SECOND PLACE IN RACE 2 FOR EUGENE LAVERTY WHO WAS MAKING A PLAY FOR THE LEAD WHEN THE RACE WAS STOPPED.

 

WITH A FOURTH AND FIFTH PLACE FINISH SYLVAIN GUINTOLI LIMITS THE DAMAGE AND STAYS CLOSE TO THE LEAD IN THE RIDER STANDINGS.

 

APRILIA CONTINUES TO LEAD THE MANUFACTURER CHAMPIONSHIP.

Nürburgring, 1 September 2013 – Two red flags due to oil on the track, both during the penultimate lap, stopped the World Superbike races at the Nürburgring. A blown out engine for Sandi first and a crash by Smrz in the second forced Race Direction to end the competitions a lap early.

While the finishing order had all but been decided when Race 1 was suspended, in the second race the duels between Davies and Eugene Laverty for first place and between Sylvain Guintoli and Sykes for fourth place were just heating up. In fact, the red flag kept the Aprilia Racing Team standard bearers from a direct attack on their rivals at the chequered flag.

After a difficult Superpole Sylvain Guintoli got off to a good start in both races, immediately gaining positions. After successfully fending off attacks by Giugliano and Camier, Sylvain's race for the podium stopped short at fourth place in Race 1. In the penultimate lap an oil leak caused Rea and Camier to crash, unfortunately injured in the accident, putting an end to the race and deciding the finishing order. Race 2 followed a similar script, at least in the first part. With an excellent start followed by a series of fast laps, the French rider had closed the gap with the leading pack, nipping at Sykes' heels during the final laps. Just as the duel was about to start in earnest, a crash by wild card Smrz with fluids leaking onto the track from his bike put an end to the race a lap early. Thanks to his fifth place finish, Sylvain is now in second place in the rider standings, just one point behind Sykes.

Sylvain Guintoli: “This was a difficult weekend on a very physical track. In Race 1 I couldn't find my rhythm in the first laps, dropping behind the leaders and having to ride alone, fending off attacks. In Race 2 the changes we made to my RSV4 really worked well. I pushed hard to catch Sykes up and when I did my plan was to attack in the last lap, but unfortunately the red flag stopped the race. My only consolation is that my shoulder responded well. I was able to push hard all the way to the end in both races without serious problems. It hurts now, but as long as I'm on the bike everything is OK. We'll go to Turkey as pursuers, but it's a track that I like where I think I can make a good play for it just as well as the other four or five riders who have proven to be consistently fast”

It was a double-sided weekend for Eugene Laverty. Starting from the twelfth spot on the grid, the Northern Irish rider also had two good starts. However, his comeback in Race 1 was interrupted in the fourth lap when a crash forced him to head back to the garage. After the damage to his bike was repaired Eugene went back out, ending the race in fifteenth place and earning one point. In Race 2 Eugene unleashed his potential from the start, reaching the podium range within a few laps where he engaged in battle first with Sykes and then with Melandri, overtaking them both and setting his sights on frontrunner Davies. All signs pointed to an assault in the final laps, just when the red flag that ratified a second place finish for Eugene came out.

Eugene Laverty: “It was a shame about the red flag in Race 2 when I was about to attack Chaz Davies for first place. I'm not saying I would have won it, but I would have had a go. The crash in Race 1 created a bit of a mess. I want to battle for the Championship and mistakes like that one can be costly. When you start so far back on the grid there's a lot more pressure and with that comes the risk of making some mistakes. We definitely will not be able to make any more slip ups for the rest of the season. All told we haven't lost too much ground behind the Championship leaders but we've got a hard battle ahead.”

Aprilia leads the manufacturer championship with 369 points in front of Kawasaki (341), BMW (321), Honda (201), Suzuki (175), Ducati (144) and Yamaha (4).