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Exclusively Extance: A Q&A with the little Big Boss at Bournemouth Kawasaki

Seeing as I was based in the BSB paddock at Donington Park, I thought I’d go and find Pete Extance, the team owner of the Quattro Plant Bournemouth Kawasaki set up which fields showdown contender Luke Mossey and Super Swede Filip Backlund. He may be small, but he’s got a big personality and also some big plans. This is what Pete Extance had to say about his season so far, next years rider line up and also how it feels to be on the short circuits as well as between the hedges of the TT course too.

How would you say 2016 has gone?

Really, really well to be honest with you. The goal this year was to win the sidecar championship, was to win the Supersport championship and to be in the showdown with Luke Mossey. We have achieved one of those at the moment with Luke, we won’t be able to achieve the Supersport because Andy Reid has broken his scaphoid but we were pretty close at the time, and the sidecar guys look on course to retain their title. For us, things are going really well.

What’s the difference between GBMoto and yourself?

More factory support, definitely. We run on about 30% of their whole budget. This is a family run team, run by myself and my wife. We do get a small amount of help from Kawasaki but certainly nothing like JG Speedfit. What we have got however, is two phenomenal bikes. Ray Stringer, our chief technician, is a great guy. You could have all the money in the world but if you haven’t got the tools to do the job, it’s not going to happen. We have great guys and a phenomenal rider in Luke so, whilst I’d like more budget, I think we do a great job with the budget we have at the moment. We are in the showdown, whereas you look at Tyco BMW and Buildbase and they haven’t managed that, so all in all it is superb to be where we are at.

How much do sponsors play a part?

Without Quattro Plant, Cool Milk, Techcare, we wouldn’t be in this paddock. My own business, Bournemouth Kawasaki, couldn’t afford to run a BSB team, but then again not many shops can, so yes definitely sponsors are huge. We do more PR work than any other team in the paddock. On Saturday, we did Q&A sessions for kids with Luke and Filip, we do so, so much and I think that’s really important.

How have you found the transition from old Kawasaki to new Kawasaki?

Again, I think that comes down to technicians. We did a great job early on, using the positives of the 2015 bike and taking them to the new, 2016 bike. We worked methodically through testing, in Cartagena and Almeria and we came away from there with the new lap record (Almeria), which was great for a new bike! I think we have shown our competitiveness with the new machines where others have struggled, for example James Ellison has struggled with throttle position, but we haven’t suffered anything like that which comes down to our great staff.

In a World Superbike field, where do you think this bike could be?

I think that comes down to riders ability, but I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t be top 10 for sure. It is very difficult, because whilst our bike is incredible, the suspension and chassis set up is second-to-non. BSB is breaking lap records where ever we go, with the top five under the old lap record so things are improving all the time.

How much has BSB changed over time?

I think the introduction of the control spec ECU is a great addition because it’s got everyone on a level playing field. We would never be able to afford Magnetti Marelli ignition systems like Airwaves Yamaha had years ago at £150,000 a throw. It makes the smaller teams like myself really competitive which great for the sport and for fans. Our only loss is that we don’t stay in hotels and drive flash cars and wear flash clothes, we just make all our money work. BSB at the moment is on an absolute roll and it’s definitely the best domestic championship in the world. Next season, it will get even better!

Do the crowd figures at events like Cadwell Park embarrass WSBK?

I totally agree! I just don’t think there is the depth at World Superbike, it just seems like the edge has been taken away. I personally don’t like idea of racing on a Saturday. Would a family come out on a Sunday to watch one WSBK race, one World Supersport race and one European Stock 1000 race? I’m not so sure they would. Whilst it may help their television, it doesn’t help the spectators and I just wonder if they’ll look at that soon. They certainly need something, because something’s going wrong.

Will you be continuing with the Supersport next season?

There was a rumour of us dropping the Supersport team but we still haven’t made a decision on that yet. It really depends on what happens with the Superbikes, Mossey is keen to stay with us and we have some chats with riders over the weekend and beyond so we will see where it takes us. There’s a possibility of two BSB bikes and Andy in Supersport but there is also a possibility of bring Andy to Superbike with us but we need to consider sponsors, budget and Andy’s fitness. Once we are 100% then we will go to the press and announce our plans.

What is Andy like away from the track?

Andy knows what he wants and he’s quite a clever lad as far as set up goes. I think his race craft needs to come on more; last week under pressure at Oulton and he touched the grass twice at Cadwell Park. When things are going Andy’s way then he is unstoppable and he would have won the title this year. It’s just his age but he’s a real showman. The fans love him and that’s always a big, big positive!

Does having a road race team stretch resources?

It doe stretch resources but we run it a little bit differently. We run the team from Bournemouth Kawasaki, with a separate set of crews, whereas we run the BSB from Ray Stringer’s in Nuneaton so whilst it is very, very difficult, the roads only take up a little part of our time. Roughly 5 weeks, across the North West 200 and Isle of Man TT. James Hillier doesn’t do any other events so we are looking at getting him on a Superstock 1000 bike next season just to get his eye in a bit more. It is difficult. Do I want to give up the TT? No, not really because I want to win a TT race as much as I want to win a BSB race!

What are the 2017 plans? Anything solid?

We will be having the same sponsors on-board next season and just need to finalise budgets. If we offered Luke an offer last week he would have signed. We just need to get him on the right package and also with the right team and right staff around him.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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Formula E Newsroom: Porsche; New York; Season Four calendar

Formula E New York Press Conference Event.
New York, New York, USA.
Tuesday 20 September 2016.
Photo: / FE
ref: Digital Image _L5R5688

Porsche enters submits tender for season five battery supply

Porsche has emerged as the latest name in the running to become Formula E’s sole battery supplier in season five. Although the German marque’s application is as yet unconfirmed, it is believed Porsche is looking to add Formula E to a growing programme of electric and hybrid vehicles that already includes the Mission E concept car – slated for 2020 production – and the WEC LMP1 title-winning 919 Hybrid.

The FIA’s choice for the season five battery supply is expected to be formally announced at the forthcoming Hong Kong ePrix, with names such as McLaren, Williams Advanced Engineering, SAFT, DS and Mahindra also understood to be in the running.

New York ePrix track layout revealed

In the build-up to the new season, Formula E has revealed the track layout for the inaugural New York ePrix. The thirteen-turn track (pictured below) will be located in Brooklyn along the waterfront of Upper Bay, and features as its backdrop the Statue of Liberty and Lower Manhattan.

New York is one of four new host cities on the 2016-17 calendar, alongside Marrakesh, Brussels and Montreal, and has already been hailed by reigning champion Sébastien Buemi as a “spectacular” addition to “the most exciting calendar ever seen in motorsport”.

Formula E seeking new host cities for season four

Although the Formula E calendar has already swelled from nine cities in season two to twelve cities across five continents in season three, the series has announced this week that it is actively looking for yet more race hosts for the 2017-18 season.

CEO of Formula E Alejandro Agag said: “We have already enjoyed remarkable growth over two seasons of Formula E and now have partnerships with some of the most iconic cities in the world. There is now a unique opportunity for new cities to join our calendar and share in the continued growth of the championship.”

James Matthews

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Single or Catch, Spectators or Safety?

It’s a common thought amongst fans, that the British Superbikes series races at some of the best tracks in the world. With the likes of Cadwell Park set in the Lincolnshire countryside, Brands Hatch in the heart of Kent and Knockhill up in Scotland on the calendar, it’s hard to argue with the facts.

But what makes these tracks some of the best is not the countryside its set in, but the viewing and the experience for the fans. Spectators being able to get up close and personal with the riders, not only in the paddock, but also when the bikes are on track. Having visited a number of the circuits on the calendar as an amateur photographer, I have noticed there are two distinct types of tracks. Those with catch fencing and those with single wire fencing.

Now, I love the wire fencing which surrounds many of the BSB tracks, the fact that so many people can get close enough to the action to be able to get great photos, without having to have an access all areas media pass. But after recent races the question has arisen over the line between spectators viewing and safety?

At Oulton park, Tommy Bridewell suffered a terrifying crash during race one on Saturday which saw his Halsall Suzuki launch over the single wire fencing and land where a small number of spectators had been moments before. Luckily for those spectators involved there were no injuries reported, but the situation could have been a different story had the spectators not have seen the bouncing Suzuki coming towards them.

However, this was not the only incident of the weekend which could have ended a whole lot worse.

Jake Dixon’s lap 5 crash in race three was a horrific experience for the Brigg BMW rider who suffered a dislocated, fractured and chipped hip but many people, including myself, missed what happened to the rider as they were too focused on the path of his BMW which took off towards the crowd. After re-watching videos of the crash, it’s clear to see that the BMW was just inches off going over the top of the single wire fencing and straight into the crowd of people who laced the circuit.

So why are there so many tracks using the single wire fencing around the majority of their perimeters?

The first and foremost reason for any type of fencing around race tracks is to keep spectators off the track and away from danger. Single wire fencing is most commonly found around sections of track which either have a large area of run off, which will stop the bikes from reaching the spectator area, or are in sections where there are generally no crashes. This type of fencing allows spectators to be able to have an uninterrupted view of all the racing, which is perfect for all those aspiring photographers, or those wanting a great view of racing. While they offer the best viewing, they offer no protection from debris or stray bikes. And this is the problem which track owners are facing; with many championships getting tougher and riders being able to push the limits of their bikes further and further, more people are finding their limit at unusual places.

So what are the alternatives?

When visiting tracks which hold a lot of car racing, which run different lines and have different types of crashes at different places to bikes, such as Brands Hatch and Donington Park, you tend to find higher fencing known as “Catch Fencing”. This type, as the name suggests, is a minimum of 8ft high chain link fencing used to stop any object, which is out of control from entering the crowd, which sounds perfect for solving the problem of safety concerns.

Yet many spectators dislike catch fencing purely for the fact it makes for an annoying distraction when watching racing. In particular, for me as a keen photographer catch fencing causes many problems including lack of focus ability, difficulty in panning and often simply missed shots. Another aspect of catch fencing which I witnessed on a recent visit to Donington Park, was that for young fans of motorsport, catch fencing means that they are unable to see anything without a boost from someone else. This is because catch fencing often has a solid concrete base to hold it in place and keep it stable in the event of a bike or car hitting it at speed, meaning the young children are unable to see over the top of it.

Where does this leave track owners and spectators?

For the time being, it’s difficult to see any major changes happening, with catch fencing costing hundreds of thousands of pounds to line an entire track, and the threat of losing fans due to restricted viewing aspects, track owners simply won’t want to run the risk or pay the price. What we can hope for is that safety commissions look into the incidents which occurred last weekend at Oulton Park and take into consideration what could’ve happened and apply changes accordingly, be it extra run off or catch fencing in those affected sections.

In the future, as bikes change, racing develops and crashes happen, it may be a different story. Unfortunately for spectators, it may be a serious incident which causes change to happen across the country.

Hannah Louise Betts @HanaLouise21

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Alex Zanardi, the Unbeatable

23.11.2006 Valencia, Spain, Alessandro Zanardi (ITA), BMW WTCC Driver, Tests the BMW Sauber F1 team, F1.06 – DELL Formula BMW World Final 2006, 23th – 26th November, Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo

Alex Zanardi is the guy who never gives up. He is a person which inspires generations and has become the idol of the many young kids. Alex has taught to all of us that life is hard, but we must never give up. He is a true inspiration.

Born in Italy on 23 October 1966, Alex Zanardi had the chance to race in Formula 1 for Jordan, Minardi, Lotus and Williams. In 1991, the Italian driver made his debut in Formula with Jordan, where he remained only for one year. The following year, Zanardi raced for Minardi, but again the next year he changed a team and signed a contract with Lotus.

In Lotus, Alex had his best moment of his F1 career. He scored his first point in the Brazilian Grand Prix in 1993. Alessandro qualified 15th, but after a tremendous race, he managed to finish sixth, behind two British drivers, Johnny Herbert and Mark Blundell. Despite the good result that Alex had in Brazil, 1993 was not a good year for the Italian driver. Zanardi had an accident with his bicycle, but that was not enough to hold him of the sport. Alex raced in Germany with several broken bones, but a spun didn’t let him finish the race.

Zanardi’s injuries forced him to postpone his racing in 1994, Alessandro had to wait to fully recover from his injuries. Hence, he missed the season premiere, but he returned in the Spanish Grand Prix, where he replaced Pedro Lamy, who at that time was racing for Lotus.

In 1999, Zanardi raced for his last time in Formula 1. At that time he was driving for Williams and his last race was in Suzuka. The Italian, qualified 16th, but he forced to quit the race due to electrical issues.

That was the end of his career as an F1 driver.

15 September 2001

25.11.2006 Valencia, Spain, Alessandro Zanardi (ITA), BMW WTCC Driver, Tests the BMW Sauber F1 team, F1.06 – DELL Formula BMW World Final 2006, 23th – 26th November, Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo

Zanardi continued his career as a driver in another series, in Indy Car. At the EuroSpeedway Lausitz September 15, Zanardi had a terrible crash which it could cost him his life. During the final laps he was leading the race, his team decided to call him for a late pit-stop, when he re-joined the race, Alex had spun and lost control of his car, while he returned to the track, unable to control his car, his car was avoided by Patrick Carpentier, but Alex Tagliani crashed on Zanardi’s car. Tagliani’s car crashed on the side of Zanardi’s car, behind the front wheel. From the crash, the Italian lost both his legs and lot of blood. The doctors managed to stabilise his condition and save his life.

After his surgery, the Italian joined a rehabilitation program, he even designed and built his own custom legs. Zanardi continued to race in European Touring Car Championship. Alessandro won his World Series race in August 2005, he also won in Istanbul in 2006 and won twice in Brno in 2008 and in 2009. At the end of 2009, the Italian decided to quit the WTCC series.

In 2006, BMW Sauber gave a chance to Alex to drive a modified Formula 1 car, where he could control it with his hands. Zanardi knew that he would never sign a contract with an F1 team, but still, it was very special for him.

Zanardi’s new chapter

25.11.2006 Valencia, Spain, Alessandro Zanardi (ITA), BMW WTCC Driver, Tests the BMW Sauber F1 team, F1.06 – DELL Formula BMW World Final 2006, 23th – 26th November, Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo

In 2007, Zanardi decided to try something different and started practising with a handcycle. His aim was to enter the Italian Paralympic team. Zanardi managed to fulfil his dreams. In 2011, Alex won a silver medal at the UCI Paracycling.

It was not long before his first race in London’s Games. In 2012, the Italian lifted with his hands his handcycle above his head. It was a very memorable moment at Brands Hands race circuit, it was the moment where Alex Zanardi celebrated his first gold medal in Paralympic games.

Alex won a gold medal in the individual road race H4 and a silver medal in the mixed relay team H1-4.

The Italian made himself known to everyone, he was awarded the Best Male at the 2013 Paralympic Sport and Media awards.

“This is a great accomplishment, one of the greatest of my life.” Zanardi said about his gold medal in London.

Rio 2016

14.06. -15.06.2008 Brno, Czech Republic (CZE), Alessandro Zanardi (ITA), BMW Team Italy-Spain and Dr. Mario Theissen (GER), BMW Sauber F1 Team, BMW Motorsport Director – ?Automotodrom Brno?, 2008 FIA World Touring Car Championship (WTCC), Rd. 9-10. This image is Copyright free for editorial use © BMW AG

Zanardi travelled to Brazil with the thought to win more medals and inspire the world.

“Even my accident, what happened to me, became the biggest opportunity of my life, all the things I am doing today are related to my new condition.” He said.

“When you find yourself in a certain situation you have to identify where you want to go and focus on what you can achieve on that given day.Whether it is a small thing or big one, step-by-step you can make things happen.” Zanardi added.

In Rio, the Italian claimed his third gold medal in Paralympics. He won the H5 time trial at Pontal in Rio de Janeiro. It was a hard race for Alex, he passed Tripp over the second half of the route and won the gold medal by 2.74 seconds.

“It has been a long journey, which basically started the day after the London games when I decided that I would focus on a new horizon in my life and that this would be Rio. After the exciting years of preparation and coming here to a course that was not really my kind of course, it is just fantastic to finally enjoy the taste of gold once more.” Said Zanardi.

Fifteen years has passed since Zanardi’s terrible accident, but the Italian is still racing and he never gave up. During his hardest moments in his life, Alessandro found the courage and he didn’t give up.

He is a legend for me, and he is the idol that all the generations must have. I don’t want to underestimate any Paralympic athlete, every each of them has a history which is admirable.

Never give up.

(Images are courtesy of BMW)
Victor Archakis @FP_Passion

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Shakey – A Tribute to a Champion

 

Shane Byrne took an emphatic double win at Donington Park to not only take back top spot in the standings, but to go more than 25 points clear than nearest rival Leon Haslam, However, this is more of an opinion article and not a race report. Is Shane Byrne the greatest BSB rider of all time?

His career started back in 1999, when the Londoner jumped on a very old, privateer Kawasaki. However, he rode the wheels off it, and the next season, he was given the all new SP1 Honda. A year littered with injuries meant that he didn’t utilise neither his nor the bike’s potential. We must remember that this was the same bike that Colin Edwards was winning on in WSBK and that Joey Dunlop had won his last TT on. For 2001, he joined the Performance House Suzuki, achieving five top-5 finishes.

But, the best was yet to come. In 2002, Shakey jumped aboard Mark Griffiths’ Highland Spring Renegade Ducati, alongside experienced BSB star, Michael Rutter. The year was also a big year for the team; Griffiths had decided to enter the world of road racing, with the first event being the North West 200. Rutter crashed out of both Superbike races, the second one of which he crashed out with more than a minute lead to his advantage.

Things would improve back in England though, as Byrne romped to his first win of his career in tricky Donington Park conditions in just his 5th race of the year. He crashed out dramatically at Snetterton when he wiped out teammate Michael Rutter, but was gifted a win at Knockhill, one of the most intense final laps in BSB history. The late, great Steve Hislop was leading by a narrow margin from Michael Rutter, with Byrne just two seconds back in 3rd. On the run out of the Clark’s, Rutter went wide, all but ending his chances of victory. Then, Michael did the unthinkable. In a desperate attempt to win the race, the Midlander went for the gap that Steve Hislop didn’t leave. Rutter the Nutter went into the back of Hislop at final corner of the final lap, wiping them both out. 40,000 Scots were stunned. Byrne inherited the win, his 2nd of what was to turn out to be an illustrious career.

In 2003, Byrne dominated the championship and wrapped it up with a few races to go at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire. He left Superbike racing altogether for two seasons as he went to MotoGP. Uncompetitive machinery and injury plagued his first year in 2004, despite leading a race briefly at Mugello. In 2005, he joined the KTM team which was a disaster from the off.

Every British Superbike fan smiled when the news was announced Byrne would be back in the championship on a Rizla Suzuki for 2006. It wasn’t his best season, but a win at Knockhill proved that he still had what it takes to become a champion once more. In 2007, he moved back to the PBM team, winning races on the Stobart Honda, but that wasn’t enough for Shakey; he left the team once more and joined up with Ducati specialist Colin Wright, who won back to back titles in 1999 and 2000 with Troy Bayliss and Neil Hodgson.

2008 was a Shakey season. Dominating from start to finish, Byrne won title number two at Silverstone. However, like in 2003, Byrne would not stay around to defend his title and was snapped up by the Sterilgada Ducati team in World Superbikes. One podium meant that Byrne didn’t particularly shine, but he stayed in the championship to join Carlos Checa at Althea Unibat Ducati. However, the WSBK championship was a lost cause, and in 2011, it was announced that he would return to BSB for the 2nd time.

HM Plant Honda was the team of choice this time, but after a run of bad luck at the start of the year, Byrne wasn’t able to take it to Hill and Hopkins at Brands Hatch. He won the final race of the year and finished 3rd overall. He left the team to join Paul Bird Kawasaki, where he has stayed ever since, although now, it’s a Ducati.

Byrne has accumulated an incredible 77 wins in his career, which leads me to ask the question: has anyone ever been so successful and will anyone ever match him in the future? He has maintained the same level of enthusiasm year in, year out, something that is a skill in itself.

He always makes time for his fans too. I met him for the first time back in 2008 and he has remained one of my favourites ever since. I met him at Donington Park in 2016 and yet again, he was well up for the selfies and for signing the tops of his fans. Even after the years of being stopped in the paddock, he still finds the will to meet his fans. And it isn’t fake either. A lot of riders now do it because it’s “good PR stunts” or “because they have to” but Shakey is different; Byrne is genuinely happy to be stopped in the paddock and will often go out of his way for his fans. And that is a very rare gem.

It’s also Byrne’s on-track heroics that make him one of the most liked riders of the paddock. Named “Shakey” because of his style in his early days, I would call him “Smooth” but that’s not quite right either. He rides the wheels off everything he races, he’s even more determined now than he was before. Look at Silverstone this year; he almost chucked himself off the bike going for the inside line to win the 2nd race of the day, in the most incredible finish ever in BSB (that didn’t decide a title).

However, some say that Byrne hasn’t helped BSB because of his domination and four championships. However, because this is an opinion article, I don’t particularly share that view. If anything, I think that Shakey has made the sport even more popular. His incredible flamboyancy and his heart-warming personality makes him one of the biggest stars, not only in BSB but in World championships.

To conclude with, I’d like to say that Shakey has made us all realise just how hard it is to ride one of these beasts. He has re-invented himself every year with different bikes in different eras, on different tracks with different rules. He has won with and without the showdown, on Ducati and Kawasaki, against all kinds of opposition from all series worldwide. He has highlighted that to be the best, you have to better yourself, even if you were King of the Castle one year previous. He has made step changes, even at the age of 39, to be at the top of the standings and to be the best he can possibly be. One of the most versatile riders in motorcycle racing history, Byrne has contributed to make British Superbikes one of the most attended sports series, not just in the UK, but across Europe, and without doubt made it a ‘class to be in’ for all motorcycle racers coming through the ranks. Thank you Shane, for the memories you have provided us with, continue to provide us with and we all hope you keep providing us with in the future.

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Photo Credit to Gareth Davies

Rizla Suzuki Photo Credit to Suzuki Racing Archives

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Suzuki riders at Aragon, Concerned by ‘Tricky Weather’

Team Suzuki Ecstar heads back to Spain this weekend for the third time this year and the last European race before the overseas leg of the MotoGP™ Championship. The spectacular Motorland Aragon circuit will be the scene of the 14th round, with its variety of characteristics that makes it very challenging for technicians and demanding but fun for the riders.

Maverick Viñales arrives in Alcañiz after the historic victory at Silverstone and a solid race in Misano. The previous round in Sam Marino had been a positive performance on a circuit where the characteristics of the track weren’t the most suitable for the GSX-RR; fifth place gave him positive points for the championship, but also signalled the capabilities of the team to finalise a well-performing machine.

The Spanish round in Aragon will also be a good change for improvements for Aleix Espargaró. His struggle to finalise an effective strategy influenced his race in Misano, in particular the feeling with the front tyre, but the characteristics of the Motorland circuit will give him another chance to continue with the good steps forward he has made in the latest races.

The Motorland Circuit of Aragon is a modern facility that was remodelled in 2010 to fulfil the security and standards requested by the MotoGP™ organisation. The origins of the Grand Prix have their roots in a solid history of street racing in Alcañiz and the circuit has hosted events between 1963 and 2003. Eventually it was modernised by renowned German circuit architect Hermann Tilke.

The track is 5.077km (3.16 miles) long and has 17 turns: 10 left-handers and seven right-handers. The longest straight is 968 m (3175.85 ft.) and the Grand Prix will be raced over 23 laps, which correspond to a total length of 116.8 km or 72.7 miles.

Maverick Viñales: We can fast in high temperatures
“The Motorland circuit is a very interesting one, it has a variety of areas that make it a demanding but fun layout. We arrive here with a positive feeling, the victory at Silverstone gave us an extra injection of confidence and in Misano we did the best we could considering the conditions. Also, Aragon is tricky regarding the weather; it could be cold or extremely hot. Some races ago we were more worried about hot temperatures, but after Misano we can approach this with more confidence, as we finally proved we can be competitive in high temperatures; and that was one of the things we were worried about previously.”

Aleix Espargaró: I feel really comfortable now
“Unfortunately in Misano I made the wrong choice of the tyre and this resulted in a bad race, but we had many positives from the work we’ve done. The machine has improved a lot and in many situations I feel really comfortable now. We are doing a good job and if we manage to make a further step we can be really competitive. Aragon will be important because it’s the last one before the three back-to-back races, and the circuit is a nice one. It is a mix of the most famous parts of many other circuits and this makes it very enjoyable to ride. Also, our machine is improving in performance and effectiveness so I hope we can enjoy more positive results.”
Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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EXCLUSIVE: James Rispoli: If you can do it in BSB, you can do it on the World

I was very lucky to be able to chat for ten minutes with America’s next World Champion. James Rispoli took himself and his flamboyant style up to BSB on the Anvil Hire Tag Racing Yamaha and despite finding it difficult, he’s determined to make it work in the remaining rounds. We talk all things MotoAmerica, the level of competition in BSB and his ambitions for the rest of his career!

How is this season going for you?

Well, it’s been far from the best but we keep pushing every session. We have had some good qualifying sessions, especially the 7th at Silverstone. At the beginning of the year, we had a massive tyre life issue, and we couldn’t really figure it out. We have managed to find some pace but just not been able to find a result. The class is so stacked this year, you could be half a second off and be 10th. We have been in positions where we were just 0.5 off but ended up 18th. Our aim is to get inside that 1 second bubble, which has been tough this year, but we are getting there. Right now, we are just preparing ourselves for next year.

How have you found then transition from Supersport and Superbike?

Well, it’s definitely not point and squirt on the Yamaha. If you do that then you will be going nowhere. It’s been tough at some of the circuits because their nature is point and squirt but for us we are trying to figure out how to ride the thing and it seems to show, as we are moving further up the order now.

How do you find racing in the UK after your time in the US?

I really enjoy it in the UK, it’s where I want to make home for a bit. The fans are amazing! There’s huge crowds, it has to be one of the most stacked championships in the world, it’s similar to Moto2. If you’re just a little bit off the pace, then you are nowhere.

How do you find having a teammate?

Last year it was brilliant because I had Andy Reid as a teammate and in every session last season, it was rare that we were more than a second apart at the front. It was great to look at his data and we would always recognise where one of us was faster. This year, it’s a different game. Shaun (Winfield) is doing really well as he is doing some of his best lap times but the series is that strong that you can’t really learn much. All in all, it’s been OK.

Do you get any support from the factory?

Not a lot if I’m honest. I do personally through my connections with Bradley Smith and stuff like that but nothing from the factory.

Do you see yourself as the next big American rider on the scene?

Yeah I mean that’s what I’m trying to do. I believe that if you can do it here then you’ll be able to do it on the world stage, and that’s no disrespect to any of the world guys, I just think that because both series are so strong, if you can go well on a good bike here then you’ll be able to go well on a good bike there. I’m not saying you’d be able to take it to Jonny Rea or anything like that but you could manage a top 10. BSB is great preparation for the world stage. It’s always been my dream to be a world champ, it’s just how do we put those steps in place. Cameron Beaubier and those guys are doing what they need to do; they’re making the best decisions they can at the time. Cameron has a factory Yamaha deal over in America and he’d be stupid to leave it, as he’s making good money.

Do you have much involvement with MotoAmerica?

No, I don’t actually. I used to bigtime but not anymore. It seems like they are trying to pull the plug and get things moving on it, but we will see what the deal is.

What are your 2017 plans?

We are trying to work on a few options now but nothing is solidified but yeah we should be in BSB next year, and that’s all I can say!

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

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Parc Fermé

THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY

Motor racing fans, on the whole are a rare breed of sports fans. On the most part they will respect and admire teams, drivers and riders who they do not necessarily support. That’s how it has always been in motor racing, a mutual appreciation of those who go out on the track every race putting their life on the line to bring us the exhilarating entertainment that we crave for time and time again.

Then are those who I will not and could not give the time of day too. On social media they can be referred to as ‘trolls’ or even the term ‘fan-boys’ or ‘fan-girls’ – these are people who like the majority of motor racing fans have a particular team or racer they support, yet through ignorance, rudeness and a lack of education find it totally acceptable to abuse and make ridiculous statements about other racers and their fans. They only see those they support.

Personally, I don’t regard these type of people as proper race fans. It is evident from their tunnel-visioned support that they are passionate about the person or team they follow but in respect of views on others they lack the social skills and requirements to be given the time of day. I have no time for them.

I enjoy sitting down with fellow race fans (be it in person or via social media) and having debates, discussions and sharing opinions on all manner of things involved in racing. What makes these discussions so much different is that even if there is a difference of opinion on a specific subject it is done with civility and a mutual respect of our understanding of motor racing. Unlike the trolls who sometimes pop up in the middle of a perfectly good conversation and start to abuse the person who they do not agree with. Fortunately social media has this thing called a ‘block’ button and I have no issues using this instead of getting myself tied up in their world of selfish, uneducated rudeness.

Social media is a wonderful tool across all platforms in sport, business and life. There will always be those who will want to spoil it for those who use the different facilities. My advice is just pass them over and don’t let them wind you up.

These ‘fan-boy/girls’ sadly can’t see further than the racer they support with so much gusto. It’s a real shame. I am not alone in the fact that I have certain racers and teams that I support and I will if in a ‘normal’ discussion with a fellow, friendly race fan put my full support behind said team/racers but I am also old enough and wise enough to be able to appreciate when a team or racer I follow has not performed well or is being out-performed by a team mate.

It is as if these trolls will readily slander and pick an argument with anybody just because their favourite racer isn’t doing what he’s supposed to do. Over the weekend whilst watching the Singapore Grand Prix I was, as a race fan, entertained by the battle between Kvyat and Verstappen. I truly do think that Verstappen is an exciting prospect and a future world champion, I like what he has brought to the F1 stage. Meanwhile, over on social media there were trolling Max Verstappen fans swearing and shouting that Kvyat was being….and I quote “a dick for not moving out the way”. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. I didn’t bother replying as that would just cause these fan-boys/girls to go into overdrive and I’ve got far more interesting things to do than argue with them.

At the end of the day where Max was concerned, that’s racing kid. Deal with it. As for the trolls, I can’t believe you think that ‘racing’ is moving out of the way of somebody. I think you need to go and read up on that.

We are all fully aware of the Rosberg and Hamilton fan wars over social media, it’s just laughable really that these trolls can only the see the good in their driver and the bad in the other, or vice versa. I find it quite sad really. The same happened last year with the Rossi and Marquez dramatics and the idiotic comments that were made.

As I said earlier I am all for opinions and debates with rival fans of rival teams and racers, I really enjoy those discussions with like-minded racing fans. The trolls however are just an annoyance and although they have and are entitled to their opinion I personally wouldn’t get too involved with them. You’re on to a losing battle otherwise.

These types of people are not new to motor racing, it’s human nature and they have been around for years it’s just that with the onslaught of social media the trolling opinions are magnified to a global audience. It is much the same as the bigoted person in the local pub who will not listen to any other views apart from their own. Just give them a wide berth.

And this is the point. Everybody should have an opinion, yet some should sit back and take a long hard look at themselves because sometimes as with all of us and I am included in this, your opinion may not be the correct one.

This is racing and our opinions as fans make it an interesting world, just steer clear of the trolls. They’re not proper race fans.

Racing is full of the good, the bad and the ugly.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

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Ekstrom Regains Championship Lead

WRX hit Barcelona last weekend for round nine of the championship. A combination of Formula One tarmac corners and tricky technical dirt sections would be the challenge for the drivers on what was a a glorious weekend.

Loheac had seen around 80,000 fans attend the event which was eventually won by Johan Kristoffersson and catapulted him up the standings.

“We’ve been working hard and everything his about winning in the end.” Kristoffersson said.

Petter Solberg came to Barcelona with a very slim lead over rival Mattias Ekstrom with just five points separating the two drivers. With his win at Loheac, Kristoffersson sat third with a one point lead over Bakkerud who was sixteen points ahead of Sebastien Loeb. That was the top five as WRX landed in Spain.

“It’s a good competition, I’ve started to think about the championship now. Obviously five points is not a lot, but Ekstrom has been extremely good.” Solberg commented.

In the team standings EKS lead the way followed by Team Peugeot Hansen and then VW RX Sweden. It is the team sittig in fourth place who have begun to impress in 2016. In their debut season, Hoonigan Racing Division with Ken Block and Andreas Bakkerud had been testing in between rounds with the Ford Focus and it looks like those tests are starting to pay off.

The circuit is 1137m in length, but with the joker it is extended to 1288m. A track that is 59% asphalt and 41% dirt it is challenging and runs in an anti-clockwise direction. An uphill start to the first long left hander and downhill to turn two, shift down a couple of gears into the left hander and the drivers will meet their first transition to dirt into a right and then left hander, trying to stay clear of the tyre walls. They will have to fight for traction downhill towards the first of the hairpins, a handbrake turn, accelerate uphill to the tarmace and then back onto the dirt into the left hander. The cars will need to stay tight through the right and then left turn before negotiating the jump into the right hander. This is where the drivers will decide whether to go straight on for the joker or go round to do it all over again.

Welcome to Barcelona.

Sweden’s Mattias Ekstrom took a lights-to-flag victory at World RX of Barcelona, round nine of the FIA World Rallycross Championship presented by Monster Energy, to regain the World RX Championship lead from Petter Solberg. It is Ekstrom’s fourth victory of the season for EKS.

Team Peugeot-Hansen’s Timmy Hansen was runner-up while World RX Team Austria’s Timur Timerzyanov took his first podium of the year after placing third. In the FIA European Rallycross Championship, where Barcelona marked the penultimate round, it was Kevin Hansen who took the victory and also won the Championship with one event still remaining.

“This has been a dream of mine since I was a little boy,” said the elated 18-year-old.

One round of Euro RX remains in Latvia in two weeks’ time but Hansen’s four event wins and 30-point lead makes it impossible for his competitors to catch him in the overall standings. Norwegian drivers Tommy Rustad and Tord Linnerud finished second and third respectively.

“I’m really happy – to win a race in World RX makes me smile every time,” admitted Barcelona RX winner, Ekstrom, who also scooped the Monster Energy Super Charge Award for beating his competitors to the first corner during today’s final. “At the start of the season, there were only a few drivers who could take a victory but now there are so many who can win – the competition is very tough and you need to be on your A-game throughout the weekend to be in with a chance. This weekend the competition has been fierce so this win feels even more special.”

Ekstrom’s victory this weekend now sees the Swede lead the World RX driver standings by 10 points but the question remains as to whether he is able to miss a round of DTM in order to compete at Buxtehude in Germany next month. Ekstrom took up the story:

“The entry deadline for the Buxtehude race is next week so I’ve been getting asked about what I’m doing a lot at the moment. I haven’t missed a single DTM race in 15 years so it’s a big discussion. I will speak to my bosses tomorrow morning to see what they say but it’s in their hands so I will respect whatever decision they make.”

Runner-up Timmy Hansen was Top Qualifier at the end of the four qualifying sessions, and spoke positively about the performance of his Peugeot 208 WRX Supercar over the weekend.

“The car has been working very well – the whole weekend we’ve had very good starts and the team have done a great job with the car following my test last week,” explained the 24-year-old. “I want to say that I’m very proud of my brother Kevin, who has already won the Euro RX Championship with one round remaining – I’ve always known how fast he’s been and I’m really happy for him.”

World RX Team Austria had an impressive weekend with its Ford Fiesta RX Supercars as team-mates Timerzyanov and Janis Baumanis finished third and fourth respectively. It is the first time this season that both World RX Team Austria drivers have reached the final and Timerzyanov started on the front row after winning the second semi-final. The result is even more special for the Austrian-based team after an incident with Timerzyanov’s car at the previous round in France meant the squad had to change the chassis in order for him to drive this weekend.

“We are delighted with this result after a difficult season and we are now looking forward to Riga,” said team boss, Max Pucher.

Audi privateer driver Robin Larsson finished fifth, the Swede having retired from today’s final after damaging a wheel. Volkswagen RX Sweden’s Johan Kristoffersson initially finished third but was later demoted to sixth place for pushing. Reigning Champion Solberg finished the weekend in seventh position.

“Frustration is definitely the word from here,” explained Solberg. “We made it through qualifying into the semi-final and that race started OK. I made a good start from where I was on the grid. I was behind Loeb going down the hairpin and then Larsson hit me and knocked me wide. After that, I did everything I could, I tried my best to come back at them [Loeb and Larsson fighting ahead], but the final wasn’t possible this time. I’m really disappointed, but let’s look forward and push on for the next race.”

Elsewhere, double DTM champion Timo Scheider made his return to World RX and finished 17th in the Intermediate Classification standings in a Munnich Motorsport Seat Ibiza, one place ahead of Ken Block who had a challenging weekend in his Hoonigan Racing Division prepared Ford Focus RS RX after suffering gearbox problems in Q3.

In the fifth round of the FIA European Rallycross Championship for Super1600, Denmark’s Ulrik Linnemann triumphed in his Peugeot 208. Hungary’s Luigi finished runner-up at the wheel of his Skoda Fabia and Lithuania’s Kasparas Navickas was third in another Skoda Fabia.

In the penultimate round of the supporting RX Lites Cup, it was Cyril Raymond who took three qualifying wins and the overall victory. Norwegians Thomas Bryntesson and Simon Wago Syversen finished second and third. Raymond’s win this weekend has seen the Frenchman extend his lead over Bryntesson in the overall standings by eight points. World RX Managing Director for IMG, Paul Bellamy, concluded:

“We’ve had 28,000 passionate motorsport fans travel to the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend. Well done to Mattias who took a well-deserved victory and in doing so managed to move ahead of Petter in the overall standings, which has made this year’s title fight even more exciting. Now it remains to be seen whether Mattias will be able to compete in Germany or whether he will be required to race in DTM. Either way, it’s going to be a very exciting final three rounds. It’s also been a very positive weekend for Peugeot with Kevin Hansen crowned Euro RX Champion and Timmy Hansen finishing second in World RX. The Hansen family now have 15 Euro RX titles between them, which is a staggering achievement. We now look forward to Riga with the World Championship visiting Latvia for the first time.”

A new location awaits the World RX crews for round 10 of the World Championship as the team prepare to compete at the all-new rallycross circuit at the Bikernieki circuit in Riga, Latvia. Neste World RX of Latvia will take place in just under two weeks’ time (1-2 October).

STANDINGS

SUPERCARS – WRX

1st – Mattias Ekstrom – Audi S1 – 204pts

2nd – Petter Solberg – Citroen DS3 – 194pts

3rd – Johan Kristoffersson – VW Polo – 178pts

4th – Andreas Bakkerud – Ford Focus RS – 170pts

5th – Sebastien Loeb – Peugeot 208 – 154pts

6th – Timmy Hansen – Peugeot 208 – 143pts

7th – Toomas Heikkinen – Audi S1 – 114pts

8th – Robin Larsson – Audi A1 – 85pts

9th – Timur Timerzyanov – Ford Fiesta – 84pts

10th – Jani Baumanis – Ford Fiesta – 75pts

SUPERCARS – ERX

1st – Kevin Hansen – Peugeot 208 – 117pts

2nd – Tord Linnerud – VW Polo – 87pts

3rd – Jerome Grosset-Janin – Peugeot 208 – 82pts

4th – Tommy Rustad – Peugeot 208 – 67pts

5th – Fredrick Salsten – Peugeot 208 – 66pts

6th – Tamas-Pal Kiss – Peugeot 208 – 58pts

7th – Peter Hedstrom – Ford Fiesta – 53pts

8th – Alexander Hvaal – VW Beetle – 39pts

9th – Tamas Karai – Audi A1 – 35pts

10th – Joni-Pekka Rajala – VW Beetle – 33pts

SUPER1600

1st – Ulrik Linnemann – Peugeot 208 – 114pts

2nd – Krisztian Szabo – Skoda Fabia – 108pts

3rd – Timur Shigabutdinov – Renault Twingo – 71pts

4th – Artis Baumanis – Renault Twingo – 64pts

5th – Janno Ligur – Skoda Fabia – 62pts

6th – Kasparas Navickas – Skoda Fabia – 61pts

7th – Ondrej Smetana – Ford Fiesta – 54pts

8th – Luigi – Skoda Fabia – 51pts

9th – Ernestas Staponkus – VW Polo – 48pts

10th – Pavel Vimmer – Skoda Fabia – 45pts

TOURING CARS

1st – Ben-Philip Gundersen – Ford Fiesta – 72pts

2nd – Magda Andersson – Ford Fiesta – 61pts

3rd – Fredrik R. Magnussen – Ford Fiesta – 54pts

4th – Per-Magne Royras – Mazda RX8 – 51pts

5th – Anders Nymoen Braten – Ford Fiesta – 44pts

6th – Philip Gehrman – Ford Fiesta – 41pts

7th – Daniel Lundh – Volvo C30 – 38pts

8th – Torleif-Haugenes Lona – Ford Fiesta – 38pts

9th – Kjetil Larsen – Skoda Fabia – 32pts

10th – David S. Nordgard – Ford Fiesta – 27pts

RX LITES

1st – Cyril Raymond – 158pts

2nd – Thomas Bryntesson – 150pts

3rd – Simon Olofsson – 128pts

4th – Joachim Hvaal – 115pts

5th – Simon Wago Syversen – 103pts

6th – Sondre Evjen – 78pts

7th – Tejas Hirani – 78pts

8th – Thomas Holmen – 39pts

9th – Alexander Westlund – 38pts

10th – Saeed Bintouq – 33pts

See you at the chequered flag.

Neil Simmons

Twitter: @world_racing

All photo credits: FIAWorldRallycross.com

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Milwaukee and Shaun Muir confirm Aprilia Switch, Savadori partners Laverty

Two Aprilia RSV4 bikes will be on the track in the 2017 & 2018 World Superbike Championships in the Milwaukee Aprilia Racing Team colours.

The agreement specifies that technical material and related direct assistance and support will be provided by Aprilia Racing, including bike development, which classifies Milwaukee as a Supported Factory Team.

This means that Aprilia Racing – the Piaggio Group racing department and technological point of excellence in the Italian motorcycle industry – is confirming its high level presence in the premier competition for factory derivative bikes, alongside its important efforts in MotoGP.

The goal is to compete at top levels in World Superbikes in order to emphasize the competitiveness of the Aprilia RSV4, capable of taking no less than seven World Titles (three Rider and four Manufacturer) between 2010 and 2014, proving to be the most victorious bike in recent World Superbike history.

The result of a project intended to create a true racing bike that any enthusiast could have, the RSV4 astonished from its rookie season, winning a race in its maiden year and then racking up repeated championship wins in both the Manufacturer and Rider competitions (twice with Max Biaggi and once with Sylvain Guintoli). All this while the street version – obviously also characterized by an exclusive narrow 1.0 litre V4 – continued to win comparative reviews year after year with the best competitors in the world, both European and Japanese.

The team run by SMR, which boasts two British titles, will be able to count on a top shelf rider lineup: in addition to the 2015 Superstock Champion Lorenzo Savadori, who quickly drew attention this year in his rookie World Superbike season, Northern Irishman Eugene Laverty will be back in WorldSBK, 2013 runner up astride none other than an Aprilia RSV4.

Romano Albesiano – Aprilia Racing Manager:

“In Shaun Muir’s team we found a partner who shares our goals and who, after making a good name for themselves in the British championship, wants to get to the top of a world category.

Our agreement includes, in addition to providing bikes and materials, support from Aprilia Racing personnel to manage and develop the RSV4, a jewel of technology that will once again be able to show its worth, within a Factory Support type relationship.

The birth of the Milwaukee Aprilia Racing Team also marks Eugene Laverty’s return to WorldSBK, a rider who we know well and whose professional and personal qualities have our utmost respect. He will have Lorenzo Savadori working alongside him, a young rider in whom Aprilia has invested who has been part of our sports project for two seasons in which he won the Superstock 1000 title first and then drew attention in WorldSBK with an extremely positive rookie year.”

Shaun Muir – SMR Team Principal:
“For SMR, collaboration with Aprilia Racing for 2017 and 2018 means a real chance to fight for the win. Aprilia has a strong and victorious history in World Superbike and we are determined to continue on the same path. Having Eugene and Lorenzo on board makes this a dream team.

Without a doubt, Eugene is coming back to WorldSBK for one reason only – to win. Lorenzo, on the other hand, is the fastest rookie and a sure protagonist. I wish to thank Milwaukee, Gulf and all of the partners who are supporting our project.”

Eugene Laverty: We can be competitve straight away
“I’m excited to return to Superbike with Aprilia and the RSV4, a bike with which I took ten wins and second place overall in the championship. I hope to be able to pick up where I left off with those results, thanks to the support of Aprilia and a fantastic team like SMR. Everything is in place for us to be competitive straight away.”

Lorenzo Savadori: I am highly motivated
“I am very happy to continue my adventure in World Superbikes with Aprilia. This is another chance to achieve great results, with one more year of experience on the RSV4 for me. In a demanding rookie season I was already able to express a good performance level, learning a lot, both about race management and working in the garage, but I do not want to stop here. We will definitely be highly motivated at the start, with an ambitious project and a great desire to do well.”

Jason Chiswell – Vice President of Marketing Milwaukee Tools: This could be a new winning chapter
“At Milwaukee Power tools our vision is always to win and that same mentality is shared with the SMR team. We see the next year with Aprilia as being an exciting and a new winning chapter in our World Superbike program.”

Kiko Giles @MotoGPKiko

Credit to Gold & Goose for the images via Milwaukee BMW

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