Category: Superbikes

1. Ducati wows the World Superbike crowds‏

   Posted on 10:10am Friday 27th Jun 2014

   • Pole and three top-ten finishes for the Ducati World Superbike Team

   • Two thrilling TriOptions Cup races colour the meeting in Ducati red

   • Ducati UK celebrates 20 years since Carl Fogarty's first WSB title

   With huge crowds packed into Donington Park for the UK’s sole round of the FIM World Superbike Championship Ducati topped the bill both on and off the track. Impressive performances from the ever-improving factory World Superbike team and two thundering support races from the Ducati TriOptions Cup gave fans of the Italian marque plenty to smile about this weekend.

   Tricky track conditions were the story of Saturday’s action, with the beautiful grid of 899 Panigale and 848 machines heading out for their qualifying session in the early morning. Spots of rain mid-way through the session brought the field in for some rapid tyre changes, and in the few minutes remaining it was reigning champion Marty Nutt that grabbed pole ahead of Sean Neary and guest rider for the weekend Luke Jones.

   A blinding start from championship leader Leon Morris, who had qualified down in eighth, saw him leap up to fight for the lead in the first half of the race with front row man Neary, who is enjoying a fantastic start to his Ducati Cup season. Morris had the measure of his opposition, however, putting in some impressive times to gap the field and take his second win of the year. Neary held on to secure his first Ducati TriOptions Cup podium, while David Ferns rode an amazing second half of the race aboard his 848 to come through in third.

   Morris’ pace from race one put him on pole for the second contest on Sunday afternoon, with fellow podium men Ferns and Neary completing the front row. Fully dry conditions suited guest rider Luke Jones, who is a front-runner in the highly competitive British Supersport Championship, and he grabbed the lead early on pulling a small gap to Morris. Despite a late charge from the #2 P&H/Carl Cox Motorsport bike, Jones was able to hold on to win across the line, but Morris takes maximum points and increases his impressive lead in the championship standings with what is effectively a third win of the year.

   Ducati UK congratulates P&H Motorcycles who won the dealer award in both of the TriOptions Cup races.

   Ducati TriOptions Cup leader Morris said:

   That definitely goes down as a good weekend in our book, I felt really good with the bike in wet or dry. I knew Luke (Jones) would be quick – perhaps we were naïve to think because he hadn’t ridden the bike before he wouldn’t be. In the back of mind was the knowledge that he wouldn’t score points and you need to be consistency is key with there not being that many rounds. My times were as good as they have been around here, but what is really good is that I dropped the regular boys that race in the championship. So although I didn’t get a double it is massively positive weekend for the P&H/Carl Cox Motorsport team.

   Guest rider Jones said:

   It’s a great championship, a great bike, and always produces tight racing. I loved the bike, I’ve never been on one before but it’s lovely and easy to ride. I could still have done with a little more time to get the bike dialled in, but there’s some fast boys out there and I’m happy to come away with a win. The guys in the championship are great, it’s a friendly atmosphere, everybody helps each other and hangs out and I have really enjoyed the weekend and am honoured that Ducati asked me to ride here.”

   As well as the on-track action, Donington Park also marked a special occasion for Ducati UK as it celebrates 20 years since the first World Superbike Championship victory for the legendary Carl Fogarty. Invited guests, media and dedicated fans packed out the hospitality unit for a special dinner on Saturday night compered by Eurosport presenter Matt Roberts and featuring interviews with both current WSB riders, team principal Ernesto Marinelli and of course, Foggy himself.

   Fans at the circuit were then treated to a special parade of Donington Park by Fogarty himself, who donned his red racing leathers to pilot a stunning 899 Panigale that bore his 1994 championship winning livery.

   Four-time World Superbike champion Carl Fogarty said:

   “From the very beginning of my WSB career I thought that with the right bike I’d be able to beat the top guys – and the Ducati turned out to be the right bike! In 1993 I was new – I’d been put on a factory Ducati and I crashed it a lot, but I still managed to win 11 races. Then in ’94 with the new 916, I really believed I’d win it right from the start. Ever since then, the two names – Carl Fogarty and Ducati – just go together and no matter what, they won’t ever be separated. I’d like to thank all the guys at Ducati UK for putting the evening together and for everyone who’s come out to celebrate with us.”

2. MELANDRI TAKES A DOUBLE PODIUM IN MISANO

   Posted on 9:02am Monday 23rd Jun 2014

   AND CONFIRMS THE COMPETITIVE EDGE THAT HE REACQUIRED WITH THE WINS AT SEPANG

   WITH TWO PLACINGS GUINTOLI DEFENDS HIS SECOND PLACE IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

   Misano, 22 June 2014 – Finishing on the podium twice in Misano, Marco Melandri confirms the competitive edge that he reacquired with the double win at Sepang in Malaysia, while team mate Sylvain Guintoli managed to defend his second place in the championship standings.

   The 32 points earned in Emilia Romagna – thanks to two third place finishes – are the second major spoils for Marco Melandri in his first season astride the Aprilia RSV4 and allow him to continue his climb in the upper part of the world championship standings. At Misano Marco gained 12 points on Rea and reduced the gap behind fourth place to 20 points.

   In Race 1 Melandri got stuck in the pack through the first turns, then having to fight to regain positions from eights place, a job he carried out skilfully, finishing in third place for his first podium of the day. Race 2 was an exciting duel behind Sykes, battled out between Melandri and Baz to the excitement of the Italian crowd with Marco finishing the race in third place.

   Marco Melandri: “I'm pleased with the way I rode today. I had a good feeling with the bike. In Race 1 after a few mistakes at the start I was able to overtake the riders in front of me, but the Kawasakis were quite simply faster. I'm disappointed about Race 2 because I was able to make up some ground thanks to the work done in the garage. Unfortunately it is very difficult to overtake here and Baz rode very well and didn't make any mistakes. I think I could have given Sykes a run for it. I wouldn't have made it easy for him. It's a shame that we weren't able to fully verify the progress we made. After Sepang I was consistently fast here too. We are on the right track in terms of feeling so we just need to keep improving from here. Portimao, with its layout, will be able to give us a hand”.

   Sylvain Guintoli was one of the protagonists of the day, battling in the top spots but stopping at the foot of the podium twice, finishing fifth and fourth, placements that allowed him to fend off the attack by countryman Baz and hold onto second place in the championship standings.

   Sylvain Guintoli: “In terms of the championship at least I am holding onto second place in the standings. But I definitely was expecting more. We are not missing any pure speed, but we need to work on consistent performance as far as race pace goes. In Race 1 we made the wrong tyre choice, whereas in Race 2 with the right options and a few changes to the bike geometry we were able to significantly reduce the gap behind the leaders. While I was with Marco and Baz I made a few mistakes too many which kept me from battling for the podium in the end. It's a shame there is no Race 3... All joking aside, we need to keep working to be more consistent in the race”.

3. Second at Misano maintains van der Mark's championship challenge

   Posted on 4:07pm Sunday 22nd Jun 2014

   Pata Honda’s World Supersport championship leader Michael van der Mark finished second in today’s seventh-round race at Misano World Circuit ‘Marco Simoncelli’ in Italy, his sixth successive podium finish, which gives him a 28-point lead in the series as it enters the second half of the season.

   The 21-year-old Dutch rider got a good start from the front row of the grid but his race almost ended at the beginning of lap three when another rider ran wide at Misano’s first turn and re-joined the track, almost colliding with van der Mark. The Pata Honda rider took evasive action but lost a position before beginning a charge back to race leader and eventual winner Jules Cluzel.

   Van der Mark’s Pata Honda team-mate Lorenzo Zanetti was in the leading group for the early part of the race and held a lonely fifth place for 12 of the 19 laps around the 4.226km Misano circuit. The Italian ace, 26, dropped back to sixth at the flag to match his grid position but moves up to fourth place in the championship standings with five rounds to go.

4. 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

5. 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."