Category: Superbikes

1. Camier sixth in epic Race 2 battle at Phillip Island

   Posted on 2:00pm Sunday 25th Feb 2018

   Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team rider Leon Camier took sixth place in Race 2 of the Australian WorldSBK round as the British rider completed an impressive competitive debut on the CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2.

   For Race 2 Camier lined up on the second row in P4 and after a great opening lap, ran as high as second place in a lead group comprising eight riders for the first half of the race. Meanwhile Jake Gagne, starting from row four in P12 got up to speed and was in a fight for a top ten position before he had a small crash at turn 4. However, the American rider was able to re-join the race.

   Following a mandatory pit stop for new tyres at the end of lap 11 – a ruling introduced for Race 2 due to some riders experiencing high tyre wear in Race 1 – Camier and Gagne resumed their push up the field and both riders were able to make up places in the second half of the race.

   Camier was especially impressive as he made some bold passing moves to move into P5 towards the end of the 22-lap race, and fighting until the end he crossed the finish line in sixth place, just 2.745 seconds behind the race winner. Gagne recovered from his earlier spill to come home in P13 and wrap up a double-points finish on his first ever race weekend at Phillip Island.

   With round 1 completed, Camier is sixth in the WorldSBK championship standings on 19 points, while Gagne is fifteenth overall with 7 points. The Red Bull World Superbike Team will next be in action at round 2 of the WorldSBK season at Chang International Circuit in Thailand from March 23-25.

2. APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI - Wind tunnel test

   Posted on 12:00pm Sunday 25th Feb 2018

   APRILIA HONES THEIR WEAPONS IN THE WIND TUNNEL
   
   The 2018 is by now just around the corner and preparations are underway in earnest in the Aprilia Racing Department to refine the new RS-GP before the Championship opener. One of the development steps, after the new prototype made its début in the Sepang tests, concerns aerodynamics. This is a topic that has gained notoriety thanks to the appearance of winglets, a visible and obvious part, but one that is the subject of constant research.

   Aprilia's work was conducted on a day of tests in the Perugia University wind tunnel and it involved both riders. Aleix Espargaró and Scott Redding tackled the aerodynamic tests upon their return from the tests in Thailand. The results of the tunnel findings are providing the base for the evolutions that will be applied to the 2018 RS-GP.
   
   
   ROMANO ALBESIANO - APRILIA RACING MANAGER
   "Aerodynamic research has by now become an integral part of development on a modern MotoGP bike. Not only in terms of the winglets, which are the most visible expression of it, but because on an extremely level playing field, every little detail becomes a determining factor. Aleix and Scott have extremely different physical characteristics which therefore require diversified aerodynamic refinements in order to optimise efficiency. The tests in the wind tunnel are just a part of the aerodynamics study, which also consists in computer simulations and checks that are conducted directly on the track. We will bring a first version of the aerodynamics package for the 2018 RS-GP to Qatar, whereas a second evolution will be planned once the season is underway."

3. Season opener beckons for the Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team

   Posted on 12:00pm Thursday 22nd Feb 2018

   The Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team is primed for the 2018 WorldSBK season opener at Phillip Island, Australia this weekend after a strong showing in pre-season testing. Leon Camier and Jake Gagne will spearhead the team’s challenge on the Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP2 for the 2018 FIM World Superbike Championship season, which this year comprises thirteen rounds in twelve countries. This weekend at Phillip Island marks Camier’s first competitive outing with Honda in WorldSBK, with the Briton looking to continue the impressive pace he exhibited on the Fireblade in testing. For Gagne, the Phillip Island round marks the start of the American rider’s first full season in the WorldSBK championship after three appearances with the team in 2017. With thousands of kilometres under their collective belts from testing, both riders will be aiming to collect a good haul of points at the season opener at Phillip Island to start their respective campaigns in a positive fashion. Round 1 of the 2018 FIM World Superbike Championship kicks off with WorldSBK Free Practice 1 at 09:45 local time (GMT +11) on Friday, February 23 with the races commencing at 15:00 local time on Saturday and Sunday. For the latest news, features and images from the Red Bull Honda World Superbike Team, visit http://www.redbull-honda.com and follow @HondaWSBK on Twitter and Instagram.

4. APRILIA RACING TEAM GRESINI - MotoGP 2018 Scott Redding

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 9th Feb 2018

   AS WE WAIT FOR THE THREE DAYS OF TESTS IN THAILAND, SCHEDULED FROM 16 THROUGH 18 FEBRUARY, IT'S TIME TO DRAW SUMS AFTER THE FIRST TESTS OF THE SEASON IN SEPANG
   
   In the Aprilia camp, there were great expectations for the début of the new RS-GP machines in the 2018 version. It was even more of a change for Scott Redding, astride the Italian V4 for the first time.
   After initial contact in November at Valencia and Jerez with the 2017 bike, the English rider had a chance to test the 2018 RS-GP in Malaysia. This is the perfect time to make a preliminary analysis of the beginning of this new adventure on the Italian team.

   What do you think of the new Aprilia RS-GP?
   "The test in Malaysia has been a sort of shakedown, we had the new bike and I haven't been riding the Aprilia since Jerez. At the beginning, when we simply put the 2017 setting on the 2018 bike, it didn't work for me. For Aleix it wasn't a big difference, but he has a lot more experience on this bike. We started to work on that, even experimenting, to make me feel comfortable on the bike. At the end of the three days I was happy, we found some solutions that we'll keep using and, most important, we found the direction to work on for the future. I've been faster every day, cutting the gap with the front guys and I feel there's still a lot of room for improvements".

   You're young but you already have a great experience in MotoGP, is it helping you developing a new bike like the RS-GP?
   "I have a good experience but not with a factory bike. I have a good ability to feel the bike and to explain the people developing the Aprilia RS-GP. It's the first time I've been given the tools to be able do that and that motivates me a lot, I feel really in my place. I have a unique riding style compared to many other riders, I'm bigger, heavier, and now that I can go a little bit in the right direction for me we'll see what we can do".

   How has it been the first approach with the team?
   "It's been good, I felt great from the first day. I have a good crew around me, very supportive and very straight down the line of what I need. In Sepang I think we found the right connection, the guys are starting to understand what I like on the bike and what I need to be fast. I feel all of the Aprilia guys believe in me and that's what I was looking for. I'm really happy to have this opportunity".

   What is your goal for this season?
   "To keep going forward, developing the Aprilia, working a lot in testing with the new bike. I want to put the Aprilia in the top-6, last year Aleix has shown that it is a result within our reach and I think the new bike has even more potential, there are still some new parts coming like the new engine. We still have some testing to do, after that my main priority will be to keep improving the bike race by race ad try to be as competitive as possible".

5. Adam McLean joins quinnstheprinters.com by Team IMR for 2018 road racing season

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 22nd Dec 2017

   Talented youngster Adam Mclean will have a full complement of machinery for the 2018 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy and the other international road races in 2018 having signed for quinnestheprinters.com by Team IMR.
    
   The Ulsterman will campaign a BMW S1000RR in the RST Superbike and RL360º Quantum Superstock TT Races and a Yamaha YZF-R6 in the Monster Energy Supersport Races with the team having recently purchased the ex-Ian Hutchinson 600cc machine from Raceways Motorcycles.
    
   McLean will also have the use of the machinery for the other International races and selected Irish National road races and will continue to have the support of Roy Hanna Motors for the Lightweight class while he will continue to be supported by Metzeler tyres for his 2018 campaign.
    
   The 21-year old has been a standout performer in the last two seasons, impressing in all of his races, especially at the International events where he has made a more than favourable impression, particularly in 2017 where he took a brilliant fourth in the second Supersport race at the North West 200 and third in the Ulster Grand Prix Supertwins race.
    
   He also took sixth in the opening Supertwins race at the North West 200 and tenth in the first Supersport 600cc race at the Ulster GP, improving his quickest lap around the Dundrod circuit to 125.535mph.
    
   The Magherafelt rider also made his debut at the Isle of Man TT races in 2017, winning the coveted Newcomers Trophy after finishing 18th in the opening Monster Energy Supersport 600cc race where he lapped at an impressive 120.644mph, the fifth fastest lap ever recorded by a newcomer on a 600cc machine, and won a silver replica. He was on course for a brilliant top ten finish in the Bennetts Lightweight race after lapping at more than 115mph before being forced to retire on the third lap.
    
   McLean was a consistent front runner at Oliver’s Mount, Scarborough, taking regular podium finishes in the Supersport and Supertwins races and finished third, fourth and fifth overall in the Irish Road Racing Supertwins, Supersport 600cc and Moto3 Championships respectively.
    
   Adam McLean:
   
   “I’m really looking forward to working with quinnstheprinters.com by Team IMR in 2018 and am very grateful for the opportunity. I’ll be riding top class machinery with a superb infrastructure behind me which will hopefully enable me to be successful and build on my 2017 results so I can’t wait to get going!”
   
   Peter Bradley, Managing Director of quinnstheprinters.com commented;
   
   "quinnstheprinters.com are delighted to be the title sponsor of Team IMR and we are thrilled the team has secured the services of Adam McLean for the 2018 road racing season. As part of the Bradley Group which has operations in England and the Isle of Man as well as a base in Northern Ireland, the company places a huge emphasis on supporting young local talent and we believe that with the right backing, Adam has the capability to achieve considerable success and build on his highly impressive 2017 season. We look forward to getting him on the bike during our Spanish testing programme in February and wish him all the best for a safe and enjoyable 2018 season.”
    
   Jason Griffiths, Racing Manager, Metzeler UK said;
   
   “It was a real pleasure to work with Adam this year in what was his breakthrough season. He obviously has great potential and at Metzeler we look forward to continuing our partnership with Adam and seeing him gain more experience at the International Road Races in 2018. When Metzeler started the Road Race programme in 2013 a young Dean Harrison joined us and we firmly believe Adam is capable of the same progression. Good luck to Adam and Team IMR with their new venture.”
    
   Ian Moffitt, Team Principal of quinnstheprinters.com by Team IMR added;
   
   “It’s fantastic to have signed Adam for the 2018 roads season. Given our initial focus on the British Championship and securing Chrissy Rouse and Jordan Gilbert for the Superstock 1000 BSB campaign, we feared we had missed out on signing a quality roads rider for 2018. However, having learnt that Adam was available and after a discussion with Peter Bradley, we were able to come to an agreement on running Adam at the International road races which is hugely exciting for the team.”


   
   “Adam will have a full stable of bikes to compete in the Superbike, Superstock and Supersport clases at the NW200, TT and UGP with the use of our two 2017 BMW S1000RRs as well as Ian Hutchinson’s 2017 front-running Yamaha R6, which will all run on Metzeler tyres for whom we are very grateful for their support. Adam will also compete at some of the BSB and national road races throughout the season and we are extremely excited to be working with one of today’s most talented riders in road racing. We would not be able to do what we are doing without the support of all our partners but especially Peter and quinnstheprinters.com.”