Category: Superbikes

1. Pata Honda riders hungry for further Italian success

   Posted on 10:48am Friday 20th Jun 2014

   The World Supersport championship heads to Italy this weekend (20-22 June) for round seven of the 2014 series which returns to Misano World Circuit ‘Marco Simoncelli’ after a two-year absence.

   Both Pata Honda riders, Michael van der Mark and Lorenzo Zanetti, have a strong motivation to aim for top results on their Honda CBR600RR machines in Sunday’s 19-lap race at the 4.226km circuit.

   Dutch ace, van der Mark, will be seeking to maintain his impressive form this season that has seen the 21-year-old take three race wins and two second places in the five races since he crashed out of round one in Australia in February.

   Van der Mark currently heads the World Supersport championship leaderboard by 33 points over Frenchman Jules Cluzel while his Pata Honda team-mate Zanetti sits in fourth place overall.

   The Italian rider is determined to put himself in a position to repeat his triumph at his home race in Imola last month when he took his debut World Supersport victory. The 26-year-old has been a consistent top-five finisher this season but is resolute in his aim to become a regular podium visitor as the season reaches its halfway point.
   
   www.patahonda.com

2. WSBK - Double win for Aprilia at Sepang

   Posted on 8:18am Monday 9th Jun 2014

   TWO WINS BY MARCO MELANDRI, TWO ONE-TWO FINISHES FOR THE RSV4

   THANKS TO HIS TWO SECOND PLACE FINISHES SYLVAIN GUINTOLI IS NOW SECOND IN THE RIDER STANDINGS

   Sepang (Malaysia), 8 June 2014 – The first ever World Superbike Championship round at Sepang bore the Aprilia signature, dominator in both races. Marco Melandri's double win and Sylvain Guintoli's double second place confirmed the supremacy demonstrated from the first practice laps of the weekend where the RSV4, including the "satellite" bike ridden by Toni Elias, showed just how much they liked the Malaysian track.

   Race 1 had the two RSV4s ridden by Marco Melandri and Sylvain Guintoli pulling away at the front from the very first lap to battle for the win. It was the rider from Ravenna who brought it home in the end, skilfully bridging the gap that had been created after a crashing pileup in the first few turns. Once he had caught up with his team mate, Marco overtook him in one of the braking sections on the tenth lap, holding onto the lead until the chequered flag.

   Race 2 changed in form but not in substance. A red flag in the third lap decreed a restart for a race now shortened to 10 laps and the starting grid based on the riders' positions at the time the race had been stopped, which put the three RSV4s on the front row. Sylvain Guintoli took the lead straight away while Marco Melandri battled to chase down his team mate.

   In the final lap the two Aprilia riders made a series of passes that were as spectacular as they were clean, with Marco Melandri prevailing after Sylvain's last ditch attempt in the turn right before the finish line. It was a flying finish, the second one-two of the day and overall standings that were radically changed. This brings Melandri up to fifth place in the rider standings, whereas only 13 points separate Guintoli from current leader, Tom Sykes. Aprilia shortens the gap in the Manufacturer standings as well, where they lie in second place just 4 points from the top.

   Marco Melandri: "A double win that was just what we needed! Despite the difficulties we never gave up. We kept working and fighting. I had a good feeling straight away with my RSV4 here. The conditions in Race 1 were difficult but I managed to catch up to Sylvain. After overtaking him I set my own pace. I knew I could defend well in the braking sections and I was able to manage the race to the end. Race 2 was even harder because I also had to battle with the Kawasakis before catching Sylvain. In the last tap I thought I would give it a try. I had to give 100 percent down to the chequered flag. Anyway, all the riders deserve admiration today because riding in these conditions is not easy at all. I want to dedicate this win to Manu, her belly and all the guys on the Team. See you at Misano!"

   Sylvain Guintoli: "In Race 1 I thought I had implemented my strategy well, but unfortunately toward the end Marco just had a really good pace and forced me into a few mistakes. I think I did better in Race 2, trying to pull the pin straight away, but toward the end Marco quite simply had just a little more. I tried to fight back and I think we gave anybody watching the race plenty of entertainment in that last lap! We earned some important points in the championship and showed that Aprilia is back out front with a great day. Now we'll get some rest after this really tiring weekend."

3. Pata Honda heads east to new SBK circuit

   Posted on 8:05am Wednesday 4th Jun 2014

   The Pata Honda team is preparing for this weekend’s (6-8 June) two sixth-round World Superbike championship races at the Sepang International Circuit near Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

   The weekend marks the first visit of the World Superbike championship to Sepang, situated just 60km to the south of the centre of the Malaysian capital, as the production-based series spreads to an increasingly wider global audience.

   It will be the first time that the Pata Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP has been raced at the fast and flowing 5.548km Sepang circuit, which is characterised by two back-to-back straights at the end of the lap. However, the team’s two British riders Jonathan Rea and Leon Haslam have both visited in the past.

   Northern Irishman Rea, 27, tested Honda’s RC212V MotoGP machine at Sepang at the end of 2011, while 31-year-old Haslam from Derbyshire last raced there during a season on a 250cc Honda in Grands Prix in 2002.

   Sepang International Circuit, World Superbike schedule (local times GMT+8hrs):

   Friday 6 June
   10.30-11.45 Free Practice 1
   15.30-16.15 Free Practice 2
   (timed for Superpole)

   Saturday 7 June
   09.45-10.30 Free Practice 3
   (timed for Superpole)

   12.30-13.00 Free Practice 4
   15.00-15.15 Superpole 1
   15.25-15.40 Superpole 2

   Sunday 8 June
   09.30-09.45 Warm-up
   13.30 Race 1 (16 laps, 88.768km)
   16.30 Race 2 (16 laps, 88.768km)

4. Carl Fogarty thrills Donington WSBK crowds in 20th anniversary title celebrations

   Posted on 8:28am Wednesday 28th May 2014

   The most successful Superbike racer of all time, with 59 victories and four world titles, took to the Donington Park track over the weekend to mark the 20th anniversary of the first of his four World Superbike championships.

   "Foggy" rode the Leicestershire track over the thrilling race weekend lapping on a specially painted Ducati 988 - the same livery as his famous 916 from 1994.

   Dainese, his long-term, leathers, boots and gloves supplier made him a special suit to mark the occasion. The 48-year-old from Blackburn enjoyed entertaining the crowds at the UK's sole round of the FIM World Superbike championship.

   Carl Fogarty commented: "It was a great weekend and fantastic to be back on a bike I love at a track that means so much to me in front of fans who gave me such great support over the years, and showed so much appreciation yesterday. He continued: "I have always wanted to work with the best and the partnership I've had with Dainese continues today. They were class leading when I was riding and they still are today."

   It was fitting that the fifth round of the championship saw a double win from reigning World Superbike Champion and Dainese-protected, Tom Sykes. The British rider now heads the championship by 26 points.

5. Orellana leads home another EJC classic in the UK‏

   Posted on 10:08am Monday 26th May 2014

   Spanish rider Javier Orellana won today’s fourth-round Pata European Junior Cup race at Donington Park in the UK today, winning his first race of the season after another epic battle on board Honda’s CBR500R machine.

   Orellana beat Belgian Angelo Licciardi to the chequered flag by 0.719s after 10 laps of the 4.023km Donington Park circuit in a support race to the fifth round of the World Superbike championship.

   Another Spaniard, Augusto Fernandez, finished third today, just one tenth of a second behind Licciardi, but retaining his championship lead thanks to victories in the last two rounds at Assen in the Netherlands and Imola in Italy.

   Local rider Josh Harland took pole position for today’s race but crashed out of contention on lap two. The 19-year-old was taken for a precautionary medical check but expects to be fit for round five in four weeks’ time.

   There were no fewer than four riders who crossed the line in the lead at various stages of today’s race, but there were plenty of other lead changes too. Swedish rider Jesper Hubner was among the leading group until he crashed out of the race with just four laps to go.

   “It was another fantastic race on the CBR500Rs,” said Orellana after the race, “and I am very happy to take my first win after finishing second in two races already this season. Now we are halfway through the championship so I must work hard to stay at the front for the second half of the season.”

   The 2014 Pata European Junior Cup powered by Honda will re-assemble at Misano in Italy for round five of the series on 20-22 June.

   Pata European Junior Cup, powered by Honda Racing – round four

   Donington Park, United Kingdom – result (ten laps):

   1 Javier Orellana (ESP)

   2 Angelo Licciardi (BEL)

   3 Augusto Fernandez (ESP)

   4 Illan Fernandez (ESP)

   5 Mike Perez (ESP)

   6 Marc Miralles (ESP)

   7 Jamie van Sikkeleru (NED)

   8 Connor London (NZL)

   9 Alex Wisdom (USA)

   10 Carmen Geissler (SUI)

   Championship points after four of eight rounds:

   1 A Fernandez 79, 2 Orellana 73, 3 Miralles 63, 4 Hubner 40, 5 Licciardi 34, 6 I Fernandez 34, 7 Perez 33, 8 Harland 27, 9 Grassia 27, 10 London 26

   Next round: Misano, Italy – 20-22 June