so dirty, so the first session was a disaster. Because of the tyre allocation we just had to be conservative. I chose to only ride the last part of FP1 and even then with our normal preferred front race tyre, we destroyed it. In FP2 we focused with a different weight balance of the bike, trying to take weight out of the front to save the front tyre. I think front tyres are going to determine the race outcomes. In comparison to last year, we have improved in this area a little bit, but where our bike makes the time is in trail braking and corner entry. And if we don’t have a stable front, then it is so difficult. So we are focusing to improve in that area tomorrow. Of course, I expect the track to be better tomorrow. There will be more rubber down and the track will be cleaner, which will help with front tyre life.”
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “The track surface changed so much here over the sessions it is a little bit hard to chase a set-up. The track changes about a second a lap between each session, which will be of more effect than any set-up change you can do on the bike. But, we tried something a little bit different due to the lack of grip, to try to not force the tyres as much. If you get a little bit off line here, it is like the track can’t take it. That was causing me quite a lot of chatter this afternoon, but apart from the chatter, I tried the hard tyre option to start with, did bit of a longer run, then I tried an SCX. That dropped off a bit too fast for me. Apart from that, I didn’t feel too bad, to be honest. Better than I did here in November. We just have a little bit of work to do to piece it together and see what the conditions are like on Saturday.”
Tom Sykes (66). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Returning star Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) suffered from a debilitating bout of gastrointestinal infection on day one at Mandalika, and hopes his physical condition will improve on Saturday. Tom was finally ranked 20 on day one.
Oliver König (Orelac Racing Movisio Kawasaki) ended his first day in Indonesia in 21st place.
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
FAST IN THE MORNING, STRUGGLING IN THE AFTERNOON; A TWO FACES FRIDAY FOR GO ELEVEN!
Philipp Oettl (5). Photo courtesy Team Go Eleven.
Day 1 in Mandalika turned out to be more complicated than expected for Go Eleven and the rider Philipp Oettl; coming from the excellent weekend in Australia, they expected to start again from a placement within the Top Ten. In the morning, everything worked fine, then in the afternoon the difficulties increased.
FP 1 saw many riders waiting in the pits for a long time; the track had no tyre and the times remained quite high throughout the session, if compared to the best laptimes on the track. However, Philipp was able to find an excellent feeling, riding his Ducati V4-R fluidly. After the first pit stop, the front tyre was particularly damaged, so much so as it was impossible to improve the the best lap. A good session, in any case, to pick up the rhythm and get back to having confidence with the Mandalika International Circuit after last year’s crash.
Free Practice 1:
P 1 M. Rinaldi 1.34.613
P 2 T. Razgatlioglu + 0.056
P 3 A. Bautista + 0.170
…
P 9 P. Oettl + 0.958
The afternoon session was held in much hotter asphalt conditions, over 53°C, with decidedly more tyre on the line, so much so that the references improved by almost two seconds. Philipp and the Go Eleven Team tried to set a race pace, so as to have an idea of what could happen in tomorrow’s race, but due to some traffic in the first laps, the lap time turned out to be less fast than the expected. Towards the end of the session, with the new tyre, he was able to lower the personal best lap, but the German rider was still unable to ride as he would like. The main problem is the loss of line, especially in acceleration, loosing a lot in the fourth sector, where most of the gap is accumulated.
Free Practice 2:
P 1 M. Rinaldi 1.32.468
P 2 A. Bautista + 0.029
P 3 T. Razgatlioglu + 0.157
…
P 16 P. Oettl + 1.892
For tomorrow, the technicians are already evaluating some solutions in terms of bike set-up and balance, trying to get close to Philipp’s requests. There’s no need to be alarmed yet, there is time to improve and tyre management, especially on the front, will play a fundamental role in the race, here in Mandalika, too. The race pace shown today by the others is not that great and the Top Ten is not far off. Tomorrow is another day and it will be necessary to find the right way to improve especially the final part of the track.
Saturday Schedule (local time / english time):
h 08.30 – 09.00 / h 00.30 – 01.00 Free Practice 3
h 10.40 – 10.55 / h 02.40 – 02.55 Superpole
h 13.30 / h 05.30 Race 1
Philipp Oettl (Rider):
“We started well in the morning, we were in Top Ten at the end of the FP 1, but during the second session track conditions changed a lot and we had to adapt to it. We struggled a bit, so we have a lot of work to do. We are a bit further behind than I expected to be here, but it’s not so easy to have a good confidence in the line after last year’s crash, even if in the line the grip is really good. I am quite confident that tomorrow we can do a good step forward analyzing datas collected today. We will find our way, this track is completely different compared to Australia, tyres here are different, too, so let’s see what we can do tomorrow. As the track will improve day by day I expect that the feeling with the front, even after some laps, will improve, too!”
More, from a press release issued by Pata Yamaha Prometeon:
Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Focus on Competitive Race Pace in Indonesia
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Andrea Locatelli were two of the very few WorldSBK riders to complete consistent race simulations in Friday Free Practice at the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia today.
The pair had a clear focus on preparation for the gruelling conditions for both man and machine that they will face on the island of Lombok – including track temperatures pushing towards 60 degrees Celsius – during the second round of the FIM Superbike World Championship this weekend.
Razgatlıoğlu made three very quick lap times in the closing minutes of Free Practice 2 to finish third in the combined standings, after his crew diagnosed a small problem with vibration found during the last long run. Teammate Locatelli focused solely on race pace and finished the day eighth overall, happy with the work completed and his potential for tomorrow.
The Indonesian Round’s special race schedule continues tomorrow, with a very early Free Practice 3 taking place at 8:30 local time (UTC+8), Superpole at 10:40 to determine grid position and Race 1 from 13:30.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P3 – 1’32.625
“For me it was a good start, especially after Phillip Island – now I am feeling much better on my R1. Today I try a race simulation, also I am feeling just a small problem with vibration but the good thing is we understand what it is. After this I did a very good lap time – even though I went wide on two corners! With new tyres the feeling is incredible, with good grip and turning. I had one mistake, almost crash in Turn 2 because the rear was sliding a lot and I went wide – but all ok. Now I am happy, everything is nearly ready and I am just waiting for the race, to fight for the win! We will see tomorrow, the race is always difficult because everybody is strong – I will try my best.”
Andrea Locatelli (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Andrea Locatelli: P8 – 1’33.545
“In the end it was another positive Friday for us because we did a lot of work and I think we understand very well what we can do for tomorrow. The feeling on the track was not so bad, I think we’re working well during FP2 on the long run and race simulation – we didn’t try to do just one fast lap, this was not our focus. So basically, we have a really good feeling on the bike and for sure tomorrow we can learn and improve a little bit more on the outright lap time. In general I am happy, I think we can try to be fast and fight – especially in Race 1 and then we will see.”
More, from a press release issued by GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team:
Gardner and Aegerter ‘Road Sweeping’ on Day One in Mandalika
GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team riders Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter returned to action on March 3rd at the Mandalika International Street Circuit, with both riders showing strong potential to finish sixth and 12th on combined times.
The duo faced a tricky Free Practice 1 session due to the track being dusty, dirty and without much rubber laid down. In the 45-minute session, Gardner placed sixth (1’35.192), with his teammate Aegerter in 14th (1’36.511).
In the afternoon’s Free Practice 2, with the track offering more grip, both riders went faster. Despite primarily focusing on race pace and long-distance runs, Gardner managed to improve and put himself in the top six once again (1’33.374). Aegerter also shaved down his lap time, going 12th fastest (1’33.837) despite not trying for a flying lap.
Remy Gardner (87). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Remy Gardner: P6 – 1’33.374
“Today wasn’t a bad one. In the morning, the track was still quite dirty, then in the afternoon, the feeling improved a bit. We’ll need to be very careful with the tyre management here, but we have a pretty clear idea of what compound we should use. We’ve also saved a little something for tomorrow when we hope to have a good Superpole session. Ideally, it would be great to start from the front two rows.”
Dominique Aegerter (77). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Dominique Aegerter: P12 – 1’33.837
“As usual, here it’s very hot, and in the morning, the track wasn’t very grippy. In the afternoon, we made some small changes, and we’re not too far from the other guys now. In the last part of the second session, we tried something that didn’t work, so I couldn’t improve my time. We’ll try to have a good qualifying session tomorrow – starting from a good position makes a big difference in the race, as we saw in Australia.”
2016 Daytona 200 winner Michael Barnes and Anne Roberts, a former racer and the current Advertising Sales Director for Roadracing World, were married today in Marietta, Georgia.
NCCR announce mission to secure Erik Buell’s EBR 1190 IOMTT and WSBK Racebikes for the Barber Motorsport Museum with help of the worldwide Buell community, Erik Buell and Mark Miller as guests of honor.
General:
Sweden-based Family Company and Buell Specialist NCCR announces the project BringTheBikesHome.com to donate with help of the Buell fans 3 EBR 1190 racebikes to the Barber Collection. The donation will be supported by a raffle of 100 Erik Buell Racing Memorabilia prizes including an original EBR 1190 RS racebike. Limited posters and booklets accompany each raffle slot.
The donation ceremony at Barbers Advanced Design Center with Erik Buell and Mark Miller as guests of honor will be on the 20th of May 2023 at the MotoAmerica weekend.
“Barber Motorsport Park is an incredible American treasure, and represents George Barber’s supreme passion for motorcycles and motorcycle racing. I cannot express enough my gratitude that in the Barber Museum he has built the quintessential display of Buell and EBR motorcycles and memorabilia. Adding these EBR racers is the perfect topper, as the 1190 RS represents my decades awaited ultimate American superbike. John Dimbylow with Splitlath Motorsport and his riders did a tremendous job bringing it to these iconic races like the Macau GP and the Isle of Man”.
The Splitlath Motorsport EBR 1190 Superbike, as raced at the Isle of Man TT, Macau Grand Prix, and Pan Delta Chinese Superbike Championship. Photo courtesy NCCR.
Mark Miller:
“Racing the EBR 1190 was for sure one of the most interesting parts of my career, I really loved these bikes and till today I own an 1190 RX. It’s great that the bikes go to Barber and as they hold all bikes race ready and there is the track, who knows, maybe one day we do some laps again”.
John Dimbylow (Splitlath Motorsport):
“We had a good time, just needed maybe another year to develop the bikes to the level that was needed. Like the bumpy roads of the Isle of Man took their tribute, small problems with great effect. I loved Erik’s commitment and support, he´s a real racer and looking back it was a great thing to represent the brand in these years”.
Buell and EBR motorcycles on display at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, in Birmingham, Alabama. Photo courtesy NCCR.
Nick LaCasse (Barber Motorsport Museum):
“Erik Buell’s story of developing and building the American Sportsbike is an important part of U.S. motorcycle history. We have a long-standing relationship with Erik and are proud to have a collection of his work. From now, being able to tell the story of EBR’s Isle of Man TT Racing and having one of the original World Superbikes on display is an exciting addition to our collection”.
Jens Krüper (NCCR):
“When we overtook the inventory from Splitlath Motorport, Barber Motorsport Museum was the first on the list to contact. Nowhere else, the heritage of Erik’s work is better represented than in their collection. The Barber Museum had proved for many years that they give the bikes from East Troy, Wisconsin the space and attention they deserve. The bikes mark the peak in V-Twin Road Racing technology and competed in some of the world’s most difficult races. To preserve that history, make it accessible for the public and tell the stories, like racing Macau or the IOMTT, Barber is by far the best place”.
About Erik Buell:
Motorcycle Racer, Engineer and Designer originally from Pittsburgh, started in 1983 his motorcycle business in East Troy, Wisconsin, nearly 140,000 motorcycles with EBR and Buell brands were produced under his guidance. He also launched the FUELL e-two wheeler brand. Since 2022 he is retired and follows his other passions, writing and playing music.
About Mark Miller:
After a lifetimein Road Racing, the Californian retired from racing end of 2016 as the most successful and fastest American rider ever on the Isle of Man TT. In 2022, he came back to the Island broadcasting for TT+ Television and TT radio. Also this year, he will be part of the team reporting live from the IOM TT.
About Splitlath Motorsport:
Located in Hay-on-Wye/Wales in the United Kingdom, the Team racedfrom 2014 onthe EBR 1190 RS at the Macau GP, on the IOMTT and at the Chinese Pan Delta series with mostly American riders, like Cory West, Brandon Cretu, Shelina Moreda and Mark Miller. From 2015 on, Splitlath was the Erik Buell Racing (EBR) factory race team.
About Barber Motorsport Museum:
The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum began in 1988 as George Barber’s private collection and became a §501 nonprofit organization in 1994. It opened to the public in its original Southside Birmingham, Alabama, in 1995. In 1997, the Barber Museum sent 21 motorcycles to New York’s Guggenheim Museum for The Art of the Motorcycle exhibit; the exhibit also traveled to Chicago and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. After the success of The Art of the Motorcycle, Barber set out to create a unique facility complete with a track. Barber consulted with world champion racers John Surtees and Dan Gurney in designing the complex. In 2003, the Barber Museum relocated to its permanent home in Barber Motorsports Park.
The museum contains more than 1,800 vintage and modern motorcycles and racing cars. Guinness World Records certified the museum as the largest motorcycle museum in the world in 2014. The museum also houses the largest collection of Lotus race cars. The motorcycle collection includes bikes dating from 1904 to present-day production. More than 1,000 motorcycles are on display hailing from over 20 countries and representing over 140 marques. The Barber Collection also hosts the worldwide most interesting Buell Collection. Not only a 1984 RW 750, the early Square 4 2-stroke racer is a must-have for a collection of that caliber, or all the Buell RR models catch the eye. The prototypes and development bikes are extra interesting collection pieces for Buell enthusiasts. Where else can you see a clay model of an 1125 or see live, for years only in myths existing, the Buell 450 Motocross Rotax Single prototype? Buell and EBR Road and race bikes of all years and provenience, even Bubba Blackwell’s and Craig Jones’ stunt bikes, found their way into that fantastic collection.
About NCCR:
NCCR Northern Classic, Custom & Race AB is a family-owned company in the Swedish Hälsingland, located 350km North of Stockholm. In second generation, for more than 2 decades, the Krüper family sells, customizes, races and develops parts for Buell motorcycles. In 2010-2011, NCCR was running Pegasusraceteam.com leading the EBR 1190RR both years to the Sound of Thunder Championships. From 2015-2016, NCCR was the exclusive European partner of EBR (Erik Buell Racing). Today, NCCR hosts the EBR Racing heritage with the original EBR 1190 World Superbikes as well as the Splitlath Raceteam IOMTT and Macau Racebikes.
NCCR reveals at the Oslo Motorcycle Show in Norway on the 3rd of March 2023 a limited road adapted Replica of the EBR 1190 World Superbike based on the legendary 2014 EBR RS and built from original WSBK race inventory.
THE QUAIL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING NAMES BUBBA SHOBERT AS 2023 HONOREE
Flat-track legend and Hall of Famer named Legend of the Sport for the premier motorcycle gathering of over 300 vintage and modern motorcycles and scooters
Carmel, Calif. – The Quail Motorcycle Gathering announced that it will honor motorcycle racing legend Bubba Shobert as its 2023 Legend of the Sport during the 13th annual event in Carmel, California, on Saturday, May 6. One of the most anticipated motorcycle events of the year, the gathering celebrates the evolution of two-wheeled artistry with more than 300 vintage and modern motorcycles, scooters and bicycles, as well as artisan lunch options, local wines and brews, and a family-friendly kids area, all on the lush grasses of Quail Lodge & Golf Club.
Born in Lubbock, Texas, Don Wayne Shobert began riding a Briggs & Stratton minibike when he was just 6-years-old. At the age of 8, his father Don took him to the AMA Grand National races at the Houston Astrodome, and the young Shobert immediately knew what he wanted to do with his life.
Bubba Shobert. Photo by Mitch Friedman/American Flat Track, courtesy The Quail.
From there, Shobert built a successful motorcycle racing career in a variety of disciplines. He is a three-time AMA Grand National Flat Track champion (1985-1987), 1988 AMA Superbike champion, AMA Hall of Famer and 2007 Motorsports Hall of Fame member. Considered by many to be one of the fiercest and most-consistent flat track racers of all time, Shobert is one of the very few racers to have won in all forms of the Grand National Championship series: mile, half-mile, TT steeplechase, short track and road racing.
“Bubba Shobert is an icon in the motorcycling world, so we are thrilled to honor him as our Legend of the Sport this May,” said Kai Lermen, general manager of Quail Lodge & Golf Club. “Each year, we recognize those influential individuals who have made significant achievements and contributions to motorcycling, and Bubba’s accomplishments speak for themselves.”
Event attendees will enjoy a fireside chat with Shobert on-stage during the event, including a chance to learn more about his racing success and accomplishments.
The event kicks off with The Quail Ride on Friday, May 5. The 100-mile cruise, which is limited to just 100 motorcycles, departs from the Quail Lodge & Golf Club for a ride through the picturesque backroads of the Monterey Peninsula and includes lunch and dinner. Applications to join The Quail Ride can be submitted here.
The Quail Motorcycle Gathering features activities for all ages, and children and pets are welcome. Admission-only credentials are $60 per person and include parking and gear valet service for those riding a motorcycle to the event. A young adult credential for kids 13-18 years old are available for $20; kids 12 and under get in free. Guests can upgrade their experience with a General Admission + Hospitality credential for $175 per person, which includes access to a private seating area for a catered lunch buffet and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as on-site parking. Tickets are now available online at www.quaillodgetickets.com.
Entries are now being accepted for 2023’s featured classes: Italian and Single motorcycles, 1970s Vintage Muscle, and Bring on the Baggers, as well as 11 traditional classes. Entrant applications can be submitted here.
Please visit The Quail’s event website for detailed application, ticket and event information for the complete schedule of 2023 events. Follow The Quail Events on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on all activities.
The Peninsula Signature Events 2023:
13th Annual The Quail Ride: Friday, May 5, 2023
13th Annual The Quail Motorcycle Gathering: Saturday, May 6, 2023
25th Annual The Quail Rally: Monday, August 14 – Wednesday, August 16, 2023
20th Annual The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering: Friday, August 18, 2023
Ducati V21L MotoE electric racebikes at the Ducati factory in Italy. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Testing, testing: MotoE™ ready to hit the track at Jerez!
The FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship gets ready to kick off a new era with the first test of 2023
Friday, 03 March 2023
New year, new bike, new MotoE™! It’s an exciting time for the FIM Enel MotoE™ World Championship in 2023 as the electric competition gains World Championship status, welcomes a new manufacturer and the calendar expands. Eight rounds in seven countries sees MotoE™ join the MotoGP™ paddock from Le Mans to Misano, aka every MotoGP™ stop in Europe between May and early September. That’s 16 races, eight rounds and a whole lotta electric action. But before all that, it’s time to hit the track for testing and get ship shape to battle it out.
WHERE AND WHEN
The venue for the grid’s very first taste of their new Ducati machinery is the Circuito de Jerez-Angel Nieto, with action taking place over three days: Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday the 6th, 7th and 8th of March. There will be four sessions of track action throughout the day, each 15 minutes long:
FP1 10:00 – 10:15
FP2 12:15 – 12:30
FP3 14:30 – 14:45
FP4 16:45 – 17:00
WHO
The grid has a few new names this season, and every team will now have two bikes as Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™ and Ongetta SIC58 Squadra Corse expand, making it nine teams and 18 riders.
Two-time Cup winner Jordi Torres, now at Openbank Aspar Team, leads the list of returners, and first ever Cup winner Matteo Ferrari (Felo Gresini MotoE™) is also back for more. Consistent contender Eric Granado will be back at LCR E-Team and Mattia Casadei, a key protagonist in 2022, remains at Pons Racing 40. There’s also Alessandro Zaccone (Tech3 E-Racing), who fought for the Cup in 2021, returning after a year in Moto2™.
The rookie ranks are arguably headlined by 2014 Moto2™ World Champion Tito Rabat as he returns to the Grand Prix paddock to take on MotoE™ with Pramac. Randy Krummenacher is another to watch as he joins Dynavolt Intact GP MotoE™, adding another class to his CV of 125cc, Moto2™, WorldSSP and WorldSBK.
A NEW ERA
It’s not just rookies who’ll be adapting to the machinery in 2023 – it’s everyone! Ducati is now the single manufacturer for MotoE™ with the stunning new V21L, and the race is on to see who will get the most out of the machine the quickest. It will certainly be an interesting one to compare the progress of those with previous electric experience to that of the newcomers, but as ever the machinery is the same for all riders so we can expect the close competition to continue in MotoE™.
In addition, Jerez, whilst hosting the first test, is a venue the competition won’t be returning to for a race weekend, so teams and riders will need to make sure they use their time well to learn some transferable information, as well as the initial legwork of getting to grips with whole new machinery.
There are six days of pre-season testing for the class of 2023, with three at Jerez and then another three days planned for early April at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. Who will get up to speed first? we’ll start to find out next week, so make sure to check out motogp.com for coverage of the test, and there’s live timing available from the track by heading over to the Circuito de Jerez service.
Find below a reminder of the 2023 schedule for each round, as well as the 2023 Entry List – and keep reading for more MotoE™ novelties this season!
Dominic Doyle Joins Team Iso For 2023 REV’IT! Twins Cup Championship
Woodstock, GA – March 3, 2023 – Team Iso has signed South African rider Dominic Doyle to race in the 2023 REV’IT! Twins Cup Championship aboard a Giaccmoto LLC-prepped Yamaha YZF-R7. The announcement was made by Nobi Iso, owner of Team Iso.
This will be Doyle’s second year in MotoAmerica Twins Cup. He competed aboard a Yamaha YZF-R7 in 2022, finishing 10th in the final standings and scoring two podiums and four top-five finishes on the season. Doyle began his MotoAmerica road racing career in 2017 and was a top competitor in the Junior Cup Championship. He also raced in the MotoAmerica Supersport Championship before moving to Twins Cup this past year.
“We’re delighted to have Dominic racing for us in Twins Cup this season,” Iso said. “He showed great potential last year in his first season aboard the Yamaha R7, and we’re confident that his skills, along with the support of Yamaha and our technical partner Chuck Giacchetto of Giaccmoto, will bring success to Dom and Team Iso.”
Team Iso’s Dominic Doyle. Photo courtesy Team Iso.
Doyle said, “I am really excited to be riding for Team Iso with support from Giaccmoto and Yamaha Motor Corporation. I can’t thank them all enough for this great opportunity. I’m ready to get this season started at Daytona.”
Look for Team Iso and rider Dominic Doyle in action next week, March 9 through 11, at Daytona International Speedway as they compete in two REV’IT! Twins Cup feature races on the famed high banks of the “World Center of Racing.”
Along with Yamaha Motor Corporation, U.S.A., and Giaccmoto LLC, Team Iso is supported by Bitubo Italy, Attack Performance, Vesrah, Galespeed, aRacer USA, Superbike Unlimited, Core Moto USA, SE Composites, RK Excel America, Suter Racing Products, Spears Enterprises, Yoshimura R&D of America, 5zero4 Designs, and Arai Helmet, Inc.
Michael Rinaldi (21) set the pace during WorldSBK practice Friday in Indonesia. Photo courtesy Ducati.
Ducati 1-2 on Friday as Rinaldi leads Bautista and Razgatlioglu, Rea 4th
Setting a best time of 1’32.468s, Michael Ruben Rinaldi topped Friday’s timesheets, finishing ahead of teammate Alvaro Bautista.
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Dorna.
P1 | Michael Ruben Rinaldi | Aruba.it Racing Team | 1’32.468s
“Today has been a positive day despite the crash after a few laps in FP1. I immediately felt good on the bike. It’s a strange track here because every session and every lap, the surface changes. There are not many motorcycle races here so there’s no rubber on the asphalt and outside the racing line is dirty, so you can’t make a mistake. From FP1 to FP2, we improved a lot the times and the feeling with the bike changed. I’m happy to be first but the conditions changed quickly, and I think it doesn’t really matter if we are first today. Tomorrow, we will come back to the track and maybe it’s a different story. We need to be calm, humble and try to do our best job.
For sure, it has been a positive Friday, but you cannot think Toprak or Jonny will not be there. They will be there for sure. During the winter tests, I think our team did a great job and our base is solid. The track changed a lot from FP1 to FP2 and tomorrow will be different. Maybe with more grip, we don’t know whether our bike is working better or not.”
Alvaro Bautista (1). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Alvaro Bautista finished 0.029s behind his teammate in Friday’s running.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (right) in his garage. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Toprak Razgatlioglu took third place with a best time of 1’32.625s, 0.157s behind Rinaldi.
Jonathan Rea (65). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Jonathan Rea was fourth 0.735s off Rinaldi’s fastest time.
Michael van der Mark (60). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Michael van der Mark was the lead BMW rider in fifth.
WorldSBK Friday Report
The opening day of MOTUL FIM Superbike World Championship action in Indonesia has come to an end and the order has left us all intrigued going into Saturday. Despite Ducati never having won at the circuit before, their pace from Australia has been carried to the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit, as Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) ended the day on top and led a factory Ducati 1-2, with teammate Alvaro Bautista second. It was a dry first day of action and with humidity high, although rain is forecast for parts of the weekend.
It was a strong start for Ducati and particularly Michael Ruben Rinaldi, who, having topped FP1 despite a Turn 10 crash, repeated the achievement in FP2 although this time, without a tumble. Rinaldi continued his strong showing from Phillip Island and with a Friday clean-sweep and a Ducati 1-2 but in reverse order to Australia, the Bologna bullets may be the ones to beat. Reigning World Champion Bautista set strong lap times throughout the course of the session, despite suffering a Turn 1 crash. After a brief stint in the box, Bautista went back out on track and improved his time, although not enough to overthrow his teammate.
Doing a 16-lap run but returning to the box and stating that he was struggling to turn into the left-hand corners, Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) went for a time attack in the closing stages of the session and placed third. Back in the mix after a Sunday to forget in Australia, Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) kept his powder dry on day one, opting not to go out in FP1 until the final 17 minutes as the track cleaned up and rubbered in. Rea was in the mix throughout the session and was right behind the Ducatis for most of it, on his way to P4 overall.
It was a late burst up the order for Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team), with the Dutchman just less than three quarters of a second away from Rinaldi’s top time. The #60 was only 0.010s behind Rea directly ahead of him in fourth, as he showcased the BMW M 1000 RR’s potential at Mandalika, a circuit where it’s been on the podium – back in 2021 in the wet with van der Mark.
WorldSBK action resumes on Saturday with FP3 from 08:30 (Local Time), followed by Tissot Superpole at 10:40 and Race 1 at 13:30.
Read the full report from Friday on worldsbk.com
WorldSBK Combined Results after FP2
1. Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) 1’32.468s
2. Alvaro Bautista (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati) +0.030s
3. Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK) +0.157s
4. Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) +0.735s
5. Michael van der Mark (ROKiT BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) +0.745s
Bulega quickest on the opening day of the Motul Indonesian Round
Nicolo Bulega topped both Free Practice session as he set his fastest time in FP2, improving by more than 3s his morning time.
P1 | Nicolo Bulega | Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team | 1’36.705s
“I started this morning in a good way. I felt good with the bike … not 100% like in Australia but the feeling is not so bad. We need to improve the bike for tomorrow as we’re struggling a bit more compared to Australia because of the high temperature. We need to improve the braking because when I’m braking, I can feel the rear sliding too much. I think today, the track was difficult because there was a lot of sand on the asphalt, but the track conditions were much better in FP2. I think tomorrow the track conditions will be much better, and it will also be our second day here so everyone will be faster, but I will try to do my best as always.”
Can Oncu (61). Photo courtesy Dorna.
Can Oncu concluded Friday in second place just 0.024s off Bulega.
Niki Tuuli (66). Photo courtesy Dorna.
0.046s behind Bulega is Niki Tuuli in third place, it’s his first-time racing at Mandalika with Triumph.
WorldSSP Friday Report
The times tumbled during the FIM Supersport World Championship as Free Practice 2 concluded during the Motul Indonesian Round at the Pertamina Mandalika International Street Circuit as riders found several seconds between FP1 and FP2. All riders improved their time in the second session with Championship leader Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) fastest in the combined classification with the top four riders separated by less than a tenth.
Bulega’s best time of the day was a 1’36.705s to end Friday on top as he looks to continue his winning run in WorldSSP having won the first two races of 2023. He was 0.024s clear of Can Oncu (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) in second place after he posted a 1’36.729s. Finnish rider Niki Tuuli (Dynavolt Triumph), a race winner here in 2022 when with MV Agusta, was third and only 0.046s. German rookie Marcel Schroetter (MV Agusta Reparto Corse) took fourth spot with a gap of only 0.079s to Bulega, while Stefano Manzi (Ten Kate Racing Yamaha) was fifth at the end of the day’s running despite a Turn 16 crash with just over 10 minutes in FP2 to go in the session. It meant that five of the six manufacturers competing in 2023 were represented in the top five.
Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) had been competing for top spot but dropped down the order to sixth place, and only 0.173s down on Bulega, while Federico Caricasulo (Althea Racing Team) was seventh. Caricasulo was 0.266s down on Bulega’s time and had his FP2 disrupted in the final seven minutes after a Turn 2 crash.
WorldSSP action resumes on Saturday with the Tissot Superpole from 09:55 (Local Time), followed Race 1 at 12:00.
Read the full report from Friday on worldsbk.com
WorldSSP Combined Results after FP2
1. Nicolo Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WorldSSP Team) 1’36.705s
6. Raffaele De Rosa (Orelac Racing VerdNatura) +0.173s
More, from a press release issued by Team HRC Honda:
Vierge focuses on race pace at Mandalika, Lecuona bounces back after a crash in FP1
Team HRC is on track at the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia for round two of the 2023 Superbike World Championship, which comes just a week after the season-opener in Australia.
The action got underway at 10am local time (CET+7) with the first free practice session. Xavi Vierge made excellent progress throughout the course of the 45-minute practice, working systematically on the setup of his CBR1000RR-R together with his team. His fastest time, a 1’34.838, came in the final minutes and was enough to see him place a very strong fifth. Lecuona meanwhile had a less than fortunate start, crashing at turn 16 in the opening stages, which meant that he subsequently lost the rest of FP1.
Despite the hotter conditions (air temp. 33°C, track temp. 52°C), lap times were quicker across the Superbike field in the afternoon’s second practice. Having already set a very fast time in FP1 and demonstrating a consistently fast pace, Vierge was nevertheless able to shave off another second, setting a 1’33.793 that saw him move up to eleventh in the day’s combined standings. Lecuona worked to build confidence at a track he has little to no experience of, having been forced to sit out last year’s event due to injury. A best of 1’34.452 for Iker, set in the final stages, meant a seventeenth-place finish in Friday’s aggregate results.
Xavi Vierge (97). Photo courtesy Team HRC Honda.
Xavi Vierge 97
P11
“I’m happy with how today has gone, not least because I’ve got back that good feeling with my bike. We worked really well today and focused mainly on race pace, trying to find the speed that we were lacking to some extent in Australia. I think we did that and have done a good job today. Our pace is quite strong and the changes we made to the bike throughout the day’s sessions gave me the confidence to be able to push and improve. I want to say a big thank you to the team as they have worked really hard, just as they did in Australia, to solve the issue we had, and this meant that our confidence levels were better right from the start of this morning’s first practice. It’s a real pleasure to be back here at Mandalika, and the track conditions are better than they were last year, which is good, so we will keep working to improve our lap times and get ready for tomorrow’s Superpole and first race.”
Iker Lecuona (7). Photo courtesy Team HRC Honda.
Iker Lecuona 7
P17
“Soon into FP1, I had a highside through turn 16, similar to my crash of last year but fortunately I wasn’t seriously injured this time, just a few aches and pains. This knocked my confidence to be honest, as we had started quite calmly and I didn’t expect a crash during my first exit, and so I then used FP2 to try to get back into the right mental space to be able to ride. A big thanks to the team for all their hard work in repairing the bike in time for the second session, and to Leon (Camier) and Kuwata san and everyone in the team who supported me and didn’t put any pressure on me and tried to give me good energy. In FP2 we did our best to work methodically and take things step by step, focusing on improving our feeling and we did that a bit, but a lack of grip at the rear meant I actually went down again through turn 10. So not an easy start to the weekend and a tough moment for me mentally speaking, particularly considering what happened here last year. I’m also a little depleted physically after suffering with some gastrointestinal problems over the last couple of days. Anyway, now we need to check the data and understand what happened and what can we do to move forward tomorrow.”
More, from a press release issued by Aruba.it Racing Ducati:
Super Friday in Indonesia with Rinaldi first in both FP1 and FP2. Bautista second in the overall. Bulega also on top in WorldSSP
Free practices for the Indonesian Round, the second leg of the 2023 WorldSBK season, ended in the best possible way for the Aruba.it Racing – Ducati team thanks to Michael Rinaldi and Alvaro Bautista who finished P1 and P2 respectively in the combined standings.
Michael Rinaldi was immediately at ease at the Mandalika circuit and despite a crash without consequences, he closed FP1 in first place. In the afternoon the track conditions improved considerably and the Italian rider lowered his time by more than two seconds, confirming himself as the fastest rider on track.
After finishing third in the morning session, Alvaro Bautista found more confidence in the afternoon. The Spanish rider also made a small mistake which forced him to return to the pits, but in the final stages of FP2 he pushed hard, finishing 29 thousandths behind his team-mate.
Michael Rinaldi (21). Photo courtesy Ducati.
P1 – Michael Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati #21) 1’32.448
“It was definitely a positive day. Right from this morning the feeling was very good even if I crashed after just two laps. Thanks to the team’s work, though, I was able to get right back on track without losing feeling with the bike. This is a particular track: despite the very good asphalt, the lack of rubber is evident and off the line, it’s easy to end up on the dirt making a mistake. Therefore, it’s important to be very careful, especially in the first few laps. Very satisfying sessions, I repeat, but concentration must stay high”.
“It wasn’t an easy Friday, also because the track wasn’t in ideal condition in FP1. In the afternoon we worked on the set-up mainly to try and solve the problems we experienced last November. I must say that the work done with the team paid off and I am satisfied with that. I regret having made a mistake that caused the crash. We still have to figure out which tyre to use tomorrow in Race 1. We will decide after tomorrow’s FP3”.
Nicolo Bulega (11). Photo courtesy Ducati.
WorldSSP
Extremely good Friday for Nicolò Bulega, who finished first in both FP1 and FP2.
P1 – Nicolò Bulega (Aruba.it Racing WSSP #11) 1’36.705
“We finished on top in both sessions but the feeling was very different from what we had in Australia. It’s clear that the asphalt conditions were difficult for everyone, especially in FP1 when we were the first to get on track. Anyway, I am satisfied because the feeling with the bike wasn’t bad at all. Tomorrow we’ll definitely find a better circuit and try to improve further.
More, from a press release issued by PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team:
WorldSBK – The PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team tackle challenging Mandalika
The 2023 Superbike World Championship continues this weekend at the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia, where the PETRONAS MIE Racing Honda Team is in action with riders Hafizh Syahrin and Eric Granado.
The technicians and riders were keen to hit the ground running in the first free practices, which ran in hot and humid conditions today. Granado spent FP1 doing his best to learn what is another challenging new track for him. The Brazilian worked hard with his technicians and progressed little by little, setting a time of 1’39.518 to place twenty-first. A 1’37.087 for Syahrin saw him finish this first session in seventeenth position.
Back on track in the early afternoon, Malaysian rider Syahrin made a big step in the initial stages of FP2, setting a 1’36.031 which ultimately proved to be his fastest lap of the day. Thanks to this time, Hafizh positioned nineteenth in the combined standings. Granado also picked up his performance with respect to the morning’s session, lowering his time by more than three seconds (1’36.373) to conclude day 1 in twenty-second position overall.
Hafizh Syahrin (35). Photo courtesy PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team.
Hafizh Syahrin P19
“Today’s sessions didn’t go too badly. I felt that we had the speed, but when we put in a fresh tyre in FP2 it didn’t really lead to a big improvement. I was able to be more consistent with respect to FP1 but not faster, losing speed mid-turn. There’s no room for mistakes through the corners here as the lines are very narrow, so we need to improve the bike in terms of turning so that we don’t lose out in this area. I think if we can take another step tomorrow, we can get closer to our rivals and challenge in qualifying.”
Eric Granado (51). Photo courtesy PETRONAS MIE Honda Racing Team.
Eric Granado P22
“It’s been a positive day. It’s my first time here at Mandalika and so it’s been interesting to learn the track. At first, there was very little grip and we all struggled to find the right line, particularly riders like me who don’t know the layout! If you run off line, you lose a lot of time and risk crashing. So I took things easy during the first practice and then picked up the pace in the afternoon, improving by more than three seconds. I’m happy with day one and will continue to work tomorrow during FP3 and the Superpole to understand the track properly and ready the bike in preparation for the races.”
More, from a press release issued by Kawasaki:
Complex Start To Round Two
The Mandalika International Street Circuit is the host venue for the second round of the FIM Superbike World Championship and after the first day of action KRT riders Jonathan Rea and Alex Lowes sit fourth and seventh fastest respectively.
The track surface at the 4.3km long Mandalika circuit proved to be very dirty and ‘green’, due to lack of use and the circuits location so close to the seaside on the Island of Lombok.
It took some time for the grip levels to increase on the narrow racing line during Free Practice One, meaning Rea left it until the later stages of the first 45-minute track session to venture out and start the important work of finding an optimum race set-up.
Jonathan eventually finished up fourth fastest from all 22 riders, but he and his technical crew now have to find the best possible chassis set-up to make sure that his race tyres, particularly the fronts, can offer up competitive grip across full race distance.
Lowes also found the circuit conditions difficult to work with, especially as the grip levels changed as the day went on. Alex experienced some chatter during the afternoon session, but at times took the chance to stay out on track on a used tyre to try and find set-up improvements when he faces real race conditions.
The weekend action continues on Saturday 4 March with FP3, Tissot-Superpole qualifying and then the first full 22-lap race, which takes place at 13.30 local time in Lombok. Sunday 5 March will feature the always intense Superpole Race and then a second and final full distance Race Two.
Jonathan Rea (65). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Jonathan Rea, stated: “The track has no rubber down and is so dirty, so the first session was a disaster. Because of the tyre allocation we just had to be conservative. I chose to only ride the last part of FP1 and even then with our normal preferred front race tyre, we destroyed it. In FP2 we focused with a different weight balance of the bike, trying to take weight out of the front to save the front tyre. I think front tyres are going to determine the race outcomes. In comparison to last year, we have improved in this area a little bit, but where our bike makes the time is in trail braking and corner entry. And if we don’t have a stable front, then it is so difficult. So we are focusing to improve in that area tomorrow. Of course, I expect the track to be better tomorrow. There will be more rubber down and the track will be cleaner, which will help with front tyre life.”
Alex Lowes (22). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Alex Lowes, stated: “The track surface changed so much here over the sessions it is a little bit hard to chase a set-up. The track changes about a second a lap between each session, which will be of more effect than any set-up change you can do on the bike. But, we tried something a little bit different due to the lack of grip, to try to not force the tyres as much. If you get a little bit off line here, it is like the track can’t take it. That was causing me quite a lot of chatter this afternoon, but apart from the chatter, I tried the hard tyre option to start with, did bit of a longer run, then I tried an SCX. That dropped off a bit too fast for me. Apart from that, I didn’t feel too bad, to be honest. Better than I did here in November. We just have a little bit of work to do to piece it together and see what the conditions are like on Saturday.”
Tom Sykes (66). Photo courtesy Kawasaki.
Returning star Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Puccetti Racing) suffered from a debilitating bout of gastrointestinal infection on day one at Mandalika, and hopes his physical condition will improve on Saturday. Tom was finally ranked 20 on day one.
Oliver König (Orelac Racing Movisio Kawasaki) ended his first day in Indonesia in 21st place.
More, from a press release issued by Team Go Eleven:
FAST IN THE MORNING, STRUGGLING IN THE AFTERNOON; A TWO FACES FRIDAY FOR GO ELEVEN!
Philipp Oettl (5). Photo courtesy Team Go Eleven.
Day 1 in Mandalika turned out to be more complicated than expected for Go Eleven and the rider Philipp Oettl; coming from the excellent weekend in Australia, they expected to start again from a placement within the Top Ten. In the morning, everything worked fine, then in the afternoon the difficulties increased.
FP 1 saw many riders waiting in the pits for a long time; the track had no tyre and the times remained quite high throughout the session, if compared to the best laptimes on the track. However, Philipp was able to find an excellent feeling, riding his Ducati V4-R fluidly. After the first pit stop, the front tyre was particularly damaged, so much so as it was impossible to improve the the best lap. A good session, in any case, to pick up the rhythm and get back to having confidence with the Mandalika International Circuit after last year’s crash.
Free Practice 1:
P 1 M. Rinaldi 1.34.613
P 2 T. Razgatlioglu + 0.056
P 3 A. Bautista + 0.170
…
P 9 P. Oettl + 0.958
The afternoon session was held in much hotter asphalt conditions, over 53°C, with decidedly more tyre on the line, so much so that the references improved by almost two seconds. Philipp and the Go Eleven Team tried to set a race pace, so as to have an idea of what could happen in tomorrow’s race, but due to some traffic in the first laps, the lap time turned out to be less fast than the expected. Towards the end of the session, with the new tyre, he was able to lower the personal best lap, but the German rider was still unable to ride as he would like. The main problem is the loss of line, especially in acceleration, loosing a lot in the fourth sector, where most of the gap is accumulated.
Free Practice 2:
P 1 M. Rinaldi 1.32.468
P 2 A. Bautista + 0.029
P 3 T. Razgatlioglu + 0.157
…
P 16 P. Oettl + 1.892
For tomorrow, the technicians are already evaluating some solutions in terms of bike set-up and balance, trying to get close to Philipp’s requests. There’s no need to be alarmed yet, there is time to improve and tyre management, especially on the front, will play a fundamental role in the race, here in Mandalika, too. The race pace shown today by the others is not that great and the Top Ten is not far off. Tomorrow is another day and it will be necessary to find the right way to improve especially the final part of the track.
Saturday Schedule (local time / english time):
h 08.30 – 09.00 / h 00.30 – 01.00 Free Practice 3
h 10.40 – 10.55 / h 02.40 – 02.55 Superpole
h 13.30 / h 05.30 Race 1
Philipp Oettl (Rider):
“We started well in the morning, we were in Top Ten at the end of the FP 1, but during the second session track conditions changed a lot and we had to adapt to it. We struggled a bit, so we have a lot of work to do. We are a bit further behind than I expected to be here, but it’s not so easy to have a good confidence in the line after last year’s crash, even if in the line the grip is really good. I am quite confident that tomorrow we can do a good step forward analyzing datas collected today. We will find our way, this track is completely different compared to Australia, tyres here are different, too, so let’s see what we can do tomorrow. As the track will improve day by day I expect that the feeling with the front, even after some laps, will improve, too!”
More, from a press release issued by Pata Yamaha Prometeon:
Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Focus on Competitive Race Pace in Indonesia
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu and Andrea Locatelli were two of the very few WorldSBK riders to complete consistent race simulations in Friday Free Practice at the Mandalika International Street Circuit in Indonesia today.
The pair had a clear focus on preparation for the gruelling conditions for both man and machine that they will face on the island of Lombok – including track temperatures pushing towards 60 degrees Celsius – during the second round of the FIM Superbike World Championship this weekend.
Razgatlıoğlu made three very quick lap times in the closing minutes of Free Practice 2 to finish third in the combined standings, after his crew diagnosed a small problem with vibration found during the last long run. Teammate Locatelli focused solely on race pace and finished the day eighth overall, happy with the work completed and his potential for tomorrow.
The Indonesian Round’s special race schedule continues tomorrow, with a very early Free Practice 3 taking place at 8:30 local time (UTC+8), Superpole at 10:40 to determine grid position and Race 1 from 13:30.
Toprak Razgatlioglu (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu: P3 – 1’32.625
“For me it was a good start, especially after Phillip Island – now I am feeling much better on my R1. Today I try a race simulation, also I am feeling just a small problem with vibration but the good thing is we understand what it is. After this I did a very good lap time – even though I went wide on two corners! With new tyres the feeling is incredible, with good grip and turning. I had one mistake, almost crash in Turn 2 because the rear was sliding a lot and I went wide – but all ok. Now I am happy, everything is nearly ready and I am just waiting for the race, to fight for the win! We will see tomorrow, the race is always difficult because everybody is strong – I will try my best.”
Andrea Locatelli (54). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Andrea Locatelli: P8 – 1’33.545
“In the end it was another positive Friday for us because we did a lot of work and I think we understand very well what we can do for tomorrow. The feeling on the track was not so bad, I think we’re working well during FP2 on the long run and race simulation – we didn’t try to do just one fast lap, this was not our focus. So basically, we have a really good feeling on the bike and for sure tomorrow we can learn and improve a little bit more on the outright lap time. In general I am happy, I think we can try to be fast and fight – especially in Race 1 and then we will see.”
More, from a press release issued by GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team:
Gardner and Aegerter ‘Road Sweeping’ on Day One in Mandalika
GYTR GRT Yamaha WorldSBK Team riders Remy Gardner and Dominique Aegerter returned to action on March 3rd at the Mandalika International Street Circuit, with both riders showing strong potential to finish sixth and 12th on combined times.
The duo faced a tricky Free Practice 1 session due to the track being dusty, dirty and without much rubber laid down. In the 45-minute session, Gardner placed sixth (1’35.192), with his teammate Aegerter in 14th (1’36.511).
In the afternoon’s Free Practice 2, with the track offering more grip, both riders went faster. Despite primarily focusing on race pace and long-distance runs, Gardner managed to improve and put himself in the top six once again (1’33.374). Aegerter also shaved down his lap time, going 12th fastest (1’33.837) despite not trying for a flying lap.
Remy Gardner (87). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Remy Gardner: P6 – 1’33.374
“Today wasn’t a bad one. In the morning, the track was still quite dirty, then in the afternoon, the feeling improved a bit. We’ll need to be very careful with the tyre management here, but we have a pretty clear idea of what compound we should use. We’ve also saved a little something for tomorrow when we hope to have a good Superpole session. Ideally, it would be great to start from the front two rows.”
Dominique Aegerter (77). Photo courtesy Yamaha.
Dominique Aegerter: P12 – 1’33.837
“As usual, here it’s very hot, and in the morning, the track wasn’t very grippy. In the afternoon, we made some small changes, and we’re not too far from the other guys now. In the last part of the second session, we tried something that didn’t work, so I couldn’t improve my time. We’ll try to have a good qualifying session tomorrow – starting from a good position makes a big difference in the race, as we saw in Australia.”
Newlyweds Anne Roberts and Michael Barnes. Photo courtesy Anne Roberts.
2016 Daytona 200 winner Michael Barnes and Anne Roberts, a former racer and the current Advertising Sales Director for Roadracing World, were married today in Marietta, Georgia.
A HERO-branded EBR 1190 World Superbike racebike. Photo courtesy NCCR.
NCCR announce mission to secure Erik Buell’s EBR 1190 IOMTT and WSBK Racebikes for the Barber Motorsport Museum with help of the worldwide Buell community, Erik Buell and Mark Miller as guests of honor.
General:
Sweden-based Family Company and Buell Specialist NCCR announces the project BringTheBikesHome.com to donate with help of the Buell fans 3 EBR 1190 racebikes to the Barber Collection. The donation will be supported by a raffle of 100 Erik Buell Racing Memorabilia prizes including an original EBR 1190 RS racebike. Limited posters and booklets accompany each raffle slot.
The donation ceremony at Barbers Advanced Design Center with Erik Buell and Mark Miller as guests of honor will be on the 20th of May 2023 at the MotoAmerica weekend.
“Barber Motorsport Park is an incredible American treasure, and represents George Barber’s supreme passion for motorcycles and motorcycle racing. I cannot express enough my gratitude that in the Barber Museum he has built the quintessential display of Buell and EBR motorcycles and memorabilia. Adding these EBR racers is the perfect topper, as the 1190 RS represents my decades awaited ultimate American superbike. John Dimbylow with Splitlath Motorsport and his riders did a tremendous job bringing it to these iconic races like the Macau GP and the Isle of Man”.
The Splitlath Motorsport EBR 1190 Superbike, as raced at the Isle of Man TT, Macau Grand Prix, and Pan Delta Chinese Superbike Championship. Photo courtesy NCCR.
Mark Miller:
“Racing the EBR 1190 was for sure one of the most interesting parts of my career, I really loved these bikes and till today I own an 1190 RX. It’s great that the bikes go to Barber and as they hold all bikes race ready and there is the track, who knows, maybe one day we do some laps again”.
John Dimbylow (Splitlath Motorsport):
“We had a good time, just needed maybe another year to develop the bikes to the level that was needed. Like the bumpy roads of the Isle of Man took their tribute, small problems with great effect. I loved Erik’s commitment and support, he´s a real racer and looking back it was a great thing to represent the brand in these years”.
Buell and EBR motorcycles on display at the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum, in Birmingham, Alabama. Photo courtesy NCCR.
Nick LaCasse (Barber Motorsport Museum):
“Erik Buell’s story of developing and building the American Sportsbike is an important part of U.S. motorcycle history. We have a long-standing relationship with Erik and are proud to have a collection of his work. From now, being able to tell the story of EBR’s Isle of Man TT Racing and having one of the original World Superbikes on display is an exciting addition to our collection”.
Jens Krüper (NCCR):
“When we overtook the inventory from Splitlath Motorport, Barber Motorsport Museum was the first on the list to contact. Nowhere else, the heritage of Erik’s work is better represented than in their collection. The Barber Museum had proved for many years that they give the bikes from East Troy, Wisconsin the space and attention they deserve. The bikes mark the peak in V-Twin Road Racing technology and competed in some of the world’s most difficult races. To preserve that history, make it accessible for the public and tell the stories, like racing Macau or the IOMTT, Barber is by far the best place”.
About Erik Buell:
Motorcycle Racer, Engineer and Designer originally from Pittsburgh, started in 1983 his motorcycle business in East Troy, Wisconsin, nearly 140,000 motorcycles with EBR and Buell brands were produced under his guidance. He also launched the FUELL e-two wheeler brand. Since 2022 he is retired and follows his other passions, writing and playing music.
About Mark Miller:
After a lifetimein Road Racing, the Californian retired from racing end of 2016 as the most successful and fastest American rider ever on the Isle of Man TT. In 2022, he came back to the Island broadcasting for TT+ Television and TT radio. Also this year, he will be part of the team reporting live from the IOM TT.
About Splitlath Motorsport:
Located in Hay-on-Wye/Wales in the United Kingdom, the Team racedfrom 2014 onthe EBR 1190 RS at the Macau GP, on the IOMTT and at the Chinese Pan Delta series with mostly American riders, like Cory West, Brandon Cretu, Shelina Moreda and Mark Miller. From 2015 on, Splitlath was the Erik Buell Racing (EBR) factory race team.
About Barber Motorsport Museum:
The Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum began in 1988 as George Barber’s private collection and became a §501 nonprofit organization in 1994. It opened to the public in its original Southside Birmingham, Alabama, in 1995. In 1997, the Barber Museum sent 21 motorcycles to New York’s Guggenheim Museum for The Art of the Motorcycle exhibit; the exhibit also traveled to Chicago and the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao. After the success of The Art of the Motorcycle, Barber set out to create a unique facility complete with a track. Barber consulted with world champion racers John Surtees and Dan Gurney in designing the complex. In 2003, the Barber Museum relocated to its permanent home in Barber Motorsports Park.
The museum contains more than 1,800 vintage and modern motorcycles and racing cars. Guinness World Records certified the museum as the largest motorcycle museum in the world in 2014. The museum also houses the largest collection of Lotus race cars. The motorcycle collection includes bikes dating from 1904 to present-day production. More than 1,000 motorcycles are on display hailing from over 20 countries and representing over 140 marques. The Barber Collection also hosts the worldwide most interesting Buell Collection. Not only a 1984 RW 750, the early Square 4 2-stroke racer is a must-have for a collection of that caliber, or all the Buell RR models catch the eye. The prototypes and development bikes are extra interesting collection pieces for Buell enthusiasts. Where else can you see a clay model of an 1125 or see live, for years only in myths existing, the Buell 450 Motocross Rotax Single prototype? Buell and EBR Road and race bikes of all years and provenience, even Bubba Blackwell’s and Craig Jones’ stunt bikes, found their way into that fantastic collection.
About NCCR:
NCCR Northern Classic, Custom & Race AB is a family-owned company in the Swedish Hälsingland, located 350km North of Stockholm. In second generation, for more than 2 decades, the Krüper family sells, customizes, races and develops parts for Buell motorcycles. In 2010-2011, NCCR was running Pegasusraceteam.com leading the EBR 1190RR both years to the Sound of Thunder Championships. From 2015-2016, NCCR was the exclusive European partner of EBR (Erik Buell Racing). Today, NCCR hosts the EBR Racing heritage with the original EBR 1190 World Superbikes as well as the Splitlath Raceteam IOMTT and Macau Racebikes.
NCCR reveals at the Oslo Motorcycle Show in Norway on the 3rd of March 2023 a limited road adapted Replica of the EBR 1190 World Superbike based on the legendary 2014 EBR RS and built from original WSBK race inventory.
Bubba Shobert (1) on his Honda VFR750 Superbike back in the day. Photo courtesy The Quail.
THE QUAIL MOTORCYCLE GATHERING NAMES BUBBA SHOBERT AS 2023 HONOREE
Flat-track legend and Hall of Famer named Legend of the Sport for the premier motorcycle gathering of over 300 vintage and modern motorcycles and scooters
Carmel, Calif. – The Quail Motorcycle Gathering announced that it will honor motorcycle racing legend Bubba Shobert as its 2023 Legend of the Sport during the 13th annual event in Carmel, California, on Saturday, May 6. One of the most anticipated motorcycle events of the year, the gathering celebrates the evolution of two-wheeled artistry with more than 300 vintage and modern motorcycles, scooters and bicycles, as well as artisan lunch options, local wines and brews, and a family-friendly kids area, all on the lush grasses of Quail Lodge & Golf Club.
Born in Lubbock, Texas, Don Wayne Shobert began riding a Briggs & Stratton minibike when he was just 6-years-old. At the age of 8, his father Don took him to the AMA Grand National races at the Houston Astrodome, and the young Shobert immediately knew what he wanted to do with his life.
Bubba Shobert. Photo by Mitch Friedman/American Flat Track, courtesy The Quail.
From there, Shobert built a successful motorcycle racing career in a variety of disciplines. He is a three-time AMA Grand National Flat Track champion (1985-1987), 1988 AMA Superbike champion, AMA Hall of Famer and 2007 Motorsports Hall of Fame member. Considered by many to be one of the fiercest and most-consistent flat track racers of all time, Shobert is one of the very few racers to have won in all forms of the Grand National Championship series: mile, half-mile, TT steeplechase, short track and road racing.
“Bubba Shobert is an icon in the motorcycling world, so we are thrilled to honor him as our Legend of the Sport this May,” said Kai Lermen, general manager of Quail Lodge & Golf Club. “Each year, we recognize those influential individuals who have made significant achievements and contributions to motorcycling, and Bubba’s accomplishments speak for themselves.”
Event attendees will enjoy a fireside chat with Shobert on-stage during the event, including a chance to learn more about his racing success and accomplishments.
The event kicks off with The Quail Ride on Friday, May 5. The 100-mile cruise, which is limited to just 100 motorcycles, departs from the Quail Lodge & Golf Club for a ride through the picturesque backroads of the Monterey Peninsula and includes lunch and dinner. Applications to join The Quail Ride can be submitted here.
The Quail Motorcycle Gathering features activities for all ages, and children and pets are welcome. Admission-only credentials are $60 per person and include parking and gear valet service for those riding a motorcycle to the event. A young adult credential for kids 13-18 years old are available for $20; kids 12 and under get in free. Guests can upgrade their experience with a General Admission + Hospitality credential for $175 per person, which includes access to a private seating area for a catered lunch buffet and non-alcoholic beverages, as well as on-site parking. Tickets are now available online at www.quaillodgetickets.com.
Entries are now being accepted for 2023’s featured classes: Italian and Single motorcycles, 1970s Vintage Muscle, and Bring on the Baggers, as well as 11 traditional classes. Entrant applications can be submitted here.
Please visit The Quail’s event website for detailed application, ticket and event information for the complete schedule of 2023 events. Follow The Quail Events on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on all activities.
The Peninsula Signature Events 2023:
13th Annual The Quail Ride: Friday, May 5, 2023
13th Annual The Quail Motorcycle Gathering: Saturday, May 6, 2023
25th Annual The Quail Rally: Monday, August 14 – Wednesday, August 16, 2023
20th Annual The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering: Friday, August 18, 2023
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Epilepsy Safe Mode: this profile enables people with epilepsy to use the website safely by eliminating the risk of seizures that result from flashing or blinking animations and risky color combinations.
Visually Impaired Mode: this mode adjusts the website for the convenience of users with visual impairments such as Degrading Eyesight, Tunnel Vision, Cataract, Glaucoma, and others.
Cognitive Disability Mode: this mode provides different assistive options to help users with cognitive impairments such as Dyslexia, Autism, CVA, and others, to focus on the essential elements of the website more easily.
ADHD Friendly Mode: this mode helps users with ADHD and Neurodevelopmental disorders to read, browse, and focus on the main website elements more easily while significantly reducing distractions.
Blindness Mode: this mode configures the website to be compatible with screen-readers such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack. A screen-reader is software for blind users that is installed on a computer and smartphone, and websites must be compatible with it.
Keyboard Navigation Profile (Motor-Impaired): this profile enables motor-impaired persons to operate the website using the keyboard Tab, Shift+Tab, and the Enter keys. Users can also use shortcuts such as “M” (menus), “H” (headings), “F” (forms), “B” (buttons), and “G” (graphics) to jump to specific elements.
Additional UI, design, and readability adjustments
Font adjustments – users, can increase and decrease its size, change its family (type), adjust the spacing, alignment, line height, and more.
Color adjustments – users can select various color contrast profiles such as light, dark, inverted, and monochrome. Additionally, users can swap color schemes of titles, texts, and backgrounds, with over seven different coloring options.
Animations – person with epilepsy can stop all running animations with the click of a button. Animations controlled by the interface include videos, GIFs, and CSS flashing transitions.
Content highlighting – users can choose to emphasize important elements such as links and titles. They can also choose to highlight focused or hovered elements only.
Audio muting – users with hearing devices may experience headaches or other issues due to automatic audio playing. This option lets users mute the entire website instantly.
Cognitive disorders – we utilize a search engine that is linked to Wikipedia and Wiktionary, allowing people with cognitive disorders to decipher meanings of phrases, initials, slang, and others.
Additional functions – we provide users the option to change cursor color and size, use a printing mode, enable a virtual keyboard, and many other functions.
Browser and assistive technology compatibility
We aim to support the widest array of browsers and assistive technologies as possible, so our users can choose the best fitting tools for them, with as few limitations as possible. Therefore, we have worked very hard to be able to support all major systems that comprise over 95% of the user market share including Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, Opera and Microsoft Edge, JAWS and NVDA (screen readers).
Notes, comments, and feedback
Despite our very best efforts to allow anybody to adjust the website to their needs. There may still be pages or sections that are not fully accessible, are in the process of becoming accessible, or are lacking an adequate technological solution to make them accessible. Still, we are continually improving our accessibility, adding, updating and improving its options and features, and developing and adopting new technologies. All this is meant to reach the optimal level of accessibility, following technological advancements. For any assistance, please reach out to
