Category: Crew On Two

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MotoGP Japan Preview: A Misty, Unclear Setting for a Wide Open Title Race

The 15th round of the MotoGP championship season comes from Motegi in Japan, with the title still all to play for, unlike last year when Marc Marquez had his first chance to win the title. The Twin Ring Motegi circuit has been on the calendar since 2000 and has been home to the Japanese Grand Prix since 2004. Marc Marquez has won at the track on just one occasion in the premier class – last season – but Honda have won a total of five times, with Yamaha and Ducati winning four times. It promises to be a great weekend of racing, as well a potential turning point in the championship – although it mathematically can’t be won.

Marc Marquez has won the last two races in 2017 at Misano and Aragon. Marquez hasn’t won three on the bounce since Assen, Sachsenring and Indianapolis in 2014, a staggering statistic for someone who has took 18 wins and two titles since then. The 24-year-old has not finished outside the top five at Motegi since 2009 and has taken two other victories at the venue – one in the 125cc class in 2010 and one in Moto2 in 2012. Marquez will be hoping to extend his championship lead to above 25 points, which not only gives him a race-in-hand over the opposition but also gives him a shot at the title at Phillip Island.

Andrea Dovizioso had a terrible Aragon and haemorrhaged 16 points to Marquez. Dovi knows he has to take points back out of Marquez in Japan to have any realistic chance of the championship. With the exception of Casey Stoner in 2010, all of Ducatis wins in Japan have come from an Italian rider. Dovizioso – who has taken four wins in 2017 – finished 2nd to Marquez last year, whilst finishing 5th in 2015. The 31-year-old has taken two pole positions at Motegi in the premier class, in 2010 and 2014. His worst result was 2013 with 10th but apart from that and 9th in 2008, he has never finished outside the top 5 at Motegi. Could Sunday be a Dovizioso and Ducati success story?

Maverick Vinales is really on the back-foot as we approach Japan, with him giving more points to Marquez last time out at Aragon. Vinales hasn’t won since Le Mans and his last podium was Silverstone and before that it was Brno. Vinales was third last year on the Suzuki at Motegi, although he failed to finish in 2015. Vinales has never actually finished a race at Motegi outside the top four but at the same time, he hasn’t won at the Japanese venue. Yamaha’s last win came in 2014 with Jorge Lorenzo, despite taking pole position for the last two seasons. The rival Japanese manufacturer will be desperate to reignite their title fight with a win in Honda’s backyard.

Dani Pedrosa was the winner of the Japanese GP in 2015, coming from eight seconds behind to beat Valentino Rossi and Jorge Lorenzo. The Spaniard hasn’t had back-to-back 2nd places since COTA and Termas de Rio Hondo in 2014 so a 2nd in Japan would update that statistic. Pedrosa didn’t start the race in Japan last season but was a winner at the track in 2011 and 2012. He has two other wins in the smaller classes too – in the 125cc class in 2002 and in 2004 in 250s. A podium for Pedrosa would give him 9 for the season, his highest since scoring 10 in 2014. Pedrosa must finish 11th or higher to remain in with a chance of winning the title this year, although realistically, he could do with beating teammate Marquez.

Valentino Rossi caused an earthquake when he announced he would be racing at Aragon and he triggered even bigger aftershocks after running 2nd for almost 50% of the race. Eventually finishing 5th, Rossi has been hard in training at his ranch to try and speed up his recovery. Going into Japan, the Italian is two points shy of Dani Pedrosa and is 56 points behind series leader Marquez. The 38-year-old veteran has won at Motegi just twice, in 2001 and 2008. He has achieved 9 other podiums however and will be hoping to repeat his pole position success of last year. ‘The Doctor’ has crashed out of the Japanese GP three times in the premier class and will surely be hoping not to do the same as last year. Rossi must finish 9th or higher to have a mathematical chance of the title but in reality, he just needs to take as many points off his rivals as possible.

Johann Zarco continues to hold onto 6th place in the championship. Zarco has finished every race this season, with the exception of the Qatari GP where he crashed out the lead. Whilst that statistic may be impressive, Zarco’s last top five was in Austria and he has only had one podium finish – at home at Le Mans. The Frenchman took his first ever GP win at Motegi in 2011 and also won the Moto2 race at the track in 2015. A French rider has never won in the premier GP class in Japan at any circuit. Could Zarco break that record? He is 51 points off Valentino Rossi’s 5th place in the championship and mathematically can’t win the championship, relieving Zarco of any pressure, so he can attack fully in the final four races.

Jorge Lorenzo is the 2nd Ducati rider in the championship. He hasn’t taken back-to-back podiums since Sepang and Valencia last season and will be itching to use the Ducati’s horsepower at Motegi, as the circuit hosts four long straights. Lorenzo has won at Motegi three times and has taken four other podiums. Could Jorge take a win this weekend?

Aprilia’s hopes of a good weekend will be sky-high after finishing the closest to a race win ever at Aragon last time out. Aleix Espargaro was 6th and will be looking to give Aprilia their first ever top 5. Sam Lowes’ season has been a difficult one, so he will be looking to finish in the points for only a 2nd time this year. He hasn’t had a top 20 ride since the Red Bull Ring in Austria.

The factory Suzuki team have had a disastrous 2017 campaign. Andrea Iannone didn’t ride at Motegi last year and hasn’t finished a race at Motegi since 2014, where he was 6th. Alex Rins hasn’t had a top 10 at Motegi since 2014 but apart from that and a 4th in 2012, he hasn’t had any other top 10s. It may be another tricky weekend for Suzuki at home.

KTM continue to impress – in the Pol Espargaro corner anyway. Pol is level on points with Iannone going into the Japanese round, on 37 points. Since Assen, every race Espargaro has finished has been in the points. Bradley Smith however will be feeling the pressure, especially after wildcard Mika Kallio beat him again at Aragon. Smith last scored points at Misano, finishing 10th, which is so far his best finish for KTM. Neither KTM rider has finished inside the top five before at Motegi in the premier class.

Danilo Petrucci is top independent team rider, in 8th place. Petrucci endured a disastrous weekend at Aragon, finishing 20th. It is the first time since Aragon in 2016 that he has finished a race outside of the points. The last time it happened in back-to-back GPs was in 2012, at Catalunya and Silverstone – his rookie season. Teammate Scott Redding finished ahead of Petrucci for the first time since Phillip Island last season (calculated on the basis that both riders have finished the race). Redding has finished every race since Brno in the points and will be looking to extend that run to Motegi, where his best finish so far is 9th, achieved last year.

Cal Crutchlow did not capitalise on Petrucci’s dire weekend at Aragon, as he crashed out whilst inside the top 10. The Brit’s best result at Motegi is a 5th from last season, although he retired from a podium battle with Alvaro Bautista in the closing stages of the 2012 race, after running out of fuel. Crutchlow has finished the last two Japanese GPs in the top six, although he didn’t finish in 2014.

Jonas Folger is 10th in the standings, making all four Yamahas appear in the top 10 places of the championship. The German was 2nd in the 2015 Moto2 race at the track and 3rd in 2013 in the Moto3 class. A German rider has never scored a podium in the premier class at any Japanese GP. Could Folger set that record straight?

The Aspar Team have Alvaro Bautista in 11th and Karel Abraham in 18th in the championship; both riders have achieved a podium at Motegi at some point in their careers. Alvaro was 7th last season at Motegi and took a podium for the Gresini Honda team in 2012. Karel Abraham has only finished one premier class race in Japan and that was in 2012 but he was 3rd in 2010, in the Moto2 class.

Jack Miller is next up in 12th but isn’t racing this weekend due to a broken leg. He is replaced by Hiroshi Aoyama, who finished 2nd at Motegi in the 250cc class in 2009. He finished 15th in the premier class last year. Tito Rabat on the other side of the garage has been more impressive of late. He has a best result of 3rd at Motegi, back in 2014.

Loris Baz and Hector Barbera are the last riders left to cover. Baz has confirmed he will leave the GP paddock after this year, therefore this will be his last race at Motegi. The Frenchman has never scored a point in Japan. Barbera was 17th last year, as a replacement rider in the factory Ducati team. His best result in Japan in the premier class has been 9th, in wet conditions two years ago.

Whatever happens at Motegi, it promises to be a pivotal race in the championship. Will Marquez be able to escape the attentions of his rivals or will they hunt him down and narrow the point’s gap at the front? Could weather play a part in proceedings? It has done before. Will we see Aprilia and KTM up the sharper end again, like at Aragon? Of course, it could be another frantic race, which will be just as unpredictable as others have already this season. We will have to wait and find out.

  • Race Record (Considered lap circuit record): 1.45.350 – Jorge Lorenzo, 2015, Yamaha
  • Fastest Lap (Any timed session) 1.43.790 – Jorge Lorenzo, 2014, Yamaha
  • Top Speed – Andrea Iannone, 2015, 314.3kmh/195.29mph
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Giugliano: The Bike is Improving a Lot

Davide Giugliano was left without a ride in WSBK last year but he showed he is still capable, finishing 8th and 11th at Magny Cours for the 11th round of the 2017 World Superbike championship.

“It’s was an unlucky race two because I feel I had the pace to be fighting for a top-6 finish. The realistic goal before the start was to finish between 8th and 11th but we turned out to be quicker than we expected”, said a joyous Giugliano.

“It was hard to push when I found myself at the back of the field, because even though I knew I had to make up ground, I was riding on my own so I didn’t know how wet it was on different parts of the circuit and how conditions were evolving throughout the lap. We put together a good comeback, we made some passes and we showed a good pace, so I think there’s a good synergy developing between the bike and myself now”, he continued. Giugliano looks certain to remain with the Red Bull Honda squad for the remainder of the season.

The Italian also hailed the development of the new Honda Fireblade SP2. He gave the team their first start from a top six position since Nicky Hayden at Losail in 2016. The team’s best race result is 6th, from Stefan Bradl in race one at Assen.

“The guys have done an amazing job: I feel that the bike is improving a lot and that was the reason I was chosen in the first place so I’m happy. The top speed was also excellent today. Obviously there is still a lot to improve but things are going in the right direction”.

Image by: worldSBK.com

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Jonathan Rea – World Superbike Legend and Northern Ireland’s Hero

For the last three seasons, he has been the King of World Superbikes. Domination has seen him go from the nearly-guy to the uncatchable. He has captivated a whole nation and become one of Northern Ireland’s greatest sportsmen, as well as one of the most successful British motorcycle racers in history. Jonathan Rea has been a poster-boy for Northern Irish sport for the last three years and once more, he was hailed a hero after taking a third successive WSBK title. An achievement that former British WSBK champs like Carl Fogarty, Neil Hodgson, James Toseland and Tom Sykes have never been able to carry out.

Born in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, Jonathan Rea could never have dreamt of becoming a World Superbike star in his school-boy days. He was never really a fan of racing on tarmac, as he considered it boring and nowhere near as exciting as motocross. Rumour has it that it was Michael and Eugene Laverty that persuaded him to take his talent from dirt to road and in 2003, he made the move to the British 125cc championship. Rea finished the season just four points behind lightweight class legend Ryan Saxelby, in 15th place – picking up a podium at the penultimate round of the season too, at Brands Hatch Indy.

The following season, he was contesting the prestigious British Supersport category, which at the time had names such as Cal Crutchlow, Leon Camier and Michael Laverty in. He was 12th in the championship before an injury at Knockhill ruined his season. Rea remained on 26 points for the rest of the year.

Fast forward his career and through his British Superbike days – of which he only took 5 race wins – and we find Jonny Rea in World Supersport, teammate to Andrew Pitt at the Hanspree Ten Kate Honda squad. He took his first podium at Assen and his first win at Brno, It was quite obvious that we were looking at a very serious talent in the world of motorcycle racing but surely we never expected him to win three titles?

A step up to WSBK in 2009 saw him take his first victory at Misano, whilst a second win of the season came at the Nurburgring, Germany, beating eventual champion Ben Spies by just under a second. Between 2009 and his departure from Honda in 2014, Rea took 15 wins, including two doubles. He won at least one race in every year whilst riding for Honda but the domination didn’t start until 2015, when he left Honda – having been with them for his whole career – to join Kawasaki.

Since arriving at Kawasaki, Jonny Rea has had a podium hit rate of 89.1%, an extraordinary figure. In the five back-to-back titles that Valentino Rossi won in MotoGP, he had a podium hit rate of 87.6%, so Jonny Rea’s domination has seen him so much more consistent than everyone else and even higher than ‘The Doctor’.

Rea has won 35 races in his time with Kawasaki so far, their most successful rider ever in WSBK.  The only circuits that the Ulsterman hasn’t won at on the current WSBK calendar are Jerez and Losail, both circuits of which are up next in 2017. He really has set records. Having said that, he has only scored nine pole positions, which enhances his success. It shows that when he has to, he can come through the field. In 2017, he has won from row three a total of six times and finished on the podium from row three on four other occasions. The statistics go on and on.

Rea is not the only beneficiary. Northern Ireland is being showcased on the world stage in the best possible way. Jonathan is a hero back home, with legions of fans supporting him. School kids are aspiring to be him, he is an idol to so, so many. Maybe one day, he may even be up for nomination for BBC Sports Personality of the Year…

With this success and fame comes interest. In Northern Ireland, a circuit that would be fit to host WSBK and MotoGP has been proposed and is now being built. An estimated 700 jobs are set to be created in the 18-month construction period, which is estimated to cost £30m, in County Tyrone. Lake Torrent is the circuit name. Although the capacity of the venue is only set to be 30,000 per event, Rea would help fill every seat with his fans back home. Overall, it’s a massive boost to the Northern Irish economy as well as the publicity that the country would get from such a top-class facility – which undoubtedly has been driven forward by Rea’s success.

Overall, Rea has been pretty sensational, both on track and off track. Some say that he has ruined WSBK and made it boring but whilst he is racing in the championship, we have to admire the talent and ability that he carries. We have to admire his willingness to never stop winning and to carry on breaking records. Rea is arguably the most talented rider that WSBK has ever seen but as I was told by Neil Hodgson, it is very hard to compare him to anyone else because there is no one else in Rea’s league at the moment, not even Kawasaki teammate Tom Sykes. Jonathan Rea is a legend and will only grow and grow as he racks up win after win, title after title.

Image by: worldSBK.com

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WSBK Magny Cours: What We Learnt

Words by Elliott York @journoyork

Round 11 of the 2017 World Superbike championship certainly didn’t disappoint – which let me tell you – feels superb to say.

It would be an injustice to not focus on Jonathan Rea and the factory Kawasaki outfit creating World Superbike history first. The Northern Irishman finally wrapped up what we’ve known for most of the season – his third straight championship, becoming the first rider to ever reach that feat.

After claiming pole for race one, despite getting cosy with the gravel traps in Superpole, the 30 year old then left the others in his wake as he stormed to victory in immensely difficult conditions under French skies. The perfect race to confirm his place as one of the all time Superbike greats.

Speaking to British Eurosport after his triumph, Rea commented; “I dreamt of [winning] one world championship as a kid. It was all I hung on to through the sacrifices of my parents during my motocross days.”

“To get one was incredible. Then going back to back with the new bike was unbelievable. This one… I’ve no words.”

His outing in race two was cut short after colliding with Eugene Laverty’s stricken Aprilia, nonetheless, an incredible weekend for the-now triple world champion.

Davies first title is by no means far away. A DNF in race 1 was an all too familiar story for the Welshman this year, with inconsistent results letting the man in green run away with the title.

Along with Tom Sykes, the Ducati man has been the other stand out performer this year with seven wins under his belt. He’s shown he can battle and beat Rea. Now, we just have to see it happen over the course of a season and hopefully, we can see Chaz claim his maiden Superbike title that we know he deserves.

All credit to the 30-year-old who proved he isn’t going to slow up for the remainder of the year despite losing out on the title.

Ah, the Pata Yamaha team. I think I can speak on behalf of every World Superbike fan at least and say how pleasing it was to see both Alex Lowes and Michael Van Der Mark celebrate on the podium in race two. The Englishman, twin to brother Sam, secured his third podium of the season to continue what has been a very positive year for Alex, despite consistent podiums eluding him and the team.

His Dutch teammate crossed the line third to pick up his second podium of the season and like his team mate, van der Mark has impressed this year. The boys in blue have cemented their place as the best of the rest, with number 22 sitting on 200 points in the championship and the number 60 sitting on 189. The race to be fourth in the championship, in my opinion, will be the hottest battle out there in the remaining four races.

Moving onto Marco Melandri and like we didn’t know this already, but make no mistake,  he’s still got it. He’s only had one win this season which came in Misano race two, however, the wily old fox has only failed to step on the podium at two of the rounds in 2017, Donington Park and Laguna Seca.

So what else did we learn? Leon Camier is the unluckiest guy out there. No one deserves a taste of the champagne more than he does this season after some of the performances he’s managed to strangle out of the out-dated MV Agusta. The devastation from both rider and team were clear to see after the bike gave up on him (again) whilst challenging for an almost certain rostrum in race two, one better than he went in race one.

There are strong rumours linking the former British Superbike champion with a move away from the Italian manufacturer, with Honda being the likely destination if the stories are to be believed, although MotoGP migrant Loris Baz is also rumoured to have that seat.

Overall, the Pirelli French round was an indicator of how great the series can be and still is. Yes, changes need to be made and seeing Jonny Rea win the title with two rounds to go isn’t great for the neutral but the genuine world class talent the series possesses shouldn’t go a miss.

Jerez is next up for the World Superbike circus, before they touch down in Qatar for the last round of the season at the start of November. It is rumoured that WSBK will no longer attend Jerez after this season, whilst Qatar looks set to stay.

Don’t forget to follow me on twitter @journoyork and make sure you’re following our new PitCrewOnline account, CrewOnTwo.

Image by: Yamaha Racing

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British Superbikes Assen: What We Learnt

There was a lot to draw out of the BSB round at Assen over the weekend. Although I could’ve spent all week analysing each result, that would be tedious and probably boring for you to read. Here are some of my top observations across the weekend. This is What We Learnt.

The Suzuki is coming good at a good point

Sylvain Guintoli took Suzuki’s first British Superbike race win in three years. The last time a Suzuki won was in the hands of Josh Waters in tricky conditions, at Brands Hatch. A new swing-arm for this weekend has proved to be beneficial and that, coinciding with Guintoli’s stunning history at Assen, has taken the new GSX-R Suzuki to its first win on Pirelli tyres. It is amazing how one part can make so much difference. Whether or not Guintoli can be as competitive at Brands Hatch is yet to be discovered but we finally know that the Suzuki can win races. Watch this space for 2018 – even if Guintoli may not be there.

Leon Haslam’s consistency is beginning to get worrying

A win and a third for Leon Haslam meant that he extended his lead in the championship, up to 32 points. Despite not finishing any races at Silverstone, the ‘Pocket Rocket’ has looked the most threatening rider in the field. In the last six races he has finished, Haslam has been on the podium in all of them. Had he finished races at Silverstone, then we could’ve been talking about Leon Haslam looking absolutely on the money for his first ever BSB title. Then again, he isn’t far off now. He could mathematically win the championship in race one at Brands Hatch – then again, he could also be closed right in. It is anyone’s title.

Bradley Ray really is the business

Lydd’s Bradley Ray took yet another double top-ten this weekend. In a sensational rookie year, Ray has already taken a podium and started from the front row, however, his results have been brilliant all season too. A 6th in race one whilst running with the leaders and a 10th in race two after suffering a duff tyre, are more-than good results. He extends his run of point-scoring rides to nine now, of which the last seven have been in the top ten. The sun is shining on young Ray.

Status Quo sees no Movin’ On

Many riders have already confirmed their intentions for the 2018 British Superbike season. The Paul Bird Motorsport Ducati team have confirmed Shane Byrne and Glenn Irwin for next season and just before Assen, Pete Extance’s JG Speedfit Bournemouth Kawasaki team announced they would retain the services of Leon Haslam and Luke Mossey. Jake Dixon was also confirmed to remain at RAF Regular and Reserve Kawasaki, run by Lee Hardy. During the Assen weekend, Christian Iddon was confirmed at Tyco BMW for another year. All this movement almost ends speculation about a complete change at Honda Racing UK, although Anvil Yamaha and McAMS Yamaha are still keeping quiet.

My own opinion suggests that the reason some riders are announcing their plans is because they are staying where they are. This means a simple re-signing causes less potential upset than signing a new rider for next season, especially with the season still live. The ones that we await news on suggests to me that at least one change will come in the remaining teams. Whether or not Andy Reid will stay at Tyco is unclear, due to his injury. Rumour has it that he has signed but the recovery period for his broken leg is vague.

A step up may not be so easy after all

We saw three National Superstock 1000 riders step up to BSB this weekend. Danny Buchan and Josh Elliott were replacement riders at FS-3 Kawasaki and Tyco BMW respectively, whereas Richard Cooper was a wildcard in the Hawk Racing Bennett’s Suzuki outfit.

Buchan crashed in race one and didn’t make it out for race two – the Basildon Bullet endured a tricky weekend with mechanical gremlins prior to race-day. This means that the FS-3 Kawasaki team haven’t scored a point since Snetterton, way back at the start of July.

Josh Elliott suffered on race day, after a stellar qualifying placed him 7th. He finished 19 in race one, after being sat up early on. In race two, he finished last, just shy of 45 seconds off the pace. Elliott looks almost certain to re-join Steve Buckenham’s Morello Kawasaki team next season, in a bid to take his 2nd National Superstock 1000 title.

Richard Cooper was more successful, finishing 13th in race one and 11th in race two. Cooper, racing in a splendid retro Suzuki livery, showed signs that he may have a lot of confidence – especially after his successful 2nd half of the year, in which he has kept Danny Buchan honest. Maybe his results over the weekend have given him confidence and therefore, some psychological advantage going into the last round at Brands. It should be a great season finale in the National Superstock 1000 class.

Shaun Winfield is one tough b*****d

Finally, Shaun Winfield gets my effort of the day. A massive accident on Friday left Swadlincote’s finest in a lot of pain for the rest of the weekend. Despite being lapped in race one, Winfield set a fastest lap of 1.42.642, not shabby at all considering he was being taken for a precautionary x-ray to his chest and left middle finger on Friday. Without doubt a stellar job, even if he didn’t finish race two. Well done.

Image by: Suzuki GB

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Davies Reflects On ‘Sweet’ Sunday

Chaz Davies took his 7th victory of the season in race two at Magny Cours on Sunday afternoon, beating Yamaha pairing Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark – as well as the weather – to take victory.

“Yesterday was bitter but today was sweet. This is the best way to put behind us a couple of tough races. I woke up feeling really motivated and I think it showed in the opening laps, as I was making passes and got to the front pretty quickly from 11th position”, said race winner Davies, making it his third win at Magny Cours.

Despite leading by a long way, Davies knew that it could all go wrong. Just two laps from home in race two at Portimao, he crashed out of a very safe 2nd place. During race two at Magny Cours, he had rain to contend with and with him being first to arrive, he was guinea-pig in the race.

“It wasn’t an easy race though. The rain was on and off throughout and it was hard to tell where the wet patches could be. It was a matter of pushing hard but not too much, just enough to keep the gap in check and that’s what we did. Now we’re looking forward to the last two races, the hunt for second position in the championship is still open and we can be fast, both at Jerez and Losail.”

Davies sits just nine points behind 2013 champion, Tom Sykes. Davies out-scored Sykes in the remaining races last year and if he does the same again, he will finish the 2017 season as runner-up for a 2nd time.

Image by: WorldSBK,com

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Teamwork makes the Dream Work – Double Podium Delight for Pata Yamaha at Magny Cours

One Lowes twin was certainly ‘On It’ on the podium. van der Mark thinks he’ll try a bit of it too.

The Pata Yamaha World Superbike team of Alex Lowes and Michael van der Mark gave Yamaha their first double podium in WSBK since Marco Melandri and Eugene Laverty finished 1-2 in the 2nd race at Portimao, way back in 2011. It also marks the 2nd podium of the season for Michael van der Mark and 3rd of the season for Lowes, as the Pata Yamaha riders continue to develop the new R1. It was the closest a Yamaha has been to winning a race since race two at Phillip Island earlier this season.

In a race that was plagued by inclement weather conditions, Lowes lined up 2nd on the grid. He was initially the race leader, with teammate van der Mark coming into 2nd. Aruba.IT Ducati’s Chaz Davies forced his way through the field with careless abandon, eventually taking the lead and clearing off into the distance.

Leon Camier was next up on the MV Agusta and he took over as 2nd place man ahead of Lowes, although it would turn out not to matter too much – Leon Camier’s MV Agusta expired yet again. Lincolnshire Bullet Lowes was now ahead of Magic Michael.

The rain began to fall much heavier, with all four sectors giving warnings of drops of rain. van der Mark did not adhere to the warnings though, running out onto the white lines and using all of the kerb to try and close on his teammate. Thankfully, he remained upright, as the sun came from behind the clouds again, with the rain easing off.

Both riders put in a string of low 1.39s, closing the gap down to Davies in the latter stages of the race. Although both Yamahas gave pursuit to give the manufacturer their first win in six seasons, it wasn’t to be and it was Davies who beat Lowes and van der Mark.

“Honestly, this weekend has been slightly strange with the different weather conditions yesterday and then today, with just that little bit of rain and difficult grip levels”, began Alex Lowes, taking his best ever result at Magny Cours.

“I think it is a perfect example of how well the Pata Yamaha Team are working because, although we are still looking to close the gap to Kawasaki and Ducati in terms of out-and-out performance, whenever there is a chance to take advantage of a ‘different’ situation, we have been there”, said the former BSB champion, hailing the progress that the Pata Yamaha team have made in just two seasons.

“It is a fantastic day for the Pata Yamaha WorldSBK Team! I am really happy to share the podium with Michael because, like I said, the team have been performing so well and I am looking forward to the rest of the season now! I try to do the best I can in every race and my goal is to try and challenge these guys every week; that is the target and that is what Yamaha employ me to do”.

Lowes had previously only ever scored one point-scoring ride at Magny Cours, on a Suzuki in 2015, finishing 8th. A 2nd place on Sunday combined with a 5th on Saturday gave Lowes his best points haulage of the season to date.

“I think if I take a step back, I can be quite happy overall with the season up to now but as a rider, you always want more and there are some events where more could have been achieved. I still feel that there is still plenty more to come from myself and the R1 and we will keep working hard to improve”, said Lowes, consolidating his 5th place in the championship.

Teammate Michael van der Mark was just as positive, despite not being top Yamaha this time out. The Dutchman took his 2nd podium in three races and also clinched his best ever finishes at Magny Cours.

“It is my second podium of the season and I am so happy! Yesterday in the first race I was a bit unlucky but I scored some points. Today it was good to start from sixth on the grid for race two. I had a really good start and fought my way to the front but it was really difficult as there were some big drops of rain falling, so it was tricky to know what to expect”, van der Mark said, as conditions proved difficult for many riders.

“It was good for me to follow the other guys because I could see what they were doing. I was pushing quite hard but I also didn’t want to crash; it was so difficult but I tried my best and managed to stay on the bike. I just focused on finding my pace and it was similar to the guys in front”, he continued.

Michael had scored a magnificent 2nd place at the circuit last season, so this year’s result only emphasises his love for the technical Magny Cours track. Prior to this weekend, he had never been lower than 5th at Magny Cours since joining the Superbike class. Unfortunately, his 9th place yesterday – after falling off and remounting – ended that amazing run of form in France.

“Towards the end of the race I closed the gap to Alex but then I made some small mistakes and I just didn’t have the tyres anymore to attack again. It was a little bit of a weird race but Alex and I were really strong today and it was great to share the podium with my teammate. It was not the easiest race to control but in the end, we were both on the podium and that is what we aim for”, said a magnanimous Michael van der Mark, who jumps to 6th in the points standings.

“We have made a good step forward and this result, along with Portimao two weeks ago, shows we can fight for the podium at every round. I am really happy and I look forward to Jerez already. Jerez is a special track for me, and one I really like. We cannot wait to go there”.

The Yamaha pairing will now go to Jerez and look to build their advantage over Xavi Fores in 7th and also hope to be able to run with the leading Kawasaki and Ducati riders. Yamaha’s best result at Jerez last season was a 6th and a 5th, both results coming from Sylvain Guintoli.

Image: Yamaha Racing WSBK

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Guintoli: It Means a Lot, This First Victory

Sylvain Guintoli said that his first BSB win of the season “means a lot”, having narrowly missed out on tasting the champagne in race one. He took his first win and the Bennett’s Suzuki Team’s first win of the season – Suzuki’s first in British Superbikes since Josh Waters in 2014.

“It means a lot, this first victory. I felt good right away this weekend. We’ve improved the bike a lot in recent rounds and also in the wet too, which is somewhere we’ve struggled before”, began former World Superbike champ Guintoli, joining a list of a select few that have won both BSB and WSBK races.

‘Guinters’ at one stage in the 2nd race was lapping over a second quicker than leading duo Shane Byrne and James Ellison, who escaped early on. It is the new Suzuki’s first win in a Superbike class on Pirelli tyres too.

“In the dry, we’ve really improved. We worked step-by-step. We’re also running a different swingarm now and we were able to have two good races. I enjoyed them both a lot. There was lots of fighting and people diving underneath each other; I’d never seen some of the types of passing we saw today”, stated a remarkable Sylvain, who demonstrated throughout the weekend that he and his Suzuki are coming on leaps and bounds.

A frantic battle that at one point saw four of the five leading riders go side-by-side, working in the Frenchman’s favour. He was able to lead and break away from his pursuers, building up a gap of over a second entering the last lap.

Assen is a place that already held special memories for Sylvain. He took his first – and so far only – Grand Prix podium there in 2003 in a wet 250cc race, which was won by Anthony West. He also took his first ever World Superbike victory at the track too, in 2012, riding a privateer Ducati.

“It was all safe and a lot of fun. We were unlucky to miss the podium in race one but in race two I felt really strong. I took it easy at the start, just to try and save a bit of tyre but then we were able to attack and get the win. We knew we had to develop the bike this year but sometimes people want things right away. It wasn’t going to happen in a championship this competitive but we’re making steps and this shows that the bike is improving”, concluded Guintoli, who has silenced his critics with a masterclass of tactical racing in the 2nd outing today.

Guintoli is now 13th in the championship, equal on points with John Hopkins on 122 points and just four points back from top Suzuki rider, Bradley Ray. Sylvain is 25 points behind a top 10 place, currently occupied by Dan Linfoot, on a 147 points.

Image by: Suzuki Racing

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WSBK France Race 1: Game, Set, Championship

Jonathan Rea made World Superbike history on Saturday 30th September 2017, by becoming the first rider to win three back-to-back championships.

Qualifying: Pole – Jonathan Rea. P2 – Leandro Mercado. P3 – Tom Sykes

Track Conditions: Wet

Such is the technical nature of the Magny-Cours circuit that the best will shine whilst the others flounder. That could not have been more apt for Jonathan Rea, on board his factory Kawasaki, on Saturday. Starting from pole position, on a sodden track, Rea commanded control of the race in every aspect, from lights to flag. His launch was superb, by the time the field had made there way to the Adelaide hairpin at turn 5, Rea had already opened up a gap approaching 3 seconds. Whilst others battled with their machines for traction, every turn was a dream for the 30-year old, with rider and back at one mastering the conditions with a freakish ease. His speed in comparison to the field was astonishing, on average over a second per lap quicker than his main rivals. The personnel manning his pit board regularly displayed the message “Relax. Slow Down”, fearing his pace was unsustainable throughout the race and a crash was imminent. This was not Rea’s way. Not today. For the Northern Irishman there was only one way to win the title this season – with a win to blow all opposition out of the water, and boy did he do just that. A true champion’s ride from arguably the most dominant champion the World Superbike paddock has ever seen.

Whilst Rea was enjoying the perfect race, Chaz Davies (Aruba.it Ducati) was falling foul of the perfect storm. Despite briefly climbing up into a podium position on the early laps, this was as good as it would get. His bike began to struggle with the conditions, especially through any sections which required hard braking and subsequent hard acceleration. The problem only worsened as the circuit began to dry out in the latter half of the race. It was a disastrous turn of events for the rider as he slipped back to tenth place, unable to resist any of his rivals. It later transpired after the race that the Welshman’s had been suffering an electronics malfunction.

It was, however, a much better story from the other side of the garage as teammate Marco Melandri produced a solid ride to finish the race in second place. The veteran Italian rider needed to call upon all his experience and tenacity to fend off stoic competition from Tom Sykes (Kawasaki Racing Team) in third place. It was an inspiring effort from the KRT man who, just four weeks ago, was rushed to hospital following a crash during testing, with a badly broken leg. The pair regularly swapped positions on track, but the result was decided after a daring move by Melandri through the long sweeping right-hander of turn 3. Having found space on the inside, he forced Sykes to sit up mid corner, resulting in his rival losing momentum and conceding the place – swapping a fair amount of paint in the process. All is fair in love and war.

Leon Camier continued his stellar late season resurgence with MV Agusta, by finishing in fourth place, and the first of the single rider teams.  Having started in eighth place on the grid, the British rider avoided the early race shenanigans and found himself in fourth. Such was the rhythm and pace of Camier, he was able to pull clear of the Pata-Yamaha machine of Alex Lowes (P5). A fact which should not be understated, as the Yamaha is fully backed by the Japanese racing factory.  Lowes produced a solid display in the treacherous conditions, and would have been relieved to have ended a rather barren run at the circuit in previous years.

It was certainly a more eventful race for Lowes’ teammate, Michael Van der Mark. The Dutchman crashed in the middle of the track at the exit of the Nurburgring corner, on lap 4. Whilst he was able to rejoin the race, damage sustained to the rear of the bike limited his performance. Nevertheless he battled through the pack and was in the end content to finish in P9.  The same cannot be said for Xavi Fores (Barni-Racing Ducati) who was brought down by the fallen Yamaha. It was a cruel way for the Spaniard to bow out of the race, as the collision was unavoidable. The bike sadly was too badly damaged to continue the race. A severe penalty for no crime.

A word finally on Davide Giugliano’s peformance. It is only his second race weekend aboard the much maligned Red-Bull Honda machine. However, progress is clearly being made and now showing. Not only was the Italian able to qualify on the second row of the grid (P6), he also managed to secure a rare top ten finish for the team during the race. Eighth place under normal circumstances, is nothing to be excited about – but after everything Honda have been through this year, the result is a definite triumph for the team.

Race Result:

Winner: Jonathan Rea (KRT) – 40:06.523

P2: Marco Melandri (Aruba.it Ducati) – +16.316

P3: Tom Sykes (KRT) – +0.350

P4: Leon Camier (MV Agusta)

P5: Alex Lowes (Pata-Yamaha)

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Guintoli Storms to First BSB Win in 2017, Haslam Extends Title Lead

Sylvain Guintoli became the 10th winner of the 2017 British Superbike championship, seeing off challenges from Brookes, Haslam, Ellison and Byrne to take the new Suzuki to it’s first race win in the United Kingdom in Superbike spec.

Despite a good start, Byrne was 2nd going into turn one, with James Ellison taking the lead momentarily. Byrne fought back into turn two and held the lead for several laps. In 3rd, Leon Haslam was ahead of Guintoli and Brookes, whilst Jake Dixon was up to 6th with Peter Hickman in behind.

Byrne and Ellison soon pulled away and at one stage, it looked like it was going to be a head-to-head dual between the two veterans of BSB. Both riders were in the 1 minute 36 second bracket, whilst the chasing trio of Haslam, Brookes and Guintoli were in 1 minute 37 second times.

Guintoli broke free from Haslam and Brookes and rapidly set off after the leading duo out front. In the process, he set a lap time that was fractionally outside of Byrne’s best lap, even though it was a over a second quicker than the leaders on that particular circulation. Guintoli looked like his old self as he ghosted up to the rear wheel of ‘Shakey’ and Ellison. The three passed each other several times, slowing the pace.

However, whilst the leading three battled, it allowed Haslam and Brookes to also close back in and soon, we had a 10-wheeler. Out of the leading five, it looked like Australian Brookes was struggling more than others, just a few bike lengths more off the back of the group. However, it was all set to change.

A bad chicane exit from the-now leader Guintoli gave Haslam, Byrne and Ellison a chance down into the first turn. Four abreast, Haslam and Byrne messed turn one up completely and ran well off track, gifting the lead back to Ellison and Guintoli – who both did well to avoid a sideways ‘Pocket Rocket’. Josh Brookes was now third.

Just two laps from the end, James Ellison had a moment whilst in 2nd place. His McAMS Yamaha sat up at the Struben hairpin, hindering those behind him and allowing Sylvain Guintoli to race away. Ellison held off a challenge from Haslam, making it more and more difficult to imagine anyone else but Guintoli taking a 25-point haulage for the first time this season.

Guintoli had broken clear and had over a second advantage onto the last lap. Into Ruskenhoek, Brookes put a show-stopping move on Haslam – a vital pass in the championship which meant Josh closes in on the ex WSBK race winner. Ellison and Byrne were out of the competition, just too far away from realistically launching any pass on those ahead.

Sylvain Guintoli kept a cool head and rode a faultless final lap, taking the new Suzuki to it’s first ever race win in the UK in a Superbike race. Brookes held off Haslam, both finishing 2nd and 3rd respectively. James Ellison finished 4th, whilst a disconsolate Shane Byrne could only manage 5th, despite starting from pole and setting the fastest lap of the race. Hickman, Dixon, Iddon, Linfoot and Ray completed the top 10.

Haslam maintains his lead in the title, with a 32-point advantage over Josh Brookes, with Shane Byrne a further point back of his rivals. Overall, Leon Haslam made up 10 points on both Josh Brookes and Shane Byrne, meaning he can now finish 3rd in every race at Brands Hatch to become champion. Jake Dixon is next up, 54 points behind Haslam – meaning he must beat Haslam by 4 points in race one at Brands Hatch to stand any mathematical chance of title success. Peter Hickman is 5th and 63 points back, meaning he needs 13 points more than Haslam to keep his title hopes alive. 6th is Jason O’Halloran, who can’t now mathematically win the championship, being 86 points adrift.

The race did not consist of Danny Buchan, who wasn’t entered into the race after a race one tumble.

Image by: Suzuki GB

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