Category: Superbikes

1. MAGIC MICHAEL - A profile of Michael van der Mark, 2014 World Supersport champion

   Posted on 9:36am Monday 8th Sep 2014

   On 7th October 2012, Michael van der Mark won that year's Superstock 600 UEM European championship in only his second season on the Ten Kate Honda Junior Team’s Honda CBR600RR.

   It was an especially impressive and outstandingly mature performance from the then 19-year-old from Gouda near Rotterdam in the Netherlands. Needing only to finish ahead of his nearest rival, van der Mark rode an incredibly mature race for one so young in a ‘winner-takes-all’ final race at Magny-Cours in France in the face of some less-than-subtle intimidation

   Just seven years earlier, the Dutch flyer’s entry into motorcycle racing had been relatively late at the age of 12. Having been entered into the Dutch Junior Cup on an Aprilia RS125, he was taken to quiet industrial estate by his father, Henk, to try out the bike. This was just a week before his first race, and he had never ridden a motorcycle before. As he reached the end of his first straight-line run, shifting gears for the first time and with Henk following in the family car, the diminutive van der Mark discovered he was too small to reach the ground to turn round and gently toppled over with his bike.

   His racing debut was, appropriately enough, at the iconic Assen circuit in the Netherlands and he learned fast – a trait that has become apparent more recently – and he finished that 2005 season in fourth place in the championship. He went two places better the following year before joining the Dutch Open championship on a Honda RS125 in 2007. He finished as runner-up in the series and was proclaimed Rookie of the Year.

   Van der Mark’s first championship title came the following season, winning the Dutch Open championship while gaining invaluable international experience by racing in select races in 125cc championships in Germany and Spain, and competing in the 125cc GP race at the famous Dutch TT in Assen, finishing in 26th place. Further success in Holland the following season led to back-to-back Dutch titles, fifth place in the IDM series in Germany and an improved 18th at his home GP. A full-time ride in 125cc Grands Prix beckoned for 2010.

   However, poor funding led to van der Mark’s team pulling out of GPs before the end of the season and a hurried conversation with Holland’s famous Ten Kate Racing organization gave young Michael a ride with its Junior team in the European Superstock 600 championship.

   Van der Mark finished in seventh place in his series debut at Magny-Cours in France, securing a full-time ride for the following season when he was third overall, with four wins from the 10 races, finishing just 11 points behind the championship winner. That season also saw him ride as a wildcard in the Moto2 GP at Assen.

   The following year, he went to the top again, securing that hard-fought 2012 European Superstock 600 championship victory and earning himself a promotion to the World Supersport championship on a Pata Honda CBR600RR for the following year. He was on the podium in his first race at Phillip Island in Australia and, with two further visits to the rostrum in 2013, in spite of a broken foot sustained mid-season that affected results in at least three rounds, he ended his debut world championship year in fourth place. Along the way, van der Mark also became the first Dutch rider to win the prestigious Suzuka 8-hours race in Japan on the MuSashi Harc-Pro Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade with team-mates Leon Haslam (also a Pata Honda colleague) and Japanese ace Takumi Takahashi.

   Now in his sophomore season in the series, Michael van der Mark is the 2014 FIM World Supersport champion with five victories and three further podiums to date this year and two rounds still remaining. It almost goes without saying that this year has marked a significant step forward for the 21-year-old, who came into the 2014 season with a renewed focus and a full-time dedication to his chosen profession and his ambition to become world champion.

   Having obtained his HGV truck-driving licence at the age of 18, van der Mark went into the family business in order to earn a living and worked for his father – an accomplished endurance racer in his own right who is currently contesting the European Classic series on a 1980 Suzuki GSX-R1100 – who runs a transport company in Rotterdam.

   However, even last year as a rookie World Supersport rider, van der Mark was still going back to driving trucks between races, leaving less time for personal training.

   He has been able to dedicate much more of his time to fitness and conditioning this season, spending a lot of time with his personal trainer, an 80-year-old former boxing coach who, according to his young charge, can still deliver a devastating right hook! The commitment has paid off, however, with a leaner, fitter and stronger van der Mark, and one much better-equipped to handle the physical demands of a professional motorcycle racer.

   Even during an extended two-month summer break from this year’s championship, van der Mark was not idle, continuing to train hard and winning his second Suzuka 8-hours race with the same team as in 2013, impressing many in Japan with his improved endurance abilities, as well as his outright speed. But the hard work has been rewarded closer to home as well, his sheer domination of this season’s World Supersport title race is such that he has finished no lower than second during the 2014 campaign to date – the only blip being a DNF in a foreshortened five-lap ‘sprint’ race in the opening round at Phillip Island in Australia.

    

   ‘Magic Mikey’ is the only third solo motorcycling world champion to come out of the Netherlands and the first in 40 years – the other two being Jan der Vries and Henk van Kessel, who shared three 50cc world titles between them from 1971 to 1974. Van der Mark has surely already secured his own place in Holland’s motorcycling Hall of Fame by winning the 2014 World Supersport title at just 21 years and 316 days, second in age only to Ten Kate Honda’s 2003 championship winner, Chris Vermeulen.

   As we head towards the conclusion of the 2014 racing season, there is no doubt that he is hot property in the motorcycle world championship paddock, but one other thing is also certain: that further success at the very top level of the sport awaits Holland’s and Honda’s ‘Magic' Michael van der Mark.

   Michael van der Mark

    

   Date of birth                                                26 October 1992

   Place of birth                                              Gouda, Netherlands

   Home town                                                  Rotterdam, Netherlands

   Race number                                               60

   Race machine                                             Pata Honda CBR600RR

   First race                                                     2005 – Assen, Netherlands, Dutch Jr. Cup

   World Supersport debut                            2012 – Moscow, Russia (wildcard)

   World Supersport races                            20

   First World Supersport podium                2013 – Phillip Island, Australia

   Total World Supersport podiums             11

   First World Supersport win                       2014 – Assen, the Netherlands

   Total World Supersport wins                     5

    

   Career Highlights

    

   2005                4th, Dutch Junior Cup – Aprilia

   2006                2nd, Dutch Junior Cup – Aprilia

   2007                2nd, ONK Dutch 125cc championship – Honda

   2008                ONK Dutch 125cc champion – Honda

                           3rd, IDM 125cc championship – Honda

                           Selected CEV Spanish championship – Honda

                           26th, Dutch 125cc GP – Honda

   2009                ONK Dutch 125cc champion – Honda

                           Selected CEV Spanish championship – Honda

                           18th, Dutch 125cc GP – Honda

   2010                125cc Grands Prix – Lambretta

                           7th, Dutch 125cc GP

                           Debut, European Superstock 600 championship - Honda

   2011                3rd, European STK 600 championship – Honda

                           Wildcard – Moto2 GP, Assen

   2012                European Superstock 600 champion – Honda

   2013                4th, World Supersport championship – Honda

                           Winner, Suzuka 8-hours – Honda

   2014                Winner, Suzuka 8-hours – Honda

                           WORLD SUPERSPORT CHAMPION – Pata Honda CBR600RR

2. Pata Honda delivers strong Superbike results in Spain‏

   Posted on 9:09am Monday 8th Sep 2014

   Pata Honda rider Jonathan Rea took his Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP to fourth and fifth place finishes in today’s two 10th-round World Superbike championship races at Jerez in Spain, retaining his third place in the series with just two rounds to go.

   The two races were won by Italian Marco Melandri, with French rider Sylvain Guintoli taking two second places and series leader Tom Sykes scoring a third in race two but seeing his championship lead reduced.

   Rea’s Pata Honda team-mate Leon Haslam finished seventh and eighth in the two 20-lap outings which were run in cooler, more overcast conditions than the earlier practice and qualifying sessions at the 4.423km Jerez circuit.

   Following the cancellation of the Moscow round, the World Superbike championship will reconvene in one month’s time for round 11 at the French circuit of Magny-Cours.

3. Marco Melandri wins both races in front of team mate Sylvain Guintoli

   Posted on 3:00pm Sunday 7th Sep 2014

   APRILIA DOMINATES AT JEREZ DE LA FRONTERA

   IN THE TENTH ROUND OF THE WORLD SBK CHAMPIONSHIP IT'S A DOUBLE ONE-TWO FOR THE ITALIAN BIKES ON THE SPANISH TRACK.

   Jerez de la Frontera, 7 September 2014 – Aprilia had no rivals at Jerez in the tenth round of the World SBK Championship. The RSV4s from Noale proved their superiority taking first and second place in both Race 1 and Race 2.

   It was Melandri who earned both wins with authority and employing a similar strategy. In both Race 1 and Race 2 Marco found himself behind in the initial phases, sixth in the first race and fifth in the second. In both cases he skilfully and steadfastly came back, demonstrating undisputed superiority and an optimum feeling with his RSV4. This takes Melandri to five wins this season.

   In both races Sylvain Guintoli took the lead early, trying to pull away from his rivals. Once overtaken by Melandri Guintoli confidently managed his position, finishing in second place twice to earn 13 championship points and close the gap behind championship leader, Sykes, whose advantage has now been reduced to just 31 points over Aprilia Racing's Frenchman.

   The double win at Jerez also has an impact on the Manufacturers Championship: with the 50 points earned in Spain, Aprilia makes up 23 on Kawasaki which now places them just one point from the top spot in the championship standings.

   Marco Melandri: “After the crash in Race 2 at Laguna Seca I was very disappointed because we could have taken a double win there. This weekend my team and I started off well straight away, changing very little on the bike and my RSV4 performed very well today. The second race was a bit more difficult because with the higher temperatures the track has less grip. I tried to be consistent even though I wasn't really fast at the beginning of the race, but I managed to maintain my pace steadily, making up places over my rivals. This was a great Sunday for me. Now I can relax for a few days before getting back on the track.”

   Sylvain Guintoli: “Our goal here was to make up points on Tom and that's what we did. Last year I didn't do too well here so I wasn't expecting to be able to battle for the win in both races. I gave it my all, working hard to solve the problems we had during practice and pushing to the limit today. The next round is at Magny Cours, a track that I like and where I know I can count on support from our French fans to keep fighting for the Championship. With 100 points left on the table anything can still happen.”

4. IRVING & REDLINE GO WILD AT SILVERSTONE

   Posted on 3:56pm Thursday 28th Aug 2014

   Moto3 Wildcard entry for 17-year old Joe at British Grand Prix

   British Motostar championship contender, Joe Irving, will make his first appearance at a MotoGP event when he lines up for the Moto3 race at Silverstone on August 31.

   The 17-year old from Holmfirth has been a consistent force in British Motostar - the national equivalent of Moto3 - on KTM RC 250 R machinery, taking three wins and nine podiums in 2013 and is currently battling for the championship lead after seven rounds of the 2014 season, with four wins and three other podiums.

   Trainee chef Irving will be aiming to impress the partisan crowd at the Northamptonshire circuit when he lines up on his familiar British championship machine, supplied and run by Loughborough-based KTM dealer, Redline Motorcycles.

   We grabbed a quick word with ‘Joe Toad’ ahead of his Grand Prix debut this weekend at Silverstone.

   How are you feeling?
   
   Joe Irving: I’m actually less nervous compared to a British Championship weekend. I’ve got nothing to lose and everything to gain. Well, that’s what I’ve been telling everyone else! But honestly, there are no consequences and only good things can happen from this experience.

   What you think the biggest challenge will be of riding at Grand Prix level?
   
   I’m going to have to increase my speed dramatically to keep up with riders here, compared to British championship. The team and me will have to take really big steps this weekend to keep up, but we’re up for that and as best prepared as we can be.

   Do you have a personal goal?
   
   To qualify! I want to improve on my best time from the British championship round from here last year. Another goal is to finish the race. That may sound daft, but a lot of wildcard riders have been known to crash out. To break the top 30 would be good as the pace is hot. I’m just going to ride my bike as fast as I can.

   Are there any particular riders you want to beat?
   
   There’s a big group of riders that I’ve ridden against before. Jules Danilo beat me at Silverstone by 0.05 seconds when he did a wildcard in the British championship last season, so I need to get revenge on him. I’ve also raced against Ana Carrasco and Scott Darou before in Spain.

   Do you like the Silverstone circuit?

   It’s my favourite circuit we come to in the British championship. I just really like how wide and big the track is; it’s a proper Grand Prix circuit compared to the ‘normal’ tight and twisty British tracks.

   Do you have any home advantage?
   
   There are a few riders making their debut rides at Silverstone and, not including this weekend, I’ve ridden here three years on the trot so I’m reasonably comfortable here.

   Have you made any changes to the Redline KTM RC 250 R?
   
   We can run the twin exhausts from the KTM GP Race Kit as there are no noise restrictions here. They’re so loud - 10db over the British championship limit! I really like them, you can hear the bike a lot better.

   The biggest changes are a few different stickers on the bike from new sponsors that have come onboard, such as Halifax Glass.

   We are running the same specification Dunlop tyres as we do in the British championship, so there’s nothing new for me to get used to. Well, apart from the pace!

   What have you been doing in the run up to the event?
   
   Racing a lot! We were only just at Cadwell Park this past Bank Holiday weekend, but our race was rained off. But there have been a lot of British championship races in the past six weeks. I’ve been training on the push bike a lot in between working as a chef at my parent’s pub and the only weekend the team had off we did some display runs on the bike at the Brackley Festival of Motorcycling.

   I also held a fundraiser to help cover the big cost of doing this wildcard and the support we had from people and companies donating prizes was amazing. People really stepped up and the auction was a big success, so I can’t thank everyone enough for making my Grand Prix dream happen.

5. Morris and Nutt share the spoils at Cadwell Park

   Posted on 9:33am Wednesday 27th Aug 2014

   Leon Morris takes a win and a third as he increases championship lead

   • Marty Nutt takes race two win
   • Dek Crutchlow father of Cal Crutchlow guest rides in Ducati TriOptions Cup
   • Jakub Smrz breaks wrist in free practice of British Superbikes

   A packed Bank Holiday crowd were treated to two thrilling races over the weekend with Leon Morris and Marty Nutt taking a win each.

   Leon Morris, Carl Cox Motorsport/ P&H Motorcycles increased his lead in the Ducati TriOptions Cup title fight with a win and a third place at Cadwell Park. Marty Nutt the Ducati Coventry rider took the win in Race 2 while Dennis Hobbs had to settle for two second places over the weekend.  

   In race one Morris lined up on the front row behind team mate Dennis Hobbs on pole with 2013 Champion Marty Nutt third on the grid.  It was however Morris that led Hobbs and Nutt into the first corner and would hold this lead for the majority of the race, with Hobbs close behind and Nutt watching the battle unfold in third. Despite all three riders maintaining the same positions this was not a procession as Morris and Hobbs swapped places over the closing third of the race. Unfortunately Hobbs was unable to make any overtakes stick and he had to settle for second place behind Morris with Nutt coming home in a close third.

   Morris went into race two with a 26 point lead and with only two more rounds was keen to consolidate his championship lead. Having set the fastest lap in race 1, Morris started from pole with the race being designated a wet race as the forecast rain made conditions and visibility tricky for the Ducati TriOptions riders.

   It was Morris who again led into the first corner followed by championship rivals Hobbs and Nutt. Immediately the front three pulled out a four second lead over fourth placed Guiver with Nutt putting a fastest lap on lap 3. Hobbs was hounding Morris but Morris in turn responded with a fastest lap, the three were showing an impressive pace considering the wet track and had soon increased the gap between third and fourth by over seven seconds.

    

   Dennis Hobbs’ persistence paid off on lap six passing Morris through Coppice and immediately pulling away. Now Morris had Nutt to contend with as the Irishman put in yet another fastest lap and soon Nutt was to move into second place and close in on the P&H Motorcycles 899 Panigale of Dennis Hobbs. Meanwhile Morris was falling back on the leading two and could only watch as Nutt took Hobbs at Hall Bends on lap 8. Hobbs did his best to take the lead back but with backmarkers coming into play had to settle for his second 2nd place of the weekend.

   Sean Neary (Mymate.co.uk) had a disappointing race one after crashing out on the first lap at Mansfield but recovered in race two with an 8th position. Rob Guiver (Hyside Motorcycles) put behind him a DNF at Oulton with a fourth and a seventh place, while the rider of the weekend was Fast Bikes journalist Al Fagan who continued his good form with two sixth places.

   Not all the attention was on the championship leaders as one of the stories of the weekend was the return to racing at the age of 68 of Dek Crutchlow, father of Ducati MotoGP rider Cal Crutchlow. Dek rode the Ducati UK 899 Panigale guest bike to a 20th place in race one and 21st in race two.

   Quotes:

   Leon Morris

   “Overall a good weekend with a win yesterday and a third today in really tricky conditions. The key for me is having dry conditions which are much more predictable whereas today was not. Today I felt really strong and felt like I could go with them and win the race.  I have increased my lead by a couple more points over the weekend and won the event overall so it’s been a blinding weekend.”

    

   Marty Nutt

   “Yes, very happy and believe it or not we have not changed anything on the bike since Oulton. Obviously we backed everything off for the wet race but the bike is good now so we can take it to any circuit. I am looking forward to Assen and Silverstone which are mega tracks for me, but I think Dennis and Leon are good round those tracks too so there will not be much advantage there.”

   The Ducati TriOptions Cup returns for the penultimate round at Assen on the 19/20/21 September.

   For the Millsport Ducati Racing team, the weekend came to a premature end when Czech rider, Jakub Smrz crashed out in the Superbikes free practice on Saturday. Smrz clipped a curb, causing him to high side and throwing the rider over the handlebars resulting in a broken left wrist. He was taken to the Hull Royal infirmary where the wrist was straightened and he will return to the Czech Republic for surgery. It seems unlikely that the rider will make Donington, but the team and rider have targeted Assen for his return.

   Jakub Smrz

   "I think I touched an exhaust or something on the curb and then it made the bike unstable and I highsided. I went to hospital where they put me under anaesthetic and they straightened the break. I think normally for this type of injury you would expect to be out for 5 to 6 weeks but I hope to be back in time for Assen. When I get home I will see my surgeon and see what he says.

   “I am very disappointed. We knew it would be difficult here but we have Donington and Assen coming up that I hope to be fit for. I will call my surgeon and we will make a plan.”