Category: Superbikes

1. FINAL TWO DAYS OF TESTING AT PHILLIP ISLAND FOR THE WORLD SBK CHAMPION APRILIA BEFORE THE OFFICIAL START OF THE 2014 SEASON

   Posted on 8:07am Wednesday 19th Feb 2014

   MARCO MELANDRI WAS FINALLY ABLE TO WORK WITH FAVOURABLE WEATHER CONDITIONS AND IS READY FOR BATTLE.

   LOTS OF LAPS WITHOUT ANY PHYSICAL ISSUE FOR SYLVAIN GUINTOLI, CONFIDENT THAT THE PROBLEM WITH HIS RIGHT SHOULDER HAS NOW BEEN RESOLVED.

   Phillip Island (Australia), 18 February 2014 – There are only a few days left before the start of Superbike 2014 which will open hostilities this weekend at Phillip Island where riders and teams have already been busy for two days of testing.

   For Aprilia Racing - the Italian Reigning Manufacturer World Champion and winner of 5 world titles in 4 seasons - this was the first opportunity to lap in good climatic conditions after the negative impact the weather had on the winter sessions at Portimao and Jerez. So some intense work was done without any hindrances in order to be as ready as possible when the lights turn green for the first time this season.

   For Marco Melandri, in his first year astride the Aprilia RSV4, these two days can be considered positive in no uncertain terms. The rider from Ravenna, in addition to finishing the tests with the fourth best time, put in 123 laps to complete a testing schedule aimed at “moulding” the powerful Italian superbike to his needs. Consistently fast, Marco focused primarily on finding his best race pace, trying to optimise the long distance setup. In fact, tyre wear is an incredibly important factor on the fast and demanding Australian track. Being consistent throughout the entire race will therefore be a must. Despite the good times he put in, Melandri knows that there is still room for improvement and he'll be working with his team on that from the first test sessions on Friday.
   
   Marco Melandri: “We were finally able to lap in good weather! I'm pleased because we completed the scheduled programme, gathering a lot of information from the test sessions. Now we just have to put the pieces of the puzzle together in order to find the best place to start for the weekend. I think I have a good race pace. There are still a few spots on the track that give me problems but I'm confident that we'll be able to improve. I need to focus on the fast lap for the qualifiers because starting from at least the front two rows will be very important. I definitely can't wait to finally get back to serious business”.

   The unknown factor for Sylvain Guintoli was without a doubt his physical condition after the double surgery on his right shoulder. From this point of view the 92 laps the French rider put in confirm that his recovery is complete. Sylvain was also positive about these tests in terms of performance. The pace he demonstrated even in poor grip conditions places him among the potential key players for the first round of the season. Guintoli's feeling with the bike are similar to those last year when he took a win and a second place on his maiden race astride the Aprilia RSV4 which placed him at the top of the rider standings.
   
   Sylvain Guintoli: “The most important thing is that I am feeling much better physically. The previous tests at Jerez went well too, but after the crash there and when I got back home my shoulder was hurting for a few days. Here, on the other hand, I took a lot of laps over these two days, doing the tests that we had planned and even putting in some decent times. In the afternoon, in similar conditions to what we'll probably have for the races, my RSV4 performed very well both in terms of general settings and tyre wear management. I'm confident and, just like last year, I'm ready for battle”.

2. Pata Honda completes pre-season preparations

   Posted on 8:37am Tuesday 18th Feb 2014

   The Pata Honda World Superbike and World Supersport teams have finished pre-season testing in preparation for this weekend’s first-round championship races at Phillip Island in Australia.

   The World Superbike pairing of Leon Haslam and Jonathan Rea today completed their final pre-season test after two days lapping their Honda CBR1000RR Fireblade SP machines around the 4.445km Phillip Island circuit in warm and dry conditions – certainly more favourable than their last two tests in Europe.

   In spite of a crash which prevented his participation in most of this afternoon's final test session, Haslam finished the Phillip Island test with the eighth-fastest time. Rea was less than two hundredths of a second behind his team-mate as both continued the development of a revised electronics system and new components.

   Pata Honda’s Michael van der Mark and Lorenzo Zanetti have also been testing at Phillip Island, refining their Honda CBR600RRs in readiness for their second seasons in the World Supersport category.

   Dutch ace van der Mark ended the test with the third-fastest time, less than half a second behind three-time World Supersport champion Kenan Sofuoglu, while his Italian team-mate Lorenzo Zanetti was tenth fastest.

   The season proper begins for Pata Honda at Phillip Island this Friday, 21 February with the first World Supersport free practice session opening at 10.00 local time. The World Superbike riders will take to the track at 11.45 in a revised event format, which sees the first three practice sessions timed for Saturday's Superpole.

   The 10 fastest riders will qualify automatically for Superpole 2, while those with the 11th to 20th fastest times will also contest Superpole 1 - the two fastest from that session moving into Superpole 2 to determine final grid positions.

   The Pata Honda team has produced a short preview for this weekend's opening round of the 2014 World Superbike championship at Phillip Island, featuring interviews with Jonathan Rea, Leon Haslam and team manager Ronald ten Kate. 

3. TT-winner Michael Dunlop joins forces with BMW Motorrad UK for a BMW Motorrad Motorsport supported road racing team

   Posted on 10:40am Wednesday 12th Feb 2014

   TT-winner Michael Dunlop joins forces with BMW Motorrad UK for a BMW Motorrad Motorsport supported road racing team.

   Michael Dunlop, seven-times TT winner, will be racing BMW motorcycles for the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy as well as other international road races.

   The 24-year-old, from Northern Ireland, is joining forces with BMW Motorrad UK and Hawk Racing, who also operate the Buildbase BMW Motorrad BSB team, with the support of BMW Motorrad Motorsport for an assault on the 2014 road-racing programme.

   The joint effort – BMW / Hawk Racing – has the support of BMW Motorrad Motorsport via the global sports programme, as the team seeks to emulate the great BMW victory of Georg Meier in the Isle of Man Senior TT exactly 75 years ago.

   The team will be running both a Superstock BMW in Dunlop Racing livery and a Superbike BMW S 1000 RR in BMW Motorsport livery. Dunlop will compete on the roads for 2014 with the highlight being the prestigious Tourist Trophy races on the Isle of Man.

   Michael Dunlop said: “I’m really pleased to have signed for such a strong and competitive team. The BMW S 1000 RR certainly has the speed for the TT and, with my experience, the support from BMW Motorrad Motorsport and Hawk Racing, I know we have a race-winning package. I really thought about sitting out this year, but I have found a team that I am really comfortable with and the support from BMW Motorrad Motorsport will make us a force to be reckoned with this year.”

   2014 is the 75th anniversary of Georg Meier’s historic win at the Senior TT in 1939, where BMW secured their first TT win. Georg became the first ever foreign winner of the Senior TT race; with team mate Jock West finishing second, on their Boxer-powered 500cc RS 255 Kompressors.

   The BMW / Hawk Racing team will be jointly managed by BMW Motorrad UK and Stuart Hicken, fresh from the Buildbase BMW Motorrad team’s best ever performance in the 2013 British Superbike Championship. Building on their strong relationship and experience with BMW, the team has secured BMW Motorrad Motorsport support for the 2014 road racing programme.

   Stuart Hicken, BMW / Hawk Racing Team Principal, said: “We are extremely pleased to have assembled such an experienced racing team. We have been working on it for a while and I genuinely believe that with Michael, the technical expertise from BMW Motorrad Motorsport and the BMW S 1000 RR, we have secured all the elements we need to be at the sharp end, challenging for a great result at the TT.”

   Lee Nicholls, BMW Motorrad Marketing Manager, said: “We are so pleased to have secured Michael Dunlop to ride for BMW / Hawk Racing. His record speaks for itself and we are confident that, on a BMW S 1000 RR, he can dominate on the roads this season. Creating a team that will focus all its efforts on Michael will present BMW with a realistic chance of replicating our famous victory 75 years ago at the TT.”

   To keep up to date with the latest news from the team, follow @BMWMotorradTT on Twitter.

4. Penz13.com BMW Racing Team confirms Andrews for 2014 Isle of Man TT Races Campaign

   Posted on 7:51am Saturday 8th Feb 2014

   Rico Penzkofer's Penz13.com team has confirmed that Simon Andrews will ride for the German outfit at the 2014 Isle of Man TT Races fuelled by Monster Energy.

   Andrews will ride a BMW HP4 S1000RR prepared by the Penz13.com BMW Racing Team, supported by the BMW HP Race Support team, at the Isle of Man TT as well as the North West 200 and Macau Grand Prix.

   He also has the potential to represent the Penz13.com Franks Autowelt Racing Team in the FIM World Endurance Superstock Cup races. Andrews will be the reserve rider at the Bol d’Or and the legendary Le Mans 24 hours with the opportunity to be selected for the team during qualifying.

   Andrews' TT record has included four top fifteen finishes including 11th place in last year's RL360 Superstock Race. He made his TT debut in 2011, taking 11th in both the Superstock and Senior Races, also finishing as the fastest newcomer with a lap of 125.134, the third fastest newcomer in the all-time list. He has a fastest lap to date of 126.001mph around the TT Mountain Course. He also finished third in the 2012 Macau Grand Prix.

   The 29 year old from Evesham is now recovering from his injuries sustained in last year's accident while competing in the World Endurance at Le Mans and is expected to have his first test on the bike later this month.

   Commenting on the move, Simon Andrews said: "I’m pleased to sign with Penz13.com BMW Racing Team for the Road Racings in 2014. I’ve raced against Rico and know his bikes are well built. I’ve had some success with BMW already when I started on the roads earlier in my career. With the help and support of BMW I believe the team will give me a good competitive bike. I'm looking forward to meeting all the team and really seeing what we can do together."

   Rico Penzkofer, Penz13.com Team Principal commented: "We've been in negotiations with Simon for a while and he was scheduled to ride for us in last year’s Macau Grand Prix before his accident at Le Mans last year so I'm really pleased that we've now signed him."

   He continued: "The Isle of Man or Macau has been my greatest passion, my life, if you like. Over recent years we've built a special wealth of experience as a team and focused on the TT - not least because I raced the TT myself. I now want to use this experience and get closer to the sharp end. Steve Mercer delivered our team’s best TT result last year with an 8th spot. I am happy that we've signed Simon and that he has faith in our team as he's a really talented road racer."

5. APRILIA RACING BUSY WITH FINAL TESTS BEFORE LEAVING FOR PHILLIP ISLAND

   Posted on 7:50am Friday 7th Feb 2014

   SYLVAIN GUINTOLI IS BACK IN THE SADDLE AFTER THE LONG RECOVERY FROM THE INJURY TO HIS RIGHT SHOULDER WHILE IN THE MEANTIME MARCO MELANDRI HAS COME INTO HIS OWN WITH HIS RSV4.

   Jerez, 6 February 2014 – The weather certainly did not help the Aprilia Racing Superbike Team during the preseason tests. As happened at Portimao, once again at Jerez the damp track affected progress on making some final tweaks before leaving for Phillip Island. Only on the second day were the riders able to take a few laps on a track that was dry, although still not perfect in terms of grip.

   In any case, the most important feedback wasn't expected to come from lap times. In fact, all eyes were on Sylvain Guintoli, back in the saddle after a long recovery from a double surgery on his right shoulder which was injured in mid 2013. The French rider hadn't ridden since the final race last season, right here at Jerez.

   First impressions were encouraging. After a cautious start to re-familiarise himself with the bike and hone his reflexes, Sylvain came back to the pit with a smile on his face: the shoulder reacted well. It still needs some toning but all the groundwork is there to begin the season in the best possible conditions. Toward the end of the second day Sylvain fell victim to a low speed crash, but without any physical consequences. Guintoli put in 68 laps, the best of which in 1’42.605.

   Sylvain Guintoli: “It's great to be back after such a long winter! Yesterday I rediscovered the RSV4 in the wet, whereas today it was nice to get out and take some laps in the dry. I found a good feeling straight away. It's a bit like riding a bike: it's hard to forget how. I'm quite pleased even if my shoulder is very tired now. I even crashed on my right side, so I suppose this can be considered a complete test! Let's keep our fingers crossed but there shouldn't be any big problems. Now I need to go back home and get ready for Phillip Island. I am very relieved now because before coming here I was very concerned. Actually, after almost four months without a bike I wasn't even sure I'd be able to ride, but now I know I'm ready for Australia.”

   On the other side of the garage Marco Melandri has by now finished his “apprenticeship”. By now feeling confident with the RSV4, he did not have an opportunity to push to the limit but both Marco and his team took best advantage of these two days of testing anyway. The rider from Ravenna also fell victim to a crash on the damp track in the fastest turn of the twisting Spanish circuit. He took a bad spill at 200 kph, fortunately without serious physical consequences but which kept him from going on with the tests. Melandri took 44 laps in all with a best time of 1’42.308.

   Marco Melandri: “We had two difficult days here again. The weather didn't help. Yesterday we tried a few things with the electronics in the wet and things were going well. Then I made a stupid mistake and crashed. Today we were able to lap on a dry track although there were still a lot of wet spots and it was quite windy. I think we're on the right path. Now all we can do is wait for Phillip Island and hope that we have two sunny days for the tests so we can fine tune the settings for the first race. I'm very confident and satisfied. We have definitely reached a good level.”

   The next appearance is set for Phillip Island where the first round of the 2014 World Superbike Championship will be held. Riders and teams will be busy with the usual tests on the Monday and Tuesday prior to the race weekend.