More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Bautista completes Spanish hat-trick as he leads Ducati 1-2
Alvaro Bautista (19) leads early in a WorldSBK race Sunday at Catalunya. Photo courtesy Dorna.
The Championship leader took a dominant Race 2 victory to extend his advantage in the standings
Race 2 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Abuba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista completed a hat-trick with Race 2 victory as he became the first WorldSBK rider with three wins in Barcelona.
He finished the race with a 8.103s gap over his teammate Rinaldi.
He extended his Championship lead to 59 points over Razgatlioglu.
It was his first hat-trick since 2019
“It seems like an easy weekend but, in reality, there was nothing easy. I’m so happy to have won three races here, especially because I think the competition is so high and even more difficult than three years ago. Saturday and Sunday, in the long race, I tried to manage the tyres and keep the pace. I felt quite comfortable. Honestly, for the Superpole Race, we were missing something so, today, in the Warm Up we tried something different on the electronics to help me use the tyre more and not worry about consumption. We tried, I liked it, so I used, and it definitely helped me a lot because it gave me a hand to use the tyre more. I could be fast in the Superpole Race and fight for the win. For sure, it was closer than the other races but also, I expected more fighting, more battling for the victory.
In the end, I don’t like to think about the Championship. I didn’t think about it at the beginning and I don’t think about it now. For me, the important thing is that I’m enjoying the bike a lot. I’m enjoying every practice, every single lap, every single race. Let’s keep this mentality and see what happens at the end. I’m just trying to enjoy the moment, celebrate the victory, to reset when things come back and just race and enjoy.”
P2 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi finished in second place ahead of Razgatlioglu, making it a Ducati 1-2 and claiming his 14th podium.
He remains in fourth overall with a 32-point advantage over Locatelli.
“We knew yesterday that our expectation was the podium. But unfortunately, I made a mistake in qualifying and I started tenth. Then the race was a bit compromised, but the speed was there. The strategy in the Superpole Race was to start Race 2 in the first two rows and I did it. Today, I really enjoyed the race because I started well. But Jonny and Axel pushed really hard during the whole race. I had to battle really hard but at the same time manage the tyre because we knew what happened yesterday. I did it and I’m really happy because I had a good pace. I didn’t have the pace of Alvaro but in the end I’m really happy about this second place because it’s the second in a row.”
P3 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Razgatlioglu completed the top three for his 72nd podium.
He remains second in the standings and eight points adrift from Rea.
“For me, it was a very difficult weekend. In Race 1, we started very well but we finished in fifth place because we were eating the rear tyre. Today, my plan was just follow Jonny and Bassani and Rinaldi, because I know Alvaro is very fast. Today, I wanted to keep the rear tyre because I understood that first position was not possible in this race. I focused on second and third position. I am very happy that we’re back on the podium. I am not focused on the Championship, I am just looking race by race. Portimao is a very good track for me and also Jonny is very strong, Alvaro is very strong. We are fighting again. Argentina will be a little bit difficult because of the very long straight, which is better for the Ducati, but I will keep fighting. I love Indonesia, and I think we are fighting for the win in Indonesia. Australia, I don’t know! We have many races and the Championship is not finished.”
P4 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea was battling for a podium place but ran wide at Turn 7 on Lap 16. After his mistake he was able to pass Bassani to take fourth.
He stands in third place in the standings with 327 points.
“The race was under control compared to our expectations until six laps to go. I was just behind Rinaldi, starting to plot how the end of the race would play out and I went into seven, found neutral but I was coming from fourth to third to second. I couldn’t stop the bike. It was all I could do… because I had no engine brake it was to stay upright. The front was jumping… anyway I stayed on the track. Rammed it back into gear… Axel came past but I made quick work of him. I focused on Toprak just to fight until the end. My rhythm was good in the end, but I just ran out of lap so. If you had given me that result at the beginning of the week, I’d probably have accepted it because it’s a really though track for us but after seeing our pace yesterday, understanding how the start of the race was, I felt like we left a little bit out there. But equally satisfied with our position. We had nothing for Alvaro this weekend. He was incredible, on a different level. But I felt like we got a lot from our bike, we even improved the settings of the bike at a circuit that is very difficult for us but we’ve still been able to fight.”
P5 – Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing)
Starting from 13th on the grid, Bassani was fighting for a podium place until Rinaldi and Toprak escaped. He then dropped to finish in sixth place.
“Really good Race 2. I tried to come back from 13th position. It was difficult but we arrived in second place. I tried to maintain second place but in the first half of the race, I finished the front tyre. I just tried to cross the finish line. We arrived fifth, this is really good for the Championship. It was a really difficult weekend for me, but we finish with a good result and we go to Portimao with good moral.”
P6 – Xavi Vierge (Team HRC)
Vierge completed the top six in Race 2 after taking advantage of his Superpole Race result.
“Finally, it has been a really positive weekend, especially on Sunday. We learned a lot. Yesterday was a tricky day. We had a good Superpole but then in the race the temperature dropped a lot. We decided to go with another tyre and I felt so bad with it in the race, I was struggling a lot and I had zero grip. We learned a lot from yesterday, we worked a lot on the electronic side and today with the temperature we were able to choose the tyre that works for us. And we could make a really good Superpole Race and Race 2.”
To note:
Two riders crashed out of the race on the opening lap with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) going down at Turn 10 and Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) crashing at Turn 14; putting both riders out of the race. Redding was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following his crash and was declared fit but diagnosed with a chest bruise.
The Pirelli Portuguese Round will take place from the 7th to the 9th of October at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
A Thriller and a spill at Motegi: Miller victorious as title contenders falter
Quartararo struggles to eighth, Bagnaia makes a last lap blunder and Aleix Espargaro suffers a disastrous start as Miller, Binder and Martin steal the spotlight
Jack Miller (43) celebrates his victory with a wheelie across the finish line. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 25 September 2022
Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) took a scintillating win at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, hitting the front and never looking back. Behind him, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder came home in a stunning second after a last lap attack on Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), with the former taking a second podium of the season from his first ever premier class front row and the latter back on the box for the first time since Barcelona.
Elsewhere for the title contenders there was drama of differing measures, leaving the top three to take home only eight points between them – and they were all scored by Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) despite the fact that he could only manage eighth. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) suffered the first drama as he found his first machine stuck in fuel saving mode and dived into the pits after the Sighting Lap to change, only able to make it up to P16 thereafter, and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) created the second as he made a last lap blunder in the battle with Quartararo and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) – taking home nil points in the process as he slid out.
The duel into Turn 1 saw Binder move into the lead courtesy of the inside line, as Martin passed Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) for second through Turn 3. Miller’s charge started early though, and he made a forceful move for fifth on Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) at Turn 5 and then passed both Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Marc Marquez in one fell swoop at the 90 Degree Corner. He then dispatched Binder at the same place before also pinching the lead from Martin not long after, free in the lead and the hammer immediately down. From there, he didn’t look back and only extended the gap – crossing the line three and a half seconds clear for a stunning Thriller of a win.
In classic Binder style, the South African was chipping away at the gap to Martin ahead of him and by the last few laps was within striking distance. But he waited, and Binder vs Martin was decided on the last lap as the KTM rider chose his moment, making it stick and able to pull out a few tenths. Marquez vs Oliveira vs Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was similarly decided late, with Marquez dispatching the Portuguese rider late on and the number 88 then left to defend against Marini. That he did, repelling a last lap attack.
Marquez’ fourth place from pole is another step in the right direction as the number 93 begins to remind the grid, if they needed it, that he really is back, and Oliveira’s fifth wasn’t quite a podium but it makes two KTMs in the top five. Marini, meanwhile, continues his impressive consistency and points hauls in sixth.
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) took seventh, and the number 12 was just to the front of a title fight in miniature: Quartararo, Bagnaia and Bastianini, all in a row and battling for eighth. Bagnaia snatched ninth back from Bastianini through Turn 12/Turn 13 on Lap 20 after an earlier shuffle, and that gave him a clear shot at Quartararo. Could he or even would he? The three were incredibly close together and Pecco misjudged it as the front tyre said no more, and he slid out. Quartararo continued to take those eight points, Bagnaia took a 0 after his overambitious move – his words, to accompany his sarcastic applause at himself as he walked away – and Bastianini inherited ninth. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) rounded out the top 10.
So what of Aleix Espargaro? The Aprilia rider had a different tyre than his race choice on the second bike, and that hampered an already difficult comeback task. He took P16, finishing but just missing out on points.
That’s a wrap on the paddock’s return to Japan. After mayhem in Motegi, Quartararo’s World Championship lead has grown to 18 over Bagnaia, while Aleix Espargaro is another seven behind, but there are still four rounds to go. The next is already on the horizon as the OR Thailand Grand Prix beckons and the paddock returns to Chang International Circuit, with action back underway on Friday!
MotoGP™ PODIUM
1 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 42’29.174
3 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +4.136
Jack Miller: “I can ride a motorcycle sometimes. [Laughs] I mean, I felt amazing all weekend, to be honest, since I rolled out in the first Free Practice. It feels so awesome to be back racing on this side of the world and the Japanese fans have been incredible all weekend, sitting there through the miserable rain yesterday. These guys are some of the best fans we have, so thank you to them, thank you to the team. What an amazing day. It’s awesome; we’ve got a home Grand Prix coming up shortly, wedding coming up in a couple of weeks, it’s amazing points. So, over the moon, can’t thank everybody enough.
“It was an emotional one that’s for certain, as it always is with me, I don’t know why. I was crying like a baby on the in lap. It was awesome, I didn’t know I had that in me, it was amazing to lead from almost start to finish. When you’re riding or racing like that, the biggest opponent you’ve got is the man inside your head – so I was just trying to not listen to him too much, and it was relatively easy to not listen to him today when the bike’s working as well as it was, it was just a case of hitting my marks and not making any silly mistakes, which is quite easy to do here, to outbrake yourself or whatever – it can cost you a lot of time.”
Brad Binder: “It was a fantastic weekend for myself and the team, you know we’ve been working so hard this season and we haven’t got many good results so to be standing back on the podium is an amazing feeling. It was tough out there today, at the beginning of the race I was really struggling a little bit to understand how hard I could push with the rear because it was the first time I’d done laps on the H. Clearly I understood really well following Jorge and Jack at the beginning where we were losing time and where I was strong, so I was able to do laps behind them and really figure out where I needed to improve and use my strong points to my advantage.
“As the race went on I felt like I got better and better, and I need to say a massive thank you to my team for giving me the confidence to go with the H rear considering we’d never used it. To walk away today with a podium is fantastic, I pushed hard and fought hard from lap one but like I said, hats off to my team. They fought so hard, we needed this podium desperately and this is the start of many more.
“Congrats to Jack, he was on another level today. When he passed me, he literally disappeared in about three or four laps. I could see he was on a roll and knowing Jack I thought he’d have the Hard tyre too. By about Lap 10 I knew we weren’t gonna see him again. Hats off to Jack and it’s gonna be awesome having him in the team next year.”
Jorge Martin: “It was a great race in general, for sure a pity I didn’t try the Hard tyre in the Warm Up because I think it was the key today to being a bit more competitive. I made a great start, I was managing the rear a bit on the exit but I saw straight away after six laps when I was behind Jack that I was asking too much to try and keep the pace so I slowed a bit and tried to keep a constant pace to keep some tyre for the end. It was difficult, when I saw 14 laps to go I was a bit on the limit and thought I was a bit in trouble for the end. I tried to keep the distance with Brad but when he arrived with two or three to go it was a shame as second would have been even better but I’m happy with this podium, to be back for the first time since Barcelona so a lot of races, and I have the confidence back I was missing in the front and starting to brake a bit harder. I’m getting used to this bike, that for the moment is difficult to understand a base setup for.”
QUOTES: TITLE CONTENDERS
Fabio Quartararo: “I didn’t enjoy a single moment of the race. You always have to take the positives from a race and the positive was that we extended our lead but it wasn’t a fun race for me. I couldn’t overtake at all, the only overtake I could do was on Marini and it was on the limit, we touched. But for me the difference in acceleration and everything, it was impossible to try anything.
“From the beginning I knew Aleix was out as he wasn’t there on the grid, and I heard straight away the sound when Pecco crashed so it was easy to know. We were lucky to not get hit but the important thing is we finished the race. Now, it’s the same. We need to push at the maximum, it’s still four races and 100 points, so we will have to push to the maximum and it’ll be super important.”
Francesco Bagnaia: “First of all, I want to say thanks to my team because my mistake was too huge. I didn’t do a good manoeuvre, and fortunately I didn’t touch Fabio and he was safe, he finished the race. I was too ambitious.
“I knew I was strong in that braking point, but I was a bit far and in acceleration today I was slow, I was losing compared to other bikes. But I have to think about my mistakes and what to do in the next races.”
“I had a strange feeling in my bike today during the race, this morning in warm Up everything went well and was ok, but this afternoon I struggled too much. In any case, it’s like this, we are lucky Fabio only got eighth, and we didn’t lose too many points, Aleix finished but with no points, so the only sweet taste today is from Jack – I’m happy he won the race. But I have to stay focused fo the next race, a good track for us, and that’s the main objective.”
Aleix Espargaro: “I’m very disappointed, today was a shame. we made a mistake and the electronics guys forget to remove the eco map for fuel saving, there was nothing I could do. The bike was very slow onto the sighting lap, I went into the pits to change the bike but the second bike didn’t have the right tyre so it was very difficult.
“I knew from the beginning that the bike wasn’t going, so I knew there was a mistake and on the second bike I tried everything, but starting from the pits it’s impossible. I also didn’t have the right rear because we had no more mediums. I tried to stay on track in case there was a Red Flag, but we lost the race on the grid.
“They didn’t achieve a lot of points but I’m even more disappointed because today I could have beaten them, so it’s a shame to lose the opportunity but this is racing.”
Ogura holds his nerve for statement home win ahead of Fernandez
Ogura becomes the first Japanese winner at home since 2006, ahead of key rival Fernandez as Lopez completes the podium
Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) became the first Japanese rider to win on home turf since 2006 at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, holding off key Championship rival Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to the flag after both had to pick their way through from outside the top ten on the grid. Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) made life difficult at times for both with another stellar ride, ultimately forced to settle for third but taking another impressive podium finish in his rookie season.
With Ogura’s historic win in front of the home crowd, he cuts the gap in the Championship to just two points behind Fernandez with four races to go. Polesitter Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40), meanwhile, crashed out and falls to 57 points off the top in third overall. Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) also crashed out, now 72 behind and facing a last stand to stay in it at Buriram.
Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) made a late run at the podium but couldn’t get close enough to Lopez to attack, but he came home ahead of early race leader Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) as the Thai rider ultimately took home a top five ahead of his home round next time out.
Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) made an early challenge for the podium before going wide and slotting back in just behind, taking sixth with a few tenths in hand over Aragon winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team), Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2™) completed the top ten.
Next up it’s Buriram as the intermediate class arrives with just two points in it between what looks like it could be the last two riders standing in the title fight. Will there be a twist in Thailand? We’ll find out next weekend.
Moto2™ PODIUM
1 Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – Kalex – 40’56.269
3 Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpedUp) – Boscoscuro- +7.168
Ai Ogura: “The biggest day of my life, it was incredible. I can’t believe what’s happened now, just a big thanks to all the Japanese fans. I rode quite well today, so, I could manage the race, it’s unbelievable. Thanks to the team and everybody.”
Guevara makes it back-to-back glory with another masterclass at Motegi
The number 28 stays ahead of the game as he outpaces Foggia and Sasaki to extend his lead once again
Izan Guevara (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) has done it again! Despite never riding at the Mobility Resort Motegi before, the number 28 took another impressive win as he was able to hold off Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan. The last lap was a showcase in precision and pushing to the limit for all three, with no one quite able to make a decisive move before the flag flew.
The win for Guevara puts him a whopping 45 points clear of teammate Sergio Garcia in the standings. Foggia closes to within 18 points of the second place held by Garcia for the moment, with Sasaki still fourth but also gaining ground on the number 11.
Garcia started well before fading from the podium fight, eventually beating David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) and John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) to fourth place.
Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had been in the battle for the win before a late highside out of second place, putting a dent in his place in the standings, and polesitter Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) fought at the front in the early stages before his race came to an early end with a crash.
Now the title fight goes down to the OR Thailand Grand Prix, with Guevara not yet able to take his first shot at the crown but getting ever closer to it. What will Buriram bring? We’ll find out next weekend!
3 Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) – Husqvarna – +1.741
Izan Guevara: “Yeah incredible start. I’m really happy with my race. Thanks to my team because in the warm up I had a big crash, and they repaired my bike in record time. Thanks to everyone and yeah, back-to-back victories!”
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Ray wins dramatic Bennetts BSB Showdown opener as Mackenzie and O’Halloran crash out
Bradley Ray continued his quest for a debut Bennetts British Superbike Championship title by claiming the opening race win of the Showdown in a dramatic eBay Sprint Race, as both McAMS Yamaha riders crashed out of contention, shaking up the title fight.
Jason O’Halloran had grabbed the lead at the start of the race from Tommy Bridewell, and Ray as the trio got the best launch from the front row.
Bridewell grasped the lead with a move down the inside at Shell Oils corner to move to the front of the pack, but Ray was on the attack. The Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha rider made a move on O’Halloran at Druids, and then launched to the lead on the brakes at Lodge.
Ray then was holding off the pack before making a break in the closing stages to claim his eighth win of the season, but Bridewell was able to return to the podium in second place and that saw him surge from eighth to fifth in the overall standings.
It was drama for McAMS Yamaha; reigning champion Tarran Mackenzie crashed out at Shell Oils corner on lap 12. His DNF now moves Glenn Irwin to within two points of the defending champion ahead of tomorrow’s two races.
On the final lap, there was contact between O’Halloran and Peter Hickman as the FHO Racing BMW rider made a move at Druids. The McAMS Yamaha rider crashed out of the race, which then promoted Leon Haslam into a podium finish for the VisionTrack Kawasaki team.
Hickman crossed the line in fourth place, but was disqualified from the result for the incident with O’Halloran*. That promoted Irwin up to fourth place for Honda Racing UK, ahead of Danny Buchan on the SYNETIQ BMW.
Lee Jackson battled his way back through the pack to finish sixth on the Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki, with Christian Iddon in seventh for Buildbase Suzuki.
Title Fighters Rory Skinner and Kyle Ryde featured in eighth and ninth respectively with Josh Brookes promoted to tenth place ahead of tomorrow’s two Showdown races.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, eBay Sprint Race result:
Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha)
Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +2.765s
Leon Haslam (VisionTrack Kawasaki) +3.438s
Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) +4.022s
Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) +5.508s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki) +7.537s
* For the Hickman sanction document please click here
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Bradley Ray
RICH Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
Race winner and championship leader
“That race wasn’t easy! I didn’t get the best of starts and I found myself back in third. Immediately I just needed to try to get past Jason and Tommy as quickly as possible, and try to get into my rhythm, which I managed to do.
“I could not seem to break them at the start. I had a couple of steady laps and then put the hammer down to do a couple of quick laps. I managed to slightly break Tommy towards the end and then started to get about a .8 gap and then just dug in to try and make the gap bigger.
“I managed to eek out enough of a gap and bring the Rich Energy OMG Yamaha back for the win and I am super happy. I am looking forward to tomorrow’s two races.”
Drag Specialties Cedar Lake Short Track Postponed to Sunday, September 25
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 24, 2022) – Due to inclement weather, the Drag Specialties Cedar Lake Short Track scheduled for today, Saturday, September 24, will be postponed until tomorrow, Sunday, September 25.
Gates will open for fans at 11:00 a.m., track-activity commencing at 11:00 a.m. and Opening Ceremonies scheduled for 12:45 p.m.
Tickets purchased for today’s Cedar Lake Short Track are redeemable for the rescheduled event tomorrow, Sunday, September 25.
More, from a press release issued by Dorna WorldSBK Press Office:
Bautista completes Spanish hat-trick as he leads Ducati 1-2
Alvaro Bautista (19) leads early in a WorldSBK race Sunday at Catalunya. Photo courtesy Dorna.
The Championship leader took a dominant Race 2 victory to extend his advantage in the standings
Race 2 highlights – WorldSBK
P1 – Alvaro Bautista (Abuba.it Racing – Ducati)
Bautista completed a hat-trick with Race 2 victory as he became the first WorldSBK rider with three wins in Barcelona.
He finished the race with a 8.103s gap over his teammate Rinaldi.
He extended his Championship lead to 59 points over Razgatlioglu.
It was his first hat-trick since 2019
“It seems like an easy weekend but, in reality, there was nothing easy. I’m so happy to have won three races here, especially because I think the competition is so high and even more difficult than three years ago. Saturday and Sunday, in the long race, I tried to manage the tyres and keep the pace. I felt quite comfortable. Honestly, for the Superpole Race, we were missing something so, today, in the Warm Up we tried something different on the electronics to help me use the tyre more and not worry about consumption. We tried, I liked it, so I used, and it definitely helped me a lot because it gave me a hand to use the tyre more. I could be fast in the Superpole Race and fight for the win. For sure, it was closer than the other races but also, I expected more fighting, more battling for the victory.
In the end, I don’t like to think about the Championship. I didn’t think about it at the beginning and I don’t think about it now. For me, the important thing is that I’m enjoying the bike a lot. I’m enjoying every practice, every single lap, every single race. Let’s keep this mentality and see what happens at the end. I’m just trying to enjoy the moment, celebrate the victory, to reset when things come back and just race and enjoy.”
P2 – Michael Ruben Rinaldi (Aruba.it Racing – Ducati)
Rinaldi finished in second place ahead of Razgatlioglu, making it a Ducati 1-2 and claiming his 14th podium.
He remains in fourth overall with a 32-point advantage over Locatelli.
“We knew yesterday that our expectation was the podium. But unfortunately, I made a mistake in qualifying and I started tenth. Then the race was a bit compromised, but the speed was there. The strategy in the Superpole Race was to start Race 2 in the first two rows and I did it. Today, I really enjoyed the race because I started well. But Jonny and Axel pushed really hard during the whole race. I had to battle really hard but at the same time manage the tyre because we knew what happened yesterday. I did it and I’m really happy because I had a good pace. I didn’t have the pace of Alvaro but in the end I’m really happy about this second place because it’s the second in a row.”
P3 – Toprak Razgatlioglu (Pata Yamaha with Brixx WorldSBK)
Razgatlioglu completed the top three for his 72nd podium.
He remains second in the standings and eight points adrift from Rea.
“For me, it was a very difficult weekend. In Race 1, we started very well but we finished in fifth place because we were eating the rear tyre. Today, my plan was just follow Jonny and Bassani and Rinaldi, because I know Alvaro is very fast. Today, I wanted to keep the rear tyre because I understood that first position was not possible in this race. I focused on second and third position. I am very happy that we’re back on the podium. I am not focused on the Championship, I am just looking race by race. Portimao is a very good track for me and also Jonny is very strong, Alvaro is very strong. We are fighting again. Argentina will be a little bit difficult because of the very long straight, which is better for the Ducati, but I will keep fighting. I love Indonesia, and I think we are fighting for the win in Indonesia. Australia, I don’t know! We have many races and the Championship is not finished.”
P4 – Jonathan Rea (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK)
Rea was battling for a podium place but ran wide at Turn 7 on Lap 16. After his mistake he was able to pass Bassani to take fourth.
He stands in third place in the standings with 327 points.
“The race was under control compared to our expectations until six laps to go. I was just behind Rinaldi, starting to plot how the end of the race would play out and I went into seven, found neutral but I was coming from fourth to third to second. I couldn’t stop the bike. It was all I could do… because I had no engine brake it was to stay upright. The front was jumping… anyway I stayed on the track. Rammed it back into gear… Axel came past but I made quick work of him. I focused on Toprak just to fight until the end. My rhythm was good in the end, but I just ran out of lap so. If you had given me that result at the beginning of the week, I’d probably have accepted it because it’s a really though track for us but after seeing our pace yesterday, understanding how the start of the race was, I felt like we left a little bit out there. But equally satisfied with our position. We had nothing for Alvaro this weekend. He was incredible, on a different level. But I felt like we got a lot from our bike, we even improved the settings of the bike at a circuit that is very difficult for us but we’ve still been able to fight.”
P5 – Axel Bassani (Motocorsa Racing)
Starting from 13th on the grid, Bassani was fighting for a podium place until Rinaldi and Toprak escaped. He then dropped to finish in sixth place.
“Really good Race 2. I tried to come back from 13th position. It was difficult but we arrived in second place. I tried to maintain second place but in the first half of the race, I finished the front tyre. I just tried to cross the finish line. We arrived fifth, this is really good for the Championship. It was a really difficult weekend for me, but we finish with a good result and we go to Portimao with good moral.”
P6 – Xavi Vierge (Team HRC)
Vierge completed the top six in Race 2 after taking advantage of his Superpole Race result.
“Finally, it has been a really positive weekend, especially on Sunday. We learned a lot. Yesterday was a tricky day. We had a good Superpole but then in the race the temperature dropped a lot. We decided to go with another tyre and I felt so bad with it in the race, I was struggling a lot and I had zero grip. We learned a lot from yesterday, we worked a lot on the electronic side and today with the temperature we were able to choose the tyre that works for us. And we could make a really good Superpole Race and Race 2.”
To note:
Two riders crashed out of the race on the opening lap with Alex Lowes (Kawasaki Racing Team WorldSBK) going down at Turn 10 and Scott Redding (BMW Motorrad WorldSBK Team) crashing at Turn 14; putting both riders out of the race. Redding was taken to the medical centre for a check-up following his crash and was declared fit but diagnosed with a chest bruise.
The Pirelli Portuguese Round will take place from the 7th to the 9th of October at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve.
A Thriller and a spill at Motegi: Miller victorious as title contenders falter
Quartararo struggles to eighth, Bagnaia makes a last lap blunder and Aleix Espargaro suffers a disastrous start as Miller, Binder and Martin steal the spotlight
Jack Miller (43) celebrates his victory with a wheelie across the finish line. Photo courtesy Dorna.
Sunday, 25 September 2022
Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) took a scintillating win at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, hitting the front and never looking back. Behind him, Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Brad Binder came home in a stunning second after a last lap attack on Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing), with the former taking a second podium of the season from his first ever premier class front row and the latter back on the box for the first time since Barcelona.
Elsewhere for the title contenders there was drama of differing measures, leaving the top three to take home only eight points between them – and they were all scored by Championship leader Fabio Quartararo (Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP™) despite the fact that he could only manage eighth. Aleix Espargaro (Aprilia Racing) suffered the first drama as he found his first machine stuck in fuel saving mode and dived into the pits after the Sighting Lap to change, only able to make it up to P16 thereafter, and Francesco Bagnaia (Ducati Lenovo Team) created the second as he made a last lap blunder in the battle with Quartararo and Enea Bastianini (Gresini Racing MotoGP™) – taking home nil points in the process as he slid out.
The duel into Turn 1 saw Binder move into the lead courtesy of the inside line, as Martin passed Marc Marquez (Repsol Honda Team) for second through Turn 3. Miller’s charge started early though, and he made a forceful move for fifth on Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) at Turn 5 and then passed both Miguel Oliveira (Red Bull KTM Factory Racing) and Marc Marquez in one fell swoop at the 90 Degree Corner. He then dispatched Binder at the same place before also pinching the lead from Martin not long after, free in the lead and the hammer immediately down. From there, he didn’t look back and only extended the gap – crossing the line three and a half seconds clear for a stunning Thriller of a win.
In classic Binder style, the South African was chipping away at the gap to Martin ahead of him and by the last few laps was within striking distance. But he waited, and Binder vs Martin was decided on the last lap as the KTM rider chose his moment, making it stick and able to pull out a few tenths. Marquez vs Oliveira vs Luca Marini (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) was similarly decided late, with Marquez dispatching the Portuguese rider late on and the number 88 then left to defend against Marini. That he did, repelling a last lap attack.
Marquez’ fourth place from pole is another step in the right direction as the number 93 begins to remind the grid, if they needed it, that he really is back, and Oliveira’s fifth wasn’t quite a podium but it makes two KTMs in the top five. Marini, meanwhile, continues his impressive consistency and points hauls in sixth.
Maverick Viñales (Aprilia Racing) took seventh, and the number 12 was just to the front of a title fight in miniature: Quartararo, Bagnaia and Bastianini, all in a row and battling for eighth. Bagnaia snatched ninth back from Bastianini through Turn 12/Turn 13 on Lap 20 after an earlier shuffle, and that gave him a clear shot at Quartararo. Could he or even would he? The three were incredibly close together and Pecco misjudged it as the front tyre said no more, and he slid out. Quartararo continued to take those eight points, Bagnaia took a 0 after his overambitious move – his words, to accompany his sarcastic applause at himself as he walked away – and Bastianini inherited ninth. Marco Bezzecchi (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) rounded out the top 10.
So what of Aleix Espargaro? The Aprilia rider had a different tyre than his race choice on the second bike, and that hampered an already difficult comeback task. He took P16, finishing but just missing out on points.
That’s a wrap on the paddock’s return to Japan. After mayhem in Motegi, Quartararo’s World Championship lead has grown to 18 over Bagnaia, while Aleix Espargaro is another seven behind, but there are still four rounds to go. The next is already on the horizon as the OR Thailand Grand Prix beckons and the paddock returns to Chang International Circuit, with action back underway on Friday!
MotoGP™ PODIUM
1 Jack Miller (Ducati Lenovo Team) – Ducati – 42’29.174
3 Jorge Martin (Prima Pramac Racing) – Ducati – +4.136
Jack Miller: “I can ride a motorcycle sometimes. [Laughs] I mean, I felt amazing all weekend, to be honest, since I rolled out in the first Free Practice. It feels so awesome to be back racing on this side of the world and the Japanese fans have been incredible all weekend, sitting there through the miserable rain yesterday. These guys are some of the best fans we have, so thank you to them, thank you to the team. What an amazing day. It’s awesome; we’ve got a home Grand Prix coming up shortly, wedding coming up in a couple of weeks, it’s amazing points. So, over the moon, can’t thank everybody enough.
“It was an emotional one that’s for certain, as it always is with me, I don’t know why. I was crying like a baby on the in lap. It was awesome, I didn’t know I had that in me, it was amazing to lead from almost start to finish. When you’re riding or racing like that, the biggest opponent you’ve got is the man inside your head – so I was just trying to not listen to him too much, and it was relatively easy to not listen to him today when the bike’s working as well as it was, it was just a case of hitting my marks and not making any silly mistakes, which is quite easy to do here, to outbrake yourself or whatever – it can cost you a lot of time.”
Brad Binder: “It was a fantastic weekend for myself and the team, you know we’ve been working so hard this season and we haven’t got many good results so to be standing back on the podium is an amazing feeling. It was tough out there today, at the beginning of the race I was really struggling a little bit to understand how hard I could push with the rear because it was the first time I’d done laps on the H. Clearly I understood really well following Jorge and Jack at the beginning where we were losing time and where I was strong, so I was able to do laps behind them and really figure out where I needed to improve and use my strong points to my advantage.
“As the race went on I felt like I got better and better, and I need to say a massive thank you to my team for giving me the confidence to go with the H rear considering we’d never used it. To walk away today with a podium is fantastic, I pushed hard and fought hard from lap one but like I said, hats off to my team. They fought so hard, we needed this podium desperately and this is the start of many more.
“Congrats to Jack, he was on another level today. When he passed me, he literally disappeared in about three or four laps. I could see he was on a roll and knowing Jack I thought he’d have the Hard tyre too. By about Lap 10 I knew we weren’t gonna see him again. Hats off to Jack and it’s gonna be awesome having him in the team next year.”
Jorge Martin: “It was a great race in general, for sure a pity I didn’t try the Hard tyre in the Warm Up because I think it was the key today to being a bit more competitive. I made a great start, I was managing the rear a bit on the exit but I saw straight away after six laps when I was behind Jack that I was asking too much to try and keep the pace so I slowed a bit and tried to keep a constant pace to keep some tyre for the end. It was difficult, when I saw 14 laps to go I was a bit on the limit and thought I was a bit in trouble for the end. I tried to keep the distance with Brad but when he arrived with two or three to go it was a shame as second would have been even better but I’m happy with this podium, to be back for the first time since Barcelona so a lot of races, and I have the confidence back I was missing in the front and starting to brake a bit harder. I’m getting used to this bike, that for the moment is difficult to understand a base setup for.”
QUOTES: TITLE CONTENDERS
Fabio Quartararo: “I didn’t enjoy a single moment of the race. You always have to take the positives from a race and the positive was that we extended our lead but it wasn’t a fun race for me. I couldn’t overtake at all, the only overtake I could do was on Marini and it was on the limit, we touched. But for me the difference in acceleration and everything, it was impossible to try anything.
“From the beginning I knew Aleix was out as he wasn’t there on the grid, and I heard straight away the sound when Pecco crashed so it was easy to know. We were lucky to not get hit but the important thing is we finished the race. Now, it’s the same. We need to push at the maximum, it’s still four races and 100 points, so we will have to push to the maximum and it’ll be super important.”
Francesco Bagnaia: “First of all, I want to say thanks to my team because my mistake was too huge. I didn’t do a good manoeuvre, and fortunately I didn’t touch Fabio and he was safe, he finished the race. I was too ambitious.
“I knew I was strong in that braking point, but I was a bit far and in acceleration today I was slow, I was losing compared to other bikes. But I have to think about my mistakes and what to do in the next races.”
“I had a strange feeling in my bike today during the race, this morning in warm Up everything went well and was ok, but this afternoon I struggled too much. In any case, it’s like this, we are lucky Fabio only got eighth, and we didn’t lose too many points, Aleix finished but with no points, so the only sweet taste today is from Jack – I’m happy he won the race. But I have to stay focused fo the next race, a good track for us, and that’s the main objective.”
Aleix Espargaro: “I’m very disappointed, today was a shame. we made a mistake and the electronics guys forget to remove the eco map for fuel saving, there was nothing I could do. The bike was very slow onto the sighting lap, I went into the pits to change the bike but the second bike didn’t have the right tyre so it was very difficult.
“I knew from the beginning that the bike wasn’t going, so I knew there was a mistake and on the second bike I tried everything, but starting from the pits it’s impossible. I also didn’t have the right rear because we had no more mediums. I tried to stay on track in case there was a Red Flag, but we lost the race on the grid.
“They didn’t achieve a lot of points but I’m even more disappointed because today I could have beaten them, so it’s a shame to lose the opportunity but this is racing.”
Ogura holds his nerve for statement home win ahead of Fernandez
Ogura becomes the first Japanese winner at home since 2006, ahead of key rival Fernandez as Lopez completes the podium
Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) became the first Japanese rider to win on home turf since 2006 at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan, holding off key Championship rival Augusto Fernandez (Red Bull KTM Ajo) to the flag after both had to pick their way through from outside the top ten on the grid. Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpeedUp) made life difficult at times for both with another stellar ride, ultimately forced to settle for third but taking another impressive podium finish in his rookie season.
With Ogura’s historic win in front of the home crowd, he cuts the gap in the Championship to just two points behind Fernandez with four races to go. Polesitter Aron Canet (Flexbox HP 40), meanwhile, crashed out and falls to 57 points off the top in third overall. Celestino Vietti (Mooney VR46 Racing Team) also crashed out, now 72 behind and facing a last stand to stay in it at Buriram.
Jake Dixon (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team) made a late run at the podium but couldn’t get close enough to Lopez to attack, but he came home ahead of early race leader Somkiat Chantra (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) as the Thai rider ultimately took home a top five ahead of his home round next time out.
Tony Arbolino (Elf Marc VDS Racing Team) made an early challenge for the podium before going wide and slotting back in just behind, taking sixth with a few tenths in hand over Aragon winner Pedro Acosta (Red Bull KTM Ajo). Albert Arenas (Inde GASGAS Aspar Team), Bo Bendsneyder (Pertamina Mandalika SAG Team) and Filip Salač (Gresini Racing Moto2™) completed the top ten.
Next up it’s Buriram as the intermediate class arrives with just two points in it between what looks like it could be the last two riders standing in the title fight. Will there be a twist in Thailand? We’ll find out next weekend.
Moto2™ PODIUM
1 Ai Ogura (Idemitsu Honda Team Asia) – Kalex – 40’56.269
3 Alonso Lopez (Beta Tools SpedUp) – Boscoscuro- +7.168
Ai Ogura: “The biggest day of my life, it was incredible. I can’t believe what’s happened now, just a big thanks to all the Japanese fans. I rode quite well today, so, I could manage the race, it’s unbelievable. Thanks to the team and everybody.”
Guevara makes it back-to-back glory with another masterclass at Motegi
The number 28 stays ahead of the game as he outpaces Foggia and Sasaki to extend his lead once again
Izan Guevara (Autosolar GASGAS Aspar Team) has done it again! Despite never riding at the Mobility Resort Motegi before, the number 28 took another impressive win as he was able to hold off Dennis Foggia (Leopard Racing) and Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) at the Motul Grand Prix of Japan. The last lap was a showcase in precision and pushing to the limit for all three, with no one quite able to make a decisive move before the flag flew.
The win for Guevara puts him a whopping 45 points clear of teammate Sergio Garcia in the standings. Foggia closes to within 18 points of the second place held by Garcia for the moment, with Sasaki still fourth but also gaining ground on the number 11.
Garcia started well before fading from the podium fight, eventually beating David Muñoz (BOE Motorsports), Diogo Moreira (MT Helmets – MSI) and John McPhee (Sterilgarda Husqvarna Max) to fourth place.
Jaume Masia (Red Bull KTM Ajo) had been in the battle for the win before a late highside out of second place, putting a dent in his place in the standings, and polesitter Tatsuki Suzuki (Leopard Racing) fought at the front in the early stages before his race came to an early end with a crash.
Now the title fight goes down to the OR Thailand Grand Prix, with Guevara not yet able to take his first shot at the crown but getting ever closer to it. What will Buriram bring? We’ll find out next weekend!
3 Ayumu Sasaki (Sterilgarda Max Racing Team) – Husqvarna – +1.741
Izan Guevara: “Yeah incredible start. I’m really happy with my race. Thanks to my team because in the warm up I had a big crash, and they repaired my bike in record time. Thanks to everyone and yeah, back-to-back victories!”
More, from a press release issued by MotorSport Vision Racing:
Ray wins dramatic Bennetts BSB Showdown opener as Mackenzie and O’Halloran crash out
Bradley Ray continued his quest for a debut Bennetts British Superbike Championship title by claiming the opening race win of the Showdown in a dramatic eBay Sprint Race, as both McAMS Yamaha riders crashed out of contention, shaking up the title fight.
Jason O’Halloran had grabbed the lead at the start of the race from Tommy Bridewell, and Ray as the trio got the best launch from the front row.
Bridewell grasped the lead with a move down the inside at Shell Oils corner to move to the front of the pack, but Ray was on the attack. The Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha rider made a move on O’Halloran at Druids, and then launched to the lead on the brakes at Lodge.
Ray then was holding off the pack before making a break in the closing stages to claim his eighth win of the season, but Bridewell was able to return to the podium in second place and that saw him surge from eighth to fifth in the overall standings.
It was drama for McAMS Yamaha; reigning champion Tarran Mackenzie crashed out at Shell Oils corner on lap 12. His DNF now moves Glenn Irwin to within two points of the defending champion ahead of tomorrow’s two races.
On the final lap, there was contact between O’Halloran and Peter Hickman as the FHO Racing BMW rider made a move at Druids. The McAMS Yamaha rider crashed out of the race, which then promoted Leon Haslam into a podium finish for the VisionTrack Kawasaki team.
Hickman crossed the line in fourth place, but was disqualified from the result for the incident with O’Halloran*. That promoted Irwin up to fourth place for Honda Racing UK, ahead of Danny Buchan on the SYNETIQ BMW.
Lee Jackson battled his way back through the pack to finish sixth on the Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki, with Christian Iddon in seventh for Buildbase Suzuki.
Title Fighters Rory Skinner and Kyle Ryde featured in eighth and ninth respectively with Josh Brookes promoted to tenth place ahead of tomorrow’s two Showdown races.
Bennetts British Superbike Championship, Oulton Park, eBay Sprint Race result:
Bradley Ray (Rich Energy OMG Racing Yamaha)
Tommy Bridewell (Oxford Products Racing Ducati) +2.765s
Leon Haslam (VisionTrack Kawasaki) +3.438s
Glenn Irwin (Honda Racing UK) +4.022s
Danny Buchan (SYNETIQ BMW) +5.508s
Lee Jackson (Cheshire Mouldings FS-3 Kawasaki) +7.537s
* For the Hickman sanction document please click here
For more information on the Bennetts British Superbike Championship visit www.britishsuperbike.com
Bradley Ray
RICH Energy OMG Racing Yamaha
Race winner and championship leader
“That race wasn’t easy! I didn’t get the best of starts and I found myself back in third. Immediately I just needed to try to get past Jason and Tommy as quickly as possible, and try to get into my rhythm, which I managed to do.
“I could not seem to break them at the start. I had a couple of steady laps and then put the hammer down to do a couple of quick laps. I managed to slightly break Tommy towards the end and then started to get about a .8 gap and then just dug in to try and make the gap bigger.
“I managed to eek out enough of a gap and bring the Rich Energy OMG Yamaha back for the win and I am super happy. I am looking forward to tomorrow’s two races.”
Cedar Lake Speedway. Photo by Tim Lester, courtesy AFT.
Drag Specialties Cedar Lake Short Track Postponed to Sunday, September 25
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (September 24, 2022) – Due to inclement weather, the Drag Specialties Cedar Lake Short Track scheduled for today, Saturday, September 24, will be postponed until tomorrow, Sunday, September 25.
Gates will open for fans at 11:00 a.m., track-activity commencing at 11:00 a.m. and Opening Ceremonies scheduled for 12:45 p.m.
Tickets purchased for today’s Cedar Lake Short Track are redeemable for the rescheduled event tomorrow, Sunday, September 25.
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